KR102107692B1 - Method and apparatus of supplying hot water and water purifier having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A hot water supply method, a hot water supply device, and a water purifier comprising the same are disclosed. The hot water supply device, a heater unit for heating the incoming water; A flow control unit for controlling the flow rate of water flowing through the heater unit; A flow sensor for measuring the flow rate of water flowing through the heater unit; An inlet temperature sensor provided at the front end of the heater unit to measure the temperature of the water flowing into the heater unit; A current sensing unit sensing a current flowing in the heater unit; And a target flow rate value is calculated by using the current value measured by the current detection unit and the obtained temperature value measured by the intake temperature sensor when the heater is first driven, and the flow rate value measured by the flow sensor is It may include a control unit for controlling the flow rate control unit to match the target flow rate value, and obtaining a flow rate control value at the time when the measured flow rate value matches the target flow rate value.

Description

Hot water supply method, hot water supply device and water purifier including the same {METHOD AND APPARATUS OF SUPPLYING HOT WATER AND WATER PURIFIER HAVING THE SAME}

The present application relates to a hot water supply method, a hot water supply device and a water purifier including the same.

In the case of a direct hot water supply device that provides hot water using an instantaneous hot water heater, it is important to set the temperature of the extracted hot water to a target temperature, and various control methods exist for this.

According to one conventional control method, when hot water is extracted, the heater is operated by obtaining water at a predetermined flow rate as a heater, and flowing into the heater based on the water temperature value measured by the temperature sensor provided at the water outlet side of the heater. The temperature of the hot water can be controlled by adjusting the flow rate of the water.

However, since the flow control valve used to adjust the flow rate of the water flowing into the heater is configured to adjust the flow rate step by step, the variation in the flow rate is large, and accordingly, the flow rate of the water is controlled by a target flow rate value to match the temperature of the desired hot water Have a hard time.

In addition, due to such a deviation, the flow rate of the water flowing into the heater exceeds or falls below the target flow rate value, and accordingly, the temperature change of the hot water discharged becomes large, and there is a limit that it is difficult to set the target temperature.

On the other hand, a method for calculating the electric power of the heater required to set the temperature of the hot water to the target temperature based on the obtained temperature value measured by the temperature sensor provided on the heater's intake side and operating the heater accordingly has also been proposed.

However, even in this case, the flow rate of the water flowing into the heater varies depending on the conditions of the environment in which the hot water supply device is installed, for example, the water pressure and flow rate of the installation environment, thereby controlling the temperature of the hot water discharged to the target temperature. There are difficulties.

In this regard, Patent Document 1 described in the following prior art documents discloses a hot water supply device and a water purifier using the same.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2014-0057420 (Publication date: 2014.05.13.)

In the technical field, the temperature of the hot water is set to the target temperature while minimizing the temperature change of the hot water discharged by minimizing the flow rate of the water flowing into the heater and the power control of the heater in the direct hot water supply device that provides hot water using the instantaneous hot water heater. A method for controlling is required.

In order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a hot water supply method.

A method of supplying hot water according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: sensing the current value flowing in the heater unit and calculating the power of the heater unit from the detected current value when the heater unit provided in the hot water supply device is first driven; Measuring an inlet temperature of water flowing into the heater unit; Calculating a target flow rate value using the calculated power value and the obtained temperature value; Measuring a flow rate of water flowing through the heater portion; Stepwise adjusting the flow rate of the water until the measured flow rate value matches the target flow rate value; And storing a flow rate control value at a time point when the measured flow rate value matches the target flow rate value.

In addition, another embodiment of the present invention provides a hot water supply device.

A hot water supply device according to another embodiment of the present invention, a heater unit for heating the incoming water; A flow control unit for controlling the flow rate of water flowing through the heater unit; A flow sensor for measuring the flow rate of water flowing through the heater unit; An inlet temperature sensor provided at the front end of the heater unit to measure the temperature of the water flowing into the heater unit; A current sensing unit sensing a current flowing in the heater unit; And a target flow rate value is calculated by using the current value measured by the current detection unit and the obtained temperature value measured by the intake temperature sensor when the heater is first driven, and the flow rate value measured by the flow sensor is It may include a control unit for controlling the flow rate control unit to match the target flow rate value, and obtaining a flow rate control value at the time when the measured flow rate value matches the target flow rate value.

In addition, not all the features of the present invention are listed in the solution means of the above-mentioned subject. Various features of the present invention and the advantages and effects thereof may be understood in more detail with reference to specific embodiments below.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when installing the hot water supply device, a target flow rate for setting the temperature of the water extracted from the heater to the target temperature in consideration of both the temperature of the water flowing into the heater, the power of the heater and the installation environment conditions After calculating the value and storing the flow rate control value for matching the flow rate of water to the calculated target flow rate value, the flow rate can be controlled with the pre-stored flow rate control value during hot water extraction. Through this, it is possible to control the temperature of the hot water to a target temperature while minimizing the temperature change of the hot water discharged by minimizing the control of the flow rate of the water flowing into the heater and the power of the heater during the extraction of the hot water.

1 is a block diagram of a hot water supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a flowchart of a hot water supply method according to another embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a flowchart of a method for supplying hot water according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement the present invention. However, in the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when it is determined that a detailed description of related known functions or configurations may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings for parts having similar functions and functions.

In addition, in the entire specification, when a part is said to be 'connected' with another part, it is not only 'directly connected', but also 'indirectly connected' with another element in between. Includes. In addition, "including" a component means that other components may be further included instead of excluding other components, unless otherwise stated.

1 is a block diagram of a hot water supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the hot water supply device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a heater unit 110, a flow rate control unit 120, an extraction unit 130, a current sensing unit 140, and an operation unit 150 , It may be configured to include a storage unit 160, the control unit 170, valves (V1, V2), temperature sensors (TS1, TS2) and flow sensor (FS).

The heater 110 is for heating the water flowing in under the control of the control unit 170, for example, may be implemented as a heating element.

According to an example, the heater unit 110 may be a heating element that is turned on under the control of the control unit 170 and driven with the maximum amount of heat, or turned off.

According to another example, the heater unit 110 may be a heating element whose heating capacity is adjustable in a range of 0% to 100% of the maximum heating capacity under the control of the control unit 170.

The inlet valve V1 is provided at the front end of the heater unit 110 to control the flow of water flowing into the heater unit 110.

In addition, the inlet temperature sensor TS1 is provided at the front end of the heater unit 110 to measure the temperature of the water flowing into the heater unit 110 and output the measured inlet temperature value to the control unit 170.

The flow rate control unit 120 is for controlling the flow rate of water flowing through the heater unit 110 under the control of the control unit 170, for example, may be installed at the rear end of the heater unit 110.

According to an example, the flow control unit 120 may be implemented with a valve (not shown) and a motor (not shown) (for example, a stepping motor) that controls the opening and closing degree of the valve. In this case, the flow rate of water can be adjusted according to the degree of opening and closing of the valve.

According to another example, the flow control unit 120 may be implemented as a flow control pump (not shown). In this case, the flow rate of water can be adjusted by gradually changing the voltage value applied to the pump.

On the other hand, a rear end of the heater unit 110, for example, between the flow control unit 120 and the extraction unit 130, a flow sensor FS, a water discharge temperature sensor TS2 and a water discharge valve V2 are provided, respectively. You can.

The flow rate sensor FS may measure the flow rate of water flowing through the heater unit 110 and output the measured flow rate value to the control unit 170.

The water temperature sensor TS2 may measure the temperature of the hot water discharged from the heater unit 110 and output the measured water temperature value to the control unit 170.

The water outlet valve V2 may control the flow of water extracted through the extraction unit 130.

In FIG. 1, the flow rate control unit 120, the flow rate sensor FS, the water discharge temperature sensor TS2, and the water discharge valve V2 are installed in the order of the rear end of the heater unit 110, but the installation order is necessarily limited to this. The installation order may be changed as necessary, or two or more components may be merged and implemented as one component.

The extraction unit 130 is for extracting hot water heated by the heater unit 110 to the outside.

The current sensing unit 140 detects the current flowing through the heater unit 110 and outputs a current value to the control unit 170 when the heater unit 110 is turned on and operated under the control of the control unit 170. You can.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, by detecting the current flowing through the heater unit 110 through the current sensing unit 140, the current that can be varied according to the installation environment of the hot water supply device 100 or the deviation of the heating element The value is measured and the electric power of the heater unit 110 can be more accurately calculated based on this.

The operation unit 150 is for receiving a user input for controlling the operation of the hot water supply device 100, and may be implemented as, for example, a mechanical button or a touch button.

According to an example, the user may extract hot water by selecting a hot water extraction button provided on the operation unit 150.

In addition, the user may input a desired hot water temperature through the operation unit 150.

The storage 160 is for storing various data necessary for controlling the operation of the hot water supply device 100, and may be implemented as, for example, a non-volatile storage device.

According to an example, the storage unit 160 includes a flow control value obtained at the time of the initial installation of the hot water supply device 100, and an intake temperature value measured by the intake temperature sensor TS1 and the flow sensor FS, and Flow rate values and the like can be stored.

The control unit 170 is for controlling the overall operation of the hot water supply device 100, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) , Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA).

Specifically, when the hot water extraction button is input during the initial installation of the hot water supply device 100, the control unit 170 controls the heater unit 110 to be ON for a predetermined time to be driven, and drives the heater 110 first. At the same time, the target flow rate value may be calculated using the current value received from the current sensing unit 140 and the obtained temperature value received from the intake temperature sensor TS1.

Here, the control unit 170, first, calculates the electric power of the heater unit 110 from the current value received from the current sensing unit 140, using the calculated power value and the obtained temperature value in Equation 1 below Accordingly, the target flow value can be calculated. Here, a is an energy conversion constant for calories, and since 1KWh = 861Kcal, a may be 860.

[Equation 1]

Target flow value [LPM] = (heater efficiency * a * (power value [kW] / (target temperature-water temperature [℃]))) / 60 [s]

In addition, the control unit 170 may control the flow rate of water by controlling the flow rate control unit 120 so that the flow rate value received from the flow rate sensor FS matches the above-described target flow rate value. In addition, the control unit 170 may obtain and control the flow rate control value at the time when the flow rate value matches the target flow rate value and store it in the storage unit 160.

According to an example, when the above-described flow control unit 120 is implemented as a motor or a stepping motor, the control unit 170 controls the motor step by step to adjust the flow rate and the flow rate value measured by the flow rate sensor FS is determined. The output value (that is, the position value) of the motor at a time point coinciding with the calculated target flow rate value or the PPS (Pulses per second) value of the stepping motor may be stored as a flow control value.

According to another example, when the above-described flow control unit 120 is implemented as a flow control pump, the control unit 170 changes the voltage value of the pump step by step to adjust the flow rate and the flow rate value measured by the flow sensor FS The voltage value applied to the pump at a time coinciding with the previously calculated target flow rate value may be stored as a flow rate control value.

When the operation of the control unit 170 is described as a specific example, when the obtained temperature value is 20 ° C, the target temperature is 95 ° C, the heater efficiency is 95%, and the calculated power value is 1.4kW, the above equation 1 According to the calculation, the target flow value is 0.25LPM.

That is, when the heater 110 is operated while controlling the flow rate of water passing through the heater 110 to be 0.25 LPM, hot water at a target temperature of 95 ° C can be extracted.

However, the water pressure may be different depending on the installation environment of the hot water supply device 100, and accordingly, the flow rate varies, so that the flow rate of the water passing through the actual heater unit 110 is the target flow rate according to the installation environment. The flow control value of the controller 120, that is, the output value of the motor or the voltage value of the pump may be changed.

Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the target flow rate is calculated in consideration of the installation environment at the time of the first installation of the hot water supply device 100, so that the flow rate of the water passing through the heater 110 becomes the target flow rate value It is configured to find and store the flow control value of the flow control unit 120.

Meanwhile, when the hot water extraction input is transmitted from the operation unit 150 after the hot water supply device 100 is installed, the control unit 170 may control the flow control unit 120 using the flow control value stored in the storage unit 160. have. As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by initiating hot water extraction while controlling the flow rate control unit 120 by using the flow rate control value stored at the time of the first installation of the hot water supply device 100, it is introduced into the heater. It is possible to minimize unnecessary temperature changes that may be caused in the process of adjusting the flow rate of the water to the target flow rate value, and also to minimize power control of the heater.

In this case, the control unit 170 may receive the inlet temperature value and the flow rate value from the inlet temperature sensor TS1 and the flow rate sensor FS, respectively, and determine whether to reset the flow rate control value based on this.

For example, in the case where hot water is extracted after a long time has passed since the installation time of the hot water supply device 100, a change may occur in an intake temperature or an installation environment (eg, water pressure, flow rate). In this case, when a change in the intake temperature or the installation environment occurs, it is difficult to obtain a desired target temperature value by controlling the flow rate controller 120 according to the pre-stored flow rate control value.

Therefore, the control unit 170 is stored in the case where the inlet temperature value and the flow rate value measured at the time of extraction of hot water differ from the intake temperature value and the flow rate value measured at the time of installation of the hot water supply device 100 and a predetermined value or more. The flow rate control value may be reset and stored, and the flow rate control unit 120 may be controlled using the reset flow rate control value.

According to an example, the control unit 170 calculates the rate of change of the obtained temperature value and calculates the rate of change of the obtained temperature value when the obtained temperature value measured at the time of extraction of hot water differs from the obtained temperature value measured at the time of installation by a preset value or more. Accordingly, the flow control value may be reset by adjusting the pre-stored flow control value. Similarly, the control unit 170 calculates the rate of change of the flow rate value when the flow rate value measured at the time of hot water extraction differs from the flow rate value measured at the time of installation and a preset value, and the pre-stored flow rate control value according to the calculated change rate You can reset the flow control value by adjusting.

For a specific example, if the obtained temperature value obtained at the time of installation is 30 ° C and the obtained temperature value measured at the time of hot water extraction is 20 ° C, the rate of change of the obtained temperature value is approximately 33%. Accordingly, the control unit 170 may reset the adjusted value to the flow control value by adjusting the pre-stored flow control value by 33%. Moreover, it can apply similarly also to a flow value.

According to another example, the control unit 170 may reset the flow control value corresponding to the inlet temperature value and the flow rate value (or water pressure) measured at the time of hot water extraction using the pre-stored table. Here, the pre-stored table may store flow control values according to changes in one or more installation environment conditions, and may be values determined by repeated experiments. Here, the one or more installation environment conditions may include an inlet temperature value and a flow rate value (or water pressure), and may further include heater power and the like.

2 is a flowchart of a method for supplying hot water according to another embodiment of the present invention, and specifically shows an operation method at the time of initial installation of a hot water supply device.

Referring to FIG. 2, first, when power is supplied to the hot water supply device (ON) and a hot water extraction button is input (S210), the inlet valve and the water outlet provided at the front and rear ends of the heater part of the hot water supply device, respectively, By controlling the valve to ON, water flows through the heater unit (S215).

Thereafter, the flow rate of the water flowing through the heater unit is measured through the flow sensor (S220), and if the measured flow rate value is equal to or greater than a preset first flow rate value (S225), the heater unit may be controlled to be ON for a predetermined time to be driven (S230). ). Here, the first flow rate value may be a minimum flow rate value for normally driving the heater unit, and may be set differently according to the heating capacity of the heater unit.

As described above, in the state in which the heater unit is first driven, the current flowing through the heater unit can be sensed and the electric power of the heater unit can be calculated from the current value (S235). In addition, it is possible to measure the temperature of the water flowing into the heater unit, that is, the water temperature (S240).

Thereafter, the target flow rate value may be calculated according to Equation 1 described above using the calculated power value and the measured inlet temperature value (S245).

Thereafter, the flow rate of the water flowing through the heater is measured (S250), and the flow rate of the water can be adjusted stepwise until the measured flow rate value matches the target flow rate value (S260).

On the other hand, if the flow rate value matches the target flow rate value (S255), the flow rate control value at the matching time point is stored (S265), and the inlet valve and the outlet valve are controlled to OFF to terminate the initial operation process (S270) .

The operation method described above with reference to FIG. 2 may be applied to both the case where the hot water supply device has a drain or a drain.

For example, when the hot water supply device has a drain, in the process of adjusting the flow rate of the water so that the measured flow rate value matches the target flow rate value, the water passing through the heater part may be controlled to flow to the drain rather than the extraction part. On the other hand, when the hot water supply device does not have a drain, water passing through the heater portion can be extracted to the extraction portion.

3 is a flowchart of a method for supplying hot water according to another embodiment of the present invention, and specifically shows an operation method when hot water is extracted after the hot water supply device is installed.

Referring to Figure 3, when the hot water extraction button is input (S310), it is possible to measure the temperature of the water received by the heater, that is, the temperature of the water and the flow rate of the water (S320).

When the measured inlet temperature value and the flow rate value are compared with the obtained inlet temperature value and the flow rate value measured at the time of installation, respectively, when the amount of change in the inlet temperature value and / or the flow rate value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (S330), the inlet temperature value and / or Alternatively, the flow rate control value may be reset based on the change in the flow rate value (S340), and the flow rate may be controlled using the reset flow rate control value (S350).

On the other hand, if both the change in the obtained temperature value and the flow rate value is less than a preset value, the flow rate may be controlled using a pre-stored flow rate control value (S360).

As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, hot water extraction may be started in a state where the flow rate is appropriately controlled using a pre-stored flow control value or a reset flow control value, thereby minimizing unnecessary temperature changes. have.

On the other hand, although not shown in Figure 3, after starting the extraction of hot water in the state of controlling the flow rate using a pre-stored flow control value or a reset flow control value, the outlet temperature value measured by the outlet temperature sensor is the target temperature Check whether it has reached the temperature, and if the outflow temperature value does not reach the target temperature, decrease the flow rate step by step, and if the outflow temperature value exceeds the target temperature, gradually increase the flow rate and control the outflow temperature value to match the target temperature. You can.

The present invention is not limited by the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings. For those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, it will be apparent that components according to the present invention can be substituted, modified and changed without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention.

100: hot water supply
110: heater unit
120: flow control
130: extraction unit
140: current sensing unit
150: control panel
160: storage unit
170: control unit
V1, V2: Valve
TS1, TS2: temperature sensor
FS: flow sensor

Claims (16)

A heater unit that heats the incoming water;
A flow control unit for controlling the flow rate of water flowing through the heater unit;
A flow sensor for measuring the flow rate of water flowing through the heater unit;
An inlet temperature sensor provided at the front end of the heater unit to measure the temperature of the water flowing into the heater unit;
A current sensing unit sensing a current flowing in the heater unit;
Upon initial driving of the heater unit, a target flow rate value is calculated using the current value measured by the current sensing unit and the obtained temperature value measured by the intake temperature sensor, and the flow rate value measured by the flow sensor is the A control unit controlling the flow rate control unit to match a target flow rate value, and obtaining a flow rate control value at a time point when the measured flow rate value matches the target flow rate value; And
A hot water supply device including a storage unit for storing the obtained temperature value, the measured flow rate value, and the flow rate control value obtained by the control unit.
According to claim 1,
The control unit calculates the power of the heater unit from the current value, the following equation
Target flow value [LPM] = (heater efficiency * a * (power value [kW] / (target temperature-water temperature [℃]))) / 60 [s]
According to calculate the target flow rate value, the a is a hot water supply device that is an energy conversion constant for calories.
According to claim 1,
The flow control unit, a hot water supply device including a valve and a motor for adjusting the degree of opening and closing of the valve.
The method of claim 3,
The control unit controls the motor stepwise to adjust the flow rate of the water, and the hot water supply device for obtaining the output value of the motor at the time when the measured flow rate value matches the target flow rate value.
According to claim 1,
The flow control unit is a hot water supply device including a pump for flow control.
The method of claim 5,
The control unit controls the flow rate of the water by gradually changing the voltage value of the flow control pump, and the flow rate control value is a voltage value applied to the pump when the measured flow rate value matches the target flow rate value. Hot water supply device to acquire.
delete According to claim 1,
When extracting hot water according to the input of the hot water extraction button after the first driving of the heater unit,
The control unit controls the flow rate control unit using a flow rate control value stored in the storage unit, and drives the heater unit to extract hot water.
The method of claim 8,
The control unit resets the flow control value by using the inlet temperature value measured by the inlet temperature sensor and the flow rate value measured by the flow sensor when extracting the hot water.
The method of claim 9,
The control unit resets the flow control value when the inlet temperature value and the flow rate value measured at the time of extracting the hot water are different from the pre-set values and the inlet temperature value and the flow rate value measured at the first driving of the heater unit, respectively. A hot water supply device for controlling the flow control unit using a reset flow control value.
The method of claim 10,
The control unit calculates at least one change rate among the obtained temperature value and the flow rate value, and adjusts the flow rate control value according to the calculated change rate to reset the flow rate control value.
The method of claim 10,
The control unit is a hot water supply device for resetting to a flow control value corresponding to the inlet temperature value and the flow rate value measured at the time of extracting the hot water using a pre-stored table.
A water purifier comprising the hot water supply device according to claim 1.
Upon initial driving of the heater unit provided in the hot water supply device, sensing a current value flowing through the heater unit and calculating power of the heater unit from the detected current value;
Measuring an inlet temperature of water flowing into the heater unit;
Calculating a target flow rate value using the calculated power value and the obtained temperature value;
Measuring a flow rate of water flowing through the heater portion;
Stepwise adjusting the flow rate of the water until the measured flow rate value matches the target flow rate value; And
And storing the flow rate control value at a time point when the measured flow rate value matches the target flow rate value.
The method of claim 14,
Measuring an intake temperature and flow rate of water flowing into the heater unit when a hot water extraction button is input after the first driving of the heater unit;
Comparing the measured inlet temperature value and the flow rate value with the obtained inlet temperature value and the flow rate value, respectively, measured during the initial driving of the heater unit;
As a result of the comparison, when at least one of the obtained temperature value and the flow rate value differs from a predetermined value or more, resetting the flow control value based on at least one change of the obtained temperature value and the flow rate value; And
And controlling the flow rate of the water using the reset flow rate control value.
The method of claim 15,
The comparison result, when the obtained temperature value and the flow rate value are both different than the preset value, the method further comprising the step of controlling the flow rate of the water using the stored flow control value.

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