Multiple Boiler Regulation Patents (Class 122/448.3)
  • Patent number: 11629856
    Abstract: An apparatus for managing combustion optimization is provided. The apparatus for managing combustion optimization includes a data collector configured to collect real-time data that is measured in real time from a boiler system including a boiler and a combustion controller configured to control combustion of the boiler, a management configured to determine whether to perform combustion optimization of the boiler based on the real-time data, and an executor configured to generate a control command and transmit the control command to the combustion controller to perform the combustion optimization of the boiler in response to determining that the combustion optimization of the boiler is possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: DOSAN ENERBILITY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Gun Na, Jwa Young Maeng, Jee Hun Park
  • Patent number: 10393629
    Abstract: This invention generally relates to a system for estimating fuel consumption of a boiler in a building and to a method of estimating fuel consumption, in particular for estimating gas consumption. A system is disclosed for estimating fuel consumption of a boiler in a building, the system comprising at least boiler operating model configured to perform said estimating on the basis of at least one ON time of the boiler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: CENTRICA HIVE LIMITED
    Inventors: Miroslav Hamouz, Daniel James Palmer, Nicholas James Bailey, Nicholas Charles Leith
  • Patent number: 10313767
    Abstract: A fuel sub-metering mechanism for appliances that consume fuel. Each appliance may have a firing rate indicator. An individual fuel line may be connected to each appliance. A main fuel line may be connected to individual fuel lines. A meter may be connected to the main fuel line. A processor may be connected to the firing rate indicators and to the meter. The meter may measure total fuel consumption by the appliances. The processor may provide a sub-meter estimate of fuel consumed by each appliance. The sub-meter estimate may be based at least in part on a firing rate of the respective appliance and the total fuel consumption as indicated by the meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Petr Endel, Ondrej Holub, Karel Marik
  • Patent number: 9951970
    Abstract: An immediate hot-water supplying system 1 includes a P hot water supply device 10 configured to heat water flowing through a first supply pipe 2, an N hot water supply device 30 configured to heat water flowing through a second supply pipe 3, a check valve 6, and a coupled controller 60 configured to, when the flow amount detected by a second flow amount sensor 34 is equal to or more than a hot-water-supply detection flow amount, perform a hot-water supply operation in which a first burner 12 or a second burner 32 is burned with a circulation pump 16 stopped, and when the flow amount detected by the second flow amount sensor 34 is less than the hot-water-supply detection flow amount, perform a circulation heat keeping operation in which the first burner 12 is burned with the circulation pump 16 activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: RINNAI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeki Shimada, Ai Yuge
  • Patent number: 9910806
    Abstract: Embodiment of present disclosure relates to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) hub for switching downstream ports between host mode and slave mode comprising upstream port connectable to host port of host, downstream port and switching module. The downstream port is connectable to device port of peripheral device and acts in host mode and said device port acts in slave mode. The switching module comprises master port, switching port and control unit. The master port is connectable to upstream port. The switching port is connectable to other end of downstream port, the switching port acts in host mode. The control unit receives switch command from host to switch downstream port from host mode to slave mode; switches switching port to slave mode and enables downstream port to act in the slave mode when host emulates functionality of slave mode as required by peripheral device using vendor specific USB class.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: ALLGO EMBEDDED SYSTEMS PRIVATE LIMITED
    Inventors: Magesh Margabandu, Srinivasan Krishnaswamy, Vikas Shukla, Ashutosh Srivastva
  • Patent number: 9868998
    Abstract: Apparatus for supplying blast to a blast furnace (1) having a plurality of hot blast stoves (4, 5, 6), each stove including a cold blast inlet, a fuel inlet, an air supply inlet, a hot blast outlet, and a waste gas outlet; a waste heat recovery unit (30) connected to a fuel supply, the stove fuel inlet and the cold blast inlet. The stove waste gas outlets are connected to the cold blast inlets, whereby stove waste gas from one stove (5) is supplied, via the waste heat recovery unit, as cold blast to another stove (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: PRIMETALS TECHNOLOGIES LTD
    Inventor: Paul Mark Geach
  • Patent number: 9777947
    Abstract: Provided is a method for controlling a cascade boiler system, and the method includes a) operating the number of boilers set in an initial operation state, b) detecting a supply water temperature and a returned water temperature of the primary side of the hydro-separator and a supply water temperature and a returned water temperature of the secondary side, and calculating a flow rate corrected by the hydro-separator using the detected temperatures, c) calculating a set temperature serving as the supply water temperature of the primary side that is able to maintain the supply water temperature of the secondary side when the supply water temperature of the secondary side is within a set range of a target temperature while maintaining the initial operation state, and d) calculating the number of boilers that are able to maintain the calculated set temperature, and controlling an operation of the boilers according to the number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: KYUNGDONG ONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sung Hoon Ryu
  • Patent number: 9618197
    Abstract: The invention improves system efficiency with no waste of heat held by a stopped boiler. A boiler system includes a boiler group having a plurality of boilers and a controller for controlling a combustion state of the boiler group. The controller includes a heat release determiner for determining whether or not the plurality of boilers includes a boiler releasing heat, a boiler increase determiner for determining, when the heat releasing boiler starts combustion and the heat releasing boiler and the other combusting boilers are combusted at equal load factors, whether or not the load factor is higher than a predetermined load factor, and an output controller for combusting the heat releasing boiler when the load factor is determined to be higher than the predetermined load factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Miura Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Yamada, Tetsuji Namoto, Hidetomo Saimi
  • Patent number: 9416961
    Abstract: A boiler connection system includes: a plurality of heat source device; and a controller. Each of the plurality of heat source devices includes: a first heat exchanger; a heat medium heating circuit branching at one end thereof from a heat medium return pipe and connected at another end thereof to a heat medium outgoing pipe via the first heat exchanger; a bypass pipe connected to the heat medium heating circuit so as to bypass the first heat exchanger; a pressure-feed device provided on the heat medium heating circuit; a flow passage switching valve; a second heat exchanger provided on the bypass pipe; and a water heating circuit branching at one end thereof from the water supply pipe and connected at another end thereof to a hot water supply pipe via the second heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Rinnai Corporation
    Inventor: Shigeki Shimada
  • Patent number: 9163529
    Abstract: A boiler system includes a boiler group provided with a plurality of boilers and a controller for controlling a combustion state of the boiler group. The boiler group has a varied steam flow set to indicate reserve power corresponding to expected increase of a steam flow due to a sudden variation of a required load, and an increase minimum load factor set to indicate a load factor for output of a steam flow corresponding to the required load only from the combusting boilers with no increase of the number of combusted boilers. The controller increases the number of the combusted boilers when a total reserve steam flow of the combusting boilers is not more than the varied steam flow and the load factor of each of the combusting boilers is not lower than the increase minimum load factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: MIURA CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuya Yamada
  • Patent number: 8888011
    Abstract: A controller includes a program for controlling a group of boilers having boilers with a plurality of staged combustion positions. The program is arranged to control the boilers and the combustion positions such that a total load following evaporation amount obtained by summing up load following evaporation amounts of the respective boilers comprising the group of boilers becomes equal to or more than a setup load following evaporation amount which is an evaporation amount that the group of boilers is to follow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Miura Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Miura, Kazuya Yamada
  • Patent number: 8677947
    Abstract: A boiler system has a boiler and a combustion amount control unit. The boiler includes a boiler body, a discharge unit, a discharge passage, a feedwater preheater and a feedwater temperature measuring unit. The feedwater preheater includes a heat exchanger. The feedwater temperature measuring unit measures a feedwater temperature that is the temperature of the feedwater flowing in the heat exchanger. The combustion amount control unit controls combustion amount in the boiler, and has a feedwater temperature threshold as a threshold relating to the feedwater temperature. The combustion amount control unit minimizes the combustion amount in the boiler in a case where the feedwater temperature measured by the feedwater temperature measuring unit is the feedwater temperature threshold or lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Miura Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Ookubo, Takashi Morimatsu, Shigeyoshi Matsugi, Eiki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8651064
    Abstract: A control system for managing and interfacing a plurality of water heaters, e.g. boilers. The control system includes a first boiler unit controlled by a first boiler control unit and a second boiler unit controlled by a second boiler control unit. The first boiler control unit is operable to coordinate the operation of the first and second boiler units in response to changes in output demand. The flues of the first and second boiler units are connected to a common flue. The control system further includes an interface and an interface control system. The interface control system communicates requests from the interface, to report and/or alter the operating parameters of the first and second boiler units, to the first and second boiler control units and communicates the request outcome(s) back to the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Lochinvar, LLC
    Inventor: John C. Paine
  • Patent number: 8573162
    Abstract: A combustion apparatus for boiler includes an air supply device that varies a supply amount of combustion air, a fuel supply device that varies a supply amount of fuel, and a control device that controls the air supply device and the fuel supply device, obtains the supply amounts in accordance with respective combustion stages, and realizes the multiple combustion stages. The the control device controls the air supply device and the fuel supply device so as to return to a predetermined combustion stage when a request for transition cancel is received during transition from the predetermined combustion stage to another combustion stage, and controls so as not to perform the transition to the other combustion stage until a predetermined time period has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Miura Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Sasaki, Ryo Miyagawa, Tetsuji Namoto, Koji Miura
  • Patent number: 8479689
    Abstract: A system is provided to optimize multiple boiler plant systems having mixed condensing and non-condensing boiler groups. The system advantageously employs the independent groups of boilers depending on preset conditions under control of a system control unit. The preset conditions are checked against operating conditions of the boiler plant, and a system control unit controls which of the groups of boilers is the lead and which is secondary. In some instances, both groups of boilers may be utilized under heavy load. Further, effective switching between groups and within groups is also provided to minimize unnecessary repetitive boiler operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Heat-Timer Corporation
    Inventors: Michael T. Pitonyak, Vincent S. Clerico, Pengpeng Pan
  • Publication number: 20130099014
    Abstract: Hydronic heating systems, controllers for such systems, and methods of using/operating same are disclosed herein. In one example embodiment, such a system includes at least one condensing boiler and at least one non-condensing boiler, and at least one controller configured for utilizing at least one PID control program to generate at least one signal for controlling firing rates of one or more of the boilers based upon sensed water temperature and temperature setpoint inputs. Depending upon the mode of operation, the at least one PID control program is a first PID control program dedicated to controlling only the at least one condensing boiler, or is a second PID control program dedicated to controlling only the at least one non-condensing boiler, or includes both the first and second PID control programs. Also, outside air temperature serves as a basis for generating the temperature setpoint inputs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: CLEAVER-BROOKS, INC.
    Inventor: CLEAVER-BROOKS, INC.
  • Patent number: 8371252
    Abstract: A control system for managing and interfacing a plurality of water heaters, e.g. boilers. The control system includes a first boiler unit controlled by a first boiler control unit and a second boiler unit controlled by a second boiler control unit. The first boiler control unit is operable to coordinate the operation of the first and second boiler units in response to changes in output demand. The flues of the first and second boiler units are connected to a common flue. The control system further includes an interface and an interface control system. The interface control system communicates requests from the interface, to report and/or alter the operating parameters of the first and second boiler units, to the first and second boiler control units and communicates the request outcome(s) back to the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Lochinvar, LLC
    Inventor: John C. Paine
  • Patent number: 8251297
    Abstract: Methods and Systems for controlling boiler systems are disclosed. In one illustrative embodiment, a derivative action control is used reduce the likelihood of overshoot from a newly activated boiler. When a newly activated boiler becomes active, the boiler is held at a low firing rate for a predetermined period of time. The predetermined period of time may be cut short or even entirely eliminated under certain conditions. The methods and devices are further adapted for use in multi-stage boiler systems. In one embodiment, only the first stage of a multi-stage boiler system that becomes active is held at the low firing rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Pouchak, Jeffrey M. Hammer
  • Publication number: 20120204816
    Abstract: A control system is provided for a modulated heating system including a plurality of modulating water heaters, which may be modulating boilers. A deadband control scheme provides for reduced cycling of the modulating heater when total system heat demand falls between the maximum output of one heater and the sum of the maximum output of that one point and the minimum firing point of the next subsequent heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: LOCHINVAR, LLC
    Inventor: John C. Paine
  • Publication number: 20120006285
    Abstract: A controller includes a program for controlling a group of boilers having boilers with a plurality of staged combustion positions. The program is arranged to control the boilers and the combustion positions such that a total load following evaporation amount obtained by summing up load following evaporation amounts of the respective boilers comprising the group of boilers becomes equal to or more than a setup load following evaporation amount which is an evaporation amount that the group of boilers is to follow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: MIURA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Miura, Kazuya Yamada
  • Patent number: 7819334
    Abstract: Methods and devices for controlling multi-stage boiler systems. In one illustrative embodiment, the number of stages to be used is determined in a staging control sequence in response to a heating load, and in some cases, the individual stages are modulated to meet a heating load. In some embodiments, the staging control sequence may include observation of both heating load and the rate of change of the heating load. In another illustrative embodiment, the staging control compares a measured temperature to a setpoint and monitors changes in the measured temperature to make staging decisions. Various control methods are also provided to help achieve improved stability and efficiency, as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Pouchak, Paul Wacker
  • Patent number: 7735459
    Abstract: A modular boiler system includes a boiler control, a first boiler in operative connection with the boiler control, and a temperature sensor in operative connection with the first boiler. The system also features at least one secondary boiler in operative connection with the master boiler. The boiler control is operatively connected to only the first boiler and it enables the first boiler to control a boiler parameter of the first boiler and the at least one secondary boiler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Westcast, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Cohen, Richard Osienski, Brian Hannigan, Mark Rawson, Nathaniel Dewey, John Wilson
  • Patent number: 7658335
    Abstract: A hydronic heating system for a building includes condensing and non-condensing boilers in a hybrid arrangement. A control apparatus receives information from one or more condition sensors, such as air temperature or water flow, and calculates heating load requirements. The control apparatus then independently selects and operates the various boilers of the system to optimize boiler efficiency and operating characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Thermodynamic Process Control, LLC
    Inventor: David E. Johnson, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20100006042
    Abstract: A system is provided to optimize multiple boiler plant systems having mixed condensing and non-condensing boiler groups. The system advantageously employs the independent groups of boilers depending on preset conditions under control of a system control unit. The preset conditions are checked against operating conditions of the boiler plant, and a system control unit controls which of the groups of boilers is the lead and which is secondary. In some instances, both groups of boilers may be utilized under heavy load. Further, effective switching between groups and within groups is also provided to minimize unnecessary repetitive boiler operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Inventors: Michael T. Pitonyak, Vincent S. Clerico, Pengpeng Pan
  • Patent number: 7628123
    Abstract: A water heater constituting a combined hot water supply system opens, in starting operation in response to an instruction from a connection controller in STEP 1, a water-supply servo valve to an operation start opening As corresponding to a water quantity slightly larger than an ignition water quantity Fi in STEP 2. In STEP 5, the water heater maintains an opening of the water-supply servo valve at the operation start opening As until a detected temperature Th of a hot-water-supply temperature sensor reaches temperature near a target temperature Ta (Ta???Th?Ta+?) and limits a water supply quantity from a water supply pipe to be equal to or smaller than a flow rate corresponding to the operation start opening As.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Rinnai Corporation
    Inventors: Yuki Inami, Kazunari Taguchi
  • Patent number: 7506617
    Abstract: A control system is provided for a modulated heating system including a plurality of modulating water heaters, which may be modulating boilers. A deadband control scheme provides for reduced cycling of the modulating heater when total system heat demand falls between the maximum output of one heater and the sum of the maximum output of that one point and the minimum firing point of the next subsequent heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Lochinvar Corporation
    Inventor: John C. Paine
  • Patent number: 6745085
    Abstract: A method for controlling energy systems such as multiple boiler systems to meet an energy need includes a controller configured as a sequencer with the remaining controllers act as individual boiler controllers which periodically send status messages to the sequencer. The energy need is determined by measurements at the sequencer which maintains runtimes of the boilers. The sequencer periodically sends control commands to the boiler controllers to add or delete boilers. The control commands give consideration to the run times of the boilers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Michael A. Pouchak
  • Publication number: 20020026904
    Abstract: A heat supply system is provided which enables use of small pipes with the same diameter for both feed branch pipes and return branch pipes, thus reducing the initial cost and also suppressing heat emission loss. The heat supply system comprises a heat exchanger 1, a feed main pipe 2, a return main pipe 3, a feed branch pipe 4 connected to the feed main pipe 2, a first return branch pipe 5 for directing the flow of a heat medium to an edge section in the downstream side of the feed branch pipe 4, a plurality of load pipes connected in parallel to a section between the feed branch pipe 4 and the first return branch pipe 5 each having a load member 7 provided thereon, and a second return branch pipe 6 connected to a section between an edge section in the downstream side of the first return branch pipe 5 and the return main pipe 3, said heat supply system having a plurality of branch pipe paths 11 including therein the feed branch pipe 4, first return branch pipe 5, load pipe 8, and second branch pipe 6.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2000
    Publication date: March 7, 2002
    Inventor: Noboru Maruyama