Systems and Methods for Controlling Operation of Valves of Water Heating Systems

A water heating system including a valve and a controller is disclosed. The valve may be configured to receive cold water and hot water based on an opening percentage of the valve and mix the cold water and the hot water to output a blended water. The controller may be configured to determine an initial opening percentage of the valve and determine a hot water temperature and a blended water temperature when the valve is operating at the initial opening percentage. The controller may be further configured to estimate a cold water temperature based on the hot water temperature, the blended water temperature, and the initial opening percentage, and control an operation of the valve based on the cold water temperature.

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Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 63/746,042, filed Jan. 16, 2025, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for estimating the temperature of cold water entering water heating systems and controlling the operation of one or more valves of the water heating systems based on the estimated temperature.

BACKGROUND

Water heaters are generally used to provide a supply of heated water in a variety of applications, including residential, commercial, and industrial applications. A tank based water heater typically includes a storage tank that stores water that is heated by a heating source. The hot water stored in the storage tank is output via an outlet port of the water heater. A conventional water heater may also include a mixing valve that mixes/blends cold water with the hot water output from the storage tank to increase the capacity of the water heating system and ensure that the outlet water is at an optimal water temperature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and/or components other than those illustrated in the drawings, and some elements and/or components may not be present in various embodiments. Elements and/or components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, depending on the context, singular and plural terminology may be used interchangeably.

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an example water heating system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of a controller configured to operate a water heating system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram of an example first method to operate a valve of a water heating system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram of an example second method to operate a valve of a water heating system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is directed to a water heating system (“system”) that may include an inlet port, an outlet port, a water tank, and a mixing valve (“valve”). The inlet port may be configured to receive a supply of cold water, e.g., from a utility water source. The inlet port may be connected to the valve and configured to transfer the supply of cold water to the valve. In some aspects, the valve may be connected to the water tank, and the water tank may receive the supply of cold water from the valve, and heat the received water (via a heating source of the system). In alternative aspects, the water tank may receive the cold water directly from the inlet port and heat the received water. The water tank may be configured to store hot water.

The valve may be further configured to receive the hot water from the water tank. In an exemplary aspect, the valve may include a mixing chamber or a mixer, which may be configured to receive the cold water from the inlet port and the hot water from the water tank, and mix/blend the hot and cold water to output a blended water via the outlet port. In some aspects, an amount of hot and cold water received in the mixing chamber of the valve may be based on an “opening percentage” of the valve. For example, when the valve is open 50%, the mixing chamber of the valve may receive 50% hot water (of the maximum capacity of the mixing chamber) and 50% cold water. As another example, when the valve is open 0%, the mixing chamber of the valve may not receive any hot water and may instead receive 100% cold water from the inlet port. As yet another example, when the valve is open 100%, the mixing chamber of the valve may receive 100% hot water from the water tank and no cold water from the inlet port.

The system may further include one or more temperature sensors that may be configured to detect a temperature of the hot water (or “hot water temperature”) stored in the water tank and a temperature of the blended water (or “blended water temperature”) output by the valve/outlet port. In an exemplary aspect, the system may not include any temperature sensor for detecting temperature of the cold water (or “cold water temperature”) that the valve may be receiving via the inlet port. Instead, the system may include a controller that may be configured to itself “estimate” the cold water temperature, and control an operation of the valve (e.g., adjust the valve's opening percentage) based on the estimated cold water temperature.

In certain embodiments, to estimate the cold water temperature, the controller may first determine an initial or a “known” opening percentage of the valve. The controller may determine the initial opening percentage of the valve based on inputs obtained from a system user/operator or inputs obtained from a system's valve position detector/sensor. In some aspects, the controller may perform this step during the system's installation stage, or any time after the system is installed based on user's command. In other aspects, the controller may automatically perform this step at a predefined frequency, e.g., every 15 days, 30 days, 3 months, 6 months, etc.

Responsive to determining the initial opening percentage, the controller may determine the hot water temperature and the real-time blended water temperature, based on the inputs obtained from the temperature sensors described above. The controller may then estimate the cold water temperature based on the initial opening percentage, the hot water temperature and the blended water temperature. In some aspects, the controller may estimate the cold water temperature by using an example first mathematical expression illustrated below.

[ T C ] = [ T B ] - [ T H ] * [ O I ] [ 1 ⁢ 00 - O I ]

In the example mathematical expression illustrated above, Tc is the cold water temperature, TB is the real-time blended water temperature, TH is the hot water temperature, and OI is the initial opening percentage of the valve.

It may be appreciated that typically the cold water temperature remains mostly constant, at least for a few weeks or months (e.g., within the same season). Therefore, if the controller estimates the cold water temperature once every season or once every 3-6 months by using the process described above, the controller may be able to use the same estimated cold water temperature for the entire season and optimally control the valve's operation based on the estimated temperature.

To control the valve's operation responsive to estimating the cold water temperature, the controller may first determine a desired blended water temperature (i.e., the temperature of the blended water desired by the system user). The controller may then determine an “optimal” opening percentage of the valve based on the desired blended water temperature, the hot water temperature and the estimated cold water temperature. In an exemplary aspect, the controller may determine the optimal opening percentage of the valve by using an example second mathematical expression illustrated below.

[ O O ] = [ [ T D ] - [ T C ] [ T H ] - [ T C ] ] * 100

In the example mathematical expression illustrated above, Tc is the cold water temperature, TD is the desired blended water temperature, TH is the hot water temperature, and OO is the optimal opening percentage of the valve.

Responsive to determining the optimal opening percentage, the controller may cause the valve to operate at the optimal opening percentage. In this manner, the controller is able to effectively control the operation of the valve, even when the system does not include any temperature sensor to detect the cold water temperature. The controller may be further configured to adjust the opening percentage of the valve dynamically based on the real-time blended water temperature (when the system may be operating), such that the real-time blended water temperature becomes equivalent to the desired blended water temperature.

The present disclosure discloses a water heating system that does not require a temperature sensor to detect the cold water temperature of the cold water that the system may be receiving. Instead, the controller of the system may itself estimate the cold water temperature, thereby saving resources required to operate the temperature sensor. The controller is further configured to optimally control the operation of the system's valve, based on the estimated cold water temperature.

Although certain examples of the disclosed technology are explained in detail herein, it is to be understood that other examples, embodiments, and implementations of the disclosed technology are contemplated. Accordingly, it is not intended that the disclosed technology is limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components expressly set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosed technology can be implemented in a variety of examples and can be practiced or carried out in various ways. In particular, the presently disclosed subject matter is described in the context of systems and methods for controlling the operation of a valve of a water heating system. The present disclosure, however, is not so limited, and can be applicable in other contexts. Accordingly, when the present disclosure is described in the context of systems and methods for controlling the operation of a valve of a water heating system, it will be understood that other implementations can take the place of those referred to.

Although the term “water” is used throughout this specification, it is to be understood that other fluids may take the place of the term “water” as used herein. Therefore, although described as systems and methods for controlling an operation of a valve of a water heating system, it is to be understood that the systems and methods described herein can apply to fluids other than water. Further, it is also to be understood that the term “water” can replace the term “fluid” as used herein unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. More so, the terms “cold” and “hot” are relative and may mean different degrees of varying temperatures and ranges based on the context. Thus, the terms “cold” and “hot” should not be limited to any temperature or temperature range.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an example water heating system 100 (or water heater 100 or system 100) in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

The system 100 may include a plurality of components including, but not limited to, a storage tank 102 (or a water tank), an inlet port 104, an outlet port 106, a mixing valve 108 (or valve 108), one or more first temperature sensors 110 (or first temperature sensor 110), a second temperature sensor 112, a valve position sensor 114, a controller 116, and/or the like. The system 100 may include a plurality of additional components which are not shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of simplicity and conciseness, e.g., a housing in which one or more system components described above may be housed, one or more heating sources configured to heat the water stored in the storage tank 102, one or more actuators, heat exchangers or coils, and/or the like. The example depiction of the system 100 in FIG. 1 should not be construed as limiting.

The storage tank 102 may be configured to store water, which may be heated by the heating source(s) described above. The heating source(s) may be, for example, a gas burner, an electrical heating element, a heat pump, solar, and/or the like. The heating source(s) may heat the water stored in the storage tank 102 via one or more heating elements (e.g., heat exchanger coils, not shown) that may be disposed in an interior portion of the storage tank 102 or wrapped around an exterior surface of the storage tank 102. Alternatively, the heating source(s) may heat the water stored in the storage tank 102 via any other known means, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

The storage tank 102 may be of any size, shape, or configuration based on the water heating system application. For example, the storage tank 102 may be sized for common residential use or for commercial or industrial use that may require greater amounts of heated water. Furthermore, the storage tank 102 may be made of any suitable material for storing hot water and heating water, including copper, carbon steel, stainless steel, ceramics, polymers, composites, or any other suitable material. The storage tank 102 may also be treated or lined with a coating to prevent corrosion and leakage. A suitable treating or coating will be capable of withstanding the temperature and pressure of the system 100 and may include, as non-limiting examples, glass enameling, galvanizing, thermosetting resin-bonded lining materials, thermoplastic coating materials, cement coating, or any other suitable treating or coating for the application.

In an exemplary aspect, the first temperature sensors 110 may be disposed along a length of the interior surface of the storage tank 102. Although FIG. 1 depicts two first temperature sensors 110, the system 100 may include more or less than two first temperature sensors 110. The first temperature sensor 110 may be configured to determine a water temperature (or a “hot water temperature”) of the hot water stored in the storage tank 102. The first temperature sensor 110 may be communicatively coupled with the controller 116 and may share inputs associated with the hot water temperature with the controller 116 continuously or at a predefined frequency.

The inlet port 104 may be configured to receive a supply of cold water 118, e.g., from a utility water source. Although FIG. 1 depicts the inlet port 104 disposed in proximity to a top portion of the storage tank 102, the present disclosure is not limited to such an arrangement. In some aspects, the inlet port 104 may be disposed in proximity to a bottom portion or a side portion of the storage tank 102, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The inlet port 104 may be configured to transfer the supply of cold water 118 to the valve 108. Specifically, the valve 108 may be attached to the inlet port 104 and configured to receive the supply of cold water 118 from the inlet port 104.

In an exemplary aspect, the valve 108 may be in fluid communication with the storage tank 102, and configured to transfer the cold water (shown by an arrow 120 in FIG. 1) to the storage tank 102 (which may be heated in the storage tank 102 by the heating source(s) described above). Stated another way, the storage tank 102 may be configured to receive the cold water to be heated by the heating sources from the valve 108 (which itself receives the cold water from the inlet port 104). In an alternative aspect (not shown), the inlet port 104 may also be connected to the storage tank 102 and configured to supply the cold water 118 to the storage tank 102 in addition to supplying the cold water 118 to the valve 108. In this case, the storage tank 102 may receive the cold water directly from the inlet port 104. The present disclosure is described in the context of the storage tank 102 receiving the cold water from the valve 108; however, such description should not be construed as limiting.

In some aspects, the valve 108 may be further configured to receive (shown by an arrow 122 in FIG. 1) the hot water from the storage tank 102. In certain embodiments, the valve 108 may include a mixing chamber or a mixer (not shown) that may be configured to mix the cold water received from the inlet port 104 and the hot water received from the storage tank 102 to output a blended water 124 from the outlet port 106.

In some aspects, an amount of hot water received by the mixing chamber from the storage tank 102 may be based on an “opening percentage” of the valve 108. Stated another way, by changing the opening percentage of the valve 108, the amount of hot water entering the mixing chamber from the storage tank 102 may be altered. In other aspects, an amount of cold water received by the mixing chamber from the inlet port 104 may be based on the opening percentage of the valve 108. Stated another way, in this case, by changing the opening percentage of the valve 108, the amount of cold water entering the mixing chamber from the inlet port 104 may be altered. In yet another aspect, both the amount of hot water received by the mixing chamber from the storage tank 102 and the amount of cold water received by the mixing chamber from the inlet port 104 may be based on the opening percentage of the valve 108. Stated another way, in this case, by changing the opening percentage of the valve 108, both, the amount of cold water and hot water entering the mixing chamber, may be altered.

In certain embodiments, the valve 108 may include one or more moving parts such as a spool, one or more rotating discs, and/or the like, which may be moved linearly and/or rotated axially to “open” a path for the hot water from the storage tank 102 and/or the cold water from the inlet port 104 to the mixing chamber of the valve 108. Based on the extent to which the path is opened (or “opening percentage”), the hot and cold water may enter the mixing chamber of the valve 108 and get mixed. For example, if the opening percentage of the valve 108 (or the opening percentage of the path described above) is 60%, the mixing chamber of the valve 108 may receive 60% hot water (of the maximum capacity of the mixing chamber) from the storage tank 102, and 40% cold water from the inlet port 104. In this case, the blended water 124 may include a mix of 60% hot water and 40% cold water. As another example, if the opening percentage of the valve 108 is 0%, the mixing chamber of the valve 108 may receive 0% hot water (i.e., no hot water from the storage tank 102) and 100% cold water from the inlet port 104. In this case, the blended water 124 may include 100% cold water. As yet another example, if the opening percentage of the valve 108 is 100%, the mixing chamber of the valve 108 may receive 100% hot water from the storage tank 102 and no cold water from the inlet port 104. In this case, the blended water 124 may include 100% hot water.

In some aspects, the valve position sensor 114 may be configured to detect the opening percentage of the valve 108 described above. Further, the second temperature sensor 112 may be configured to detect a real-time blended water temperature of the blended water 124 output from the valve 108/outlet port 106. The valve position sensor 114 and the second temperature sensor 112 may be communicatively coupled with the controller 116 and configured to share inputs associated with the opening percentage of the valve 108 and the blended water temperature respectively with the controller 116 continuously or at a predefined frequency.

The controller 116 may be configured to control an operation of the valve 108 (specifically control and adjust the opening percentage of the valve 108) such that the blended water 124 that is output by the valve 108 is at an optimal temperature desired by a system user (or at a “desired blended water temperature”). In some aspects, the controller 116 may control and adjust the opening percentage of the valve 108 via one or more actuators (which may be, e.g., motors, not shown) that may be part of the valve 108 or may be external to the valve 108.

In an exemplary aspect, to optimally control the opening percentage of the valve 108 such that the blended water 124 is at the desired blended water temperature, the controller 116 may first estimate a temperature (or “cold water temperature”) of the cold water 118 that the valve 108 may be receiving from the inlet port 104. In some aspects, the system 100 may not include a temperature sensor to detect the cold water temperature, and hence the controller 116 may itself estimate the cold water temperature. It may be appreciated that by not having a temperature sensor to detect the cold water temperature, the system 100 saves resources (e.g., space, cost, energy consumption, etc.) that may be used to operate such a temperature sensor. An example process followed by the controller 116 to estimate the cold water temperature is described below.

The controller 116 may first determine an initial or a “known” opening percentage of the valve 108. In some aspects, the controller 116 may perform this step during the system's installation stage, or any time after the system 100 is installed (e.g., at user's home, commercial building, etc.) based on user's command. In other aspects, the controller 116 may automatically perform this step at a predefined frequency, e.g., every 15 days, 30 days, 3 months, 6 months, etc. Further, in some aspects, the controller 116 may determine the initial opening percentage of the valve 108 based on the inputs obtained from the valve position sensor 114. In other aspects, the controller 116 may determine the initial opening percentage of the valve 108 based on user or system operator's inputs. For example, in this case, the system operator may transmit inputs to the controller 116 (e.g., during the system's installation stage), via a user device or a system's user interface, indicating that the valve 108 is opened 50% (or 60%, 70%, etc.).

Responsive to determining the initial opening percentage of the valve 108, the controller 116 may obtain inputs from the first temperature sensor 110 to determine the hot water temperature, and inputs from the second temperature sensor 112 to determine the real-time blended water temperature, when the valve 108 is operating (or is “opened”) at the initial opening percentage. The controller 116 may then estimate the cold water temperature of the cold water 118 that the valve 108 may be receiving from the inlet port 104, based on the initial opening percentage, the hot water temperature and the real-time blended water temperature. In an exemplary aspect, the controller 116 may estimate the cold water temperature by using an example first mathematical expression illustrated below.

[ T C ] = [ T B ] - [ T H ] * [ O I ] [ 1 ⁢ 00 - O I ]

In the example mathematical expression illustrated above, Tc is the cold water temperature, TB is the real-time blended water temperature, TH is the hot water temperature, and OI is the initial opening percentage of the valve 108. As an example, if TB is 100 degrees Fahrenheit, TH is 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and OI is 50%, the controller 116 may determine that Tc is 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

The mathematical expression illustrated above should not be construed as limiting. In alternative aspects, the mathematical expression may include one or more constants and/or additional parameters in the expression (which may be based on the system 100), without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

In this manner, the controller 116 may be able to estimate the cold water temperature, without requiring to use a dedicated cold water temperature sensor. It may be appreciated that typically the cold water temperature (i.e., the temperature of the cold water 118 received from the utility water source) remains mostly constant, at least for a few weeks or months (e.g., within the same season). Therefore, if the controller 116 estimates the cold water temperature once every season or once every 3-6 months by using the process described above, the controller 116 may be able to use the same estimated cold water temperature for the entire season and optimally control the valve's operation based on the estimated temperature. Stated another way, the controller 116 may not be required to estimate the cold water temperature frequently, and estimating the cold water temperature by using the process described above once every 3-6 months may be enough for the controller 116 to optimally control the valve's operation. An example process of controlling the valve's operation based on the estimated cold water temperature is described below.

Responsive to estimating the cold water temperature as described above, the controller 116 may determine the desired blended water temperature. Stated another way, responsive to estimating the cold water temperature, the controller 116 may determine the temperature of the blended water 124 that is desired by the system user. The controller 116 may then determine an “optimal” opening percentage of the valve 108 based on the desired blended water temperature, the hot water temperature and the estimated cold water temperature. In an exemplary aspect, the controller 116 may determine the optimal opening percentage of the valve 108 by using an example second mathematical expression illustrated below.

[ O O ] = [ [ T D ] - [ T C ] [ T H ] - [ T C ] ] * 100

In the example mathematical expression illustrated above, Tc is the cold water temperature, TD is the desired blended water temperature, TH is the hot water temperature, and OO is the optimal opening percentage of the valve 108. As an example, if TD is 120 degrees Fahrenheit, TH is 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and Tc is 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the controller 116 may determine that OO is 70%.

The mathematical expression illustrated above should not be construed as limiting. In alternative aspects, the mathematical expression may include one or more constants and/or additional parameters in the expression (which may be based on the system 100), without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in some aspects, the actual optimal opening percentage may be [m] *OO+b, where “m” may be a constant dependent on the system 100, and “b” may be an offset value (which may be another constant dependent on the system 100). In some aspects, a system manufacturer may transmit/share the values of “m” and “b” with the controller 116 (e.g., during the system's manufacturing or installation stage), so that the controller 116 may accordingly determine the actual optimal opening percentage by calculating OO as described above. In other aspects, the equation of the actual optimal opening percentage may not include any constants (e.g., “m” and/or “b”). In this case, the actual optimal opening percentage may be equivalent to OO.

Responsive to determining the optimal opening percentage (or the actual optimal opening percentage) as described above, the controller 116 may cause the valve 108 to operate at the optimal opening percentage. For example, responsive to determining that the optimal opening percentage is 70%, the controller 116 may cause, via the actuators, the valve 108 to operate at or “open” to 70% opening.

The controller 116 may be further configured to obtain continuous feedback from the second temperature sensor 112 and adjust the opening percentage of the valve 108 based on the real-time blended water temperature detected by second temperature sensor 112, responsive to causing the valve 108 to operate at the optimal opening percentage. Specifically, in this case, the controller 116 may determine the real-time blended water temperature based on the inputs obtained from the second temperature sensor 112, responsive to causing the valve 108 to operate at the optimal opening percentage. The controller 116 may then continuously compare the real-time blended water temperature with the desired blended water temperature. The controller 116 may adjust the opening percentage of the valve 108 when the real-time blended water temperature is different from the desired blended water temperature. In some aspects, the controller 116 may adjust the opening percentage of the valve 108 such that the real-time blended water temperature becomes equivalent to the desired blended water temperature.

In this manner, the controller 116 continuously and dynamically updates the opening percentage of the valve 108 when the system 100 is operating, so that the real-time blended water temperature becomes equivalent to the water temperature desired by the system user.

FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of the controller 116 configured to operate the system 100 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

The controller 116 may include a plurality of components including, but not limited to, a processor 202, a memory 204, and a communication interface 206. The controller 116 may be a computing device configured to receive data, determine actions based on the received data, and output a control or command signal instructing one or more water heating system components (e.g., the valve 108) to perform one or more actions. In some aspects, the controller 116 may be configured to receive the inputs from the first and second temperature sensors 110, 112, the valve position sensor 114, etc., as described above.

In some aspects, the controller 116 may be configured to send and receive wireless or wired signals, and the signals may be analog or digital signals. The wireless signals may include Bluetooth™, BLE, WiFi™, ZigBee™, infrared, microwave radio, or any other type of wireless communication signals as may be suitable for a particular water heating system application. The hard-wired signals can include communication signals between any directly wired connections between the controller 116 and other water heating system components. For example, the controller 116 can have a hard-wired 24 Volts Direct Current (VDC) connection to the first and second temperature sensors 110, 112, and the valve position sensor 114.

Alternatively, the controller 116 may communicate with the first and second temperature sensors 110, 112, and the valve position sensor 114 via a digital connection. The digital connection can include a connection such as an Ethernet or a serial connection and can utilize any suitable communication protocol for the water heating system application, such as Modbus, fieldbus, PROFIBUS, SafetyBus, Ethernet/IP, and/or the like. Furthermore, the controller 116 can utilize a combination of wireless, hard-wired, and analog or digital communication signals to communicate with and control the various water heating system components. A person ordinarily skilled in the art may appreciate that the above configurations are given merely as non-limiting examples and the actual configuration can vary depending on the particular water heating system application.

The memory 204 may be configured to store a program and/or instructions associated with the functions and methods described herein. The processor 202 may be configured to execute the program and/or instructions stored in the memory 204. The memory 204 can include one or more suitable types of memory (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, floppy disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash memory, a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), and the like) for storing files including the operating system, application programs (including, for example, a web browser application, a widget or gadget engine, and or other applications, as necessary), executable instructions and data. One, some, or all of the processing techniques or methods described herein can be implemented as a combination of executable instructions and data within the memory 204.

The communication interface 206 may be configured to send or receive communication signals between the various water heating system components (e.g., the first and second temperature sensors 110, 112, and the valve position sensor 114). The communication interface 206 can include hardware, firmware, and/or software that allows the processor 202 to communicate with the other components via wired or wireless networks, whether local or wide area, private or public, as known in the art. The communication interface 206 can also provide access to a cellular network, the Internet, a local area network, or another wide-area network as suitable for the particular water heating system application.

Additionally, the controller 116 may have or be in communication with a user interface (not shown) for receiving inputs from the user (e.g., the desired blended water temperature described above). The user interface may be installed locally on the system 100.

The operation of the controller 116 is described above in conjunction with FIG. 1, and hence not described again here for the sake of simplicity and conciseness.

FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram of an example first method 300 to operate the valve 108 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 may be described with continued reference to prior figures. The following process is exemplary and not confined to the steps described hereafter. Moreover, alternative embodiments may include more or less steps than are shown or described herein and may include these steps in a different order than the order described in the following example embodiments.

The method 300 starts at step 302. At step 304, the method 300 may include determining, by the controller 116, the initial or “known” opening percentage of the valve 108. At step 306, the method 300 may include determining, by the controller 116, the hot water temperature and the real-time blended water temperature when the valve 108 is operating at the initial opening percentage. At step 308, the method 300 may include estimating, by the controller 116, the cold water temperature based on the hot water temperature, the real-time blended water temperature, and the initial opening percentage of the valve 108. At step 310, the method 300 may include controlling, by the controller 116, the operation of the valve 108 based on the estimated cold water temperature. An example process of controlling the valve operation is described below in conjunction with FIG. 4.

The method 300 stops at step 312.

FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram of an example second method 400 to operate the valve 108 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 may be described with continued reference to prior figures. The following process is exemplary and not confined to the steps described hereafter. Moreover, alternative embodiments may include more or less steps than are shown or described herein and may include these steps in a different order than the order described in the following example embodiments.

The method 400 starts at step 402. At step 404, the method 400 may include determining, by the controller 116, the desired blended water temperature. At step 406, the method 400 may include determining, by the controller 116, the optimal opening percentage of the valve 108 based on the desired blended water temperature, the hot water temperature and the estimated cold water temperature. At step 408, the method 400 may include causing, by the controller 116, the valve 108 to operate at the determined optimal opening percentage.

The method 400 stops at step 410.

In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, which illustrate specific implementations in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It is understood that other implementations may be utilized, and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, one skilled in the art will recognize such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

It should also be understood that the word “example” as used herein is intended to be non-exclusionary and non-limiting in nature. More particularly, the word “example” as used herein indicates one among several examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is being directed to the particular example being described.

With regard to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than the order described herein. It further should be understood that certain steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or that certain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed so as to limit the claims.

Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent upon reading the above description. The scope should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the technologies discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the application is capable of modification and variation.

All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meanings as understood by those knowledgeable in the technologies described herein unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc., should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary. Conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments could include, while other embodiments may not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments.

Claims

1. A water heating system comprising:

a valve configured to receive cold water and hot water based on an opening percentage of the valve and mix the cold water and the hot water to output a blended water; and
a controller configured to: determine an initial opening percentage of the valve; determine a hot water temperature and a blended water temperature when the valve is operating at the initial opening percentage; estimate a cold water temperature based on the hot water temperature, the blended water temperature, and the initial opening percentage; and control an operation of the valve based on the cold water temperature.

2. The water heating system of claim 1 further comprising a water tank configured to store hot water, wherein the valve configured to receive the hot water from the water tank, and wherein an amount of hot water received by the valve is based on the opening percentage of the valve.

3. The water heating system of claim 2 further comprising an inlet port configured to receive a supply of cold water, wherein the valve receives the cold water from the inlet port.

4. The water heating system of claim 3, wherein the water tank is further configured to receive the cold water directly from the inlet port.

5. The water heating system of claim 2, wherein the water tank is further configured to receive the cold water from the valve.

6. The water heating system of claim 2 further comprising:

a first temperature sensor configured to detect the hot water temperature of the hot water stored in the water tank; and
a second temperature sensor configured to detect the blended water temperature of the blended water output from the valve.

7. The water heating system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to:

obtain inputs from the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor; and
determine the hot water temperature and the blended water temperature based on the inputs.

8. The water heating system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a desired blended water temperature;
determine an optimal opening percentage of the valve based on the desired blended water temperature, the hot water temperature, and the cold water temperature; and
cause the valve to operate at the optimal opening percentage.

9. The water heating system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a real-time blended water temperature responsive to causing the valve to operate at the optimal opening percentage;
determine that the real-time blended water temperature is different from the desired blended water temperature; and
adjust the opening percentage of the valve such that the real-time blended water temperature becomes equivalent to the desired blended water temperature.

10. The water heating system of claim 1 further comprising a valve position sensor configured to detect the opening percentage of the valve, wherein the controller determines the initial opening percentage of the valve based on inputs obtained from the valve position sensor.

11. A water heating system comprising:

a water tank configured to store hot water;
a valve configured to receive hot water from the water tank, wherein an amount of hot water received by the valve is based on an opening percentage of the valve, and wherein the valve is configured to receive cold water and mix the cold water and the hot water to output a blended water; and
a controller configured to: determine an initial opening percentage of the valve; determine a hot water temperature and a blended water temperature when the valve is operating at the initial opening percentage; estimate a cold water temperature based on the hot water temperature, the blended water temperature, and the initial opening percentage; determine a desired blended water temperature responsive to estimating the cold water temperature; determine an optimal opening percentage of the valve based on the desired blended water temperature, the hot water temperature, and the cold water temperature; and cause the valve to operate at the optimal opening percentage.

12. The water heating system of claim 11 further comprising an inlet port configured to receive a supply of cold water, wherein the valve receives the cold water from the inlet port.

13. The water heating system of claim 12, wherein the water tank is further configured to receive the cold water directly from the inlet port.

14. The water heating system of claim 11, wherein the water tank is further configured to receive the cold water from the valve.

15. The water heating system of claim 11 further comprising:

a first temperature sensor configured to detect the hot water temperature of the hot water stored in the water tank; and
a second temperature sensor configured to detect the blended water temperature of the blended water output from the valve.

16. The water heating system of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to:

obtain inputs from the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor; and
determine the hot water temperature and the blended water temperature based on the inputs.

17. The water heating system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a real-time blended water temperature responsive to causing the valve to operate at the optimal opening percentage;
determine that the real-time blended water temperature is different from the desired blended water temperature; and
adjust the opening percentage of the valve such that the real-time blended water temperature becomes equivalent to the desired blended water temperature.

18. The water heating system of claim 11 further comprising a valve position sensor configured to detect the opening percentage of the valve, wherein the controller determines the initial opening percentage of the valve based on inputs obtained from the valve position sensor.

19. A method comprising:

determining, by a controller, an initial opening percentage of a valve, wherein the valve is configured to receive hot water from a water tank, wherein an amount of hot water received by the valve is based on an opening percentage of the valve, and wherein the valve is configured to receive cold water and mix the cold water and the hot water to output a blended water;
determining, by the controller, a hot water temperature and a blended water temperature when the valve is operating at the initial opening percentage;
estimating, by the controller, a cold water temperature based on the hot water temperature, the blended water temperature, and the initial opening percentage; and
controlling, by the controller, an operation of the valve based on the cold water temperature.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

determining a desired blended water temperature;
determining an optimal opening percentage of the valve based on the desired blended water temperature, the hot water temperature and the cold water temperature; and
causing the valve to operate at the optimal opening percentage.
Patent History
Publication number: 20260202094
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 14, 2026
Publication Date: Jul 16, 2026
Inventors: John Relman Bohlen (Solon, OH), Alexander G. Oldja (Wadsworth, OH)
Application Number: 19/448,770
Classifications
International Classification: F24H 15/315 (20220101); F24H 9/13 (20220101); F24H 15/215 (20220101); F24H 15/219 (20220101); F24H 15/223 (20220101); F24H 15/414 (20220101);