The heating control system and method for saving energy

Abstract

This invention relates to a heating control system for saving energy and its heating control method, in which system energy for heating rooms in a housing is reduced by separately heating individual rooms only during particular time periods in time/day selected by considering each room user's everyday living patterns. For this purpose, in the system, a plurality of saving time periods in time/day are stored in advance into a storage. If the user selects and sets at least one of the plurality of saving time periods for heating a room, a valve adjuster output valve control signals to a valve controller to open or close an auto valve corresponding to the room. The valve adjuster may be adapted of stand-alone type or of integrated type, in which integrated type the valve adjuster and a boiler adjuster are incorporated into a integrated adjuster.

1 . A heating control system for saving energy, wherein hot water heated by a boiler flows through pipes to heat one or more rooms, comprising:
 a storage stored with a plurality of saving time periods during which the hot water distribution to the one or more rooms is to be stopped;   auto valves associated with the pipes in a hot water distributor;   an integrated adjuster having a plurality of function setting keys outside; and   a valve controller separately controlling to open or close the auto valves according to valve control signals received from the integrated adjuster, wherein the integrated adjuster comprises:   a boiler adjuster controlling operation of the boiler according to values inputted from the function setting keys to adjust the temperature of the hot water; and   a valve adjuster outputting the valve control signals for the valve controller to close auto valves selected during the saving time periods selected by a user using the function setting keys and to open them for the time except the selected saving time periods.   
   
   
       2 . The heating control system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the saving time periods are with time or day in units.   
   
   
       3 . The heating control system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the integrated adjuster includes a radio transceiver to transmit or receive data including the valve control signals as radio signals, and   the valve controller includes a radio transceiver to receive the radio signals and to detect the data including the valve control signals therefrom or transmit radio signals.   
   
   
       4 . The heating control system of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the radio communication may be one of radio frequency, infrared, Bluetooth and Zigbee communications.   
   
   
       5 . The heating control system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the integrated adjuster and the valve controller are connected to each other by wire or power line modem (PLC) to transmit or receive data including the valve control signals.   
   
   
       6 . The heating control system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the integrated adjuster is powered by the power supply of the boiler.   
   
   
       7 . The heating control system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the valve adjuster further comprises a power failure compensation section for supplying subsidiary power to compensate for power failure, and when main power supply is stopped, a built-in timer is powered by the subsidiary power to continue current time counting.   
   
   
       8 . The heating control system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the valve controller is connected between the auto valves and the valve adjuster, powers the auto valves by distributing power supplied from the outside, and produces valve open or close signals based on the valve control signals received from the valve adjuster.   
   
   
       9 . The heating control system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein each auto valve includes a driving valve directly connected to the hot water distributor and an electric actuator actuating the driving valve based on an electric signal from outside, and the driving valve and the electric actuator are detachably connected to the hot water distributor using pipe couplers.   
   
   
       10 . A heating control method for use in a system wherein hot water heated by a boiler flows through pipes to heat one or more rooms, the system comprising a storage; auto valves associated with the pipes in a hot water distributor; an integrated adjuster with a plurality of function setting keys outside to outputting valve control signals to open or close the auto valves; and a valve controller separately controlling to open or close the auto valves based on valve control signals received from the integrated adjuster, the method comprising:
 (a) storing into the storage in advance a plurality of saving time periods during which the hot water distribution to the one or more rooms is to be stopped;   (b) selecting and setting at least one of the plurality of saving time periods in time or day using the function setting keys;   (c) outputting the valve control signals for the valve controller to open or close the auto valves during the set saving time periods in time or day.   
   
   
       11 . The heating control method of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the saving time periods are with time or day in units.   
   
   
       12 . The heating control method of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the selecting and setting step (b 2 ) further includes setting or modifying saving time periods directly specified by a user other than the plurality of saving time periods stored in advance.   
   
   
       13 . The heating control method of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the selecting and setting step (b 3 ) further includes storing at least one of compulsory open/close mode, temporary open mode, and lock/unlock mode of any settings for the auto valves using key inputs by a user, and checking the lock/unlock mode of any settings, and   if the unlock mode has been selected, storing (b 4 ) at least one of new values of saving time periods in time or day, or compulsory open/close mode and temporary open mode for the auto valves using key inputs by a user.   
   
   
       14 . The heating control method of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the selecting and setting step (b 5 ) further includes setting initial mode to store values set by a user as initial values; and   the storing step (a 0 ) further includes setting the initial values as the saving time periods in time or day for each valve concurrently with main power supply.   
   
   
       15 . The heating control method of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the outputting step (c 1 ) further comprises sequentially checking whether compulsory open/close mode, saving time periods in day, saving time period in time, and temporary open mode for each valve have been set, and controlling to open or close the each valve based on the results of the checking.   
   
   
       16 . The heating control method of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the outputting step further comprises, if the compulsory open/close mode has been set for each valve, controlling to open or close the each valve based on the set value.   
   
   
       17 . The heating control method of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the outputting step further comprises, if the compulsory open/close mode has not been set for each valve, checking whether saving time periods in day have been set, and controlling to open the each valve on the day.   
   
   
       18 . The heating control method of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the outputting step further comprises, if the compulsory open/close mode and saving time periods in day have not been set for each valve, determining whether the current time is within the saving time period in time, and controlling to open or close the each valve.   
   
   
       19 . The heating control method of  claim 18 ,
 wherein the outputting step further comprises, while a valve is in close mode during the saving time period in time, checking whether the temporary open mode has been set, and controlling to open the valve for the time specified by the temporary open mode.   
   
   
       20 . A heating control system for saving energy, wherein hot water heated by a boiler flows through pipes to heat one or more rooms, comprising:
 a storage stored with a plurality of saving time periods during which the hot water distribution to the one or more rooms is to be stopped;   auto valves associated with the pipes in a hot water distributor;   a stand alone adjuster having a plurality of function setting keys outside; and   a valve controller separately controlling to open or close the auto valves based on valve control signals received from the stand alone adjuster,   wherein the stand alone adjuster comprises:   a valve adjuster outputting the valve control signals for the valve controller to close auto valves selected during the saving time periods selected by a user using the function setting keys and to open them for the time except the selected saving time periods.   
   
   
       21 . The heating control system of  claim 20 ,
 wherein the saving time periods are with time or day in units.   
   
   
       22 . The heating control system of  claim 20 ,
 wherein the valve adjuster further comprises a power failure compensation section for supplying subsidiary power to compensate for power failure, and when main power supply is stopped, a built-in timer is powered by the subsidiary power to continue current time counting.   
   
   
       23 . The heating control system of  claim 20 ,
 wherein the valve adjuster checks whether main power is supplied, and counts and stores the accumulated total time during which the main power is supplied.   
   
   
       24 . The heating control system of  claim 20 ,
 wherein the valve controller is connected between the auto valves and the valve adjuster, powers the auto valves and the valve adjuster by distributing power supplied from the outside, and produces valve open or close signals based on the valve control signals received from the valve adjuster.   
   
   
       25 . The heating control system of  claim 20 ,
 wherein each auto valve includes a driving valve directly connected to the hot water distributor and an electric actuator actuating the driving valve based on an electric signal from outside, and the driving valve and the electric actuator are detachably connected to the hot water distributor using pipe couplers.   
   
   
       26 . A heating control method for use in a system wherein hot water heated by a boiler flows through pipes to heat one or more rooms, the system comprising a storage; auto valves associated with the pipes in a hot water distributor; a valve adjuster with a plurality of function setting keys outside for outputting valve control signals to open or close the auto valves; and a valve controller separately controlling to open or close the auto valves based on valve control signals received from the valve adjuster, the method comprising:
 (a) storing into the storage in advance a plurality of saving time periods during which the hot water distribution to the one or more rooms is to be stopped;   (b) selecting and setting at least one of the plurality of saving time periods in time or day using the function setting keys;   (c) outputting the valve control signals for the valve controller to control to open or close the auto valves during the set saving time periods in time or day, wherein the selecting and setting step (b 1 ) further comprises checking whether main power is supplied, and counting the accumulated total time during which the main power is supplied to the valve adjuster.   
   
   
       27 . The heating control method of  claim 26 ,
 wherein the saving time periods are with time or day in units.   
   
   
       28 . The heating control method of  claim 26 ,
 wherein the selecting and setting step (b 2 ) further includes setting or modifying saving time periods directly specified by a user other than the plurality of saving time periods stored in advance.   
   
   
       29 . The heating control method of  claim 26 ,
 wherein the selecting and setting step (b 3 ) further includes storing at least one of compulsory open/close mode, temporary open mode, and lock/unlock mode of any settings for the auto valves using key inputs by a user, and checking the lock/unlock mode of any settings, and   if the unlock mode has been selected, storing (b 4 ) at least one of new values of saving time periods in time or day, or compulsory open/close mode and temporary open mode for the auto valves using key inputs by a user.   
   
   
       30 . The heating control method of  claim 26 ,
 wherein the selecting and setting step (b 5 ) further includes setting initial mode to store values set by a user as initial values; and   the storing step (a 0 ) further includes setting the initial values as the saving time periods in time or day for each valve concurrently with main power supply.   
   
   
       31 . The heating control method of  claim 29 ,
 wherein the outputting step (c 1 ) further comprises sequentially checking whether compulsory open/close mode, saving time periods in day, saving time period in time, and temporary open mode for each valve have been set, and controlling to open or close the each valve based on the results of the checking.   
   
   
       32 . The heating control method of  claim 31 ,
 wherein the outputting step further comprises, if the compulsory open/close mode has been set for each valve, controlling to open or close the each valve based on the set value.   
   
   
       33 . The heating control method of  claim 31 ,
 wherein the outputting step further comprises, if the compulsory open/close mode has not been set for each valve, checking whether saving time periods in day have been set, and controlling to open the each valve on the day.   
   
   
       34 . The heating control method of  claim 31 ,
 wherein the outputting step further comprises, if the compulsory open/close mode and saving time periods in day have not been set for each valve, determining whether the current time is within the saving time period in time, and controlling to open or close the each valve.   
   
   
       35 . The heating control method of  claim 34 ,
 wherein the outputting step further comprises, while a valve is in close mode during the saving time period in time, checking whether the temporary open mode has been set, and controlling to open the valve for the time specified by the temporary open mode.