Water heater appliance with tank capacity control interface and related control methods

Abstract

In one aspect, a method for controlling the operation of a water heater appliance may generally include receiving a user input associated with a selection of a tank capacity setpoint for the water heater appliance, determining a tank temperature setpoint for water contained within a tank of the water heater appliance based on the user-selected tank capacity setpoint and controlling the operation of the water heater appliance based on the tank temperature setpoint.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling the operation of a water heater appliance, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a controller, a user input associated with a selection of a tank capacity setpoint for the water heater appliance;   determining, by the controller, a tank temperature setpoint for water contained within a tank of the water heater appliance based on the user-selected tank capacity setpoint; and   controlling, by the controller, the operation of the water heater appliance based on the tank temperature setpoint.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tank temperature setpoint is varied with variations of the user-selected tank capacity setpoint. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the user input associated with the selection of the tank capacity setpoint comprises receiving the user input via a control panel of the water heater appliance. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the user input associated with the selection of the tank capacity setpoint comprises receiving the user input wirelessly from a separate computing device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the tank temperature setpoint for the water contained within the tank of the water heater appliance based on the user-selected tank capacity setpoint comprises determining the tank temperature setpoint based on a look-up table stored within memory of the controller that relates the tank temperature setpoint to the user-selected tank capacity setpoint. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , controlling the operation of the water heater appliance based on the tank temperature setpoint comprises controlling the operation of one or more heating elements of the water heater appliance in order to maintain a water temperature of the water contained within the tank at the tank temperature setpoint. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the water heater appliance further comprises a mixing valve configured to mix non-heated water received from a non-heated water conduit and heated water received from a heated water conduit and supply the mixed non-heated and heated water to a mixed water conduit, the method further comprising receiving a second user input associated with a selection of a mixed water temperature setpoint for the mixed non-heated and heated water supplied from the mixing valve to the mixed water conduit. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising determining a valve control setpoint for the mixing valve based on the mixed water temperature setpoint. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising controlling the operation of the mixing valve based on the valve control setpoint such that a water temperature of the mixed non-heated and heated water supplied to the mixed water conduit corresponds to the mixed water temperature setpoint. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein controlling the operation of the mixing valve comprises adjusting a valve position of the mixing valve based on the valve control setpoint in order to regulate an amount of the non-heated water and an amount of the heated water supplied to the mixed water conduit. 
     
     
         11 . A method for controlling the operation of a water heater appliance, the water heater appliance comprising a mixing valve configured to mix non-heated water received from a non-heated water conduit and heated water received from a heated water conduit and supply the mixed non-heated and heated water to a mixed water conduit, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a controller, a user input associated with a selection of a tank capacity setpoint for the water heater appliance;   receiving, by the controller, a second user input associated with a selection of a mixed water temperature setpoint for the mixed water supplied from the mixing valve to the mixed water conduit;   determining, by the controller, a tank temperature setpoint for water contained within a tank of the water heater appliance based on the user-selected tank capacity setpoint;   determining, by the controller, a valve control setpoint for the mixing valve based on the mixed water temperature setpoint; and   controlling, by the controller, the operation of the water heater appliance based on the tank temperature setpoint and the valve control setpoint.   
     
     
         12 . A water heater appliance, comprising:
 a tank;   a heating element associated with the tank;   a non-heated water conduit for supplying non-heated water to the tank;   a heated water conduit for receiving heated water from the tank;   a mixing valve in fluid communication with the non-heated water conduit and the heated water conduit, the mixing valve being configured to mix the non-heated water flowing through the non-heated water conduit with the heated water flowing through the heated water conduit to create a mixed water flow;   a mixed water conduit for receiving the mixed water flow expelled from the mixing valve; and   a controller communicatively coupled to the mixing valve, the controller being configured to:
 receive a user input associated with a selection of a tank capacity setpoint for the tank; 
 determine a tank temperature setpoint for the water contained within the tank based on the user-selected tank capacity setpoint; and 
 control the operation of the heating element based on the tank temperature setpoint so as to maintain a water temperature of the water contained within the tank at the tank temperature setpoint. 
   
     
     
         13 . The water heater appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to vary the tank temperature setpoint with variations in the user-selected tank capacity setpoint. 
     
     
         14 . The water heater appliance of  claim 12 , further comprising a control panel having one or more user interface elements, wherein the controller is configured to receive the user input via the one or more user interface elements of the control panel. 
     
     
         15 . The water heater appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to receive the user input wirelessly from a separate computing device. 
     
     
         16 . The water heater appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the tank temperature setpoint based on a look-up table stored within memory of the controller that relates the tank temperature setpoint to the user-selected tank capacity setpoint. 
     
     
         17 . The water heater appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive a second user input associated with a selection of a mixed water temperature setpoint for the mixing valve. 
     
     
         18 . The water heater appliance of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a valve control setpoint for the mixing valve based on the mixed water temperature setpoint. 
     
     
         19 . The water heater appliance of  claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the mixing valve based on the valve control setpoint such that a water temperature of the mixed water flow supplied to the mixed water conduit corresponds to the mixed water temperature setpoint. 
     
     
         20 . The water heater appliance of  claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the mixing valve by adjusting a valve position of the mixing valve based on the valve control setpoint in order to regulate an amount of the non-heated water and an amount of the heated water supplied to the mixed water conduit.