System, method, and apparatus for heating

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heating element controller 100 for a liquid heating system arranged to determine the duty cycle of a heating element 106 and modulate the timepoint of heating initiation by the heating element 106 in dependence upon an expected duration of completing the heating process and upon a required time at which the heating process is to be completed, wherein said expected duration is determined in dependence on said duty cycle. The invention extends to a heating element controller comprising means for computing a fouling parameter and means for controlling the operation of the heating element in dependence upon the fouling parameter. The invention extends to a system for heating liquids comprising at least one heating element associated with a liquid vessel, and preferably the heating element is moveable in the vessel, or alternatively the system for heating liquids may comprise a plurality of heating elements.

1 . A heating element controller for a liquid heating system, wherein the heating element controller is arranged to:
 a) determine the duty cycle of a heating element; and   b) modulate the timepoint of heating initiation by the heating element in dependence upon an expected duration of completing the heating process and upon a required time at which the heating process is to be completed;   wherein said expected duration is determined in dependence on said duty cycle.   
     
     
         2 . A heating element controller according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating element controller is arranged to measure the duration of completing the heating process in order to determine an expected duration. 
     
     
         3 . A heating element controller according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a user input, and in which the required time at which the heating process is to be completed is a user-input time selection. 
     
     
         4 . A heating element according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to calculate the timepoint of heating initiation using an algorithm. 
     
     
         5 . A heating element controller according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to monitor at least one of: energy; current; and voltage; supplied to the heating element in order to measure the duration of completing the heating process, the energy supply to the heating element being thermostatically controlled. 
     
     
         6 . A heating element controller according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to determine completion of the heating process by comparison of the heating element duty cycle on/off ratio to a predefined threshold ratio. 
     
     
         7 . A heating element controller according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to control the supply of at least one of: energy; current; and voltage to the heating element to maintain the heated condition once the heating process is completed; and
 wherein the controller is arranged to supply at least one of: energy; current; and voltage to the heating element at shorter and more frequent intervals than a pre-determined or expected thermostat hysteresis cycle.   
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A heating element controller according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises at least one of: a current sensor; a sense resistor; a transformer; and a voltage sensor for monitoring at least one of: the electrical current supplied to the heating element; the presence or absence of electrical current supplied to the heating element; the energy supplied to the heating element; and
 wherein the controller comprises at least one of: a relay; a transistor; a field effect transistor; and a bipolar transistor for initiation of heating.   
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A heating element controller according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller further comprises an ambient temperature sensor, in dependence upon which the controller further modulates the timepoint of heating initiation. 
     
     
         12 . A heating element controller according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to modulate the timepoint of heating initiation in dependence upon information concerning the time(s) at which the cost to the user of supplying energy to the element changes;
 wherein the heating element controller arranged to complete the heating, process prior to said required time.   
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A heating element controller according to  claim 1 , further comprising an indicator arranged to provide an indication to the user when the heating process is completed. 
     
     
         15 . A heating element controller according to  claim 1  for use in a heating system comprising at least two heating elements, wherein the heating element controller is arranged to determine to which element at least one of: energy; current; and voltage is supplied in dependence upon a required quantity of heated liquid;
 wherein the required quantity of heated liquid is a user-input quantity selection. 
 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A heating element controller according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for computing a fouling parameter, and means for controlling the operation of the heating element in dependence upon the fouling parameter. 
     
     
         18 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A system for heating liquids, comprising at least one heating element associated with a liquid vessel, and a heating element controller as claimed in  claim 1 ; and a thermostat arranged to control operation of the heating element. 
     
     
         42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . A system for heating liquids according to  claim 41 , comprising a liquid temperature sensor associated with the liquid vessel and being arranged to provide an indication of a temperature of the liquid, the controller being arranged to use the output of the liquid temperature sensor in calculating the expected duration of completing the heating process. 
     
     
         44 . A system for heating liquids according to  claim 41 , further comprising an array of at least two liquid temperature sensors, each being associated with a respective location on or in a heating vessel;
 wherein the array of at least two liquid temperature sensors is floatingly and/or sinkingly tethered to at least one heating element; and   wherein the array of at least two liquid temperature sensors is attached to the external wall of the liquid vessel, the sensors being in thermal contact with said external wall.   
     
     
         45 - 46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . A system for heating liquids according to  claim 43 , the liquid temperature sensor being at least one of: a thermocouple; a thermistor; a resistance temperature detector; and a diode thermometer. 
     
     
         48 . A system for heating liquids according to  claim 43 , wherein the liquid temperature sensor comprises means for determining temperature in dependence on the change in resistance with temperature of the heating element;
 wherein the liquid temperature sensor(s) comprises a resistance temperature detector in the heating element being arranged to provide an indication of a temperature of the liquid.   
     
     
         49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A system for heating liquids according to  claim 44 , wherein the controller is arranged to determine the thermocline of liquid in the vessel in dependence upon the data provided by the at least two temperature sensors. 
     
     
         51 - 70 . (canceled) 
     
     
         71 . A method of controlling a heating element for a liquid heating system, comprising: determining a heating time period corresponding to an expected duration of completing the heating process; determining a required time at which the heating process is required to be completed; initiating heating by the heating element at a timepoint which is earlier than the required time by a time period corresponding to the heating time period. 
     
     
         72 . A method according to  claim 71  comprising: initiating heating by the heating element at a timepoint which is earlier than the required time by a time period greater than the heating time period, in dependence upon a time at which the cost to the user of supplying energy to the element changes. 
     
     
         73 . A method according to  claim 71  wherein determining the heating time period corresponding to the expected duration of completing the heating process comprises determining the duty cycle of a heating element: and determining said expected duration in dependence on said duty cycle. 
     
     
         74 - 78 . (canceled)