Heat source unit coupling system

Abstract

A heat source unit coupling system may include a heat medium circulation channel including a heat medium outgoing pipe and a heat medium return pipe; a water distribution channel including a water supply pipe and a hot water outlet pipe; one or more multifunctional heat source units connected in parallel to the heat medium circulation channel and the water distribution channel; one or more single-function heat source units connected in parallel to the heat medium circulation channel; and a coupling controller communicable with the one or more multifunctional heat source units and the one or more single-function heat source units. The one or more multifunctional heat source units may be configured to perform a space heating operation; and a hot water supplying operation. The one or more single-function heat source units may be configured to perform the space heating operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat source unit coupling system, comprising:
 a heat medium circulation channel including a heat medium outgoing pipe and a heat medium return pipe;   a water distribution channel including a water supply pipe and a hot water outlet pipe;   one or more multifunctional heat source units connected in parallel to the heat medium circulation channel and the water distribution channel;   one or more single-function heat source units connected in parallel to the heat medium circulation channel; and   a coupling controller communicable with each of the one or more multifunctional heat source units and the one or more single-function heat source units,   wherein the one or more multifunctional heat source units are configured to perform:   a space heating operation for heating a heat medium supplied from the heat medium return pipe and supplying it to the heat medium outgoing pipe; and   a hot water supplying operation for heating water supplied from the water supply pipe and supplying it to the hot water outlet pipe,   wherein the one or more single-function heat source units are configured to perform the space heating operation,   wherein the coupling controller is configured to:   instruct each of the one or more multifunctional heat source units to start or stop the hot water supplying operation based on priorities of the one or more multifunctional heat source units for the hot water supplying operation; and   instruct each of the one or more multifunctional heat source units and each of the one or more single-function heat source units to start or stop the space heating operation based on priorities of the one or more multifunctional heat source units for the space heating operation and priorities of the one or more single-function heat source units for the space heating operation,   wherein the priorities of the one or more single-function heat source units for the space heating operation are higher than the priorities of the one or more multifunctional heat source units for the space heating operation.   
     
     
         2 . The heat source unit coupling system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the priorities of the one or more multifunctional heat source units for the hot water supplying operation are at least partially different from the priorities of the one or more multifunctional heat source units for the space heating operation.   
     
     
         3 . The heat source unit coupling system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the one or more multifunctional heat source units comprise a first multifunctional heat source unit and a second multifunctional heat source unit,   when a priority of the first multifunctional heat source unit for the hot water supplying operation is higher than a priority of the second multifunctional heat source unit for the hot water supplying operation, a priority of the first multifunctional heat source unit for the space heating operation is lower than a priority of the second multifunctional heat source unit for the space heating operation, and   when the priority of the first multifunctional heat source unit for the hot water supplying operation is lower than the priority of the second multifunctional heat source unit for the hot water supplying operation, the priority of the first multifunctional heat source unit for the space heating operation is higher than the priority of the second multifunctional heat source unit for the space heating operation.   
     
     
         4 . The heat source unit coupling system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the coupling controller treats a multifunctional heat source unit that is in a state of being unable to normally perform the hot water supplying operation among the one or more multifunctional heat source units as a single-function heat source unit.   
     
     
         5 . The heat source unit coupling system according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the one or more single-function heat source units comprise a plurality of single-function heat source units, and   the coupling controller is further configured to perform a rotation to rotate priorities of the plurality of single-function heat source units for the space heating operation when a predetermined heating rotation condition is met.   
     
     
         6 . The heat source unit coupling system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the heating rotation condition is based on a number of times the heat source unit coupling system has been used for space heating.   
     
     
         7 . The heat source unit coupling system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the heating rotation condition is based on a time period during which the heat source unit coupling system has been used for space heating.   
     
     
         8 . The heat source unit coupling system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the coupling controller is further configured to determine post-rotation priorities of the plurality of single-function heat source units for the space heating operation based only on pre-rotation priorities of the plurality of single-function heat source units for the space heating operation.   
     
     
         9 . The heat source unit coupling system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the one or more multifunctional heat source units comprise a plurality of multifunctional heat source units,   the coupling controller is further configured to perform, when a predetermined hot water supplying rotation condition is met, a rotation to rotate priorities of the plurality of multifunctional heat source units for the hot water supplying operation and simultaneously perform a rotation to rotate priorities of the plurality of multifunctional heat source units for the space heating operation.   
     
     
         10 . The heat source unit coupling system according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the hot water supplying rotation condition is based on a number of times the heat source unit coupling system has been used for hot water supply.   
     
     
         11 . The heat source unit coupling system according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the hot water supplying rotation condition is based on a time period during which the heat source unit coupling system has been used for hot water supply.   
     
     
         12 . The heat source unit coupling system according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the coupling controller is further configured to determine post-rotation priorities of the plurality of multifunctional heat source units for the hot water supplying operation based only on pre-rotation priorities of the plurality of multifunctional heat source units for the hot water supplying operation.   
     
     
         13 . A heat source unit coupling system, comprising:
 a heat medium circulation channel including a heat medium outgoing pipe and a heat medium return pipe;   a water distribution channel including a water supply pipe and a hot water outlet pipe;   one or more multifunctional heat source units connected in parallel to the heat medium circulation channel and the water distribution channel;   one or more single-function heat source units connected in parallel to the water distribution channel; and   a coupling controller communicable with each of the one or more multifunctional heat source units and each of the one or more single-function heat source units,   wherein the one or more multifunctional heat source units are configured to perform:   a space heating operation for heating a heat medium supplied from the heat medium return pipe and supplying it to the heat medium outgoing pipe; and   a hot water supplying operation for heating water supplied from the water supply pipe and supplying it to the hot water outlet pipe,   wherein the one or more single-function heat source units are configured to perform the hot water supplying operation,   wherein the coupling controller is configured to:   instruct each of the one or more multifunctional heat source units and each of the one or more single-function heat source units to start or stop the hot water supplying operation based on priorities of the one or more multifunctional heat source units for the hot water supplying operation and priorities of the one or more single-function heat source units for the hot water supplying operation; and   instruct each of the one or more multifunctional heat source units to start or stop the space heating operation based on priorities of the one or more multifunctional heat source units for the space heating operation, and   wherein the priorities of the one or more single-function heat source units for the hot water supplying operation are higher than the priorities of the one or more multifunctional heat source units for the hot water supplying operation.   
     
     
         14 . The heat source unit coupling system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the one or more multifunctional heat source units comprise a first multifunctional heat source unit and a second multifunctional heat source unit,   when a priority of the first multifunctional heat source unit for the hot water supplying operation is higher than a priority of the second multifunctional heat source unit for the hot water supplying operation, a priority of the first multifunctional heat source unit for the space heating operation is lower than a priority of the second multifunctional heat source unit for the space heating operation,   when the priority of the first multifunctional heat source unit for the hot water supplying operation is lower than the priority of the second multifunctional heat source unit for the hot water supplying operation, the priority of the first multifunctional heat source unit for the space heating operation is higher than the priority of the second multifunctional heat source unit for the space heating operation, and   the coupling controller treats a multifunctional heat source unit that is in a state of being unable to perform the hot water supplying operation normally among the one or more multifunctional heat source units as a single-function heat source unit, and   the one or more single-function heat source units comprise a plurality of single-function heat source units,   the coupling controller is further configured to perform a rotation to rotate priorities of the plurality of single-function heat source units for the space heating operation when a predetermined heating rotation condition is met, and   the heating rotation condition is based on a number of times the heat source unit coupling system has been used for space heating and/or a time period during which the heat source unit coupling system has been used for space heating, and   the coupling controller is further configured to determine post-rotation priorities of the plurality of single-function heat source units for the space heating operation based only on pre-rotation priorities of the plurality of single-function heat source units for the space heating operation, and   the one or more multifunctional heat source units comprise a plurality of multifunctional heat source units,   the coupling controller is further configured to perform, when a predetermined hot water supplying rotation condition is met, a rotation to rotate priorities of the plurality of multifunctional heat source units for the hot water supplying operation and simultaneously perform a rotation to rotate priorities of the plurality of multifunctional heat source units for the space heating operation, and   the hot water supplying rotation condition is based on a number of times the heat source unit coupling system has been used for hot water supply and/or a time period during which the heat source unit coupling system has been used for hot water supply, and   the coupling controller is further configured to determine post-rotation priorities of the plurality of multifunctional heat source units for the hot water supplying operation based only on pre-rotation priorities of the plurality of multifunctional heat source units for the hot water supplying operation.