GB2490482A

GB2490482A - Heating system energy saving device

Info

Publication number: GB2490482A
Application number: GB1106847.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth Jenkinson Meadows D Elkar
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-04-26
Filing date: 2011-04-26
Publication date: 2012-11-07
Also published as: GB201106847D0

Abstract

The device reduces the amount of fuel used by a heater of a heating system by delaying a signal from a temperature sensing control device, such as a thermostat, to the heater. Any residual heat of the heater is thereby dissipated before the heater is activated by the thermostat. The device may be powered by mains electricity and include a multiple digit display 22 that indicates the number of heating cycles undertaken by the heater. Light emitting diodes may be used to give operational information about the device, with LED 12 indicating the device has power, LED 16 indicating when the device is delaying activation of the heater, and LED 27 flashing to indicate normal operation of the heater. The device may include an electrical inlet plug 1 and electrical outlet socket 2 wherein, in use, the plug receives wiring of the thermostat and the socket is connected to wiring of the heater. The device may include a microprocessor system monitor in combination with an audible alarm that sounds if the device is at fault so that wiring of the thermostat and heater may be disconnected from the plug and socket respectively and connected to one another to bypass the device.

Description

Heating System Energy Saver This invention relates to a device for saving fuel in heating systems.

In a basic heating system, thermostats are often used to sense room and/or water temperature, and their electrical contacts enable the heater. Fuel energy is often wasted when these contacts first close because there is already sufficient heat in the heater and/or circulating water.

This device applies a time delay at the start of the heating cycle so that this latent' heat energy is used up before more fuel energy is consumed.

This device is connected in to the mains voltage alternating-current wiring between the thermostat, or other device that normally enables the heater, and the heater itself, and requires no other power source.

When the contacts of the thermostat or other device that normally enables the heater close, signalling that heat is required, this device powers up and enters a time delay period during which the mains voltage output is not applied to the heater.

When the time delay period expires, the device then does apply a mains voltage output to the heater.

The device incorperates a 4 digit LED (light emitting diode) display to indicate how many heating cycles have occu red. This count is held in non-volatile electronic memory such that it is retained indefinitely even when the device is powered down, but there is an internal push button switch that can be used to clear the count to zero when required.

The device incorperates LED indicators to show when power is applied to the unit, when the delay period is in progress, and when the heater output is enabled.

The device incorperates a monitoring circuit to detect that the system is running correctly, and such that a malfunction will cause an audible alarm to activate.

The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows an electronic circuit schematic drawing Figure 2 shows a typical physical arrangement drawing In figure 1, wiring from the thermostat or other device that normally enables the heater connects to terminals 1, and wiring to the heater connects to terminals 2.

The mains neutral input connects internally to the mains neutral output, as do the safety earth wires.

The device is powered up whenever mains voltage is present on terminals 1. Fuse 3 protects gainst internal faults by disconnecting the mains live input. Common mode choke 4 in conjunction with capacitors 5 provide a low-pass mains filter to reduce incoming and outgoing electrical noise.

Terminals 6 allow transformer 7 primary windings to be connected in parallel or in series so that various worldwide mains input voltages can be used.

The transformer 7 secondary winding is connected to recitifier 8, and the rectified output is smoothed by reservoir capacitor 9 to produce an un-regulated 1 2V direct current source for use internally. Voltage regulator 10 provides a reliable 5V direct current source for the microcontroller integrated cicuit 14. Capacitors 11 prevent potential oscillation of regulator 10, and decouple the microcontroller 14. LED indicator 12 illuminates when the device is powered, and is current-limited by resistor 13.

The microcontroller 14 is programmed to control various elements of the system as follows: LED indicator 16 flashes during the initial delay period to show that the device is saving fuel energy, and is current-limited by resistor 17. LED indicator 16 is extinguished once the initial delay period has expired.

Relay 29 is energised during the initial delay period such that it's contacts are open, and there is no mains live output on terminals 2 to the heater. Once the delay period has expired, relay 29 is de-energised and it's contacts close to provide a mains live output on terminals 2 to the heater.

The four digit LED display 22 has current-limiting resistors 26 for each of the seven segment enable inputs, and the microcontroller signals for these are buffered and inverted by transistor array integrated circuit 20.

The four digit LED display 22 digit enable inputs are controlled by the microcontroller via transistor array integrated circuit 21, transistor base current limiting resistors 25, and PNP transistors 23. Resistor network 24 ensures the PNP transistors 23 do not conduct when base current not applied.

LED indicator 27 is extinguished during the initial delay period, but flashes after the delay period has expired to indicate that heating is enabled. LED27 is current-limited by resistor 28.

Resistor 18 and push button switch 19 provide an input to the microcontroller such that the memorised cycle counter is cleared to zero once the push button switch is activated continually for at least one second! Resistor 15 provides a SV bias for the reset input of the microcontroller integrated circuit 14.

Integrated circuit 31 is a watchdog timer monitoring circuit which, during normal operation, the microcontroller 14 regularly signals to indicate it is running correctly.

If this signal does not occur within the set period, then the monitoring integrated circuit will activate audible alarm 32.

Figure 2 shows a typical physical implementation of the device. A plastic or metal enclosure is used to contain the electronic circuitry, with the 4 digit LED display 22, and the status LED indicators 12, 16 and 27 visible from the front face of the unit.

The terminals for the mains electrical inlet plug 1 and socket outlet 2 are fitted to the bottom face of the device, together with fuseholder 3.

Claims

Claims 1 A heating system energy saving device that saves fuel by delaying the signal from the temperature sensing control device to the heater, such that residual heat within the heater itself and/or the circulating medium is consumed before more fuel energy is used.
2 A heating system energy saving device according to claim 1, which is powered from the mains electrical source from the temperature sensing control device and does not require a separate power supply.
3 A heating system energy saving device according to claim 1, which contains a multiple digit display indicating the number of heating cycles and the count of which is maintained by non-volatile electronic memory.
4 A heating system energy saving device according to claim 1, which contains flashing LED indicators to show the energy saving mode status or heating mode status.
A heating system energy saving device according to claim 1, which contains a microprocessor system monitor, and drives an audible warning device under fault conditions.
6 A heating system energy saving device according to claim 1, in which the mains electrical input cable and mains electrical output cable may be unplugged from the device and joined directly to each other in order to bypass the device should a fault occur internally.