US 12,077,949 B2
Method for operating a circulation system, and circulation system
Roberto Bawey, Berlin (DE); Patric Opitz, Berlin (DE); and Olaf Heinecke, Berlin (DE)
Assigned to LTZ—ZENTRUM FÜR LUFT—UND TRINKWASSERHYGIENE GMBH, Berlin (DE)
Filed by LTZ—ZENTRUM FÜR LUFT—UND TRINKWASSERHYGIENE GMBH, Berlin (DE)
Filed on Dec. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/064,455.
Application 18/064,455 is a continuation of application No. 17/055,344, granted, now 11,525,247, previously published as PCT/EP2019/062547, filed on May 15, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 102018111579.2 (DE), filed on May 15, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0130061 A1, Apr. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. E03B 7/04 (2006.01); F24D 17/00 (2022.01); F24D 19/10 (2006.01)
CPC E03B 7/04 (2013.01) [F24D 17/0078 (2013.01); F24D 19/1054 (2013.01); F24D 17/0073 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for water temperature management in a circulation system, the circulation system comprising:
a cooling device with an input port and an output port, the cooling device configured to identify the temperature of water at the input port (Tb) and produce water at a set temperature value at the output port (Ta),
the circulation system further comprising a branched pipeline system, the branched pipeline system, in fluid communication with the input port and output port, comprising:
one or more partial sections thermally coupled to a surrounding, wherein the partial sections comprise one or more pipe units, each pipe unit comprises at least one single supply line connected to a tapping point, at least one circulation conduit, and at least one flow pipe, and the at least one flow pipe comprises at least one of a collective feed line, a riser line, and a building floor line,
a circulation pump in fluid communication with at least one of the pipe units, the circulation pump configured to provide a specified volumetric flow rate of water (Vz) at the input port, and
a regulator configured to receive values for the temperature of water at the input port (Tb) from the cooling device and the specified flow rate of water (Vz) from the circulation pump, the regulator further configured to formulaically determine temperatures associated with the one or more partial sections and operate the cooling device and circulation pump,
the method comprising:
specifying, through the regulator, a target temperature (Tsoll) for the temperature of water at the input port;
specifying, through the regulator, a positive preset difference value (θ) for the target temperature (Tsoll) minus the identified temperature of water at the input port (Tb);
calculating, through the regulator, a temperature of water proximate an end region of each of the one or more partial sections (TME) based on an identified temperature of water at the input port (Tb) and flow rate of water (Vz);
identifying selection values for the set temperature value at the output port (Ta) and flow rate of water (Vz) such that the temperature of water proximate an end region (TME) for each partial section is below the target temperature (Tsoll), the identified temperature of water at the input port (Tb) is less than the target temperature (Tsoll), and the target temperature (Tsoll) minus the identified temperature of water at the input port (Tb) is less than the positive preset difference value (θ);
setting the set temperature value at the output port (Ta) to the respective identified selection value therefore through the cooling device; and
setting the flow rate of water (Vz) to the respective identified selection value therefore through the circulation pump;
whereby, water temperatures within the circulation system are managed to be below the target temperature (Tsoll) to inhibit microbial growth in the circulation system and comply with relevant guidelines concerning water temperatures in the circulation system.