| CPC F24D 17/0068 (2013.01) [F24D 19/1054 (2013.01); F24H 4/04 (2013.01)] | 4 Claims |
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1. A method for setting the setpoint temperature of a fluid stored in a thermal battery of a system for heating a first fluid flow from a first temperature to a second temperature, wherein the system further comprises a supply line for receiving the first fluid flow at a first end and exhausting the first fluid flow at a second end; a heating system comprising a heat engine; a first heat exchanger; a second heat exchanger; a flow meter configured for detecting a flowrate through the supply line, a temperature sensor configured for sensing the temperature of the contents of the thermal battery, the thermal battery further comprises a closed loop fluid conductor for circulating a second fluid flow that is configured to cause transfer of heat from the thermal battery to the first fluid flow at a heat transfer rate via the heat exchanger and a flow modifier interposed within the closed loop conductor wherein the flow modifier is configured to effect heat transfer at a heat transfer rate by varying the flowrate of the second fluid flow, the thermal battery is configured to receive the second fluid flow, wherein the second fluid flow is fluidly decoupled from the first fluid flow and the heat engine is directly coupled to the supply line via the second heat exchanger; and a controller operably connected to at least the flow meter, the temperature sensor and the flow modifier, wherein the thermal battery is configured to be replenished at a point of heat transfer by the heat engine and the supply line is configured to receive heat from the thermal battery via the first heat exchanger and from the heat engine via the second heat exchanger to elevate the temperature of the first fluid flow from the first temperature to the second temperature, said method comprising using the controller for:
(a) determining at least one event from flowrate data of the flow meter over a time period of a plurality of days, said event comprising a time span of a day in which the flowrate remains below or at a threshold value over said time span of a day within each day of said plurality of days;
(b) determining overlaps of said each event to another one of said each event of all days within said time period; and
(c) determining a frequency of the overlaps of said each event over said time period and if the frequency exceeds a frequency threshold, executing a counteraction pair including a first action and a second action in opposition to the first action during a time span corresponding to said each event, wherein said first action is executed at the start of said time span corresponding to said each event, said second action is executed at the end of said time span corresponding to said each event within a new time period.
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