JP2008039287A - Control device with self-diagnosis function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a control device with a self-diagnosis function free from false detection even when a fan driving voltage is lowered because of adaptability of grease of a fan and the like. <P>SOLUTION: This control device is provided with a self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 14, and a learning storing means 13 does not store fan driving voltage before the lapse of the self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 14, and stores the fan driving voltage after the lapse of the self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 14, thus the false detection of soot clogging of a heat exchanger can be prevented by providing the self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 14, when the fan driving voltage is significantly lowered because of adaptability of grease of the fan and the like in initial use. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a control device with a self-diagnosis function for use in a home water heater or the like.

Conventionally, for example, in a bath water heater, combustion air is sent before a combustion apparatus becomes dangerous when dust or the like is clogged in a path from an air supply unit to an exhaust unit and a combustion abnormality occurs due to air shortage. By comparing the fan drive voltage of the fan and performing self-diagnosis, the device that is a bath water heater is automatically and safely stopped so that the user cannot use the bath water heater without being safe (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-9-119633

  However, after construction, after a certain period of time has passed since the user started using the bath water heater, there is no dust in the path from the air supply section of the bath water heater to the exhaust section. The fan drive voltage is greatly reduced due to familiarity. Therefore, after learning the fan drive voltage immediately after the installation of the equipment, if the self-diagnosis is performed, the fan drive voltage has dropped, so the dust and the like are clogged from the supply section of the bath water heater to the exhaust section There was a problem that the device stopped due to false detection.

  In view of the above-described conventional problems, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a control device with a self-diagnosis function that does not erroneously detect even if the fan drive voltage decreases due to the familiarity of the grease of the fan.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a control device with a self-diagnosis function according to the present invention includes a heat exchanger that changes water from a water supply port to hot water, a combustion burner that heats the heat exchanger, and fuel that is supplied to the combustion burner. And a fan control means for controlling the fan, and a fan drive for the fan control means when the combustion burner is not combusting. A self-diagnosis determination means for comparing a voltage with an initial voltage and detecting clogging or the like in a path from an intake portion to an exhaust portion of the equipment including the heat exchanger, and when the clogging is detected by the self-diagnosis determination means, A device stop unit for stopping the device, a learning storage unit for storing the fan drive voltage after the installation of the device, provided in the self-diagnosis determination unit, and the installation of the device in the learning storage unit , It is provided with a learning end period not learn more in the learning storage means in their own self-learning prohibition time providing a period in which no learning predetermined time, stores a fan driving voltage by the self-diagnostic determination means.

  As a result, during the period when the fan drive voltage is greatly reduced due to the familiarity of the grease of the fan, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection when the fan drive voltages are compared by prohibiting learning of self-diagnosis.

  The learning storage means provides a learning end period during which no further learning is performed when the fan diagnosis voltage is stored by the self-diagnosis determination means.

  As a result, if learning is performed in a state where the heat exchanger is clogged or the like, even if clogging or the like is increased, a decrease in the fan drive voltage is reduced, and the self-diagnosis abnormality is not detected.

  In the control device with a self-diagnosis function of the present invention, the self-diagnosis determination unit counts the number of learning for each self-diagnosis learning, and ends the learning of the self-diagnosis by the learning storage unit with the learning end period as the number of times. The learning means is provided and a storage means that can be arbitrarily changed even after the construction of the equipment is provided.

  In this way, the self-diagnosis learning is counted, the number of learning completions is set, and the number of self-diagnosis learning is easily changed in the market even when the heat exchanger learns in a clogged state or the like. be able to.

  The control device with a self-diagnosis function of the present invention compares the fan drive voltage before becoming a dangerous state when dust or the like is clogged in the path from the air supply part to the exhaust part of the equipment and a combustion abnormality occurs due to air shortage. Self-diagnosis, and automatically and safely shuts down the equipment, and after construction of the equipment, after a certain period of time has elapsed since the user started using the equipment, dust or the like is found in the route from the air supply section to the exhaust section. Even if the fan drive voltage is greatly reduced even though it is not clogged, it can be prevented from being erroneously detected.

  A first invention includes a heat exchanger that changes hot water from a water supply port to hot water, a combustion burner that heats the heat exchanger, a fuel valve that supplies fuel to the combustion burner, and combustion air to the combustion burner And a fan control means for controlling the fan, and a fan drive voltage of the fan control means is compared with an initial voltage when the combustion burner is not combusting, and includes the heat exchanger. Self-diagnosis determination means for detecting clogging or the like in the path from the intake portion to the exhaust portion of the device, device stop means for stopping the device when the clogging is detected by the self-diagnosis determination means, and the self-diagnosis determination means A self-diagnosis learning prohibition for providing a learning storage means for storing a fan drive voltage after construction of the device and a period for which the learning storage means does not learn for a predetermined time after construction of the device. By using a control device with a self-diagnosis function that has a learning end period that does not learn any more in the learning storage means when the fan drive voltage is stored by the self-diagnosis determination means, the familiarity of the fan grease, etc. Thus, during the period in which the fan drive voltage is greatly reduced, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection when comparing the fan drive voltage by prohibiting learning of self-diagnosis.

  In particular, when storing the fan drive voltage by the self-diagnosis determination means, if the learning storage means is provided with a learning end period during which no further learning is performed, Even when the clogging is increased, the decrease in the fan drive voltage is reduced, and undetected self-diagnosis abnormality can be prevented.

  In the second invention, in particular, the self-diagnosis determination unit of the first invention counts the number of times of learning for each self-diagnosis learning, and the learning storage unit terminates the self-diagnosis learning with the learning end period as the number of times. By providing a control device with a self-diagnosis function that has a memory means that can be arbitrarily changed even after the construction of the equipment, the self-diagnosis learning is counted and the learning end count is set. Even when learning is performed in a clogged state, the number of self-diagnosis learning can be easily changed in the market.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a water heater equipped with a control device with a self-diagnosis function as one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a self-diagnosis determination in the control device with a self-diagnosis function as one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the usage time of the fan used in the water heater and the fan drive voltage.

  Reference numeral 1 denotes a water heater main body as a device, which is equipped with the control device with a self-diagnosis function of the present invention, and controls combustion operation, combustion stop, and self-diagnosis. Reference numeral 2 denotes a heat exchanger, which changes the water from the water inlet 10 to hot water and discharges the hot water from the outlet 11. A combustion burner 3 burns fuel such as gas or petroleum to heat the heat exchanger 2. A fan 4 driven by a motor is filled with grease or the like in its rotating part. When used for a certain period of time as shown in FIG. 3, the fan drive voltage drops below the initial voltage due to the familiarity of grease. Supply the air necessary for combustion.

  Reference numeral 5 denotes a fuel valve, which supplies the combustion burner 3 with a fuel such as gas or oil necessary for combustion. Reference numeral 6 denotes fan control means for driving the motor of the fan 4. 7 is a self-diagnosis judging means comprising a microcomputer and its peripheral circuits. After the combustion burner 3 is burned for a predetermined time, the fan 4 is rotated at a specific rotational speed in a non-combustion state, and the fan drive voltage at that time is initialized. If the fan drive voltage is lower than a certain value compared to the fan drive voltage, the heat exchanger 2 of the water heater body 1 is clogged, or dust or the like is present in the path from the air supply unit 1a to the exhaust unit 1b. It is a means for detecting clogging.

  8 is a device stop means, which receives a signal from the self-diagnosis determination means 7 that it is determined that the heat exchanger 2 of the water heater body 1 is clogged or that dust or the like is clogged from the air supply section to the exhaust section. In this case, it is means for stopping the operation so that the water heater main body 1 with the fuel valve 5 closed cannot be used again. A non-volatile memory 9 stores an initial fan drive voltage and the like by the self-diagnosis determination means 7. Reference numeral 12 denotes a fan voltage comparison means, which is provided inside the self-diagnosis determination means 7 and compares the fan drive voltage for controlling the fan 4 by the fan control means 6 with the self-diagnosis learning value voltage during the self-diagnosis.

  Reference numeral 13 denotes learning storage means composed of the components enclosed by the dotted line frame in FIG. 2, which stores the self-diagnosis learning value by the self-diagnosis determination means 7 and also simultaneously stores it in the nonvolatile memory 9. Reference numeral 14 denotes a self-diagnosis learning prohibition time, which is a time during which self-diagnosis learning is prohibited after construction of the device. Reference numeral 15 denotes a self-diagnosis learning counting means which counts the number of learnings 23 every time the self-diagnosis determination means 7 learns. 16 is the number of temporary learnings, and the self-diagnosis learning counting unit 15 counts the number of learnings 23. Until the learning number 23 learns the temporary learning number of times 16, the self-diagnosis determining unit 7 determines when the self-diagnosis is determined. Judgment is made with a margin added to the self-diagnosis.

  Reference numeral 17 denotes the maximum number of learning times. The self-diagnosis learning counting means 15 counts the learning number 23, and the self-diagnosis learning value in the learning storage means 13 is learned until the learning number 23 reaches the maximum learning number 17. Reference numeral 18 denotes a next learning time, which is a period until the next learning time when the learning storage means 13 learns the self-diagnosis learning value.

  Reference numeral 19 denotes a lower limit voltage value. When self-diagnosis learning is prohibited during the self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 14, the lower limit voltage preset in the learning storage means 13 and the fan voltage comparison means 12 compare the hot water supply. It is determined whether the heat exchanger 2 of the machine body 1 is clogged or whether dust or the like is clogged in the path from the air supply unit to the exhaust unit. Reference numeral 20 denotes a fan voltage determination margin, which is set in advance in the learning storage unit 13 and is obtained by subtracting the fan voltage determination margin from the self-diagnosis learning value when the fan voltage comparison unit 12 compares with the fan drive voltage during self-diagnosis. The value to compare.

21 is a provisional learning additional margin, which is a margin to be added and subtracted when self-diagnosis determination is performed by the self-diagnosis determination unit 7 when the number of learnings 23 of the self-diagnosis determination unit 7 has not counted up to the number of temporary learnings 16. During learning, the self-diagnosis is determined with a margin. Reference numeral 22 denotes a self-diagnosis learning number initialization unit that initializes the learning number 23 counted by the self-diagnosis learning count unit 15 when a specific operation is performed by the release operation unit 19.

  Reference numeral 24 denotes self-diagnosis learning prohibition initialization means, which initializes the self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 14 when a specific operation is performed by the release operation means 19. 26 is a provisional learning period, 27 is a learning end period, and 28 is a fan drive cumulative time.

  About the control apparatus with a self-diagnosis function which the water heater comprised as mentioned above carries, the operation | movement and effect | action are demonstrated below with operation | movement of a water heater.

  First, the operation of the first means of the present invention will be described. When the hot water is discharged from the tap 11, the air required for combustion is supplied to the combustion burner 3 by the fan 4, and the fuel such as gas or oil supplied from the fuel valve 3 is burned by the combustion burner 3, and the heat exchanger 2 is turned on. By heating, the water at the water inlet 10 is made hot water. When the combustion burner 3 is burned for a predetermined time, the fan 4 rotates at a specific rotational speed in a non-burning state after the combustion is stopped.

  At this time, the self-diagnosis determination means 7 compares the drive voltage of the fan control means 6 with the initial fan drive voltage after the construction of the device stored in the learning storage means 13 by the fan voltage comparison means 12. When the driving voltage of the fan control means 6 is lower than a certain value, the heat exchanger 2 of the water heater body 1 is clogged, or the path from the air supply unit 1a to the exhaust unit 1b is clogged with dust. Is detected. When the clogging of the heat exchanger 2 is detected by the self-diagnosis determination unit 7, the device is stopped by the device stop unit 8.

  However, after storing the fan drive voltage after the construction of the device by the learning storage means 13, when the fan drive voltage is greatly reduced due to the familiarity of the grease of the fan 4, the self-diagnosis determination means 7 determines the heat exchanger 2. There is a possibility that the clogging is erroneously detected and the operation of the device is stopped, but this can be solved by the present invention.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 14 is provided, and the learning storage means 13 does not store the fan drive voltage until the self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 14 elapses. The fan drive voltage is stored.

  As a result, when the fan drive voltage is greatly reduced during initial use due to the familiarity of the grease of the fan 4, it is possible to eliminate erroneous detection such as clogging of the heat exchanger 2 by the self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 14.

  In the second means, when the self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 14 has not elapsed, the self-diagnosis determination means 7 uses the fan voltage comparison means 12 to set a preset lower limit voltage value 19 and the drive voltage of the fan control means 6. When compared with a certain value or more, it is detected that the heat exchanger 2 of the water heater body 1 is clogged or that dust or the like is clogged in the path from the air supply unit 1a to the exhaust unit 1b.

  As described above, even after the installation of the device and until the self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 14 elapses, the heat exchanger 2 of the water heater main body 1 is clogged, or dust or the like is clogged in the path from the air supply unit to the exhaust unit. For example, if the device is in a dangerous state, the lower limit voltage value 19 and the fan voltage can be compared to detect an abnormality.

In the third means, the self-diagnosis learning inhibition time 14 of the first means is stored in the nonvolatile memory 9 so that the self-diagnosis learning inhibition time 14 can be changed from the outside. As a result, even when the fan drive voltage is greatly reduced due to the familiarity of the grease of the fan 4 or the like, the self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 14 can be easily obtained in the market even when it takes longer or varies than the expected time. Can be changed.

  The change of the self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 14 is effective for an operation from a remote controller connected to the main body of the water heater, an operation from an electrical board that controls the main body of the water heater, and a copy operation between the nonvolatile memories.

  In the fourth means, a provisional learning period 26 is provided in the learning storage means 13. When the self-diagnosis determination unit 7 compares the fan drive voltage with the fan voltage comparison unit 12, if the provisional learning period 26 has not elapsed, the number of self-diagnosis determinations is increased. As a result, the period during which the fan drive voltage greatly decreases due to the familiarity of the grease of the fan 4 takes more time than the expected time, or during the period when the fan drive voltage varies, a self-diagnosis is performed as a provisional learning period, and the fan drive voltage is By increasing the number of self-diagnosis determinations when comparing, erroneous detection can be prevented.

  In the fifth means, each time the self-diagnosis learning means 7 learns self-diagnosis, the self-diagnosis learning count means 15 counts the number of learnings 22 and sets whether or not the temporary learning period 26 is in progress. If the learning count 22 is less than the temporary learning count 16, the temporary learning is in progress. As a result, the self-diagnosis learning is counted, the number of times of learning is set as provisional learning, and the period during which the fan drive voltage greatly decreases due to the familiarity of the grease of the fan 4 takes more time than expected. Even in the case of variations, the provisional learning count 16 for self-diagnosis can be easily changed in the market.

  In the sixth means, a period during which self-diagnosis learning is performed by the self-diagnosis determination means 7 is set by the learning end period 27. When the fan drive accumulated time 28 for accumulating the drive time of the fan 4 has passed the learning end period 27 or more, learning of the self-diagnosis after that is prohibited. Self-diagnosis is performed by the self-diagnosis determination means 7 using the stored value of the learning storage means 13 after this prohibition.

  As a result, a period during which the fan drive voltage greatly decreases due to the familiarity of the grease of the fan 4 and the like, and self-diagnosis learning is performed in a state where the fan drive voltage is stable after the initial construction of the device. Moreover, if learning is repeated many times by the learning storage means 13 and learning is performed in a state where the heat exchanger 2 is clogged, a decrease in the fan drive voltage cannot be detected in a state where clogging has increased, and self-diagnosis is abnormal. Can not be detected.

  In the seventh means, the learning end period 27 of the sixth means is set to the maximum learning frequency 17 set by the self-diagnosis learning frequency, and when the learning frequency 23 becomes the maximum learning frequency 17 or more, the subsequent learning is prohibited. . As a result, a period during which the fan drive voltage greatly decreases due to the familiarity of the grease of the fan 4 and the like, and self-diagnosis learning is performed in a state where the fan drive voltage is stable after the initial construction. Moreover, if learning is performed in a state where the heat exchanger is clogged, it is possible to prevent a failure in self-diagnosis from being detected because a decrease in the fan drive voltage cannot be detected in a state where clogging has increased.

  In the eighth means, a provisional learning period 26 is provided in the learning storage means 13 of the fourth means. When the self-diagnosis determination means 7 compares the fan drive voltage with the fan voltage comparison means 12, the provisional learning period 26 is not limited. For example, the preliminary learning additional margin 21 set in advance is added to the fan voltage comparison value for comparison.

As a result, self-diagnosis is performed as provisional learning and the fan drive voltage is compared when the fan drive voltage drops significantly due to the familiarity of the grease of the fan 4, etc. In this case, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection by providing a margin for the margin.

  In the ninth aspect of the present invention, when the abnormality detection is performed by the self-diagnosis determination unit 7 of the first unit and the device operation is stopped by the device stop unit 8, the operation of stopping the device is canceled by the release operation unit 25. Since it is assumed that the heat exchanger 2 is clogged, the heat exchanger 2 is cleaned, and the fan 4 is cleaned or replaced, the self-diagnosis learning prohibition initialization means 24 initially sets the self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 14. Turn into.

  Accordingly, even when the fan 4 is replaced during the release operation, the self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 14 is initialized, so that the lower limit set in advance even during a period in which the fan drive voltage greatly decreases due to the familiarity of grease after the fan 4 is replaced. The voltage value and the fan drive voltage can be compared to detect clogging or exhaust blockage of the heat exchanger and can be used safely.

  In the tenth aspect of the invention, when the abnormality detection is performed by the self-diagnosis determination unit 7 of the first unit and the device operation is stopped by the device stop unit 8, the release operation unit 25 cancels the device stop operation. Since it is assumed that the heat exchanger 2 is clogged, the heat exchanger 2 is cleaned, and the fan 4 is cleaned or replaced, the learning count 23 is initialized by the self-diagnosis learning count initialization means 22.

  As described above, even when the fan 4 is replaced during the release operation, the lower limit voltage value and the fan that are set in advance even during the self-diagnosis learning prohibition period during the period when the fan drive voltage greatly decreases due to the familiarity of the grease of the fan 4 and the like. The drive voltage can be compared, clogging of the heat exchanger, exhaust blockage, etc. can be detected, and the device can be used safely.

  As described above, the control device with a self-diagnosis function according to the present invention provides a self-diagnosis learning prohibition time, and allows the self-diagnosis function to perform the self-diagnosis learning after the fan drive voltage greatly decreases due to the familiarity of the grease of the fan. Since it is possible to eliminate erroneous detection of clogging of the exchanger, it can be applied to a domestic water heater.

Configuration diagram of a water heater equipped with a control device with a self-diagnosis function in Embodiment 1 of the present invention The system block diagram of the control apparatus with a self-diagnosis function of the water heater in Embodiment 1 of this invention A graph showing the relationship between fan usage time and fan drive voltage used in the water heater

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heat source machine 2 Heat exchanger 3 Burner 4 Fan 5 Fuel valve 6 Fan control means 7 Self-diagnosis judgment means 8 Equipment stop means 9 Non-volatile memory 12 Fan voltage comparison means 13 Learning memory means 14 Self-diagnosis learning prohibition time 15 Self-diagnosis learning Count means 16 Temporary learning count 17 Maximum learning count 18 Next learning time 19 Lower limit voltage value 20 Fan voltage determination margin 21 Additional margin at provisional learning 22 Self-diagnosis learning count initialization means 23 Learning count 24 Self-diagnosis learning prohibition initialization means 25 Cancel Operating means 26 Temporary learning period

Claims (2)

A heat exchanger that changes water from the water supply port to hot water, a combustion burner that heats the heat exchanger, a fuel valve that supplies fuel to the combustion burner, and a fan that supplies combustion air to the combustion burner Fan control means for configuring the apparatus and controlling the fan, and comparing the fan drive voltage of the fan control means with the initial voltage when the combustion burner is not combusted, and from the intake section of the apparatus including the heat exchanger A self-diagnosis determining means for detecting clogging or the like in the path of the exhaust section, a device stop means for stopping the device when the clogging is detected by the self-diagnosis determining means, and a self-diagnosis determining means. Learning storage means for storing the fan drive voltage after construction, and self-diagnosis learning prohibition time for providing a period in which the learning storage means does not learn for a predetermined time after construction of the device, Serial self-diagnosis determination unit self-diagnosis function with the control device having a learning end period not learn more in the learning storage means when storing the fan driving voltage by. The self-diagnosis determination means counts the number of learning for each self-diagnosis learning, the learning end period is set as the number of learning times, and the learning memory means sets a learning frequency for ending self-diagnosis learning. The control device with a self-diagnosis function according to claim 1, further comprising a changeable storage means.

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