The present disclosure generally describes a method and system for converting power to operate a load being supplied by line power having a line energy. The method includes rectifying the line power, bucking the rectified line power to generate a desired voltage output such that current is drawn from the line power in phase with the desired voltage output, and bypassing switching energy created during the bucking of the rectified line power.

A control system includes a power converter being a step-down voltage converter and including a power switch. The power converter is operable to generate an adjustable output voltage and includes a sensor circuit configured to measure at least one of a voltage and an electric current of the heater. The control system includes a controller connected to the power converter and the sensor circuit. The controller is configured to determine an input parameter based on the at least one of the voltage and the electric current. The input parameter is indicative of a temperature of the heater. The controller is configured to set the output voltage applied for the heater based on the input parameter and a desired setpoint. The desired setpoint is based on an operational state of the heater. The controller is configured to operate the power switch of the power converter to generate the output voltage.

A distributed heating network comprising a plurality of individual heat pumps. Each heat pump is individually coupled to a common heat source of the network, the common heat source of the network comprising a liquid loop within the network, the liquid of the loop being maintained at close to ambient temperature through active heat management of the common heat source. The common heat source is further coupled to at least one energy source. A controller is configure to thermally decouple the energy source from the heat.

The present disclosure generally describes a system that includes a heater, a power converter including a power switch, and a controller. The power converter is in communication with the heater and is operable to apply an adjustable voltage to the heater. The controller is in communication with the power switch to control the voltage output of the power converter based on at least one of a load current and a detected voltage at the heater. The controller operates the power switch to adjust the voltage output of the power converter.

Disclosed is a system for heating and cooling, respectively, of more than one house, where at least two houses are connected to a common energy storage in the ground and where a control device is arranged to transport a heat carrier in a pipe work connected to the energy storage. The houses are connected in parallel in relation to each other to the pipe work. Certain of the houses are arranged to exploit the heat carrier for cooling by raising the temperature of the exploited heat carrier with about 3-4 C. at the same time as other houses exploit the heat carrier for heating by lowering the temperature of the exploited heat carrier with about 3-4 C. The common heat storage is arranged so that the heat carrier flowing out from the common energy storage holds an approximatively constant temperature. A related method is also disclosed.

The present disclosure is directed toward a control system for controlling a heater that includes at least one heating element. The control system includes a power converter operable to supply an adjustable voltage output to the heater, a sensor circuit that measures an electrical characteristic of the heating element of the heater, a reference temperature sensor that measures a reference temperature of a reference at the heater, and a controller. The controller is configured to calculate a primary temperature of a heater element based on the electrical characteristic and determines the voltage output to be applied to the heater based on at least one of the reference temperature and the primary temperature. The controller is configured to operate in at least one of an operation mode and a learn mode, and execute protection protocols when voltage is being supplied to the heater.

Device for heating and cooling, respectively, more than one house, where at least two small houses (1) are connected to a common energy storage (2) in the ground and where a control device (3) is arranged to transport a heat carrier in a pipe work (4) connected to the energy storage (2). The small houses (1) are each arranged to have a separate respective heat pump device, and in each heat pump device is connected to the pipe work (4), so that, firstly, the heat carrier can flow through the heat pump device and, secondly, the small houses (1) are connected in parallel in relation to each other to the pipe work (4).

A thermal energy extraction assembly is disclosed, the thermal energy extraction assembly is configured to extract heat and/or cold from a thermal energy distribution grid. The assembly may include a connection circuit connecting the assembly to the grid; a first heat exchanger configured to exchange heat from a heating circuit to the grid; a second heat exchanger configured to extract heat from the grid to a cooling circuit; and a plurality of heat pumps each having a condenser side connected to the heating circuit and an evaporator side connected to the cooling circuit, the heat pumps being configured to pump heat from the cooling circuit to the heating circuit.

A reversible heat pump assembly (100) is disclosed. The heat pump assembly (100) comprises a heat pump (110) having a first side (120) and a second side (130), the heat pump (110) being configured to transfer heat from the first side (120) to the second side (130) or vice versa; a first side inlet valve assembly (126) having a heat pump connection (126a) connected to the first side (120), and hot and cold conduit connections (126b; 126c) arranged to be connected to a thermal energy grid (10) comprising hot and cold conduits (12; 14); a second side outlet valve assembly (136) having a heat pump connection (136a) connected to the second side (130), and heating and cooling circuit connections (136b; 136c) arranged to be connected to heating and cooling circuits (130; 140), respectively. The reversible heat pump assembly (100) is configured to be selectively set in either a heating mode or a cooling mode. In the heating mode the heat pump (110) is configured to transfer heat from the first side (120) to the second side (130), the first side inlet valve assembly (126) is configured to fluidly connect the hot conduit connection (126b) and the heat pump connection (126a), and the second side outlet valve assembly (136) is configured to fluidly connect the heat pump connection (136a) and the heating circuit connection (136b). In the cooling mode the heat pump (110) is configured to transfer heat from the second side (130) to the first side (120), the first side inlet valve assembly (126) is configured to fluidly connect the cold conduit connection (126c) and the heat pump connection (126a), and the second side outlet valve assembly (136) is configured to fluidly connect the heat pump connection (136a) and the cooling circuit connection (136c). Also a district thermal energy distribution system comprising a plurality of reversible heat pump assemblies (100) is disclosed.

A control system for controlling a heater includes a power converter, a sensor circuit, and a controller. The power converter supplies an adjustable power to the heater, and the sensor circuit is configured to measure an electrical characteristic of the heater. The controller is coupled to the power converter to control the power to the heater, and is configured to select a state model control, as an operation state of the heater, from among a plurality of defined state model controls. The controller controls the power supplied to the heater based on the operation state of the heater and on the electrical characteristics of the heater.