A method and an apparatus for real-time analysis of the district heating network is disclosed. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for analyzing a district heating network including pipes and fluids inside the pipes includes receiving, by a processor, pipe data representing a structure of the pipes; receiving, by the processor, input data on at least one of the physical state of the district heating network and the flow of fluids; calculating, by the processor, data for at least one of the physical state of the district heating network or the flow of fluids using the pipe data and the input data.

A fluid discharge event detection apparatus measures a change in capacitance to detect the presence of a fluid in a sensing conduit where the presence of fluid indicates a discharge event. The apparatus includes a first conduit, the sensing conduit and a control valve, coupled between the first conduit and the sensing conduit. The control valve is configured to activate and fluidly couple the first conduit and the sensing conduit to one another when the control valve detects at least one predetermined condition of a fluid within the first conduit. A sensor, configured to measure a capacitance value, is disposed about the sensing conduit. A controller, coupled to the sensor, is configured to detect a change in the sensing conduit capacitance value and assert an alarm condition upon detection of the change in the sensing conduit capacitance value.

A method for controlling a water heater comprising: receiving report information transmitted by a user-wearable device at a predetermined frequency; determining whether a user is coming back according to user location information included in the report information; and if the user is coming back, turning on a return water pump to permit water outputted from a water outlet of the water heater to return to the water heater through a water return port. The present disclosure determines a movement direction and the user location by using report information transmitted by the user-wearable device. If the user is coming back, the return water pump is turned on to permit water to return, so that the user can take a hot bath immediately after arriving home, thereby improving user's experience.

The present invention relates to a distribution pump arrangement for a bi-directional hydraulic distribution grid (10). The distribution pump arrangement comprising: a hot conduit control valve (20) in a hot conduit (12); a first distribution pump (22) having an inlet (22a) connected to the hot conduit (12) at a first side (20a) of the hot conduit control valve, and an outlet (22b) connected to the hot conduit (12) at a second side (20b), opposite the first side (20a), of the hot conduit control valve (20); a pressure difference determining device (80, 80′) arranged beyond the second side of the hot conduit control valve (20) and configured to determine a local pressure difference, Δp, between a local pressure, p.sub.hot, of heat transfer liquid in the hot conduit (12) and a local pressure, p.sub.cold, of heat transfer liquid in the cold conduit (14); and a controller (90) configured to: while Δp<a threshold value, set the distribution pump arrangement in a flowing mode, wherein: the first distribution pump (22) is set to be inactive, and the hot conduit control valve (20) is set to be open, while Δp≥the threshold value and p.sub.cold>p.sub.hot, set the distribution pump arrangement in a hot conduit pumping mode, wherein: the hot conduit control valve (20) is set to be closed, and the first distribution pump (22) is set to be active, thereby reduce the local pressure difference.

An electrical power distribution control system configured to issue a demand response signal to cut power to a plurality of electrical power consuming loads within an electrical power distribution network to reduce a peak power demand within an electrical power grid during a peak power demand. Unlike conventional demand response systems, the controller in each consumer residence includes both a distributed control based on the ability to track individual 24 hour usage patterns and selectively delay the demand response signal on individual resistive heating loads based on usage patterns for the purpose of reducing a likelihood of consumers experiencing effects of the reduced peak power demand.

A district energy distributing system is disclosed. The system comprises a geothermal heat source system comprising a geothermal heat source and a feed conduit for a flow of geothermally heated water from the geothermal heat source. The system further comprises a district feed conduit, a district return conduit and a plurality of local heating systems, each having an inlet connected to the district feed conduit and an outlet connected to the district return conduit, wherein each local heating system is configured to provide hot water and/or comfort heating to a building, A central heat exchanger is connected to the feed conduit of the geothermal heat source system such that an incoming flow of geothermally heated water is provided to the central heat exchanger.

A hydronic heating pad includes a control unit and a blanket pad connected to the control unit. The blanket pad includes a warm water region. The control unit includes a water reservoir tank, a heating pipe, an outlet pipe, and at least one return pipe. The heating pipe, the outlet pipe, and at least one return pipe are disposed on the water reservoir tank. The outlet pipe and the at least one return pipe extend into the warm water region, whereby the outlet pipe, the at least one return pipe, and the warm water region form a circulating water channel. The outlet pipe is provided with a water pump. The at least one return pipe is provided with a temperature-sensitive solenoid valve. The blanket pad includes at least two layers of waterproof fabrics. The warm water region is a hermetic region and includes a plurality of first polygon patterns.

A method for detecting malfunction of an electric boiler, the method including: a) detecting over scale accumulation by the steps of: metering the boiler's heating cycle, being a time from activating the boiler by a thermostat thereof until deactivating the boiler by the thermostat; if the heating cycle is longer than a threshold, then indicating over accumulation of scale in the boiler; b) detecting a malfunction of insulation of the boiler, by the steps of: metering the boiler's cooling cycle, being a time from deactivating the boiler by a thermostat thereof until reactivating the boiler by the thermostat; if the cooling cycle is shorter than the threshold, then indicating malfunction of insulation of the boiler; thereby allowing indicating malfunction of said boiler only by metering the heating and cooling cycles of said boiler.

A heat source system managing device includes: a predicted heat demand upper limit calculating unit configured to calculate a predicted heat demand upper limit by adding a prediction error to a predicted heat demand value for a heat source system; an operation plan preparing unit configured to prepare an operation plan of the heat source system to supply heat of the predicted heat demand upper limit to a consuming facility; a surplus stored heat quantity calculating unit configured to repeatedly perform a process of calculating a surplus stored heat quantity by subtracting a heat quantity consumed by the consuming facility from the predicted heat demand upper limit; and an operation plan changing unit configured to sequentially change the operation plan by decreasing a future operation rate of a refrigerator to cancel the surplus stored heat quantity.

Apparatus and method for heating/cooling buildings and other facilities. An elongate pipe filled with water or other fluid medium forms a thermal gradient header having temperature zones that are progressively warmer towards one end and cooler towards the other. Multiple heating/cooling systems are connected to the header so as to draw fluid from zones that are closest in temperature to the optimal intake temperature of each system, and to discharge fluid back to the header at zones that are closest to the temperature to the optimal output temperature of each system, allowing each heating/cooling system to take advantage of the thermal output of other systems. The pipe forming the thermal gradient header may be routed back and forth in the facility to define a series of legs containing the different temperature zones. A boiler or other source may supply makeup heat to the thermal gradient header, and excess heat may be sent from the header to a ground field or other thermal reservoir for later use.