Cazzaniga S.p.a.

Uwe Knauss

Tiziano Ferrari

In the direct measurement of thermal energy transferred in heating or air conditioning installations, the difference between voltages from outflow and return flow temperature sensors is integrated during a first timing period and then discharged during a second timing period with a constant current to operate a gate passing a number of pulses proportional to the voltage difference. The first and second timing periods are initiated by impulses from a volume flow sensor. During non-timing-period intervals a reference voltage capacitance is set by integrating circuit feedback. In collection of data from a plurality of thermal energy transfer meters, inputs from the meters are scanned at rates greatly exceeding the pulse frequencies to increment or decrement the count in digital filter stages of corresponding pairs of counters depending upon whether sensed voltage levels are opposite or equal to the last accepted voltage level as recorded in a most significant stage of the digital filter.

Method and apparatus for the direct measurement of thermal energy

The method and apparatus herein described relate to the indirect measuring of thermal energy supplied to a number of user stations, for instance to all the apartments of a single building or to many buildings or the like. A temperature sensor with a voltage frequency converter provides an electric signal with a frequency which varies according to the temperature of the thermal carrier fluid. An electronic circuit processes the temperature signal through a variable multiplier which is set by respective multiplexed heat transfer ratings of the corresponding stations to produce a series of impulse trains corresponding to thermal energy consumed by the corresponding stations. Multiplexed counting devices, controlled by demand signals corresponding to fluid flow in the respective stations, receive the respective pulse trains to produce readings of the thermal energy consumed by the corresponding stations.

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Feldkirchen, Germany

Uwe Knauss