Heat exchanger control and diagnostic apparatus

Abstract

A heat exchanger control and diagnostic apparatus includes a heat exchanger having a primary inlet of a primary heat-transport liquid mounted with a first temperature sensor and a primary outlet of the primary heat-transport liquid mounted with a second temperature sensor, wherein the primary outlet is piped to a pump, the pump comprising a pump impeller connected to a motor, the primary heat-transport liquid being piped by plumbing from the pump impeller to a heat source and from the heat source back to the primary inlet, and a control unit connected to the heat exchanger and the pump and comprising a motor control unit bi-directionally connected to the motor. The heat exchanger has a secondary inlet for a secondary heat-transport liquid and a secondary outlet ducted to a temperature zone and back to the secondary inlet, the control unit being augmented by a temperature module, the temperature module having a first input connected by a communication channel to an output of the temperature sensor, and a second input connected by a communication channel to an output of the second temperature sensor, the temperature module having an output for outputting a primary inlet temperature connected to one input of a power calculation module, and an output for outputting a primary outlet temperature connected to another input of the power calculation module, the power calculation module having a third input connected to a flow estimation module, one input of the flow estimation module being connected to an output of a memory unit, and another input being connected by a bus to an output of the motor control unit, an output of the power calculation module for outputting a heat flow estimate being connected to one input of a heat flow controller, and another input of the heat flow controller for inputting a heat flow demand being connected to an output of an operator unit, and an output of the operator unit being connected to an input of the motor control unit.