The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 13, 2008
Filed:
Sep. 27, 2004
Ray Oliver Knoeppel, Hartland, WI (US);
Thomas Gerard Van Sistine, Menomonee Falls, WI (US);
Mark Allan Murphy, Nashville, TN (US);
Ray Oliver Knoeppel, Hartland, WI (US);
Thomas Gerard Van Sistine, Menomonee Falls, WI (US);
Mark Allan Murphy, Nashville, TN (US);
AOS Holding Company, Wilmington, DE (US);
Abstract
A water heater having a powered electrode and a method of controlling the water heater. The water heater includes a tank to hold water, a heating element, an electrode, and a control circuit. The control circuit includes a variable voltage supply, a voltage sensor, and a current sensor. The control circuit is configured to controllably apply a voltage to the electrode, determine the potential of the electrode relative to the tank with the voltage sensor when the voltage does not power the electrode, determine a current applied to the tank after the voltage powers the electrode, determine a conductivity state of the water in the tank based on the electrode potential and the current, and define the voltage applied to the powered electrode based on the conductivity state. The control circuit of the water heater can also determine whether the water heater is in a dry-fire state.