Services on Demand
Article
Indicators
Related links
- Cited by Google
- Similars in Google
Share
Journal of Energy in Southern Africa
On-line version ISSN 2413-3051
Print version ISSN 1021-447X
J. energy South. Afr. vol.23 n.1 Cape Town 2012
Hot water usage profiling to improve geyser efficiency
Quinton Catherine; Jacques Wheeler; Richardt Wilkinson; Gerhard de Jager
Centre for Instrumentation Research, Faculty of Engineering, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa
ABSTRACT
This paper presents an intelligent hot water cylinder (HWC) (referred to as geyser) usage profiling system to provide peak demand side management and improve HWC efficiency in a typical household. The study highlights current control topologies used to improve geyser efficiency, as well as the design of the final geyser controller. The system consists of a PIC microcontroller used to determine individually based hot water usage profiles of the user. The controller then regulates the temperature of the geyser according to the demand profile developed. From the results it is apparent that by controlling the geyser temperature and thereby heat loss, savings can be made.
Keywords: hot water profiling, microcontroller, geyser temperature control
Full text available only in PDF format.
References
Bertsekas, D.P & Tsitsiklis, J.N. (2002). Introduction to probability. Athena Scientific. 2002, pp.11. [ Links ]
Beute, N. & Delport, G.J. (2006). An Historic Overview of Controlling Domestic Water Heating. Proceedings of the 14th Domestic Use of Energy Conference, Cape Town, April 2006, Cape Peninsula University of Technology: pp. 41-46. [ Links ]
Bosman, I. E., Grobler, L. J. & Dalgleish, A. Z. (2006). Determination of the impact on the standing losses of installing blankets to electric hot water heaters in South Africa. Journal of Energy in Southern Africa, 17(2): 57-64, May. [ Links ]
Bredekamp, A.J., Uken, E-A. & Borrill, L. ((2006)). Standby power consumption of domestic appliances in South Africa. Proceedings of the 14th Domestic Use of Energy Conference, Cape Town, April 2006, Cape Peninsula University of Technology: pp. 211-216. [ Links ]
Calmeyer, J. E. (2003). A basic model of a residential hot water system using a circulation pump to minimise standing losses in piping. Proceedings of the 11th Domestic Use of Energy Conference, Cape Town, April 2003, Cape Peninsula University of Technology: pp. 123-128. [ Links ]
Delport, G.J. (2005). The Geyser Gadgets that work/ do not work. Proceedings of the 13th Domestic Use of Energy Conference, Cape Town, March 2005, Cape Peninsula University of Technology: pp. 139 - 144. [ Links ]
Delport, G.J. (2006). Achieving Energy Efficiency for Hot Water Cylinders (Geysers) with the new Dual Element System. Proceedings of the 14th Domestic Use of Energy Conference, Cape Town, April 2006, Cape Peninsula University of Technology: pp. 57-61. [ Links ]
Ecosafe. n.d. Leionella. http://www.ecosafe.co.za/legionella.html, (05 June 2008). [ Links ]
Eskom (2006). Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management in South Africa. DSM Case study. http://www.ESKOM.co.za/live/content.php?Item_ID=2787, (05 June 2008). [ Links ]
Eskom (2008). Eskom Profile. Annual Report 2008. http://www.ESKOM.co.za/annreport08/ar_2008/downloads.htm, (10 January 2009). [ Links ]
Etzinger, A. (2008). Crunch time: DSM to the rescue. 16th Domestic Use of Energy Conference. active.cput.ac.za/energy/public/index.asp?pageid=54 5, (10 January 2009). [ Links ]
Harris, A., Kilfoil, M. & Uken, E-A. (2007). Domestic energy savings with geyser blankets. Proceedings of the 15th Domestic Use of Energy Conference, Cape Town, 2007, Cape Peninsula University of Technology: pp. 153-158. [ Links ]
Harris, A, Kilfoil, M. & Uken, E-A. (2008). Options for residential water heating. Proceedings of the 16th Domestic Use of Energy Conference, Cape Town, 2008, Cape Peninsula University of Technology: pp. 141-148. [ Links ]
Makwarela, M. E. (2007). Introducing Smart Meters into South African Utilities. Proceedings of the 11th Revenue Protection Conference, George, 19th & 20th July 2007, Fancourt. [ Links ]
Monyane, D.W., Khan, I. & Uken, E-A. (2008). Measured energy savings on a domestic solar/electric hot-water heating system. Proceedings of the 16th Domestic Use of Energy Conference, Cape Town, 2008, Cape Peninsula University of Technology: pp. 105-109. [ Links ]
Singh, V. & Dekenah, M. (2006). The pilot testing and findings of the residential time-of-use tariff (Homeflex) project from an Eskom perspective. AMEU Conference, Johannesburg, 16th-18th October, http://www.ameu.co.za/events/convention2006/presentationsameu06/, (05 June 2008). [ Links ]
Walser, C. P (2002). Electrical Engineering 1. Cape Technikon. Revised Edition 4, January 2002. [ Links ]
Received 14 October 2009
Revised 26 July 2011