Instrumentation: Making Solar Energy Intelligent

If today's solar energy is put together with solar energy twenty years ago, people outside the industry may not see the two as a single product. In the past two decades, the huge changes in solar energy products have taken place. Behind this, a lot of people's wisdom and sweat are gathered, and even an industry was born to promote the development of solar energy. It is a solar meter. Prior to the appearance of solar meters, solar water heaters were still the three big names dubbed by the industry at the time—water tanks, vacuum tubes, and brackets, along with waterways and valves. The use of the solar water heaters was entirely manual, and the solar water heaters were mainly based on “living on the heavens”. There are many objective factors in the use process that can affect the performance of solar water heaters. This makes solar water heaters have some unsatisfactory places, such as in the winter, the freezing of the pipeline, so that solar water heaters hibernate, so that many users can not enjoy the convenience of solar water heaters in the winter, in the early days of the solar industry, due to With a low threshold in the industry, solar water heater production technology and product quality have entered an era of homogenization.

Users who use tap water must choose high water pressure to feed water. When the water pressure is not high, it will take time to say nothing. It may be because the water pressure is too low and the water in the water tank will flow back into the cold water system. Users of water towers, the water time is also more than half an hour. In addition, when the water level of the water tower is insufficient, it will also stop the water supply. Often, it will go out in an emergency and forget to close the water valve and cause an overflow accident. Not only does it cause waste, it can sometimes cause conflicts in the neighborhood. In addition, when the weather is not good, the temperature of the upper half of the water box can be bathed, and it should be impossible to control the water level.

After the preliminary development of the Chinese solar energy industry, it encountered a bottleneck in development. At this time, a product is urgently needed to help solar energy solve these problems. Xu Guohong, chairman of Zhejiang Infinity New Energy Co., Ltd., was one of the earliest entrepreneurs engaged in the R&D and production of solar instrument products in China. He recalled that his father’s home was equipped with a solar energy system that allowed the family to take a hot shower every day. My father was very happy, but sometimes I forgot to go into the water. One day my father said that solar energy would be able to automatically get water on time every day. When Xu Guohong studied at the university, he was an electronic major. After listening to his father, he did not think it would be difficult for Sheung Shui to implement it automatically. He then made a simple instrument himself and installed it on his own solar energy. At that time, he He did not consider this issue from an industry perspective. In fact, he encountered one of the most common problems encountered by solar energy users at the time.

Coincidentally, Guo Feng, the general manager of Zhejiang B&R Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., also started solar energy instrumentation. Initially, Guo Feng's business began with the production of solar energy. From the sale of solar energy, he discovered that the problem of user reactions has become increasingly concentrated. Relying on solar energy host manufacturers is difficult to solve, solar energy urgently needs to increase the level of automation, and as a meter of electronic products, is undoubtedly a weapon to improve the level of solar automation, about 10 years ago, began to appear the first solar meter products.

The initial solar meter has several simple functions such as automatic watering, water level prefabrication, and temperature display. At that time, it is not simple to realize these functions. The water temperature sensor has always played a decisive role in water heater intelligence. Humanization and humanization are inextricably linked with the water temperature sensor. The stable operation of the water temperature sensor is the guarantee for the intelligent control of the entire water heater. Sensor technology in the application of water heaters, due to its complex working environment, it is generally difficult to ensure long-term reliable use, the sensor should work long-term in the water heater tank, because the vacuum tube heat is high, so that the tank temperature can reach 100 °C for a long time, It can reach 130°C or even 150°C for a short time, which brings high temperature resistance to the sensor.

The detection of the water temperature level in the solar water heater water tank generally involves direct contact of the temperature sensor and the water level probe with the water source and the respiratory capillary phenomenon of the signal line, which causes the signal line to be corroded by the water vapor, and the resistance increases or even the signal line is corroded and directly leads to The control unit is malfunctioning. To overcome this problem, we must choose a structure that keeps signal lines, electronic components and other components away from high-temperature water tanks, and the parts that enter the water tank need materials that are resistant to corrosion and high temperatures; water quality in our country is not the same, and water quality problems in many areas are very high. Seriously, the scale brings many troubles to the sensor. The scale adheres to the electrode and the temperature sensing part, causing the sensor to sense the water temperature of the water level inaccurately.

Thanks to the hard work of many scientific and technical personnel, these problems were initially solved in solar meters. People who initially engaged in research and development of solar meters have made arduous efforts.

Solar Farewell to the full manual era of solar meter appearance, to bring solar energy control for the first time to upgrade, solar energy instruments in the realization of solar water heater automation control bears the historic mission, the first solar meter with automatic water, water level display and other functions, What brought to the solar energy industry is a significant change. It is directly related to the further popularization and promotion of solar water heaters.

Xu Yong, deputy general manager of Zhejiang Unlimited New Energy Co., Ltd., once engaged in sales of solar water heaters for many years and had a deep understanding of the development of solar energy at that time. In an interview, he said: In the early days of solar energy, solar energy can be environmentally friendly and energy-saving. The advantages are very popular with consumers. As people's living standards continue to increase, consumers have more requirements for solar energy. When many solar energy distributors worry about solar energy becoming more and more difficult to sell, the emergence of solar energy instruments is timely. Make up for the lack of solar energy, so that solar energy bid farewell to the "full manual era", to the solar energy industry has injected new vitality.

Ten years to build solar energy upgrade intelligent springboard The initial solar energy meter has indicated the direction of enterprise upgrade for the solar energy industry and has played the role of a wind vane. After 10 years of development, today's solar energy metering functions have become very powerful, and are used in solar water heaters. The link basically achieved automatic control.

When the water level in the solar water tank falls below a certain level, the meter will send an alarm to tell the user that there is not much water in the tank. When the bath is completed, the meter will automatically control the water supply. When the water in the tank is full, The meter will give a hint and then automatically stop the water supply. This is the most basic water supply function.

Kim Yong-tung, general manager of Yongkang Jinxin Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., said that solar energy meters can only bring significant changes to the performance of solar energy from Sheung Shui. For example, solar energy meters now have a graded water supply function. Different from previous methods, the graded water supply measures the water temperature in the water tank and adds water when the water temperature rises to a certain level. This function greatly improves the utilization rate of solar energy in the whole year - In winter or in bad weather, the water in the solar water tank will not be filled up to ensure that the water in the water tank reaches a certain temperature. In summer, the water in the tank can avoid overheating in the water tank. Users label this function of solar meters as "seeing the weather."

Solar meters also play a central role in the solar hot water system. In areas with low water pressure, solar energy can be connected to a booster pump to automatically boost the water supply; in the winter, the solar energy meter can control the switch of the tropical power supply, and the temperature of the water tank. When the temperature is lower than 5°C, the electric auxiliary heating automatically starts to stop at 10°C. In the early stage of development of the solar energy industry, solar energy industry alliances had large and small safety issues in the use of solar energy. Solar energy meters also performed very well in improving the safety of solar energy use. After the solar energy meter is started in Sheung Shui, due to low water pressure or leaking pipes or water, during the Sheung Shui protection period, the water level does not increase by one square, the controller automatically stops the Sheung Shui; The vacuum tube burst phenomenon, when the water level is too low, or the water temperature is higher than 95 °C can not automatically water; due to vacuum tube rupture or water level sensor failure and other reasons caused by the water level in the setting of water protection time does not rise, the controller automatically stops Water; When the electric heating is started, if the water level is too low, the solar meter will issue an alarm, and control the automatic water supply, and then automatically start the electric auxiliary heating to set the water temperature, and automatically stop the electric auxiliary heater when the water level is lower than 50 water level during the heating process.

In addition, solar instruments can provide the sun with lightning protection, leakage prevention, overload protection, etc., which will greatly increase the safety of solar energy.

After more than 20 years of development, the solar industry has entered a new height from product to brand competition. The traditional product model of solar water heaters has been unable to impress the increasingly demanding consumers. To revitalize the solar water heater market, the industry must Upgrade, solar meters will play an increasingly important role in the solar industry upgrade.

Judging from the current market competition and corporate performance, China's solar water heater industry has to rely on technological innovation: solar energy meter technology innovation will not only upgrade the solar energy, take the lead in the domestic major cities and wealthy rural areas set off a new one The round of market consumption boom will also promote the development of solar water heaters from rural areas to towns and cities to large-scale urban constructions, which will greatly expand the industry's development space. Intelligent solar water heaters with "digital control and system integration design" as the core will become the mainstream of industry development and the best way for industrial upgrading.

The intelligent solar water heater is simple in operation, and the system is fast and timely. It is obviously in line with the concept of low-carbon, environmental protection and energy saving of modern consumers. It truly makes people feel the convenience brought by solar energy. The application of smart technology is where solar water heaters can break the bottleneck. From the perspective of market conditions, intelligence has also become the leading direction for solar first-line companies to highlight their product differentiation. From the high-end products introduced by major companies, it can be seen that the solar energy industry has entered the era of intelligence. Solar energy meters will continue to promote the upgrade of the solar energy industry in the future.