1. An elevator system, comprising:
an elevator car and a counterweight operable to be translated within a hoistway;
a load bearing flexible member extending between the elevator car and the counterweight;
a motor having a drive, which motor is operable to move the load bearing member and thereby drive the elevator car and counterweight within the hoistway, and wherein the elevator motor and drive are configured to selectively produce regenerative power; and
an elevator control system that includes a power manager unit and a power storage device, wherein the power storage device includes a supercapacitor unit and a battery unit, and wherein the power manager unit is operable to selectively manage a flow of power between the power storage device and the motor drive, and a flow of regenerative power from the motor drive to the power storage device;
wherein the power manager unit is further operable to selectively manage power flow between the supercapacitor unit and the battery unit.
2. The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the power manager unit is configured to receive power from a grid, and selectively manage the elevator system drawing power from one or both of the grid and the power storage device.
3. The elevator system of claim 2, wherein the power manager unit is configured to selectively supply grid power to the power storage device.
4. The elevator system of claim 2, wherein the power manager unit is configured to receive power from a power source alternative to the grid and the power storage device.
5. The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the supercapacitor unit includes a plurality of supercapacitors.
6. The elevator system of claim 5, wherein the supercapacitors are electric double layer type capacitors.
7. The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the battery unit includes one or more lead acid type batteries.
8. The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the power manager unit includes an electronic multi-step switching converter.
9. A control system for an elevator system, which elevator system includes an elevator car and counterweight operable to be translated within a hoistway, a load bearing flexible member extending between the elevator car and counterweight, and a motor having a drive, wherein the elevator motor and drive are configured to selectively produce regenerative power, and the motor is engaged with the load bearing flexible member to move the elevator car and counterweight within the hoistway, the control system comprising:
a power storage device including a supercapacitor unit and a battery unit; and
a power manager unit operable to selectively manage a flow of power between the power storage device and the motor drive, and a flow of regenerative power from the motor drive to the power storage device;
the power manager further operable to selectively manage power flow between the supercapacitor unit and the battery unit.
10. The control system of claim 9, wherein the power manager unit is configured to receive power from a grid, and at least one of actively and passively manage the elevator system drawing power from one or both of the grid and the power storage device.
11. The control system of claim 10, wherein the power manager unit is configured to selectively supply grid power to the power storage device.
12. The control system of claim 10, wherein the power manager unit is configured to receive power from a power source alternative to the grid and the power storage device.
13. The control system of claim 9, wherein the supercapacitor unit includes a plurality of supercapacitors.
14. The control system of claim 13, wherein the supercapacitors are electric double layer type capacitors.
15. The control system of claim 9, wherein the battery unit includes one or more lead acid type batteries.
16. The control system of claim 9, wherein the power manager unit includes an electronic multi-step switching converter.
17. The control system of claim 9, wherein the power manager unit is configured to provide a state of charge buffer to at least one of the super capacitors and the battery, and to receive regenerative energy produced during elevator braking.
18. The control system of claim 9, wherein the power manager unit is adapted to charge the power storage device at predetermined times within a period of time.
19. The control system of claim 9, wherein the power manager unit is configured’to provide power to a bidirectional communication device during an emergency blackout mode of operation through the supercapacitors.
20. The control system of claim 9, wherein the power manager unit includes a DC-DC switching unit configured to receive DC current and provide DC current to the elevator drive.
21. The control system of claim 9, wherein the power manager unit is configured to provide power from the power storage device to another elevator system.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A solar water heating system with a backup solar water heater using forced recirculation, characterized in that it comprises a storage tank with a seven-tube heat exchanger made of steel and protected with a metallic lining or a porcelainized interior, an electrovalve, bimetallic cables and a switchboard or control, a spark plug that produces a spark onto a burner of nine multi-burners having a variable nozzle diameter in order to supply from 20 kW to 30 kW, and a spark plug that detects a change of current due to energy ionization in the flame, where the entire set is connected to an electronic card that in turn is connected to three bimetallic cables which detect the temperature of a solar panel, of the storage tank and of the backup heater outlet, so that together with the bimetallic cables of the backup water heater, the ignition of the burner of the backup water heater is controlled, also controlling the forced recirculation toward the solar panel by means of a temperature difference of 2\xb0 C.
2. The solar water heating system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the entire set of components operates the backup heater without a permanently lit pilot light.
3. The solar water heating system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the system is turned on when the electronic card detects a storage tank temperature lower than 35\xb0 C.
4. The solar water heating system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the electronic card will cut off the operation of the switchboard or control whenever the bimetallic cable located at the backup heater outlet reaches 60\xb0 C.
5. The solar water heating system claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the ignition cycle is activated only when the low pressure flow detector detects a demand for hot water.
6. The solar water heating system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the electronic card controls the energy fed to the recirculators and the switchboard or control in turn controls the energy fed to the temperature detector and to the electrovalve.
7. The backup water heater as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the switchboard or control sends an electrical spark by means of a spark plug onto one of the multi-flame burner ports, activating the gas feed valve after 1.5 seconds to gradually light the burner and to change the current emitted by the first spark plug and received by another spark plug which then sends a change signal.
8. The solar water heating system claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it uses a 110 V power source that is controlled by the electronic card, which is actuated by two ONOFF switches, automatic and manual.
9. The solar water heating system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that its operation is limited to the internal temperature of the storage tank, the temperature controller, the outlet temperature of the backup heater and, mainly, the existence of a demand for hot water.
10. The solar water heating system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the solar capturing flat surface of the solar panel must be greater than 2 m2.
11. The solar water heating system claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the storage tank comprises a series of safety check valves preventing excess pressure in the tank.
12. The solar water heating system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the recirculation system is activated when the solar panel temperature drops below 4\xb0 C.