Abstract:
Heating components with stored media, such as fluid reservoirs, accumulating heat exchangers, or accumulators are embodied in such a way that at least one element of the heating component can be locally modified in order to regulate and/or control and/or to monitor and/or measure i.e. can be positioned, placed or the location thereof can be modified. Accordingly multiplicity of use or a saving in the amount of heating components can be achieved in one of the following functions of the heating component: production of a by-pass, media mixture, provision at the right temperature, interconnection of media processes and/or reverse processes, interconnection of at least one operating device, distribution, separating function, enabling loading and provision and ensuring other functions by means of a similar or multiple-use device, thereby resulting in increased efficiency for heating systems and promoting regenerative production of energy.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This is a continuing application, under 35 U.S.C. § 120, of copending international application No. PCT/EP2003/012799, filed Nov. 15, 2003, which designated the United States; this application also claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of German patent application No. 102 54 728.9, filed Nov. 16, 2002; the prior applications are herewith incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
     Field of the Invention  
       [0002]     The invention relates to heating components with a stored media, such as fluid storage reservoirs, storage heat exchangers or storage reservoirs.  
         [0003]     For stratifying storage reservoirs in heating systems, the general state of the art discloses layer charging devices which, use differences in density, to introduce water into the layer with the same temperature as the water supplied. This has the advantage that the time taken to provide the layers on standby is reduced, which improves the use of solar heat production. However, with such devices drawing from selectable layers cannot take place. Furthermore, the storage layers must be constructed from the bottom up if the storage reservoir contains a layer with the same temperature, which may occur in particular in the case of long-term storage.  
         [0004]     There is also a known layer charging device in the case of which the orifice of a supply line is pivotable, so that layers can likewise be charged. Since storage reservoirs are usually much higher than they are wide, it is not always the case that all the layers are reached by the pivoting. Furthermore, in the case of storage reservoirs that are subjected to pressure, the drive for the pivoting can only be fitted with great expenditure, since lead-throughs for adjusting devices have to be of a complex configuration.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a positioning device for elements of heating components, a method for the operation and use thereof which overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices and methods of this general type, with which the charging and provision on standby and further functions can be performed with a similar or multiple-use device, and the cost-effectiveness is increased. What is more, it is intended that these devices can act in different media, so that versatile use is obtained.  
         [0006]     With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a heating component with stored media. The heating component has a container containing a medium, and at least one relocatable element being relocatable independently of a density of the medium in the container. The relocatable element provided for a heat exchange inside the heating component, without a heat exchanger or with a heat exchanger in a separate area, or outside the heating component. The medium can be a storage medium or a heat transfer medium.  
         [0007]     According to the invention, the object is achieved by at least one element of the heating component being relocatable, such as that it can be positioned, can be placed or changed in its position, for the purpose of intervention for effecting closed-loop and/or open-loop control, and/or for monitoring and/or measuring purposes.  
         [0008]     The object is further achieved by at least one of the following functions being performed in the heating component: production of a bypass, media mixing, provision on standby at an appropriate temperature, interconnection of media flows and/or returns, interconnection of at least one operating device, and a distribution or a diverting function.  
         [0009]     The invention also relates to a use of devices of the heating components in the form that they are used for interventions effecting closed-loop or open-loop control in heating systems, such as for interconnection of media exchange systems or charging and provision-on-standby devices.  
         [0010]     The interconnecting of media exchange systems may advantageously serve for the use of low temperature levels, for the distribution of heat from sources and sinks and/or for the multiple use of operating devices of a heating system, in that for example exchange systems are switched to a pump and/or control device with the aid of the relocatability. Furthermore, temperatures of media, rooms or buildings can be controlled in this way.  
         [0011]     Charging and provision-on-standby devices are used for providing media on standby at an appropriate temperature, for charging temperature levels, for providing amounts of heat on standby, mixing temperature levels, controlling the heat transfer, controlling the media exchange or heat transport within the heating component. This makes it possible in comparison with the prior art to dispense with external interconnection with valves, pumps, mixers or controlling devices. In the case of mixing with charging and provision-on-standby devices, by contrast, external mixers are only used for mixing if temperature levels are not available in the storage heat exchanger, saving on temperature levels, whereby heat produced regeneratively is less expensive. Furthermore, the relocatability of elements can also be used for measuring the temperature level of storage reservoirs and storage heat exchangers and also for controlling safety mechanisms. For example, the preferential direction of a relocatable element allows frost-protecting mechanisms to be initiated by gravitational forces or upward-lifting forces in the end position.  
         [0012]     Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.  
         [0013]     Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a positioning device for elements of heating components, a method for the operation and use thereof, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.  
         [0014]     The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is diagrammatic, sectional view of a storage heat exchanger showing relocatable elements in the storage heat exchanger;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic, sectional view of the storage heat exchanger showing relocatability in an air medium; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic, illustration showing relocatability with matrix joining. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]     Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to  FIG. 1  thereof, there is shown a fluid storage heat exchanger containing a fluid  22 . In the storage heat exchanger there are charging and provision-on-standby devices  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4  that can be moved or positioned in the heat exchange. The charging and provision-on-standby device  2 ,  4  is intended for a fluid exchange, while the charging and provision-on-standby device  1 ,  3  is intended to be positioned in an exchanging area  19  of the storage heat exchanger. The exchanging area  19  is supplied with a heat transfer fluid for a controlled heat exchange from an interior of the storage heat exchanger. The special advantage of the exchanging area  19  is that no additional circulating energy is necessary for the heat exchange. However, with the charging and provision-on-standby device  1 ,  3  there arises the problem that the exchange of the medium takes place in such a way that it is driven by the heat exchange, as a result of which the flow cannot be used for the relocatability.  
         [0019]     In principle, the charging and provision-on-standby devices  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4  contain the same elements. To be specific, a flexible line  5  from the supply line or discharge line  16 ,  18 ,  15 ,  17  to a joining element  53  in which the fluid is conducted. The joining elements  53  are conically configured here, so that the upper joining element  2  can be inserted into the lower joining element  4 , and in this way a bypass can be produced. The joining element contains a gas space  6 , a baffle plate  7 , an arresting magnet  9  and a sensor  8 . With the aid of the gas space  6 , the loading and allocating 2, 4, 1, 3 is balanced in such a way that it has a preferential direction of movement as a result of gravitational forces or as a result of upward lift. If the direction of flow takes place from top to bottom, the charging device  2  must have a preferential direction of upward lift, since the downward movement takes place with the flow and with the aid of the baffle plate  7 . In the case of the charging device  4 , the preferential direction must likewise be upward, i.e. take place with the upward lift, since here, too, the flow provides the downward positioning of the device  4 . If, conversely, the through-flow takes place from bottom to top, the charging and provision-on-standby devices  2 ,  4  are balanced with a downward preferential direction, the gravitational force providing the downward positioning of the devices. With the aid of the fitted electromagnets  9 , the charging and provision-on-standby device can be arrested in a position, and in this way the upward-lifting or downward-drifting or flow forces can be rendered ineffective. In the case of the exemplary embodiment, the arresting takes place on the wall of the storage heat exchanger. The determination of the position takes place with the sensor  8 , which determines for example the temperature in the storage heat exchanger or the position-dependent pressure, and as a result the arresting magnet  9  is controlled correspondingly.  
         [0020]     The charging and provision-on-standby device  1 ,  3  is constructed with the difference in comparison to the charging and provision-on-standby device  2 ,  4  in that the flow cannot be used as a drive for a positioning direction. This problem is solved by the loading and allocating devices  1 ,  3  being coupled. In the case of this exemplary embodiment, they are coupled to final control elements  20 ,  21  for example cable pulls, by electromagnets  11 ,  13 , these being separated and guided in a magnetically nonconducting tube  12  and being able to act in an entraining manner on magnetically conducting elements  10 ,  14 . Manual actuating elements or motor drives can be connected to the final control elements  20 ,  21 . Coupling to other charging and provision-on-standby devices that are driven by flow and preferential movement is also advantageous. Here, however, it must also be possible for decoupling to take place if the driven charging and provision-on-standby device is to be positioned alone and there is no connection.  
         [0021]     The relocatability or moving of the charging and provision-on-standby device may take place along a guide in the storage heat exchanger, the guide predetermining the path of the relocatable element. The path is advantageously provided with a slope, so that upward-lifting or downward-drifting forces can act. The guidance may take place by the gravitational force or mechanically by guiding rods or tubes or cables or wires. Apart from realizing movements along a path, joining elements can also be joined together by the guide.  
         [0022]     Such charging and provision-on-standby devices have the advantage that they not only introduce the fed-in fluid into the layer which has the same temperature as the fluid supplied, but also into every other desired temperature-level layer. Furthermore, a layer that can be selected as desired in terms of thickness and height can be charged or discharged. Furthermore, an exactly defined temperature can be provided for heat generators and heat consumers and/or fed back with an exactly defined temperature. Furthermore, if temperatures are not available, for example if the storage heat exchanger is fully charged, and the desired temperature for heating or service water is below the storage heat exchanger temperatures, or the solar collector return produces in return a temperature which lies below the storage heat exchanger temperatures, the joining elements in the storage heat exchanger are joined together, so that the desired temperatures are controlled under open-loop or closed-loop control by positioning the joining elements, and as a result fluid from the circulating system and the storage reservoirs can be mixed. Here, the conical joining elements have the effect that fluid from the storage reservoir and from the return is fed into the flow. The position of the joining elements in relation to one another has the effect that the opening to the storage fluid is changed, so that the mixing ratio can be controlled by the positioning.  
         [0023]     In comparison with the known mixing valves, the proposed device has the advantage that only temperatures which are really needed can be drawn from the storage heat exchanger. As a result, unnecessary temperature reductions and circulating losses are avoided, such as the removal of fluid from the storage reservoir and immediate feeding back through the mixing valve. As a result, the ability to provide regenerative energy on standby is improved, which further improves the efficiency of solar systems. Furthermore, the multiple function of the charging and provision-on-standby devices, such as provision on standby at an appropriate temperature and/or feeding back at an appropriate temperature, producing defined layers, maintaining layers, measuring the storage heat exchanger, monitoring the storage heat exchanger or controlling room temperatures, provides good cost-effectiveness, so that these functions can be applied to circulating systems where this has previously taken place rarely or not at all, such as for example solar collector circulating systems or preheating circulating systems. In this way, new functions, such as loss monitoring or minimization of solar collectors, are also possible cost-effectively.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  shows charging and provision-on-standby devices  27 ,  34 ,  28 ,  35  for a gas medium, such as air. They can be constructed and operated in precisely the same way as those for fluid, with the differences stated below. The balancing of the device for drifting in a preferential direction must take place with a different gas filling, for example hydrogen, and with a greater volume of the suspended body, so that the joining element can be suspended in air. The use of lighter materials facilitates the drifting capability, for example sheet materials for the flexible connection and for the joining element. The balancing may also be performed, however, with balancing counterweights, which is also made possible by the easy accessibility of the air conduction. Of course, not fluid but air is passed through the supply and discharge channels  23 ,  24 ,  36 ,  37  and through the flexible line to the joining element and via the walls of the storage heat exchanger. The baffle elements for the flow drive must be somewhat larger, since air does not provide the kinetic energy to the relocatable joining elements on account of the smaller mass.  
         [0025]     A significant problem with charging and provision-on-standby devices for air is that instances of air convection can take place more readily in air channels due to leakages and losses at the insulations, which makes the stratification of the storage more unstable and, over a prolonged time, destroys it. This problem is solved by the air channels  30 ,  31 ,  32 ,  33  being made narrow, so that no great rolls of air can be produced. Furthermore, the subdivision of the air channel into vertically separated segments  29  prevents the undesired air convection.  
         [0026]     The arrangement of the relocatable joining elements  27 ,  34 ,  28 ,  35  at the outer edges of the air channels  25 ,  26  has the effect that the air flows through the segments which are enclosed by the two joining elements.  
         [0027]     As a result, the charging and provision-on-standby devices for air behave in precisely the same way as those for fluid and can perform the same functions. With the exception that joining together of the joining elements must take place by use of at least one segment. Such a segment may also be insulated with respect to the heat exchange to the storage heat exchanger.  
         [0028]     The charging and provision-on-standby device for air can perform not only the functions of the device for fluid but also that of controlling the room temperature while at the same time preserving the temperature level of the layers in the storage heat exchanger. This also solves the problem that relatively expensive solar collectors would have to be used for charging large storage heat exchangers with regenerative energy, where air collectors are sufficient for preheating. The charging and provision-on-standby device is suitable for example for charging solar air collectors or for heat recovery or cooling with air, while the stratification is retained or produced. This allows the primary energy demand to be lowered further and more regenerative energy to be produced, since air systems last longer, are more simple and inexpensive and can be used for the preheating of the storage heat exchanger, and fluid solar collectors produce the higher required temperature level.  
         [0029]     Furthermore, such air charging and provision-on-standby devices make temperature spaces, i.e. spaces or rooms with different temperature levels, possible in solid-substance storage reservoirs, which extends the heat storage of regenerative energy.  
         [0030]      FIG. 3  represents a storage heat exchanger with the matrix joining of charging and provision-on-standby devices  39 ,  40 ,  41 ,  49 ,  50 ,  51 , it being possible for a number of such devices to be joined to one another as desired. The channels  42 ,  43 ,  44 ,  46 ,  47 ,  48  of the joining elements  39 ,  40 ,  41 ,  49 ,  50 ,  51  are arranged in the form of a matrix and with a slope. At the points of intersection of the channels, the joining elements can be brought together, so that circulating systems can be interconnected with one another. In this example, the upper joining elements  39 ,  40 ,  41  conduct the flows of a return or flow out of the plane of the drawing, while the lower joining elements  49 ,  50 ,  51  conduct the flows into the plane. If two joining elements meet each other at the points of intersection, they make the flows merge. The exact relative positioning is established by a connection which is sealed by compliant seals such as silicone rings or brush hairs. Positioning of the joining elements alongside, for instance, makes it possible for fluid to be partly received or discharged from or into the storage heat exchanger. By controlling the position, mixing of the fluid is possible in this way for provision on standby at an appropriate temperature in a circulating system. The exact position of the coupling can be transferred to the control device by contacts at the points of intersection, for example by magnetic triggering by a magnet at the joining element and a magnetic sensor in the channel. The exact joining position can also be activated by a pressure sensor, which detects the exact position in height in the storage heat exchanger.  
         [0031]     The arrangement of the joining elements so that the flow is deflected into the horizontal makes possible on the one hand the coupling and on the other hand the positioning of the joining elements at any desired height in relation to one another. As a result, the connected circulating system may be a heat source or sink at the same time, and by the positioning of the joining elements the lower joining elements is above the upper joining element or below the upper joining element.  
         [0032]     The positioning of the joining elements may take place by drifting and by the flow or by motors, as already described. However, in the case of horizontal discharge, the baffle element for the flow drive must be fitted in the line upstream of the flow deflection.  
         [0033]     The coupling of circulating systems may serve not only for directly connecting the solar connector to further storage heat exchangers or for connecting storage heat exchangers to one another for heat exchange but also for operating circulating systems with common operating devices, such as a circulating device, filling device, temperature sensor or flow sensor. For this purpose, the operating devices are connected to a return and flow and, depending on demand, the corresponding circulating system is switched to the operating devices. The storage heat exchangers can be operated autonomously, so that circulating systems do not have to be operated simultaneously. However, then the relocating cannot be performed with the flow but must be performed with motors or by a change in fluid level. The use of common operating devices can be used to reduce costs or to use more expensive pumps with higher levels of efficiency, so that the operating costs can be lowered.  
         [0034]     Heating components with stored media, such as fluid storage reservoirs, storage heat exchangers or storage reservoirs in which elements are relocatable, accordingly have elements which can be moved, displaced or adjusted and can be brought into and/or kept in a defined location or position or place.  
         [0035]     The relocation of elements in at least one medium, such as gas, for example air, exhaust gas, inert gas or fluid, for example water  45 ,  22 , service water, cistern water, waste water, cooling fluid, heating fluid, water with frost protecting agent, water with corrosion protecting agents or oil, allows the movement in a wide variety of heating components. The relocation itself advantageously takes place in storage reservoirs with solid substances, such as sand, gravel or granules; it being possible however for driving forces to act with upward lift, downward drift and gravitational forces, in particular in gas-filled or fluid-filled channels in such storage media. The same applies analogously to phase change materials and chemical storage substances. It is advantageous that the relocatable element is a charging and provision-on-standby device  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  27 ,  28 ,  34 ,  35 , such as a standby device, flow conduction or flow deflecting device. This makes possible the targeted charging of temperature spaces according to different optimization measures of regenerative heat production and/or heat storage. Furthermore, exactly defined temperature levels can be provided on standby from the heating system component, so that the heat control is therefore brought about.  
         [0036]     The fact that the relocatable element is a heat-exchanging element, for example a storage heat exchanger, heat exchanger, exchanging area or heat conducting device, allows it to act as a charging and provision-on-standby device. In this case, the heat-exchanging unit can also be positioned in such a way that the heat-exchanging surface area can be changed or switched in the medium. Furthermore, external exchanging or storing devices can be adapted to a storage reservoir, so that for example undesired conduction of heat or cold can be prevented by the switching of the heat conduction.  
         [0037]     Changing the location of an insulating or conducting partition, such as a curtain, partition or temperature space, is particularly appropriate. This allows for example insulating curtains in the case of storage heat exchangers to be gathered or moved in a way corresponding to the required amount of heat, as a result of which no additional circulation of media with operating energy is necessary for the heating. A temperature space is understood as meaning a bounded area of a storage heat transfer medium in a storage reservoir which contains a defined temperature level and can be charged and discharged with defined temperature levels (also with a charging and provision-on-standby device). This may be realized with insulating partitions, so that relocation of such partitions can change the size of the temperature space or make it able to be penetrated by charging and provision-on-standby devices, or make heat exchange or the termination of heat exchange with the temperature space possible.  
         [0038]     The fact that the relocatable element is a relocatable part of the aforementioned devices, such as a sensor  8 , arresting device  9 , joining element  39 ,  40 ,  41 ,  49 ,  50 ,  51 , final control element  20 ,  21 , drive, float, suspended device  6 , baffle elements  7 , line  7 , coupling element  10 ,  11 ,  13 ,  14 , channel or valve, allows these parts to be used multiply for different charging and provision-on-standby devices. This has the effect of increasing the cost-effectiveness in the case of relatively complex heating components.  
         [0039]     The fact that the drive for the relocation takes place according to the invention with at least one media drive, such as a fan or pump, allows the use of existing media flow drives and also the central arrangement and use of the drive for a number of heating components.  
         [0040]     Also the fact that the drive for the relocation takes place indirectly, such as by media flow, changing levels of media or coupling  10 ,  11 ,  13 ,  14  with respect to relocatable elements, with respect to manual actuating elements or with respect to motor elements, makes the aforementioned advantages possible.  
         [0041]     The use of baffle surface areas  7  or baffle bodies for the flow-driven relocation allows a low-cost drive of relocatable elements.  
         [0042]     By use of the direction of the flow, such as by the fact that the joining elements of a line or the line can rotate and/or pivot and/or tilt, or in each case a joining element of a number of differently directed joining elements is released, the direction of movement of the relocatable element can be determined or changed, so that such elements can evade obstacles or the relocation can take place without a preferential direction of movement, so that loading and reserve allocation devices can change their direction of flow, whereby they are suitable for example for heat sources and heat sinks.  
         [0043]     In the case of heating systems with media filling devices, it is appropriate that the media level drive takes place from at least one separated area  12 , which can be changed from the level of the media, and at least one element, such as a float or baffle elements, being positioned dependent on the level of the media or the flow created when the level of the media is changed.  
         [0044]     The production of an area  12  that is separated from the media is particularly advantageous. This allows the building up of protected areas which are independent of pressure and independent of media and are adapted to the relocatable elements. The separated areas may be sleeves, tubes or pipes, channels, tanks, containers or vessels.  
         [0045]     The filling of the separated area  12  with a medium makes possible, for example, a gas pressure in the separated area above the heating component pressure, so that the elements introduced are fluid-protected.  
         [0046]     The introduction of fluid into the separated area allows the separated area  12  to be flowed through, for example by a circulating system. This allows the drive of relocatable elements to take place by the coupling of these flow-driven elements to elements in the heating component.  
         [0047]     The fact that relocatable elements are located in the separated area  12  allows positioning to be carried out by this method, such as by flow or changing the level of fluid in the separated area. It is advantageous for the service life and maintenance of elements that sensitive relocatable elements, such as those which are water-sensitive, pressure-sensitive or can undergo maintenance, such as sensors, arresting device, drives or final control elements, are located in the separated area.  
         [0048]     With the aid of the balancing of relocatable elements, so that they are suspended in equilibrium or moved with a defined preferential direction, such as by floats or suspended devices, on the one hand less driving energy is required and on the other hand a preferential movement is achieved by use of upward lift, downward drift or gravitational force. Floats and suspended devices can be realized by the gas-filled containers  6 . However, balancing is also possible with the aid of counterweights.  
         [0049]     The fact that the preferential direction can be changed, such as by weights which can be attached by coupling, floats which can be changed by upward lift or downward drift or suspended devices which can be changed by upward lift or downward drift, also allows the drive to take place flow-independently in different directions. For example, a float space may be filled with fluid and emptied, so that upward-lifting or downward-drifting forces are reversed.  
         [0050]     The fact that the relocatable elements can be arrested, such as by magnets, electromagnets  9  or electromagnetically or hydraulically or pneumatically actuated fixing mechanisms, allows positioning with little movement in a storage reservoir.  
         [0051]     The relocatable elements are preferably guided or conducted. This allows the elements to move on a path, so that collisions are ruled out and positioning points are found more easily, for example by joining elements.  
         [0052]     Further gain is obtained from forming the channels in a matrix ( FIG. 3 ) or partial matrix, so that joining elements can join with every other joining element or positioning points of a number of relocatable elements are positioned.  
         [0053]     The fact that the channels or guides are provided with a slope  42 ,  43 ,  44 ,  46 ,  47 ,  48 ,  49 ,  50 ,  51  allows upward-lifting forces, downward-drifting forces or gravitational force also to be used as drives in a movement along a path.  
         [0054]     It is also beneficial that relocatable elements  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  39 ,  40 ,  41 ,  49 ,  50 ,  51  can be joined. Provision on standby at an appropriate temperature, for example from a storage reservoir, or the interconnection of circulating systems or the docking of operating devices onto circulating systems are possible as a result.  
         [0055]     With the aid of devices by which relocatable elements are coupled, such as with magnets, electromagnets  10 ,  11 ,  13 ,  14  or final control elements, such as cable pulls  20 ,  21  with and without a clamping mechanism, driving forces can be transmitted or relocatable elements can be exchanged or elements can be separated, whereby cost-effectiveness and versatility are achieved.  
         [0056]     Also contributing to this is the fact that the coupling can be changed, such as that it can be ended or can be exchanged.  
         [0057]     It is helpful that connections to relocatable elements or the relocatable element itself or separated area  12  are flexible, such as silicone, woven fabric, sheet-material, mats, tubes or composites. This on the one hand allows a lighter type of construction to be achieved, with compliance at the same time, whereby changes in weight have little influence on the balancing. Relocatable insulations can be easily produced from flexible composites.  
         [0058]     In the case of very thin flexible lines and small flows, the conductability is maintained according to the invention by the flexible parts being kept dimensionally stable, such as by inserts being wires or strips.  
         [0059]     As a consequence of the fact that the relocatable elements are positioned dependent on sensor values, such as temperatures, of the temperature space, the supplied temperature, the discharged temperature, the position in the heating component, such as the pressure of the media or level of the media, or position-determining sensors, such as contacts, magnetic contacts or codings, the uses are now discussed. In this respect, the relocatable elements offer the advantage that only few sensors are required, since they are exchangeable and/or relocatable. This allows different media and states of media to be measured at many locations.  
         [0060]     With the aid of relocatable sensors  8 , in particular temperature sensors, pressure sensors and/or flow sensors, most measurements occurring in the heating system can be performed with few sensors. Furthermore, as a result, measurements can be extended to circulating systems where this was previously not cost-effective.