Patent Publication Number: US-2023142833-A1

Title: Systems and Methods for Preventing Excessive Cascade Boiler System Heating Overshoot

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/073,690, filed Oct. 19, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY 
     The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for controlling a boiler system, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for controlling cascade boiler systems having multiple boilers of various capacities. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Boiler systems are commonly used in commercial and residential applications to heat air and/or water for a building. Some boiler systems integrate multiple boilers in a cascading arrangement to efficiently meet the varying load demand in the system. These cascade boiler systems are able to increase the overall system efficiency because they are capable of operating at lower loads while still meeting the highest demand. 
     Many controllers for cascade boiler systems utilize proportional integral derivative (PID) controls that are configured to control the cascading boilers based on inputs received from various sensors. In particular, many control systems are configured to control the cascading boilers based on a temperature of the water in the boiler system. For example, many control systems receive water temperature data from a temperature sensor and calculate a system response based on a difference between the current water temperature and a temperature set point. The control system, upon determining that the current water temperature is below a set point temperature, activates one or more boilers to raise the temperature of the water to the set point temperature. 
     Unfortunately, because there is often a delay between turning on a boiler and detecting a temperature change of the water in the boiler system, it is common for the controller to accumulate an error and continue operating one or more boilers longer than is necessary, even after the water temperature has reached the set point temperature. This can lead to the system overshooting the temperature set point and, in some cases, can cause the boiler system to shut down when a high limit temperature is reached so the boiler system does not become overheated. 
     To further complicate matters, some cascade boiler systems incorporate boilers having various capacities (e.g., 50K BTUH, 200K BTUH, 500K BTUH, 1M BTUH, 2M BTUH, etc.). 
     Current cascade boiler control systems, however, are generally unable to consider the various capacities of available boilers. Therefore, when the controller determines that a boiler should be activated to increase the system water temperature, the controller may select a boiler with a greater heating capacity than is necessary, which can increase the likelihood that the system will overshoot the temperature set point. 
     What is needed, therefore, is a cascade boiler control system that can prevent temperature overshoot. This and other problems are addressed by the technology disclosed herein. 
     SUMMARY 
     The disclosed technology relates generally to systems and methods for controlling a boiler system, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for controlling cascade boiler systems having multiple boilers of various capacities. The disclosed technology can include a non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a controller associated with a boiler system to receive a threshold temperature and a maximum temperature. The controller can also receive, from a temperature sensor, temperature data indicative of a temperature of water in a boiler system. The controller can also determine, based on the temperature data, whether the temperature of the water in the boiler system is greater than or equal to the threshold temperature and determine a number of operating boilers of a plurality of boilers that were operating when the temperature of the water in the boiler system increased to equal the threshold temperature. 
     In response to determining that the temperature of the water in the boiler system is greater than or equal to the threshold temperature, the controller can determine a temperature increment value based on the threshold temperature, the maximum temperature, and the number of operating boilers and output a control signal to a boiler to reduce an output of the boiler based on the temperature increment value and the temperature data. 
     The temperature increment value can be determined by dividing a difference between the threshold temperature and the maximum temperature by the number of operating boilers. The maximum temperature can be determined by adding half of a temperature differential value to the threshold temperature. The temperature differential value can be user selectable. The temperature of the water in the boiler system can be indicative of a temperature of supply water of the boiler system. The threshold temperature can be user selectable. 
     The controller can also determine, based on the temperature increment value, the temperature data, and the number of operating boilers, a maximum number of boilers value and output a control signal to the boiler to reduce an output of the boiler based on the maximum number of boilers value. 
     The maximum number of boilers value can be determined based at least in part on the following equation: 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 Max 
                 ⁢ 
                 NumBoilers 
               
               = 
               
                 NumOperBoildersAtThresh 
                 - 
                 
                   ( 
                   
                     
                       
                         Temp 
                         Supply 
                       
                       - 
                       
                         Temp 
                         Target 
                       
                     
                     
                       Temp 
                       Increment 
                     
                   
                   ) 
                 
               
             
             , 
           
         
       
     
     where MaxNumBoilers represents a maximum number of boilers that should be operated, NumOperBoilersAtThresh represents the number of operating boilers of the plurality of boilers that were operating when the temperature of the water in the boiler system increased to equal the threshold temperature, Temp supply  represents a supply water temperature of supply water, Temp target  represents the threshold temperature, and Temp increment  represents the temperature increment value. 
     The controller can also identify, based on the maximum number of boilers value, one or more boilers of the plurality of boilers to operate at 100% individual capacity. The controller can output a control signal for each of the one or more boilers to operate at 100% individual capacity and output a second control signal for each of any remaining boilers of the plurality of boilers to operate in a standby mode. The boilers can be at least one a condensing boiler and one non-condensing boiler. The boilers can also each have the same individual capacity or at least one boiler can have an individual capacity different from an individual capacity of at least one other boiler. 
     The controller can also determine a maximum plant rate value by dividing the maximum number of boilers value by a total number of boilers of the plurality of boilers. The controller can identify, based on the maximum plant rate value, one or more first boilers to operate at 100% individual capacity and one or more second boilers to operate at less than 100% individual capacity. The controller can output a first control signal for each of the one or more first boilers to operate at 100% individual capacity, output a second control signal for each of the one or more second boilers to operate at less than 100% individual capacity, and output a third control signal for each of any remaining boilers of the plurality of boilers to operating in a standby mode. The second number of boilers to operate at less than 100% individual capacity can be 1. 
     The disclosed technology can also include a non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a controller associated with a boiler system to receive a threshold temperature and a maximum temperature. The controller can also receive, from a temperature sensor of the boiler system, temperature data indicative of a temperature of water in the boiler system. 
     The controller can also receive boiler data from one or more boilers that can be indicative of an individual capacity corresponding to each boiler. The controller can determine, based on the temperature data, if the temperature of the water in the boiler system is less than or equal to the threshold temperature and output a control signal to a boiler to heat the water in the boiler system. The controller can also determine, based on the temperature data and the boiler data, a rate of temperature change of the temperature of the water in the boiler system and determine, based on the rate of temperature change, a predicted amount of time for the temperature of the water in the boiler system to reach the threshold temperature. In response to determining the predicted amount of time for the temperature of the water in the boiler system to reach the threshold temperature, the controller can output a control signal to the boiler of the plurality of boilers to control an output of the boiler. 
     Outputting a control signal to the boiler of the one or more boilers to control an output of the boiler can include outputting a control signal for the boiler to operate in a standby mode to prevent the boiler from providing heat to the water in the boiler system or outputting a control signal for the boiler to modulate an output of the boiler to a lower individual capacity to reduce the amount of heat the boiler is adding to the water in the boiler system. 
     The controller can also receive historical system data associated with the boiler system and determining the rate of temperature change of the temperature of the water in the boiler system can further based on based on the historical system data. The boilers can include at least one condensing boiler and one non-condensing boiler. 
     Additional features, functionalities, and applications of the disclosed technology are discussed herein in more detail. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate multiple examples of the presently disclosed subject matter and serve to explain the principles of the presently disclosed subject matter. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter in any manner. 
         FIG.  1    illustrates an example system for controlling a cascade boiler system, in accordance with the disclosed technology. 
         FIG.  2    illustrates a data table depicting example data corresponding to an example method of controlling a cascade boiler system, in accordance with the disclosed technology. 
         FIG.  3    illustrates a data table depicting example data corresponding to an example method of controlling a cascade boiler system, in accordance with the disclosed technology. 
         FIG.  4    illustrates historical temperature and operational data of a boiler system, in accordance with the disclosed technology. 
         FIG.  5    illustrates a flowchart of an example method of controlling a cascade boiler system, in accordance with the disclosed technology. 
         FIG.  6    illustrates a flowchart of an example method of controlling a cascade boiler system, in accordance with the disclosed technology. 
         FIG.  7    illustrates a flowchart of an example method of controlling a cascade boiler system, in accordance with the disclosed technology. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosed technology relates generally to systems and methods for intelligently controlling boiler systems. The disclosed technology can include a boiler system having multiple boilers arranged in a cascading configuration and a controller configured to determine when each boiler should be operated, which boiler should be operated, and to what output a given boiler should be operated. For example, the controller can determine which boiler or boilers should be operated (e.g., placed in a heating mode) and which boilers should not be operated (e.g., placed in a standby mode, turned off, or otherwise not in a heating mode) to prevent the boiler system from excessively overshooting a set point temperature (e.g., a target temperature, a threshold temperature, etc.). The boiler system can include both condensing and non-condensing boilers. Some or all of the boilers can have a different capacity than other boilers in the system (e.g., 50K BTUH, 200K BTUH, 500K BTUH, 1M BTUH, 2M BTUH, etc.). The controller can receive information from one, some, or all boilers to determine the type and capacity of each boiler currently in a heating mode, as well as data from one or more sensors, to determine whether to turn on additional boilers (e.g., whether to operate or otherwise place a boiler in a heating mode, etc.), turn off boilers (e.g., place in a standby mode, turn off, or otherwise not operate a boiler in a heating mode), or to reduce an output of one or more boilers to prevent excessively overshooting the water temperature set point. If the controller determines that the output of one or more boilers should be reduced, the controller can determine whether to modulate one or more boiler&#39;s output to a reduced capacity or to turn off one or more boilers. Additionally, the controller can be configured to modify the control of certain boiler(s) based on predetermined settings and/or certain circumstances. As will be made apparent throughout this disclosure, the disclosed technology can include systems and methods to operate a cascade boiler system to reach a water temperature set point without excessively overshooting the temperature set point. 
     Although certain examples of the disclosed technology are explained in detail herein, it is to be understood that other examples, embodiments, and implementations of the disclosed technology are contemplated. Accordingly, it is not intended that the disclosed technology is limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components expressly set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosed technology can be implemented in a variety of examples and can be practiced or carried out in various ways. In particular, the presently disclosed subject matter is described in the context of systems and methods for intelligently controlling a cascade boiler system. The cascade boiler system can include cascade boiler systems having condensing boilers, non-condensing boilers, or both. The present disclosure, however, is not so limited, and can be applicable in other contexts where intelligent control of a cascading system is desirable. The present disclosure, for example and not limitation, can include cascading heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, cascading industrial heating process systems, or other cascading systems. As another example, the disclosed technology can include heating and/or cooling systems having contributors (e.g., followers) with independent heating capacity and performance. Such implementations and applications are contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, when the present disclosure is described in the context of being a control system for a cascade boiler system, it will be understood that other implementations can take the place of those referred to. Additionally, the boilers described in this disclosure are not limited by type of fuel source. For example, the boilers described in this disclosure can include boilers designed to operate using fossil fuels, biomass, renewable energy sources, or any other type of fuel that can be used to operate condensing and/or non-condensing boilers. 
     It should also be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. References to a composition containing “a” constituent is intended to include other constituents in addition to the one named. 
     Also, in describing the examples, terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is intended that each term contemplates its broadest meaning as understood by those skilled in the art and includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. 
     Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” or “substantially” one particular value and/or to “about” or “approximately” or “substantially” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, the various examples of the disclosed technology includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Further, ranges described as being between a first value and a second value are inclusive of the first and second values. Likewise, ranges described as being from a first value and to a second value are inclusive of the first and second values. 
     Herein, the use of terms such as “having,” “has,” “including,” or “includes” are open-ended and are intended to have the same meaning as terms such as “comprising” or “comprises” and not preclude the presence of other structure, material, or acts. Similarly, though the use of terms such as “can” or “may” are intended to be open-ended and to reflect that structure, material, or acts are not necessary, the failure to use such terms is not intended to reflect that structure, material, or acts are essential. To the extent that structure, material, or acts are presently considered to be essential, they are identified as such. 
     It is also to be understood that the mention of one or more method steps does not preclude the presence of additional method steps or intervening method steps between those steps expressly identified. Moreover, although the term “step” can be used herein to connote different aspects of methods employed, the term should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individual steps is explicitly required. Further, the disclosed technology does not necessarily require all steps included in the example methods and processes described herein. That is, the disclosed technology includes methods that omit one or more steps expressly discussed with respect to the examples provided herein. 
     The components described hereinafter as making up various elements of the disclosed technology are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many suitable components that would perform the same or similar functions as the components described herein are intended to be embraced within the scope of the disclosed technology. Such other components not described herein can include, but are not limited to, for example, similar components that are developed after development of the presently disclosed subject matter. 
     Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements, examples of the present disclosure are herein described. 
     As depicted in  FIG.  1   , the cascade boiler system  100  can include a controller  102  having a memory  104 , a processor  106 , and a communication interface  108 . Optionally, the controller  102  can include or be in communication with a user interface  109 . The controller  102  can be in communication with one or more boilers  110 A- 110 N. The controller  102  can be a device separate from the boilers  110 A- 110 N and configured to communicate with the boilers  110 A- 110 N, and/or the controller  102  can be a controller integrated with one or more of boilers  110 A- 110 N and configured to control all of the boilers  110 A- 110 N. For example, the controller  102  can be a controller integrated with a boiler  110 A- 110 N designated as a master boiler to control the other boilers  110 A- 110 N. Furthermore, the controller  102  can be configured to communicate with any number of boilers  110 A- 110 N (e.g., as many boilers as are installed in a given boiler system). Therefore, this disclosure should not be construed as limited to the number of boilers depicted in  FIG.  1    or expressly described herein. Additionally, the controller  102  can be configured to receive data from one or more sensors, which can include, but is not limited to, a supply water temperature sensor  130 , a return water temperature sensor  132 , an ambient air temperature sensor  134 , and/or a flow sensor  136 . 
     As will be discussed in greater detail herein, the controller  102  can be configured to receive data from the boilers  110 A- 110 N and the various sensors (e.g., the supply water temperature sensor  130 , the return water temperature sensor  132 , the ambient air temperature sensor  134 , and the flow sensor  136 ) and, based on the received data, determine which boiler(s) should be operated to meet the current load demand without overshooting a high temperature set point (or reducing and/or minimizing the likelihood of a temperature overshoot). In other words, the controller  102  can be configured to determine how to effectively and efficiently operate the available boilers  110 A- 110 N (e.g., the boilers in the boiler system that are currently able to operate and heat the water in the system whether currently operating or in a standby mode) to raise the temperature of the water in the system  100  to a predetermined set point by determining which of the currently-operating boilers  110 A- 110 N should be modulated to a lower load or placed in a standby mode to ensure the water temperature does not exceed a high limit temperature and cause the system  100  to enter a safety mode or shut down. 
     The controller  102  can have a memory  104  and a processor  106 . The controller  102  can be or include a computing device configured to receive data, determine actions based on the received data, and output a control signal instructing one or more components of the system  100  to perform one or more actions. One of skill in the art will appreciate that the controller  102  can be installed in any location, provided the controller  102  is in communication with at least some of the components of the system  100 . For example, the controller  102  can be installed locally with the cascade boiler system  100  (e.g., a part or portion of the cascade boiler system  100  such as an integrated controller of a boiler of the cascade boiler system). As another example, the controller  102  can be installed at a location remote from the cascade boiler system  100  (e.g., at a remote server). Furthermore, the controller  102  can be configured to send and receive wireless or wired signals, and the signals can be analog or digital signals. The wireless signals can include Bluetooth™, BLE, WiFi™, ZigBee™, infrared, microwave radio, or any other type of wireless communication as may be appropriate for the particular application. The hard-wired signal can include any directly wired connection between the controller and the other components. For example, the controller  102  can have a hard-wired 24 VDC connection to the various components. Alternatively, the components can be powered directly from a power source and receive control instructions from the controller  102  via a digital connection. The digital connection can include a connection such as an Ethernet or a serial connection and can utilize any appropriate communication protocol for the application such as Modbus, fieldbus, PROFIBUS, SafetyBus p, Ethernet/IP, or any other appropriate communication protocol for the application. Furthermore, the controller  102  can utilize a combination of wireless, hard-wired, and analog or digital communication signals to communicate with and control the various components. One of skill in the art will appreciate that the above configurations are given merely as non-limiting examples and the actual configuration can vary depending on the application. 
     The controller  102  can include a memory  104  that can store a program and/or instructions associated with the functions and methods described herein and can include one or more processors  106  configured to execute the program and/or instructions. The memory  104  can include one or more suitable types of memory (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, floppy disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash memory, a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), and the like) for storing files including the operating system, application programs (including, for example, a web browser application, a widget or gadget engine, and or other applications, as necessary), executable instructions and data. One, some, or all of the processing techniques described herein can be implemented as a combination of executable instructions and data within the memory. 
     The controller can include a communication interface  108  configured to send a receive signals to the boilers  110 A- 110 N and the various sensors (e.g., the supply water temperature sensor  130 , the return water temperature sensor  132 , the ambient air temperature sensor  134 , and the flow sensor  136 ). Communication interface  108  can include hardware, firmware, and/or software that allows the processor(s)  106  to communicate with the other components via wired or wireless networks, whether local or wide area, private or public, as known in the art. Communication interface  108  can also provide access to a cellular network, the Internet, a local area network, or another wide-area network as suitable for the particular application. 
     The controller  102  can be configured to communicate with a user interface  109 . The user interface  109  can be configured to display system information, instructions, and the like to a user or technician. The user interface  109  can be integrated into a housing with the controller  102 , installed remotely from the controller  102  and be in wired or wireless communication with the controller  102 , or the user interface  109  can be a remote device (e.g., a user&#39;s mobile device or other hand held device) that is in communication with the controller  102  (e.g., directly, via one or more networks). Information displayed by the user interface  109  can include information about current system  100  data such as information detailing which boiler(s)  110 A- 110 N is/are operating, at what capacity the boiler(s)  110 A- 110 N is/are currently operating, one or more system temperatures, one or more flow rates, one or more pressures, historical use data, one or more maintenance schedules, which loads within the building are currently using the most heat, and/or the current settings of the cascade boiler system  100 . The user interface  109  can also be configured to receive inputs from a user. For example, a user can select settings or provide other input such that the user can configure the cascade boiler system  100  to operate and respond to load demands as desired. As an example, this can enable a user to change settings on the controller  102  to respond to load demands quickly or to respond to load demands in a more cost-efficient manner. 
     The boilers  110 A- 110 N can be or include any type of boiler, including condensing boilers and/or non-condensing boilers. Furthermore, the boilers  110 A- 110 N can be any capacity of boiler as would be suitable for the particular application, including boilers each having the same capacity or boilers each having different capacities. For example, the boilers  110 A- 110 N can have capacities ranging from less than 10K BTUH to capacities of greater than 2M BTUH. As will be appreciated, the controller  102  can be configured to control boilers of any capacity. 
     The boilers  110 A- 110 N can be configured to communicate with the controller  102 . For example, the boilers  110 A- 110 N can send data to the controller  102  and receive control signals from the controller  102  to effectively control the boilers  110 A- 110 N. As non-limiting examples, the data can relate to one or more of: which boiler(s) is/are available, the type(s) of boiler available, the capacities of boiler available, a current operating status for the system  100  and/or one or more individual boilers, historical operating status for the system  100  and/or one or more individual boilers (e.g., how long the boiler has been in service, how long a boiler&#39;s operating performance has changed over time) (which can help indicate updated information regarding a current efficiency of a given boiler), one or more predetermined maintenance schedules, and boiler operational data indicating current boiler conditions (e.g., temperatures and/or pressures at one or more locations in the boiler or system  100 , flue gas chemical composition, etc.). 
     The temperature sensors (e.g., the supply water temperature sensor  130 , the return water temperature sensor  132 , the ambient air temperature sensor  134 ) can be or include any type of sensor suitable for the particular application. For example, the temperature sensors  130 ,  132 ,  134  can be or include a thermocouple, a resistance temperature detector (RTD), a thermistor, an infrared sensor, a semiconductor, or any other suitable type of sensor. Furthermore, the supply water temperature sensor  130  can be installed at any location where the supply water temperature sensor  130  is capable of detecting a temperature of the supply water. Similarly, the return water temperature sensor  132  can be installed in any location where the return water temperature sensor  130  is capable of detecting a temperature of the return water. The ambient air temperature sensor  134  can similarly be installed in any location where the ambient air temperature sensor  134  is capable of detecting a temperature of the ambient air. 
     The flow sensor  136  can be installed in any suitable location in the system  100  to detect a flow rate of the fluid in the system  100  at the installed location and transmit the detected flow data to the controller  102 . The flow sensor  136  can be any type of flow sensor, and the flow sensor  136  can be configured to simply detect fluid flow (i.e., whether the fluid is flowing or not) or can detect a rate of flow of the fluid. If the flow sensor  136  simply measures the presence of fluid flow, the flow sensor  136  can be a flow switch. If the flow sensor  136  is a flow switch, it can be a vane actuated flow switch, a disc actuated flow switch, a liquid flow switch, or any other appropriate type of flow switch for the application. If the flow sensor  136  measures the rate of fluid flow, the flow sensor  136  can be a flow meter or another type of rate-measuring flow sensor. For example, the flow sensor  136  can be a differential pressure flow meter, a positive displacement flow meter, a velocity flow meter, a mass flow meter, an open channel flow meter, or any other type of flow meter configured to measure flow rate of a fluid. 
       FIG.  2    illustrates a data table depicting data corresponding to an example display or user interface  200  for controlling a cascade boiler system  100 , in accordance with the disclosed technology. The values depicted in  FIG.  2    can represent values inputted by the user or values calculated by the controller  102  as described in greater detail herein. Furthermore, the display or user interface  200  depicted in  FIG.  2    is offered merely for illustrative purposes and the actual configuration can vary depending on the particular application. 
     The user interface  200  depicted in  FIG.  2    can correspond to a boiler system  100  comprising boilers  110 A- 110 N each being the same capacity and each being operated at full load (e.g., the boilers  110 A- 110 N can either operate at 100% capacity or be placed in a standby mode). The data depicted in the data table can correspond to a method of controlling the boiler system  100  to ensure the boilers  110 A- 110 N can maintain the temperature of the boiler system  100  based on a target temperature without causing excessive overshoot. In other words, the controller  102  can be configured to determine a difference (or error) between a current system temperature and a target temperature  208  (e.g., a set point temperature, a threshold temperature, etc.). As will be described in greater detail herein, the controller  102  can determine a difference between the current system temperature and a target temperature  208  and consider the impact each boiler  110 A- 110 N has on the system temperature when or if operated to ensure boiler system  100  does not overshoot a maximum temperature  212 . Accordingly, the controller  102 , considering the impact of each individual boiler  110 A- 110 N, can operate one or more boilers  110 A- 110 N to raise the system temperature without causing system overshoot. 
     The boiler system  100  can include a number of boilers  202  that can be varied depending on the particular application. For example, the boiler system  100  can include one, two, three, four, eight, twelve, sixteen, twenty-four, or more or fewer boilers  110 A- 110 N depending on the specific application. In the specific example depicted in  FIG.  2   , the boiler system  100  can include eight total boilers. Because each boiler in this example has the same capacity in this example, each boiler is capable of producing 12.5% of the overall total boiler system output (as depicted at  204 ). Furthermore, as will be appreciated, the controller  102  can be configured to operate some or all boilers  110 A- 110 N simultaneously to meet the load demand. In the specific example depicted in  FIG.  2   , the number of boilers  110 A- 110 N currently operating can be displayed (shown at  206  as four boilers currently operating). As an example, the target temperature  208  (e.g., a set point temperature or threshold temperature) can be 165° F. and the differential temperature  210  can be 15° F. The differential temperature  210  can correspond to a predetermined range of satisfactory temperature values for the boiler system  100 . For example, with the target temperature  208  being 165° F. and the differential temperature  210  being 15° F., the boiler system  100  can be configured to operate with satisfactory temperatures up to 7.5° F. greater than the target temperature (i.e., the maximum temperature  212  can be 172.5° F.) and satisfactory temperatures up to 7.5° F. less than the target temperature  208  (i.e., the minimum temperature  214  can be 157.5° F.). As will be appreciated, the target temperature  208 , the differential temperature  210 , and/or the maximum temperature  212  and the minimum temperature  214  can each be user selectable or preprogrammed. The boiler system  100  can be configured to begin turning on one or more boilers  110 A- 110 N (e.g., operated or placed in a heating mode, etc.) to meet a load demand when the system temperature falls to the minimum temperature  214  and turn off (e.g., shutdown or placed in a standby mode) all boilers  110 A- 110 N when the system temperature rises to the maximum temperature  212 . 
     The method can include determining one or more turn off temperature values  216  where one or more boilers can begin to be placed in a standby mode to ensure the temperature in the system  100  doesn&#39;t overshoot a high limit temperature value (either the maximum temperature  212  or a particular temperature value greater than the maximum temperature value  212 ). The turn off temperature values  216  can be calculated by determining turn off temperature increment values and adding the turn off temperature increment values to the target temperature  208 . The turnoff temperature increment values can be calculated by dividing the differential temperature  210  in half (e.g., 15° F./2) and dividing the resulting value by the number of boilers  110 A- 110 N currently operating (e.g., the number of currently operating boilers is 4 in this example as depicted at  206 ). In other words, the turn off temperatures  216  can be determined by increment values calculated according to the following equation: 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     Temp 
                     Increment 
                   
                   = 
                   
                     
                       DIFF 
                       / 
                       2 
                     
                     NumOperBoilersAtThresh 
                   
                 
               
               
                 
                   ( 
                   1 
                   ) 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     where DIFF is equal to the differential temperature  210  and NumOperBoilersAtThresh corresponds to the number of boilers  110 A- 110 N that are or were presently operating when the system temperature reached the target temperature  208 . Accordingly, Equation 1 provides a solution for determining when (e.g., at what temperature(s)) to disable or turn off currently operating boilers  110 A- 110 N to help ensure the temperature does not overshoot past the maximum temperature  212 . 
     In the example shown in  FIG.  2   , table  222  depicts four boilers  110 A- 110 N can be operated to raise the temperature of the water. Table 222 also depicts four boilers as operating when the water temperature reached 165° F., which is the target temperature  208 . Solving Equation 1 with DIFF=15 (differential temperature  210 ) and NumOperBoilersAtThresh=4 results in a Temp Increment =1.875 or a rounded value of 2, which is reflected in table  222 . As illustrated in table  222 , with all 4 boilers operating when the water temperature reaches the target temperature  208 , the first boiler can be placed in a standby mode at approximately 166.9° F., the second boiler can be placed in a standby mode at approximately 168.8° F., the third boiler can be placed in a standby mode at 170.6° F., and the fourth boiler can be placed in a standby mode at 172.5° F. (or the maximum temperature  212 ). As will be appreciated, the actual values where the boilers  110 A- 110 N begin to be placed in a standby mode can be rounded to the nearest whole number as depicted in the “Round” column  218 . For example, the first boiler can be placed in a standby mode at 167° F., the second boiler can be placed in a standby mode at 169° F., the third boiler can be placed in a standby mode at 171° F., and the fourth boiler can be placed in a standby mode at 173° F. 
     As can be seen from Equation 1, the turn off temperature values  216  depend on the differential temperature  210  and the number of boilers that are operating when the water temperature has increased to equal the target temperature  208 . Thus, assuming the differential temperature  210  is 15° F., the temperature increment value would be 0.94° F. if there were eight boilers operating (i.e., half the differential temperature (7.5° F.) divided by 8 boilers) when the water temperature was increased to equal the target temperature  208 . Similarly, the temperature increment value would be 1.25° F. if there were six boilers operating (i.e., half the differential temperature (7.5° F.) divided by 6 boilers) when the water temperature was increased to equal the target temperature  208 . Likewise, the temperature increment value would be 1.875° F. if there were four boilers operating (i.e., half the differential temperature (7.5° F.) divided by 4 boilers) when the temperature was increased to equal the target temperature  208  (this example is reflected in the turnoff values  216  depicted in  FIG.  2   . As will be appreciated, similar temperature increment calculations can be made for various numbers of operating boilers and various differential temperature values. 
     As an overall solution for the system  100  to determine the number of boilers that should be operated when the water temperature reaches the target temperature  208  to meet the load demand without causing overshoot (MaxNumBoilers), the system  100  can control the boilers  110 A- 110 N according to the following equation: 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     Max 
                     ⁢ 
                     NumBoilers 
                   
                   = 
                   
                     NumOperBoilersAtThresh 
                     - 
                     
                       ( 
                       
                         
                           
                             Temp 
                             Supply 
                           
                           - 
                           
                             Temp 
                             Target 
                           
                         
                         
                           Temp 
                           Increment 
                         
                       
                       ) 
                     
                   
                 
               
               
                 
                   ( 
                   2 
                   ) 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     where Temp supply  corresponds to the current temperature of the water in the system  100  and Temp Target  corresponds to the target temperature  208 . 
     In systems where the boilers  110 A- 110 N are capable of being modulated to lower outputs, the controller  102  can also be configured to more precisely control the boilers  110 A- 110 N based on an overall output of the boiler system  100 . By modulating one or more boilers  110 A- 110 N, the controller  102  can further control the boilers  110 A- 110 N to cause the system temperature to reach the target temperature without causing excessive temperature overshoot in the system  100 . For example, as depicted by the data table of user interface  200  in  FIG.  3   , using the same values  202 - 218  described in relation to  FIG.  2   , the controller  102  can be configured to control the boilers  110 A- 110 N to achieve an overall system output between 0% and 100% by modulating one or more boilers  110 A- 110 N to an output that is less than or equal to 100% of the output of the individual boiler. The controller  102  can be configured to control a number of boilers to each operate at 100% of their respective individual capacities until the target temperature  208  is reached. For example, as depicted in the overall rule for total plant table  320 , the controller  102  can be configured to control all available boilers at 100% capacity until the target temperature  208  is reached. Once the target temperature  208  is reached, the controller  102  can be configured to operate fewer boilers  110 A- 110 N (e.g., incrementally), such as, for example, according to the results of a determination based on Equation 2, as discussed above with respect to  FIG.  2   . Unlike the example discussed in relation to  FIG.  2   , however, the controller  102  can be configured to control the overall boiler system  100  output by modulating at least one boiler  110 A- 110 N to an output that is less than 100% of the boiler&#39;s  110 A- 110 N maximum output. 
     The controller  102  can determine the necessary capacity of the boiler  110 A- 110 N that is to be modulated by determining the overall maximum plant rate necessary to meet the load demand without causing overshoot. For example, the maximum plant rate can be calculated based on the following equation: 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     Max 
                     ⁢ 
                     PlantRate 
                   
                   = 
                   
                     
                       Max 
                       ⁢ 
                       NumBoilers 
                     
                     NumTotalPlantSize 
                   
                 
               
               
                 
                   ( 
                   3 
                   ) 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     where MaxPlantRate equals the total capacity needed to meet the current load demand and NumTotalPlantSize is the total number of boilers  110 A- 110 N available for control in the boiler system  100 . This equation will return a value corresponding to the values included in the far-right column of tables  320  and  322 . Once the overall maximum plant rate is determined, the controller  102  can determine a number of boilers  110 A- 110 N that should be operated at 100% capacity and another boiler  110 A- 110 N that should be modulated to a reduced capacity to meet the maximum plant rate. Thus, the decimal value of the values included in the far-right column of tables  320  and  322  corresponds to a percentage of boiler  110 A- 110 N needed to meet the current load demand without causing excessive overshoot. 
     As a specific example, and as depicted in the overall rule for total plant table  320 , at a supply temperature of 166° F., the controller  102  can operate seven total boilers with a max plant rate of 87% by operating six boilers  110 A- 110 N at 100% of their respective individual capacities and one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 93% of its individual capacity. This is reflected in the far-right column of table  320  by the value 6.93, in which the integer “6” indicates six boilers operating at 100% of their respective individual capacities and the decimal 0.93 indicates a single boiler operating at 93% of its individual capacity. As the supply temperature continues to rise, the controller  102  can systematically modulate the overall boiler system  100  output based at least in part on the supply temperature. Continuing the previous example, at a supply temperature of 167° F., the controller  102  can modulate the total boiler system  100  to include six total boilers operating at a maximum plant rate of 73% by operating five boilers  110 A- 110 N at 100% of their respective individual capacities and one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 87% of its individual capacity (represented by the boiler value of 5.87 in the far-right column and as described above). At a supply temperature of 168° F., the controller  102  can modulate the total boiler system  100  to include five total boilers operating at a max plant rate of 60% by operating four boilers  110 A- 110 N at 100% of their respective individual capacities and one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 80% of its individual capacity (represented by the boiler value of 4.80 in the far-right column). At a supply temperature of 169° F., the controller  102  can modulate the total boiler system  100  to include four total boilers operating at a maximum plant rate of 47% by operating three boilers  110 A- 110 N at 100% of their individual capacities and one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 73% of its individual capacity (represented by the boiler value 3.73 in the far-right column). At a supply temperature of 170° F., the controller  102  can modulate the total boiler system  100  to include three total boilers operating at a maximum plant rate of 33% by operating two boilers  110 A- 110 N at 100% of their individual capacities and one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 67% capacity of its individual capacity (represented by the boiler value 2.67 in the far-right column). At a supply temperature of 171° F., the controller  102  can modulate the total boiler system  100  to include two total boilers operating at a maximum plant rate of 20% capacity by operating one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 100% of its individual capacity and one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 60% of its individual capacity (represented by the boiler value 1.60 in the far-right column). At a supply temperature of 172° F., the controller  102  can modulate the total boiler system  100  to include one boiler operating at a maximum plant rate of 7% capacity by operating the one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 53% of its individual capacity (represented by the boiler value 0.53 in the far-right column). Finally, at a supply temperature of 173° F., all boilers  110 A- 110 N can be placed in a standby mode such that zero boilers are operating and the max plant rate is zero. 
     As another example, and as depicted in table  322 , the controller  102  can be configured to control all available boilers  110 A- 110 N at 100% capacity (eight boilers in this example) until the supply temperature reaches the target temperature  208  of 165° F., at which point the controller  102  can be configured to reduce the max plant rate to 50% capacity by placing four boilers  110 A- 110 N in standby mode and continuing to operate the other four boilers  110 A- 110 N at 100% capacity. In other examples, the controller  102  can continue to operate all boilers  110 A- 110 N that were operating at the time the supply temperature reached the target temperature  208  no matter the number of boilers  110 A- 110 N that were operating at the time. As the supply temperature continues to rise, the controller  102  can continue to control the boilers  110 A- 110 N to achieve a suitable overall boiler system  100  output corresponding to the current supply temperature. For example, at a supply temperature of 166° F., the controller  102  can modulate the total boiler system  100  to include four total boilers operating at a maximum plant rate of 43% capacity by operating three boilers  110 A- 110 N at 100% of their individual capacities and one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 47% of its individual capacity (represented by the boiler value 3.47 in the far-right column). 
     At a supply temperature of 167° F., the controller  102  can modulate the total boiler system  100  to include three total boilers operating at a maximum plant rate of 30% capacity by operating two boilers  110 A- 110 N at 100% of their individual capacities and one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 93% of its individual capacity (represented by the boiler value 2.93 in the far-right column). At a supply temperature of 168° F., the controller  102  can modulate the total boiler system  100  to include three total boilers operating at a maximum plant rate of 30% capacity by operating two boilers  110 A- 110 N at 100% of their individual capacities and one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 40% of its individual capacity (represented by the boiler value 2.40 in the far-right column). At a supply temperature of 169° F., the controller  102  can modulate the total boiler system  100  to include two total boilers operating at a maximum plant rate of 23% capacity by operating one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 100% of its individual capacity and one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 87% of its individual capacity (represented by the boiler value 1.87 in the far-right column). At a supply temperature of 170° F., the controller  102  can modulate the total boiler system  100  to include two total boilers operating at a maximum plant rate of 17% capacity by operating one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 100% of its individual capacity and one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 33% of its individual capacity (represented by the boiler value 1.33 in the far-right column). At a supply temperature of 171° F., the controller  102  can modulate the total boiler system  100  to include one total boiler operating at a maximum plant rate of 10% capacity by operating the one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 80% of its individual capacity (represented by the boiler value 0.8 in the far-right column). At a supply temperature of 172° F., the controller  102  can modulate the total boiler system  100  to include one total boiler operating at a maximum plant rate of 3% capacity by operating the one boiler  110 A- 110 N at 27% of its individual capacity (represented by the boiler value 0.27 in the far-right column). Finally, at a supply temperature of 173° F., all boilers  110 A- 110 N can be placed in a standby mode such that zero boilers are operating and the max plant rate is zero. 
     Alternatively or additionally, as depicted in  FIG.  4   , the controller  102  can be configured to determine an amount of time expected for a given number of operating boilers  110 A- 110 N to cause the temperature of the water in the system to rise to the target temperature (or set point temperature) and proactively prevent additional boilers  110 A- 110 N from operating. In other words, the controller  102  can proactively reduce the load of a currently operating boiler  110 A- 110 N if, based on the determined amount of time for the system temperature to reach the target temperature  208 , it is likely that operating an additional boiler or continuing to operate the boilers  110 A- 110 N at 100% capacity would cause system overshoot. To make this determination, the controller  102  can analyze historical system data  400  and compare it to the number of operating boilers  110 A- 110 N, the current system temperature, and the target temperature  208  and extrapolate an expected amount of time it would take to detect a change in the rate at which the system temperature is increasing based on the number of boilers  110 A- 110 N currently operating and the individual capacity of the boilers  110 A- 110 N currently operating. By determining the amount of time it would take to detect a change in the rate at which the system temperature is increasing, the controller  102  can predict how quickly the system temperature would rise after turning on a boiler  110 A- 110 N because the rate at which the system temperature rises will increase with each additional boiler  110 A- 110 N operated. 
     As an example, the controller  102  can analyze historical system data  400  to determine that it can take approximately three minutes  404  to detect a change in the rate of temperature increase of the water in the boiler system  100  after turning on  402  a single boiler  110 A- 110 N with no other boilers  110 A- 110 N operating based on the historical system data  400 . The controller  102  can determine that it can take approximately one and a half minutes  408  to detect a change in the rate of temperature increase of the water in the boiler system  100  after turning on  406  a second boiler  110 A- 110 N Similarly, the controller  102  can determine that it would take approximately forty-five seconds to detect a change in the rate of temperature increase of the water in the boiler system  100  after turning on a third boiler  110 A- 110 N (not shown). Similar calculations can be made depending on the number of operating boilers  110 A- 110 N. Thus, the controller  102  can calculate, based on the historical data and the number of operating boilers  110 A- 110 N, an expected time that it would take after turning on an additional boiler  110 A- 110 N for the temperature of the water in the system to reach the target temperature  208 . If the controller  102  determines that, based on the calculated expected time, operating an additional boiler  110 A- 110 N or continuing to operate the boilers  110 A- 110 N at 100% capacity would likely cause system overshoot, the controller  102  can determine that an additional boiler  110 A- 110 N should not be operated or that one or more boilers  110 A- 110 N should be modulated to a lower capacity. In this way, the controller  102  can proactively control the boilers  110 A- 110 N to prevent excessive system overshoot. 
     Optionally, the controller  102  can determine the amount of time it would take to detect a change in the rate at which the system temperature is increasing based on the current system temperature and an individual capacity of a boiler  110 A- 110 N without considering historical system data  400 . For example, the controller  102  can be configured to determine how quickly a change in the rate at which the system temperature is increasing will be detected by considering the current system temperature, the individual boiler&#39;s  110 A- 110 N capacity, and system parameters such as the size of the boiler system  100 , a flow rate of the water through the boiler system  100 , a present load on the boiler system  100 , or other suitable parameters for the application. 
     Each of the examples described herein can be further implemented in boiler systems  100  having various boiler capacities and boiler types. For example, the boiler system  100  can have boilers  110 A- 110 N having varying capacities and comprising both condensing boilers and non-condensing boilers. The controller  102  can be configured to receive data corresponding to each boiler  110 A- 110 N (e.g., receive data from each boiler) such that the controller  102  can determine the type and capacity of each boiler  110 A- 110 N in the system. The controller  102  can calculate a total plant output for the currently operating boilers  110 A- 110 N (e.g., by aggregating the individual max capacity of each individual boiler) and determine if any of the available boilers  110 A- 110 N (the remaining boilers  110 A- 110 N currently in standby mode) can be operated without causing system overshoot. 
     For example, the controller  102  can be configured to control a boiler system  100  having boilers  110 A- 110 N with capacities of 300 k BTU, 1M BTU, and 2M BTU. In this example, the controller  102  can determine a BTU output (capacity) of each individual boiler  110 A- 110 N as the boiler  110 A- 110 N is modulated between 0% capacity and 100% capacity. For example, the controller  102  can determine the capacities of each boiler  110 A- 110 N in the system according to the following table: 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 10% 
                 25% 
                 50% 
                 75% 
                 100% 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 Boiler#1 
                 30,000 
                 75,000 
                 150,000 
                 225,000 
                 300,000 
               
               
                 Boiler#2 
                 100,000 
                 250,000 
                 500,000 
                 750,000 
                 1,000,000 
               
               
                 Boiler#3 
                 200,000 
                 500,000 
                 1,000,000 
                 1,500,000 
                 2,000,000 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     where the percentage values correspond to a modulated rate of the boiler  110 A- 110 N and the values below the percentage values correspond to the boiler&#39;s  110 A- 110 N output with the given modulated capacity (e.g., Boiler #1 is capable of outputting 30 k BTU when modulated down to 10% output and 300 k BTU when modulated to 100% output, etc.). The controller  102  can then determine which boiler  110 A- 110 N to output a control signal to based on the current load demand and the maximum plant rate equation previously described. In contrast to the previous examples, however, the controller  102  can further determine that multiple boilers  110 A- 110 N should be modulated to a load less than 100% of the capacity of the boiler  110 A- 110 N to meet the maximum plant rate. For example, if the controller  102  calculates a maximum plant rate of 2.5, the controller  102  can determine that it should output a control signal to operate two boilers at 100% capacity and modulate a third to a reduced capacity or the controller  102  can determine that all three boilers  110 A- 110 N should be modulated to a reduced capacity to meet the maximum plant rate. The controller  102  can determine which boiler  110 A- 110 N should be modulated to a lower capacity based, for example, on a rotation schedule to reduce individual boiler wear or based on the individual efficiency of each boiler  110 A- 110 N at given output rates. 
     As will be appreciated, the examples described herein can cause the boiler system  100  to raise the temperature of the water to the target temperature  208  without causing excessive overshoot by reducing the overall system output as the water temperature reaches the target temperature  208 . In other words, unlike existing systems, the disclosed technology does not continue to operate all boilers called upon to raise the temperature of the water until the maximum temperature  212  is reached. By outputting a control signal to the boilers  110 A- 110 N to instruct the boilers to transition to a standby mode or to modulate the capacity to a reduced load (i.e., modulate a given boiler to less than 100% of the boiler&#39;s individual maximum capacity) as the target temperature  208  is reached and exceeded, the controller  102  can prevent excessive overshoot of the system. Furthermore, the examples just described are offered merely for illustrative purposes and the actual control and output of the boiler system  100  can be configured for the particular design. For example, the boiler system  100  can be varied by number of boilers, boiler output, system demand, and other various system parameters that can affect the performance of the boilers  110 A- 110 N. Thus, one of skill in the art will understand that the disclosed technology can be modified for the particular application to ensure excessive system overshoot is prevented. 
       FIG.  5    is a flowchart of a method  500  of operating a cascade boiler system according to the disclosed technology. The method  500  can include receiving  502  a threshold temperature and a maximum temperature setting. The maximum temperature setting can be based on, for example, the threshold temperature and a temperature differential setting (e.g., the maximum temperature can be half the temperature differential added to the threshold temperature). The method  500  can include receiving  504  temperature data indicative of a temperature of water in a boiler system. The method  500  can include determining  506  whether the temperature of the water in the boiler system is greater than or equal to the threshold temperature based on the temperature data. In response to determining  506  that the temperature of the water in the boiler system is greater than or equal to the threshold temperature, the method  500  can include determining  508  a number of operating boilers that were operating when the threshold temperature was reached. In response to determining  508  that the temperature of the water in the boiler system is greater than or equal to the threshold temperature, the method  500  can include determining  510   a  temperature increment value based on the threshold temperature, the maximum temperature, and the number of operating boilers (e.g., as described herein with respect to Equation 1). 
     The method  500  can include determining  512  a maximum number of boilers value based on the temperature increment value, the temperature data, and the number of operating boilers (e.g., as described herein with respect to Equation 2). The method  500  can include determining  514  a number of boilers of the plurality of boilers to operate at 100% individual capacity based on the maximum number of boilers value and outputting  516  a control signal to the currently operating boilers to operate the number of boilers of the plurality of boilers at 100% individual capacity and outputting  518  a second control signal to a remaining number of boilers to cause the remaining number of boilers to be in a standby mode. 
     As another example,  FIG.  6    depicts another method  600  of operating a cascade boiler system according to the disclosed technology. Similar to method  500 , method  600  can include receiving  602  a threshold temperature and a maximum temperature setting. The maximum temperature setting can be based on, for example, the threshold temperature and a differential temperature setting (e.g., the maximum temperature can be half the temperature differential added to the threshold temperature). The method  600  can include receiving  604  temperature data indicative of a temperature of water in a boiler system. The method  600  can include determining  606  whether the temperature of the water in the boiler system is greater than or equal to the threshold temperature based on the temperature data. In response to determining  606  that the temperature of the water in the boiler system is greater than or equal to the threshold temperature, the method  600  can include determining  608  a number of operating boilers that were operating when the threshold temperature was reached. In response to determining  608  that the temperature of the water in the boiler system is greater than or equal to the threshold temperature, the method  600  can include determining  610  a temperature increment value based on the threshold temperature, the maximum temperature, and the number of operating boilers (e.g., as described herein with respect to Equation 1) and determining  612   a  maximum number of boilers value based on the temperature increment value, the temperature data, and the number of operating boilers (e.g., as described herein with respect to Equation 2). 
     The method  600  can include determining  614  a maximum plant rate value by dividing the maximum number of boilers value by the total number of boilers available for control (e.g., as described herein with respect to Equation 3). The method  600  can include determining  616 , based on the maximum plant rate value, a first number of boilers to operate at 100% capacity and a second number of boilers at less than 100% capacity. The method  600  can include outputting  618  a control signal to the currently operating boilers to operate the first number of boilers at 100% capacity, outputting  620  a second control signal to the currently operating boilers of to operate the second number of boilers at less than 100% capacity, and/or outputting  622  a third control signal to a remaining number of boilers to cause the remaining number of boilers to be in a standby mode. 
       FIG.  7    depicts another example method  700  of operating a cascade boiler system according to the disclosed technology. Similar to the methods  500  and  600 , the method  700  can include receiving  702  a threshold temperature and a maximum temperature setting. The maximum temperature setting can be based on, for example, the threshold temperature and a differential temperature setting (e.g., the maximum temperature can be half the temperature differential added to the threshold temperature). The method  700  can include receiving  704  temperature data indicative of a temperature of water in a boiler system, receiving  706  boiler data indicative of an individual capacity of each boiler in the boiler system, and receiving  708  historical system data associated with the boiler system. The historical boiler data can be, for example, historical temperature data, historical flow rates, historical boiler output, or other historical data that can relate to the operation of the boiler system. The method  700  can include determining  710  whether the temperature of the water in the boiler system is less than the threshold temperature based on the temperature data. In response to determining  710  that the temperature of the water in the boiler system is less than the threshold temperature, the method  700  can include outputting  712  a control signal to one or more boilers of a plurality of boilers to heat the water in the boiler system. The method  700  can include determining  714  a rate of temperature change of the temperature of the water in the boiler system based on the temperature data, the boiler data, and/or the historical system data. The method can include determining  716  a predicted amount of time for the temperature of the water in the boiler system to reach the threshold temperature based on the rate of temperature change. In response to determining  716  the predicted amount of time for the temperature of the water in the boiler system to reach the threshold temperature, the method  700  can include outputting  718  a control signal to a boiler of a plurality of boilers for the boiler to be in a standby mode to prevent the boiler from providing heat to the water in the boiler system. 
     As will be appreciated, the methods  500 ,  600 , and  700  just described can be varied in accordance with the various elements and examples described herein. That is, methods in accordance with the disclosed technology can include all or some of the steps described above and/or can include additional steps not expressly disclosed above. Further, methods in accordance with the disclosed technology can include some, but not all, of a particular step described above. 
     Throughout this disclosure, reference is made to controlling the boiler system  100  based on a target temperature or threshold temperature. In many examples, the target temperature is referenced as being a temperature setpoint with a differential temperature range which spans temperatures that are greater than and less than the target temperature. As will be appreciated, the methods and systems described above can similarly be configured to operate based on a predetermined temperature that can be greater than or less than the target temperature with the boiler system still being configured to prevent system temperature overshoot. 
     While the present disclosure has been described in connection with a plurality of exemplary aspects, as illustrated in the various figures and discussed above, it is understood that other similar aspects can be used, or modifications and additions can be made to the described aspects for performing the same function of the present disclosure without deviating therefrom. For example, in various aspects of the disclosure, methods and compositions were described according to aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter. But other equivalent methods or compositions to these described aspects are also contemplated by the teachings herein. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be limited to any single aspect, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims.