Energy saving controller

• US 10,119,719 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James Leych Lau
• Original Assignee: James Leych Lau
• Inventors: Lau, James Leych
• Primary Examiner(s): Ciric, Ljiljana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cox, Alexis
• Application Number:
  US15/093,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20160223219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/76 by means responsive to temperature, e.g. bimetal springs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/81 by controlling the air supply to heat-exchangers or bypass channels
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/86 by controlling compressors within refrigeration or heat pump circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1931 to control the temperature of one space
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

An energy saving controller for an air handler having a fan and a heater or a compressor, the energy saving controller having circuitry for monitoring of ON and OFF durations of the heater if the air handler is in a heating mode, or the compressor if the air handler is in a cooling mode, in a previous cycle, and, of ON duration of a current cycle, and determining the fan'"'"'s first run time extension based on the ON and OFF durations of the previous cycle and the ON duration of the current cycle.

Claims

1. An energy saving controller for an air handler having a fan and an HVAC component which is a member of the group consisting of a heater and a compressor, the energy saving controller comprising circuitry adapted to monitor ON and OFF durations of the HVAC component in a first cycle, and, of ON duration of a second cycle immediately following the first cycle, and determining the fan'"'"'s first run time extension amount in the second cycle based on the ON and OFF durations of the first cycle and the ON duration of the second cycle, wherein determining the fan'"'"'s first run time extension amount comprises multiplying a predetermined first percentage to the first cycle ON duration, multiplying a predetermined second percentage to the first cycle OFF duration, multiplying a predetermined third percentage to the second cycle ON duration, and adding resulting time amounts.

2. The energy saving controller of claim 1, further being configured to shut down the HVAC component for a first predetermined duration and to override determining of the fan'"'"'s first run time extension amount if the HVAC component have run continuously for a second predetermined duration during the second cycle, while allowing the fan to run for a fan'"'"'s second run time extension amount equal with the first predetermined duration, such that the fan never stops over the second predetermined duration and over the first predetermined duration, and continues to run when the HVAC component starts again in a third cycle immediately following the second cycle.

3. The energy saving controller of claim 1, having a set of input wires identically color coded and equal in number as the number of wires coming from a control board of the air handler and a set of output terminals equal in number with the number of wires coming from the control board of the air handler.

4. The energy saving controller of claim 3, wherein at least one of the input wires is a pass-through wire.

5. A thermostat comprising an energy saving controller for controlling an air handler having a fan and an HVAC component which is a member of the group consisting of a heater and a compressor, the energy saving controller comprising circuitry adapted to monitor ON and OFF durations of the HVAC component in a first cycle, and, of ON duration of a second cycle immediately following the first cycle, and determining the fan'"'"'s first run time extension amount in the second cycle based on the ON and OFF durations of the first cycle and the ON duration of the second cycle, wherein determining the fan'"'"'s first run time extension amount comprises multiplying a predetermined first percentage to the first cycle ON duration, multiplying a predetermined second percentage to the first cycle OFF duration, multiplying a predetermined third percentage to the second cycle ON duration, and adding resulting time amounts.

6. An air handler control board having an energy saving controller for controlling an air handler having a fan and an HVAC component which is a member of the group consisting of a heater and a compressor, the energy saving controller comprising circuitry adapted to monitor ON and OFF durations of the HVAC component in a first cycle, and, of ON duration of a second cycle immediately following the first cycle, and determining the fan'"'"'s first run time extension amount in the second cycle based on the ON and OFF durations of the first cycle and the ON duration of the second cycle, wherein determining the fan'"'"'s first run time extension amount comprises multiplying a predetermined first percentage to the first cycle ON duration, multiplying a predetermined second percentage to the first cycle OFF duration, multiplying a predetermined third percentage to the second cycle ON duration, and adding resulting time amounts.