HVAC system analysis tool

• US 20070157639A1
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: York International Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Harrod, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,451,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/129
• 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 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24564 Applying rules; Deductive queries

Abstract

A tool for the analysis of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, methods for performing various analyses of an HVAC system with the tool, and a computer executable program used by the tool to perform the analyses are disclosed. The tool includes a processing machine, a database, a memory device having a software program executable by the processing machine, and a display device. The database stores information on each of a plurality of HVAC components and the software program is configured to identify and access information pertaining to at least one HVAC unit in an HVAC system from the database and is configured to generate a wiring diagram using the accessed information from the database that is displayed to the display device.

Claims

1. A heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system analysis tool comprising:

a processing machine;

a database storing information on about each of a plurality of HVAC components;

means for inputting information on at least one HVAC unit in an HVAC system;

a memory device having a software program executable by the processing machine, the software program being configured to identify and access information pertaining to the at least one HVAC unit in the HVAC system from the database and generate a wiring diagram for the at least one HVAC unit using the accessed information from the database; and

a display device to display the generated wiring diagram for a user to analyze the HVAC system.

2. The HVAC system analysis tool of claim 1 wherein the generated wiring diagram illustrates an operational state of the HVAC system.

3. The HVAC system analysis tool of claim of claim 2, wherein the illustrated operational state of the HVAC system includes indicia to identify an energized control terminal and a de-energized control terminal.

4. The HVAC system analysis tool of claim 3, wherein the illustrated operational state of the HVAC system includes an expected operational state.

5. The HVAC system analysis tool of claim 3, wherein the illustrated operational state of the HVAC system includes an actual operational state.

6. The HVAC system analysis tool of claim 2, wherein the software program is further configured to dynamically update the generated wiring diagram in response to changes in the operational state of the HVAC system.

7. The HVAC system analysis tool of claim 1, wherein the means for inputting information includes a communications port, the communications port adapted for connection with a thermostat communications port.

8. The HVAC system analysis tool of claim 1, wherein the generated wiring diagram is a point-to-point wiring diagram.

9. The HVAC system analysis tool of claim 1, further comprising a communication device to transmit information on an HVAC system being analyzed to a remote location.

10. The HVAC system analysis tool of claim 1, wherein the memory device is configured to record information on an HVAC system being analyzed.

11. A method for the dynamic analysis of an HVAC system comprising:

receiving information identifying components in an HVAC system;

accessing information pertaining to the identified components of the HVAC system from a database of HVAC component information;

calculating expected system behavior for at least one operational state of the HVAC system using information accessed from the database;

communicating with the HVAC system to determine an actual behavior of the HVAC system;

comparing the calculated expected system behavior with the received actual system behavior;

generating a wiring diagram for the identified components of the HVAC system using the information accessed from the database of HVAC component information and the comparison of the calculated system behavior with the actual system behavior; and

displaying the generated wiring diagram.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying the generated wiring diagram includes displaying information pertaining to HVAC system behavior.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of displaying information pertaining to HVAC system behavior includes displaying information textually.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of displaying information pertaining to HVAC system behavior includes displaying information symbolically.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the displaying information pertaining to HVAC system behavior includes displaying system behavior selected from the group consisting of the calculated expected system behavior, the received actual system behavior, and the comparison between the expected system behavior and the actual system behavior, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of receiving information identifying components in an HVAC system includes automatically receiving information identifying components in the HVAC system.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of communicating with the HVAC system includes receiving communications from a thermostat communications port.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of accessing information pertaining to the identified components occurs at a location remote from the HVAC system being dynamically analyzed.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising recording the communications with the HVAC system in a memory device.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of displaying the generated wiring diagram includes displaying as a point-to-point wiring diagram.

21. A software product comprising instructions embodied on a computer readable medium and executable by a microprocessor, the software product executing the steps of:

receiving information identifying components in an HVAC system;

accessing information pertaining to the identified components of the HVAC system from a database of HVAC component information;

calculating expected system behavior for a plurality of operational states of the HVAC system using information accessed from the database;

receiving communications from the HVAC system to determine actual system behavior;

comparing the calculated expected system behavior with the received actual system behavior;

generating a wiring diagram for the identified components of the HVAC system using the information accessed from the database of HVAC component information and the comparison of the calculated system behavior and the actual system behavior; and

displaying the generated wiring diagram.