Adaptive real-time optimization control

• US 20080179409A1
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Seem, John E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,827,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/49.3
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/0001 for ventilation F24F11/30 takes precedence
• 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 11/62 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 2011/0002 for admittance of outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2011/0006 using low temperature external supply air to assist cooling
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/042 in which a parameter or coefficient is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1931 to control the temperature of one space
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/54 Free-cooling systems

Abstract

Systems and methods to regulate the amount of outdoor air that is introduced into a building. These systems and methods determine the mechanical load requirements based on adaptive control functionality. These systems and methods utilize extremum seeking control logic to vary the flow of outdoor air into the building in response to these load determinations.

Claims

1. A method for operating a system which regulates an amount of outdoor air that is introduced into a building and operates a mechanical temperature control device that varies temperature in the building, the method comprising:

monitoring a heating control signal, a damper control signal, a cooling control signal and an outdoor air temperature in a first state; and

performing a state comparison of the heating control signal, the damper signal, the cooling signal and the outdoor air temperature to a predetermined range of values; and

transitioning into a second state based on the state comparison.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

measuring the outdoor air temperature;

performing a temperature comparison of the outdoor temperature to a predetermined range of temperatures; and

transitioning into the first state based on the temperature comparison.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein an extremum seeking control circuit is used for varying the flow of outdoor air into the building.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined range of values is based on a geographic region.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring the heating control signal, the damper control signal, the cooling control signal and the outdoor air temperature is initiated on a predetermined interval for at least the first state.

6. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the predetermined range of temperatures are:

less than 35°

F. for a heating state;

less than 53°

F. and greater than or equal to 35°

F. for a free cooling state;

less than 63°

F. and greater than or equal to 53°

F. for a mechanical cooling state; and

greater than or equal to 63°

F. for a self-optimizing state.

7. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the predetermined range of temperatures is based on a geographic region.

8. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the predetermined range of temperatures is based on a system design.

9. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the at least first state comprises the first state, the second state, a third state and a fourth state.

10. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the at least first state comprises the first state, the second state, a third state, a fourth state and a fifth state.

11. A method for operating a system which regulates an amount of outdoor air that is introduced into a building and operates a mechanical temperature control device that varies temperature in the building, the method comprising:

monitoring a heating control signal, a damper control signal, a cooling control signal, an outdoor air temperature and an outdoor air humidity in a first state;

computing an outdoor air enthalpy, a state a enthalpy, a state b enthalpy, an outdoor air specific volume, a state b specific volume and a state a temperature;

performing a state comparison of the heating control signal, the damper signal, the cooling signal, the outdoor air temperature, the outdoor air enthalpy, the state a enthalpy, the state b enthalpy, the outdoor air specific volume, the state b specific volume and the state a temperature to a predetermined range of values; and

transitioning into a second state based on the state comparison.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

comparing the outdoor air temperature, the state a temperature, the outdoor air enthalpy, the state a enthalpy, the state b enthalpy, the outdoor air specific volume and the state b specific volume to a predetermined range of values; and

transitioning into the first state based on the comparison.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the predetermined range of values is based on a geographic region.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein an extremum seeking control circuit is used for varying the flow of outdoor air into the building.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein performing the state comparison of the heating control signal, the damper signal, the cooling signal, the outdoor air temperature, the outdoor air enthalpy, the state a enthalpy, the state b enthalpy, the outdoor air specific volume, the state b specific volume and the state a temperature to a predetermined range of values is initiated on a predetermined interval for at least the first state.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the predetermined range of values are:

the outdoor air temperature is less than 35°

F. for a heating state;

the outdoor air temperature is less than 53°

F. and greater than or equal to 35°

F. for a free cooling state;

the outdoor air temperature is greater than or equal to 53°

F. and the outdoor air enthalpy is less than the state a enthalpy for a mechanical cooling state;

the outdoor air temperature is greater than or equal to the state a temperature and the outdoor air enthalpy is less than or equal to the state b enthalpy or the outdoor air enthalpy is greater than or equal to the state a enthalpy and the outdoor air specific volume is less than or equal to the state b specific volume for a self-optimizing state; and

the outdoor air enthalpy is greater than the state b enthalpy and the outdoor air specific volume is greater than the state b specific volume for a mechanical cooling with minimum outdoor air state.

17. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the predetermined range of values is based on a system maintenance.

18. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the predetermined range of values is based on a system design.

19. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the predetermined range of values is based on a system configuration.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the at least first state comprises the first state, the second state, a third state, a fourth state and a fifth state.

21. A space conditioning device comprising:

an air-handling unit;

a means for cooling an air coupled to the air-handling unit;

a means for heating the air coupled to the air-handling unit;

a means for controlling the space conditioning device;

at least one means for controlling a flow of the air coupled to the means for controlling the space conditioning device and the air-handling unit; and

wherein the means for controlling the space conditioning device is configured to control the at least one means for controlling the flow of the air utilizing extremum logic.

22. The space conditioning device of claim 21, further comprising at least one temperature sensor and at least one humidity sensor.

23. The space conditioning device of claim 21, wherein the means for controlling the space conditioning device monitors a heating control signal, a damper control signal, a cooling control signal and an outdoor air temperature in a first state;

wherein the means for controlling the space conditioning device performs a state comparison of the heating control signal, the damper signal, the cooling signal and the outdoor air temperature to a predetermined range of values; and

transitions into a second state based on the state comparison.

24. The space conditioning device of claim 23, wherein the predetermined range of values are:

less than 35°

F. for a heating state;

less than 53°

F. and greater than or equal to 35°

F. for a free cooling state;

less than 63°

F. and greater than or equal to 53°

F. for a mechanical cooling state; and

greater than or equal to 63°

F. for a self-optimizing state.