Automatic Control System and Method to Minimize Oscillation in Ceiling Fans

• US 20090162197A1
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta T Corporation (Spectris PLC), Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Delta T Corporation (Spectris PLC)
• Inventors: Klemo, Elios, Oleson, Richard A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,123,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 416/1
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/088 Ceiling fans
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/004 by varying driving speed
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/662 Balancing of rotors compensating unbalance G01M1/36
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A fan system includes a fan and a fan rotation speed control. The speed control is operable to command the fan to rotate at a speed selected from a certain range of rotation speeds. A fan oscillation detector may be coupled with the fan to detect oscillation of the fan as the speed control is operated to rotate the fan at various speeds among the range of fan rotation speeds. The fan oscillation detector may comprise an accelerometer or other device. Oscillation amounts detected by the oscillation detector are compared against each other or against an oscillation threshold value. A programmer device identifies fan rotation speeds at which the oscillation amount exceeds the threshold or is otherwise unacceptable, and programs the fan rotation speed control to prevent an operator from being able to select those speeds at which the oscillation amount exceeds the threshold or is otherwise unacceptable.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a fan system, the method comprising:

(a) providing a fan, wherein the fan is operable to rotate about an axis;

(b) providing a fan control, wherein the fan control is operable to control rotation of the fan, wherein the fan control is operable to select a fan rotation speed from an available range of fan rotation speeds and cause the fan to rotate at a selected speed;

(c) operating the fan at a plurality of different speeds;

(d) monitoring oscillation of the fan relative to the axis; and

(e) programming the fan control to prevent selectability of one or more fan rotation speeds from the range of fan rotation speeds in response to the act of monitoring.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising correlating monitored oscillation amounts with associated fan rotation speeds from the plurality of different speeds.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising comparing monitored oscillation amounts to a certain oscillation value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the certain oscillation value comprises a predetermined oscillation threshold.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining which speeds of the plurality of different speeds correspond with oscillation amounts exceeding the certain oscillation value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the act of disabling selectability of one or more fan rotation speeds comprises disabling selectability of speeds corresponding with oscillation amounts exceeding the certain oscillation value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the fan has an attached accelerometer, wherein the act of monitoring oscillation of the fan comprises receiving data from the accelerometer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the accelerometer is in communication with the fan control.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an installer interface device in communication with the fan control, wherein the act of monitoring oscillation of the fan is performed at least in part by the installer interface device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the fan has an attached accelerometer, wherein the accelerometer is in communication with the installer interface device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the installer interface device comprises a computer programmed to perform the act of monitoring oscillation of the fan, wherein the computer is further programmed to perform the act of programming the fan control.

12. A system, the system comprising:

(a) a fan, wherein the fan is operable to rotate about an axis;

(b) a fan control, wherein the fan control is operable to control rotation of the fan, wherein the fan control is operable to select a fan rotation speed from an available range of fan rotation speeds and cause the fan to rotate at a selected speed;

(c) an oscillation monitor, wherein the oscillation monitor is configured to detect and monitor oscillation of the fan relative to the axis; and

(d) a fan control programmer in communication with the fan control, wherein the fan control programmer is further in communication with the oscillation monitor, wherein the fan control programmer is operable to program the fan control in response to oscillation detected by the oscillation monitor.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the oscillation monitor comprises an accelerometer, wherein the accelerometer is operable to detect oscillation of the fan relative to the axis.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the oscillation monitor further comprises an installer interface device, wherein the installer interface device is operable to compare oscillations detected by the accelerometer.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the fan control programmer is operable to program the fan control to prevent one or more speeds from being selected from the range of fan rotation speeds through the fan control.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the fan control programmer is configured to correlate oscillation amounts with associated fan rotation speeds from the range of different fan rotation speeds.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising an installer interface device in communication with the fan control, wherein the fan control programmer and at least a portion of the oscillation monitor are integrated into the installer interface device.

18. A method of programming a fan speed control device, wherein the fan speed control device is operable to select a plurality of fan rotation speeds from among a range of fan rotation speeds and cause a fan to rotate at a selected speed, the method comprising:

(a) tracking fan oscillation amounts as the fan is rotated through the range of rotation speeds;

(b) comparing the tracked fan oscillation amounts to an oscillation threshold;

(c) determining which one or more fan rotation speeds are associated with tracked fan oscillation amounts exceeding the oscillation threshold; and

(d) programming the speed control to prevent selectability of the one or more fan rotations speeds that are associated with oscillation amounts exceeding the oscillation threshold.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising tracking fan rotation speeds, wherein the act of tracking fan rotation speeds is performed substantially simultaneously with the act of tracking fan oscillation amounts.