Residential Solutions HVAC Monitoring and Diagnosis

• US 20120221150A1
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Corporation LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Arensmeier, Jeffrey N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,285,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• 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 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• 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 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/00 Control inputs relating to system states
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0221 Preprocessing measurements, e.g. data collection rate adjustment; Standardization of measurements; Time series or signal analysis, e.g. frequency analysis or wavelets; Trustworthiness of measurements; Indexes therefor; Measurements using easily measured parameters to estimate parameters difficult to measure; Virtual sensor creation; De-noising; Sensor fusion; Unconventional preprocessing inherently present in specific fault detection methods like PCA-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0224 Process history based detection method, e.g. whereby history implies the availability of large amounts of data

Abstract

A monitoring system for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a residence includes a monitoring device installed at the residence and a server located remotely from the residence. The monitoring device measures an aggregate current supplied to a plurality of components of the HVAC system and transmits current data based on the measured aggregate current. The server receives the transmitted current data and, based on the received current, assesses whether a failure has occurred in a first component of the plurality of components of the HVAC system and assesses whether a failure has occurred in a second component of the plurality of components of the HVAC system.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a residence, the monitoring system comprising:

a monitoring device installed at the residence, wherein the monitoring device (i) measures an aggregate current supplied to a plurality of components of the HVAC system and (ii) transmits current data based on the measured aggregate current; and

a server, located remotely from the residence, that receives the transmitted current data and, based on the received current, assesses whether a failure has occurred in a first component of the plurality of components of the HVAC system and assesses whether a failure has occurred in a second component of the plurality of components of the HVAC system.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring device samples the aggregate current over a time period, performs a frequency domain analysis on the samples over the time period, and transmits frequency domain data to the server.

3. The monitoring system of claim 2 wherein the server identifies transition points in the current data and analyzes the frequency domain data around the identified transition points.

4. The monitoring system of claim 2 wherein the server determines whether the failure has occurred in the first component by comparing the frequency domain data to baseline data.

5. The monitoring system of claim 4 wherein the server adapts the baseline data based on normal operation of the HVAC system.

6. The monitoring system of claim 2 wherein the monitoring device determines a single current value for the time period and transmits the single current value to the server without transmitting the samples to the server.

7. The monitoring system of claim 6 wherein the single current value is one of a root mean squared current, an average current, and a peak current.

8. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring device measures the aggregate current over a series of consecutive time periods and transmits a frame of information to the server for each of the time periods.

9. The monitoring system of claim 8 wherein, for a first period of the time periods, the monitoring device transmits a first frame including (i) a single value of the aggregate current during the first period and (ii) a frequency domain representation of the aggregate current during the first period.

10. The monitoring system of claim 9 wherein the first frame does not include individual samples of the aggregate current.

11. The monitoring system of claim 9 wherein the first frame includes a voltage measurement of power arriving at the HVAC system, a temperature measurement, and a representation of status of HVAC control lines during the first period.

12. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring device records control signals from a thermostat and transmits information based on the control signals to the server.

13. The monitoring system of claim 12 wherein the control signals include at least one of call for heat, call for fan, and call for cool.

14. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring device is located in close proximity to an air handler unit of the HVAC system.

15. The monitoring system of claim 14 further comprising a second monitoring device located in close proximity to a second enclosure of the HVAC system, wherein the second enclosure includes at least one of a compressor and a heat pump heat exchanger.

16. The monitoring system of claim 15 wherein the second monitoring device (i) measures an aggregate current supplied to a plurality of components of the second enclosure and (ii) transmits current data based on the measured aggregate current to the server.

17. The monitoring system of claim 16 wherein the second monitoring device transmits the current data to the server via the monitoring device.

18. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring device includes a switch that selectively interrupts an enabling signal to a compressor of the HVAC system.

19. The monitoring system of claim 18 wherein the monitoring device interrupts the enabling signal in response to at least one of (i) a value from a water sensor, (ii) a locked rotor condition of the compressor, and (iii) a command from the server.

20. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the server (i) generates an alert in response to determining presence of a fault of either the first component or the second component and (ii) sends the alert to at least one of a homeowner of the residence and an installation contractor.

21. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the server (i) selectively predicts an impeding failure of the first component based on the received current data, (ii) selectively predicts an impeding failure of the second component based on the received current data, and (iii) generates an alert in response to prediction of impending failure.

22. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of components of the HVAC system includes at least two components selected from:

a flame sensor, a solenoid-operated gas valve, a hot surface igniter, a circulator blower motor, an inducer blower motor, a compressor, a pressure switch, a capacitor, an air filter, a condensing coil, an evaporating coil, and a contactor.