Systems and Methods for Controlling Humidity

• US 20120228393A1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Garrett, Carl L., Storm, Timothy Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 9,835,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/44.A
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/0008 for air-humidification 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/67 Switching between heating and cooling modes
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 22/02 characterised by the use of electric means

Abstract

An HVAC system has a plurality of humidity sensors and a controller configured to selectively control which of the plurality of humidity sensors affects operation of the HVAC system. A method of controlling humidity includes providing a plurality of humidity sensors, assigning one of the plurality of humidity sensors as a humidity priority sensor, and affecting a humidity in response to feedback from the humidity priority sensor. A system controller for an HVAC system has an interface configured to present a plurality of humidity sensors and the system controller is configured to allow a user to select which of the plurality of humidity sensors affects operation of the HVAC system.

Claims

1. An HVAC system, comprising:

a plurality of humidity sensors;

a controller configured to selectively control which of the plurality of humidity sensors affects operation of the HVAC system.

2. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to allow a user to select which of the plurality of humidity sensors affects operation of the HVAC system.

3. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of humidity sensors is located remote from the controller.

4. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to automatically select which of the plurality of humidity sensors affects operation of the HVAC system based on feedback from the plurality of humidity sensors.

5. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the HVAC system is configured to operate to reduce humidity in response to a selected one of the plurality of humidity sensors sensing a humidity greater than a target humidity.

6. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to allow a user to specify different target humidity to different ones of the plurality of humidity sensors.

7. A method of controlling humidity, comprising:

providing a plurality of humidity sensors;

assigning one of the plurality of humidity sensors as a humidity priority sensor; and

affecting a humidity in response to feedback from the humidity priority sensor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the affecting the humidity comprises operating an HVAC system.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the humidity sensors are components of a first HVAC system.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the humidity sensors is a component of a first HVAC system and wherein at least one of the humidity sensors is a component of a second HVAC system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the humidity priority sensor is a component of the first HVAC system and wherein the affecting the humidity comprises operating the second HVAC system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the humidity priority sensor is presented as a virtual button on a touchscreen interface.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the assigning is performed automatically based on feedback from a plurality of humidity sensors.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the affecting the humidity is performed in response to a target humidity.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

entering the target humidity into a system controller of at least one of the first HVAC system and the second HVAC system.

16. A system controller for an HVAC system, comprising:

an interface configured to present a plurality of humidity sensors;

wherein the system controller is configured to allow a user to select which of the plurality of humidity sensors affects operation of the HVAC system.

17. The system controller of claim 16, wherein at least one of the plurality of humidity sensors is located remote from the system controller.

18. The system controller of claim 16, wherein the system controller is configured to associate a first target humidity with a first humidity sensor of the plurality of humidity sensors for use during operation of the HVAC system in a cooling mode and wherein the system controller is configured to associate a second target humidity with the first humidity sensor for use during operation of the HVAC system in a heating mode.

19. The system controller of claim 18, wherein the first target humidity may be selected from a first range of values and wherein the second target humidity may be selected from a second range of values different from the first range of values.

20. The system controller of claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of humidity sensors is selectable in response to selection of a presented zone of the HVAC system.