EFFICIENCY OPTIMIZED AIR FLOW APPARATUS AND METHOD OF OPERATION

• US 20130209274A1
• Filed: 12/17/2012
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrew Carl Frey, Andrew Martin Placek
• Original Assignee: Andrew Carl Frey, Andrew Martin Placek
• Inventors: Frey, Andrew Carl, Placek, Andrew Martin
• Application Number:
  US13/716,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20130209274A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/44.1
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/22 O2
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/38 Gas flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/006 Regulation methods for biological treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/20 using diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0066 by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/004 by varying driving speed
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage

Abstract

A method for controlling the motor of an air handling system to provide a desired output of flowing air therefrom while minimizing the power used by the motor, including operationally connecting a switched reluctance electric motor to a blower, operationally connecting an electronic controller to the switched reluctance electric motor, operationally connecting at least one sensor to the electronic controller, measuring at least one environmental parameter with the at least one sensor, inputting the desired air flow into the electronic controller, calculating the minimum motor speed necessary to provide the desired air flow, and sending a control signal from the electronic controller to the motor to control the motor to the minimum motor speed necessary to provide the desired air flow.

Claims

1. An efficiency-optimized air handling system, comprising:

a blower;

a switched reluctance electric motor operationally connected to the blower;

an electronic controller operationally connected to the switched reluctance electric motor; and

a sensor array operationally connected to the electronic controller;

wherein the sensor array includes sensors for measuring one or more parameters from the set including air flow, dissolved oxygen, blower discharge pressure, blower discharge temperature, blower inlet pressure, ambient air relative humidity, ambient air temperature, barometric pressure, blower speed, motor voltage, and motor amperage;

wherein the electronic controller uses data from the sensor array to calculate the optimal motor speed for achieving motor/controller efficiency of over 90% when the system is at full load.

2. The air handling system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller uses data from the sensor array to calculate the optimal motor speed for achieving motor/controller efficiency of about 90% when system is at about 66% load.

3. The air handling system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller uses data from the sensor array to calculate the optimal motor speed for achieving motor/controller efficiency of about 85% when system is at about 33% load.

4. The air handling system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller uses data from the sensor array to calculate the optimal motor speed for providing a desired air flow with minimized power consumption, such that the motor/controller efficiency is at least 90% when the system is at full load and motor speed is within a range of from about 500 RPM to about 3500 RPM.

5. An efficiency-optimized air handling system, comprising:

a blower;

a switched reluctance electric motor operationally connected to the blower;

an electronic controller operationally connected to the switched reluctance electric motor; and

a sensor array operationally connected to the electronic controller;

wherein the sensor array includes sensors for measuring one or more parameters from the set including air flow, dissolved oxygen, blower discharge pressure, blower discharge temperature, blower inlet pressure, ambient air relative humidity, ambient air temperature, barometric pressure, blower speed, motor voltage, and motor amperage;

wherein the electronic controller uses data from the sensor array to calculate the optimal motor speed for achieving a blower efficiency of over 60% when the system is at full load.

6. The air handling system of claim 5, wherein the electronic controller uses data from the sensor array to calculate the optimal motor speed for providing a desired air flow with minimized power consumption, such that the blower efficiency is at least about 80% when the system is at full load and the motor speed is within a range of from about 500 RPM to about 3500 RPM.

7. An efficiency-optimized air handling system, comprising:

a blower;

a switched reluctance electric motor operationally connected to the blower;

an electronic controller operationally connected to the switched reluctance electric motor; and

a sensor array operationally connected to the electronic controller;

wherein the sensor array includes sensors for measuring one or more parameters from the set including air flow, dissolved oxygen, blower discharge pressure, blower discharge temperature, blower inlet pressure, ambient air relative humidity, ambient air temperature, barometric pressure, blower speed, motor voltage, and motor amperage;

wherein the electronic controller uses data from the sensor array to calculate the optimal motor speed for achieving an overall system efficiency of over 50% when the system is at full load.

8. The air handling system of claim 7, wherein the electronic controller uses data from the sensor array to calculate the optimal motor speed for achieving an overall system efficiency of over 55% when the system is at 66% load.

9. The air handling system of claim 7, wherein the electronic controller uses data from the sensor array to calculate the optimal motor speed for achieving an overall system efficiency of over 50% when the system is at 33% load.

10. The air handling system of claim 7, wherein the electronic controller uses data from the sensor array to calculate the optimal motor speed for providing a desired air flow with minimized power consumption, such that the overall system efficiency is at least about 55% when the system is at full load and the motor speed is within a range of from about 500 RPM to about 3500 RPM.

11. An efficiency process control system for a constant air flow air handling system comprising:

a blower assembly comprising electric variable speed motor operationally connected to a blower;

a microprocessor in electric communication with the blower assembly; and

a sensor array in electric communication with the microprocessor and having an air flow sensor, a blower speed sensor, an oxygen sensor, and a motor amperage sensor;

wherein the air flow sensor is positioned to measure an air flow rate of air urged by the blower assembly; and

wherein the microprocessor receives sensor data from the sensor array and calculates the minimum blower speed required to achieve a desired air flow based upon the sensor data and electronically communicating the minimum blower speed to the blower assembly.

12. A method for efficiently running a blower assembly comprising:

receiving, by a microprocessor, sensor data, the sensor data obtained from a sensor array comprising an air flow sensor, a blower speed sensor, an oxygen sensor, and a motor amperage sensor;

calculating, by the microprocessor, a minimum blower speed required to achieve a desired air flow based upon the sensor data; and

regulating a speed of a blower assembly, by the microprocessor, such that the blower assembly is operated at the minimum speed required to achieve the desired air flow.