AUTOMATED FUNCTIONAL DIAGNOSIS

• US 20140067135A1
• Filed: 04/11/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Belimo Holding AG
• Original Assignee: Belimo Holding AG
• Inventors: Lehnert, Frank, Schmidlin, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,845,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/042 with electric means, e.g. for controlling the motor or a clutch between the valve and the motor
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0041 for measuring valve parameters F16K37/0033 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/005 for measuring fluid parameters F16K37/0033 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 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• 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 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/1426 characterised by actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/30 Velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/40 Pressure, e.g. wind pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/40 Damper positions, e.g. open or closed

Abstract

The invention is based on an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) system which comprises the following components: a) a fluid flow duct (1), b) a fluid flow valve (7) which is arranged therein and has a valve body (5) in the fluid flow duct (1) and a valve motor (15) which moves the valve body (5), c) a control circuit for activating the valve motor, d) a sensor (8) in the fluid flow duct (1) and e) an evaluation module for evaluating signals of the sensor. In order to produce an automated functional control, the following procedure is adopted: f) a first actuation signal is preset for the valve motor by the control circuit, and the actuation signal corresponds to a first setpoint position of the valve body (5), g) registration of a first signal of the sensor (8) by the evaluation module, and h) determination of a functional diagnosis of the fluid flow valve on the basis of the first signal of the sensor.

Claims

1. A method for automated functional monitoring of an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) system which comprises

a) a fluid flow duct,

b) a fluid flow valve which is arranged in the fluid flow duct and has a valve body in the fluid flow duct and a valve motor which moves the valve body,

c) a control circuit for actuating the valve motor,

d) a sensor in the fluid flow duct, and

e) an evaluation module for evaluating signals of the sensor,

comprising the following steps:

f) predefining a first actuation signal to the valve motor by means of the control circuit, wherein the actuation signal corresponds to a first setpoint position of the valve body,

g) registering a first signal of the sensor by means of the evaluation module, and

h) determining a functional diagnosis of the fluid flow valve on the basis of the first signal of the sensor.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the functional diagnosis is determined as the possible result of at least two, preferably not more than three, setpoint positions of the valve body.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, comprising the functional diagnosis is transmitted to a central unit which is configured to monitor a plurality of fluid flow valves.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, prior to the registration of the first signal of the sensor, a fluid flow is made available in the fluid flow duct of the HVAC system, and wherein the sensor is designed to measure a fluid flow parameter of the fluid flow, in particular a fluid pressure, a fluid speed or a fluid volume.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is designed to measure an audible signal.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first setpoint position is a closed position of the valve body.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, before the first actuation signal is predefined or after the registration of the first signal of the sensor, the following steps are carried out:

a) predefining a second actuation signal, different from the first actuation signal, to the valve motor by means of the control circuit, wherein the second actuation signal corresponds to a second setpoint position of the fluid flow valve,

b) registering a second signal of the sensor, and

c) determining the functional diagnosis of the fluid flow valve on the basis of the first and the second signals of the sensor by means of the evaluation module.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the functional diagnosis is determined in such a way that the proper seal of the fluid flow duct is determined as a functional state.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid flow valve is a fire damper, and wherein functional diagnosis is determined in such a way that the sealed closing of the fire damper is determined.

10. System for automated functional monitoring of an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) system, comprising:

a) a fluid flow duct,

b) a fluid flow valve which is arranged in the fluid flow duct and has a valve body in the fluid flow duct and a valve motor which moves the valve body and which has the purpose of actuating the fluid flow valve,

c) a control circuit for controlling the valve motor,

d) a sensor in the fluid flow duct,

wherein

e) the control circuit is designed to predefine a first actuation signal to the valve motor, and wherein

f) an evaluation module is designed to determine a functional diagnosis of the fluid flow valve on the basis of a signal of the sensor.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising

a) a fluid flow drive for making available a fluid flow in the fluid flow duct, and

b) a fluid flow sensor for sensing signals relating to a fluid flow parameter of the fluid flow in the fluid flow duct, wherein the signals relate to a fluid pressure, a fluid speed or a fluid volume of the fluid flow in the fluid flow duct.

12. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the sensor is designed to sense an audible signal.

13. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the evaluation module has a memory for storing reference data, and wherein the evaluation module is embodied in such a way that the functional diagnosis is determined on the basis of a comparison of the signal of the sensor with the reference data.

14. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the evaluation module is designed in such a way that the satisfactory adjustment of the fluid flow valve or the proper seal of a fluid flow duct are determined on the basis of the signal of the sensor as a functional diagnosis of the HVAC system.

15. A fluid flow valve, in particular fire damper device, for installation in a fluid flow duct of an HVAC system, comprising

a) a valve body which can be arranged in the fluid flow duct,

b) a valve motor which moves the valve body and has the purpose of actuating the fluid flow valve,

c) a control circuit for controlling the valve motor,

d) an interface with a sensor which can be arranged in the fluid flow duct,

e) an evaluation module for evaluating signals of the sensor,

f) wherein the control circuit is designed to predefine a first actuation signal to the valve motor, wherein the actuation signal corresponds to a first setpoint position of the valve body,

g) wherein the evaluation module is designed to register a first signal of the sensor and to calculate a functional diagnosis of the fluid flow duct on the basis of the first signal of the sensor.

16. The fluid flow valve as claimed in claim 15, wherein it comprises a microphone as a sensor, and wherein the fluid flow valve further comprises an electro-acoustic transducer for generating sound signals.

17. The fluid flow valve as claimed in claim 15, wherein the control signal is designed to predefine a second actuation signal, different from the first actuation signal, to the valve motor, wherein the actuation signal corresponds to a second setpoint position of the fluid flow valve, and wherein, during the determination of the functional diagnosis, the evaluation module takes into account a second signal which is registered by the sensor.