METHOD FOR OPERATING AN HVAC SYSTEM

• US 20140216704A1
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Burke, William Jerome, Wen, Yicheng
• Application Number:
  US13/761,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20140216704A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/201
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode

Abstract

A method for operating an HVAC system is provided. The method includes providing a model for an indoor temperature, y, of a building, providing predicted future outdoor temperatures, and calculating an activation time or an adjustment time interval for the HVAC system utilizing at least the model for y and the predicted future outdoor temperatures. Operation of the HVAC system can be improved with the activation time or the adjustment time interval.

Claims

1. A method for operating an HVAC system, the HVAC system configured for cooling air within a building, heating air within the building, or both, the method comprising:

providing a model for an indoor temperature, y, of the building;

providing predicted future outdoor temperatures;

calculating an adjustment time interval for the HVAC system utilizing at least the model for y and the predicted future outdoor temperatures.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment time interval corresponds to a period of time required for the HVAC system to adjust the indoor temperature of the building from an initial temperature, T₀, to a final temperature, T_f, wherein T₀ and T_f are unequal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining an initial time, t₀, at which the indoor temperature of the building is T₀ and a final time, t_f, at which the indoor temperature of the building is T_f, the adjustment time interval corresponding to the difference between t₀ and t_f; and

activating the HVAC system at t₀ such the indoor temperature of the building is T_f at t_f.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the model for y comprises a second order linear model.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the model for y comprises

y_k=a₁y_k−

1+a₂y<sub>k−

2</sub>+b₁v<sub>k−

1</sub>+b₂u<sub>k−

1</sub>

where

y_k is an indoor temperature of the building at time k,

y<sub>k−

1</sub> is an indoor temperature of the building at time k−

1,

y<sub>k−

2</sub> is an indoor temperature of the building at time k−

2,

v<sub>k−

1</sub> is an outdoor temperature at time k−

1,

u<sub>k−

1</sub> is an operating state of the HVAC system at time k−

1, and

a₁, a₂, b₁, and b₂ are constants.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of calculating comprises calculating the adjustment time interval with the following:

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of calculating comprises calculating the adjustment time interval in order to minimize energy consumption of the HVAC system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of calculating comprises calculating the adjustment time interval with the following:

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing predicted future outdoor temperatures comprises determining predicted future outdoor temperatures based upon weather forecast data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of providing predicted future outdoor temperatures comprises providing predicted future outdoor temperatures using the following:

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

turning on the HVAC system at the activation time; and

running the HVAC system in order to adjust the indoor temperature of the building from an initial temperature, T₀, to a final temperature, T_f, after said step of turning on.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the model for y comprises a second order linear model.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the model for y comprises

y_k=a₁y_k−

1+a₂y<sub>k−

2</sub>+b₁v<sub>k−

1</sub>+b₂u<sub>k−

1</sub>

where

y_k is an indoor temperature of the building at time k,

y<sub>k−

1</sub> is an indoor temperature of the building at time k−

1,

y<sub>k−

2</sub> is an indoor temperature of the building at time k−

2,

v<sub>k−

1</sub> is an outdoor temperature at time k−

1,

u<sub>k−

1</sub> is an operating state of the HVAC system at time k−

1, and

a₁, a₂, b₁, and b₂ are constants.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of calculating comprises calculating the activation time with the following:

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of calculating comprises calculating the activation time in order to minimize energy consumption of the HVAC system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of calculating comprises calculating the activation time with the following:

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing predicted future outdoor temperatures comprises determining predicted future outdoor temperatures based upon weather forecast data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of providing predicted future outdoor temperatures comprises providing predicted future outdoor temperatures using the following:

11. A method for operating an HVAC system, the HVAC system configured for cooling air within a building, heating air within the building, or both, the method comprising:

providing a model for an interior temperature, y, of the building;

providing predicted future exterior temperatures of the building;

calculating an activation time for the HVAC system utilizing at least the model for y and the predicted future outdoor temperatures.