SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING HVAC EQUIPMENT SO AS TO OBTAIN A DESIRED RANGE OF A SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL AND/OR SOUND POWER LEVEL

• US 20150300671A1
• Filed: 04/22/2015
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: COLEMAN, Robert Lee, EDMONDS, David Edward, LIND, Stephen John, MEREDITH, Dustin Eric Jason
• Granted Patent: US 10,372,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/24 Means for preventing or suppressing noise
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/12 Sound
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/172 of the condenser fan
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/173 of the evaporator fan
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/02 for compression type machines, plants or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A system and method for controlling the operation of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment so as to achieve a desired range of a sound pressure level and/or a sound power level is described. The system and method can lead to a desired range of a sound pressure level and/or a sound power level for a zone using equipment that is typically included in HVAC systems. Such control of equipment can be important for privacy and comfort requirements.

Claims

1. A method, comprising

controlling an operation of equipment in a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system so as to obtain a desired range of a sound pressure level and/or a sound power level, wherein the operation of the equipment is controlled using feedback.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback is obtained from a user and the method further comprises controlling the operation of the HVAC system based on the feedback obtained from the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback is obtained using a device and the method further comprises controlling the operation of the HVAC system based on the feedback obtained using the device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the device is capable of emitting, detecting, and/or measuring a signal.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising measuring a signal using the device, and controlling the operation of the HVAC system based on the measured signal.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the device is at least one selected from the group consisting of :

a microphone, a thermometer, an accelerometer, a motion sensor, and an amplifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the equipment that is controlled is at least one selected from the group consisting of :

a fan, a damper, and a cooling coil.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the equipment is controlled based on a schedule.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the schedule is based on feedback obtained from a user or feedback obtained using a device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation of the equipment is controlled so as to obtain a predetermined space condition in addition to obtaining a desired range of a sound pressure level and/or a sound power level.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation of the equipment is controlled based on priority of one or more conditions.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more conditions include sound and efficiency.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation of the equipment is controlled based on a signal to noise ratio.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the signal to noise ratio can be adjusted based on the feedback.

15. A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

a controller that is configured to operate equipment in the HVAC system so as to obtain a desired range of a sound pressure level and/or a sound power level, wherein the operation of the equipment is controlled using feedback.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the system further comprises a device and the feedback is obtained using the device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the device is capable of emitting, detecting, and/or measuring a signal.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the device is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a microphone, a thermometer, an accelerometer, and an amplifier.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to control an operating state of at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a supply fan, a return fan, an exhaust fan, a damper, and a cooling coil to achieve the desired range of sound pressure level and/or the sound power level.

20. A method, comprising:

operating a single-zone variable air volume (VAV) system, the operating including;

monitoring a sound level of a supply air fan for the single-zone VAV system using a microphone;

controlling a speed of the supply air fan based on the sound level, thereby controlling a sound level from the supply air fan; and

modulating a cooling capacity of a cooling coil using a thermostat associated with a controlled space of the single-zone VAV system, thereby controlling a temperature of supply air entering the controlled space.