HVAC SYSTEM AIR FILTER DIAGNOSTICS AND MONITORING

• US 20150330650A1
• Filed: 05/14/2015
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: ALSALEEM, Fadi M., ABIPROJO, Priotomo
• Granted Patent: US 10,309,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/39 Monitoring filter performance
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• 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 2140/00 Control inputs relating to system states
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system of a building is provided. A monitoring server, located remotely from the building, receives operating parameter data from a monitoring device at the building that measures an operating parameter of the HVAC system. The monitoring server generates a plurality of data clusters from the operating parameter data, each data cluster corresponding to operating parameter data generated during steady-state operation of the HVAC system. The monitoring server calculates an average operating parameter value for each data cluster. The monitoring server calculates normalized operating parameter values based on normalizing the average operating parameter values for the data clusters over a predetermined normalization time period. The monitoring server compares the normalized operating parameter values with a threshold. The monitoring server determine whether an air filter of the HVAC system needs to be replaced based on the comparison and generates a notification based on the determination indicating that the air filter needs to be replaced.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system of a building, the monitoring system comprising:

a monitoring server, located remotely from the building, configured to (i) receive operating parameter data from a monitoring device at the building that measures an operating parameter of the HVAC system, (ii) generate a plurality of data clusters from the operating parameter data, each data cluster corresponding to operating parameter data generated during steady-state operation of the HVAC system, (iii) calculate an average operating parameter value for each data cluster, (iv) calculate normalized operating parameter values based on normalizing the average operating parameter values for the data clusters over a predetermined normalization time period, (v) compare the normalized operating parameter values with a threshold, (vi) determine whether an air filter of the HVAC system needs to be replaced based on the comparison, and (vii) generate a notification based on the determination indicating that the air filter needs to be replaced.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server sets the threshold relative to a baseline operating parameter value for the HVAC system, the baseline operating parameter value corresponding to at least one of:

a predetermined expected operating parameter value for the HVAC system; and

an average operating parameter value for the HVAC system over an initialization time period.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the operating parameter data corresponds to current supplied to the HVAC system and wherein the monitoring device measures the current supplied to the HVAC system.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the operating parameter data corresponds to a correlation between a first monitored parameter of the HVAC system and a second monitored parameter of the HVAC system.

5. The monitoring system of claim 4, wherein the first monitored parameter includes current supplied to the HVAC system and the second monitored parameter includes system runtime.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server generates the plurality of data clusters by identifying steady-state segments in the operating parameter data based on a determination that a variance of a data segment within the operating parameter data is within a predetermined range of a variance threshold.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server generates the plurality of data clusters by identifying steady-state segments in the operating parameter data based on a determination that a rate of change of values within the operating parameter data is within a predetermined range of a rate threshold.

8. A method for monitoring a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system of a building, the method comprising:

receiving, with a monitoring server located remotely from the building, operating parameter data from a monitoring device at the building that measures an operating parameter of the HVAC system;

generating, with the monitoring server, a plurality of data clusters from the operating parameter data, each data cluster corresponding to operating parameter data generated during steady-state operation of the HVAC system;

calculating, with the monitoring server, an average operating parameter value for each data cluster;

calculating, with the monitoring server, normalized operating parameter values based on normalizing the average operating parameter values for the data clusters over a predetermined normalization time period;

comparing, with the monitoring server, the normalized operating parameter values with a threshold;

determining, with the monitoring server, whether an air filter of the HVAC system needs to be replaced based on the comparison; and

generating, with the monitoring server, a notification based on the determining indicating that the air filter needs to be replaced.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising setting, with the monitoring server, the threshold relative to a baseline operating parameter value for the HVAC system, the baseline operating parameter value corresponding to at least one of:

a predetermined expected operating parameter value for the HVAC system; and

an average operating parameter value for the HVAC system over an initialization time period.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the operating parameter data corresponds to current supplied to the HVAC system and wherein the monitoring device measures the current supplied to the HVAC system.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the operating parameter data corresponds to a correlation between a first monitored parameter of the HVAC system and a second monitored parameter of the HVAC system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first monitored parameter includes current supplied to the HVAC system and the second monitored parameter includes system runtime.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the plurality of data clusters includes identifying steady-state segments in the operating parameter data based on a determination that a variance of a data segment within the operating parameter data is within a predetermined range of a variance threshold.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the plurality of data clusters includes identifying steady-state segments in the operating parameter data based on a determination that a rate of change of values within the operating parameter data is within a predetermined range of a rate threshold.

15. A monitoring system for a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system of a building, the monitoring system comprising:

a monitoring server, located remotely from the building, configured to (i) receive operating parameter data from a monitoring device at the building that measures an operating parameter of the HVAC system, (ii) generate a plurality of data clusters from the operating parameter data, each data cluster corresponding to operating parameter data generated during steady-state operation of the HVAC system, (iii) calculate an average operating parameter value for each data cluster, (iv) calculate normalized operating parameter values based on normalizing the average operating parameter values for the data clusters over a predetermined normalization time period, (v) performing a trend analysis of the normalized operating parameter values by comparing each normalized operating parameter value with previous normalized operating parameter values, determining a trend for the normalized operating parameter values associated with each normalized operating parameter value, and associating a trend confidence level with each normalized operating parameter value, (vi) determine whether an air filter of the HVAC system needs to be replaced based on the trend analysis, and (vii) generate a notification based on the determination indicating that the air filter needs to be replaced.

16. The monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the trend analysis includes calculating a sum of the trend confidence levels for each normalized operating parameter value and wherein the monitoring server determines that the air filter needs to be replaced when the sum is greater than a threshold.

17. The monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the monitoring server resets the sum once the monitoring server determines that the air filter needs to be replaced.

18. The monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the monitoring server determines that the air filter has been replaced and resets the sum once the monitoring server determines that the air filter needs to be replaced.

19. A method for monitoring a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system of a building, the method comprising:

receiving, with a monitoring server located remotely from the building, operating parameter data from a monitoring device at the building that measures an operating parameter of the HVAC system;

generating, with the monitoring server, a plurality of data clusters from the operating parameter data, each data cluster corresponding to operating parameter data generated during steady-state operation of the HVAC system;

calculating, with the monitoring server, an average operating parameter value for each data cluster;

calculating, with the monitoring server, normalized operating parameter values based on normalizing the average operating parameter values for the data clusters over a predetermined normalization time period;

performing, with the monitoring server, a trend analysis of the normalized operating parameter values by comparing each normalized operating parameter value with previous normalized operating parameter values, determining a trend for the normalized operating parameter values associated with each normalized operating parameter value, and associating a trend confidence level with each normalized operating parameter value;

determining, with the monitoring server, whether an air filter of the HVAC system needs to be replaced based on the trend analysis; and

generating, with the monitoring server, a notification based on the determination indicating that the air filter needs to be replaced.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein performing the trend analysis includes calculating a sum of the trend confidence levels for each normalized operating parameter value and wherein the monitoring server determines that the air filter needs to be replaced when the sum is greater than a threshold.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising resetting the sum, with the monitoring server, once the monitoring server determines that the air filter needs to be replaced.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining, with the monitoring server, that the air filter has been replaced and resetting the sum, with the monitoring server, once the monitoring server determines that the air filter needs to be replaced.