MULTI-ZONE INDOOR CLIMATE CONTROL AND A METHOD OF USING THE SAME

• US 20150330656A1
• Filed: 04/01/2015
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Shah, Rajendra K., Durnil, Douglas W.
• Granted Patent: US 11,105,529 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 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/80 for controlling the temperature of the supplied air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/50 Load
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption

Abstract

A system and method of conditioning air within a multi-zone system using a controller in communication with at least one sensor located within at least one of a plurality of zones, the method comprising the steps of: operating the at least one sensor to measure at least one environmental condition within at least one of the plurality of zones, identifying which, if any, of the plurality of zones is occupied, determining whether a demand condition exists within at least one occupied zone, calculating the difference between an actual environmental condition and a desired environmental condition within the plurality of zones to create a zone demand value if a demand condition exists in two or more occupied zones, and determining whether a cumulative zone demand value is equal to a zone balance point value.

Claims

1. An HVAC control system comprising:

a plurality of sensors, each of the plurality of sensors capable of sensing at least one environmental condition in an associated HVAC zone; and

a controller, configured to receive sensed environmental conditions from the plurality of sensors; and

further configured to control an HVAC unit associated with at least two HVAC zones based on the sensed environmental signals from those at least two HVAC zones.

2. The HVAC control system of claim 1, wherein the HVAC unit is a single HVAC unit.

3. The HVAC control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control a heating unit and a cooling unit associated with the at least two HVAC zones.

4. The HVAC control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the HVAC unit further based on a user customizable control algorithm.

5. A method of conditioning air within a multi-zone system using a controller in communication with at least one sensor located within at least one of a plurality of zones, the method comprising the steps of:

operating the at least one sensor to measure at least one environmental condition within at least one of the plurality of zones;

identifying which, if any, of the plurality of zones is occupied;

determining whether a demand condition exists within at least one occupied zone;

calculating the difference between an actual environmental condition and a desired environmental condition within the plurality of zones to create a zone demand value if a demand condition exists in two or more occupied zones; and

determining whether a cumulative zone demand value is equal to a zone balance point value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the zone balance point value is adjustable.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the zone balance point comprises a temperature.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the zone balance point comprises a value between approximately −

3°

-+3°

F.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the cumulative zone demand value is equal to the sum of each zone demand value.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising operating at least one HVAC component to condition air if it determined that the cumulative zone demand value is not equal to the zone balance point value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein operating the at least one HVAC component to condition air comprises operating in a mode selected from the group consisting of:

heating and cooling.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising stopping operation of the at least one HVAC component to condition air if it is determined that the cumulative zone demand value is equal to the zone balance point value.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising operating at least one HVAC component in a continuous fan mode if it is determined that the cumulative zone demand value is equal to the zone balance point value.

14. The method of claim 5 further comprising determining whether an over-condition limit has been reached within at least one of the plurality of zones.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising operating the at least one HVAC component in a continuous fan mode if it is determined that the over-condition limit has been reached within at least one of the plurality of zones.

16. A method of conditioning air within a multi-zone system using a controller in communication with at least one sensor located within at least one of a plurality of zones, the method comprising the steps of:

operating the at least one of the sensors to measure at least one environmental condition within at least one of the plurality of zones;

identifying which, if any, of the plurality of zones is occupied;

determining whether a demand condition exists within at least one occupied zone;

operating a least one HVAC component to condition air if the demand condition exists in one occupied zone;

determining whether the demand condition has been satisfied; and

determining whether an over-condition limit has been reached within at least one of the plurality of zones.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein operating the at least one HVAC component to condition air comprises operating in a mode selected from the group consisting of:

heating and cooling.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising stopping operation of the at least one HVAC component to condition air if it is determined that the demand condition has been satisfied.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising operating the at least one HVAC component in a continuous fan mode if it is determined that the over-condition limit has been reached within at least one of the plurality of zones.

20. An HVAC system configured to condition air within a multi-zone system, the HVAC system comprising:

at least one HVAC component;

at least one controller in communication with the at least one HVAC component; and

at least one sensor located within at least one of a plurality of zones, wherein the at least one sensor is in communication with the controller;

wherein the at least one sensor is configured to measure at least one environmental condition within at least one of the plurality of zones.

wherein the controller is configured to receive the at least one environmental condition from the at least one sensor, identify which, if any, of the plurality of zones is occupied, determine whether a demand condition exists within at least one occupied zone, calculate the difference between an actual environmental condition and a desired environmental condition within the plurality of zones to create a zone demand value if a demand condition exists in two or more occupied zones, and determine whether a cumulative zone demand value is equal to a zone balance point value.

21. The HVAC system of claim 20, wherein the zone balance point value is adjustable.

22. The HVAC system of claim 21, wherein the zone balance point comprises a temperature.

23. The HVAC system of claim 22, wherein the zone balance point comprises a value between approximately −

3°

to +3°

F.

24. The HVAC system of claim 20, wherein the cumulative zone demand value is equal to the sum of each zone demand value.

25. The HVAC system of claim 20, wherein the controller is further configured to command the at least one HVAC component to condition air if it determined that the cumulative zone demand value is not equal to the zone balance point value.

26. The HVAC system of claim 25, wherein the at least one HVAC component operates to condition air by operating in a mode selected from the group consisting of:

heating and cooling.

27. The HVAC system of claim 20, wherein the controller is further configured to stop operation of the at least one HVAC component to condition air if it is determined that the cumulative zone demand value is equal to the zone balance point value.

28. The HVAC system of claim 20, wherein the controller is further configured to command the at least one HVAC component to operate in a continuous fan mode if it is determined that the cumulative zone demand value is equal to the zone balance point value.

29. The HVAC system of claim 20, wherein the controller is further configured to operate the a least one HVAC component to condition air if a demand condition exists in one occupied zone, determine whether the demand condition has been satisfied within the one occupied zone, and determine whether an over-condition limit has been reached within at least one of the plurality of zones.

30. The HVAC system of claim 29, wherein the at least one HVAC component operates to condition air by operating in a mode selected from the group consisting of:

heating and cooling.

31. The HVAC system of claim 29, wherein the controller is further configured to command the at least one HVAC component to stop operating to condition air if it is determined that the demand condition has been satisfied.

32. The HVAC system of claim 29, wherein the controller is further configured to command the at least one HVAC component to operate in a continuous fan mode if it is determined that the over-condition limit has been reached within at least one of the plurality of zones designated.