System and Method for Optimizing Energy Consumption in an HVAC Unit by Minimizing Chiller Activity

• US 20150354843A1
• Filed: 06/05/2014
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Americas Energy Management LLC
• Original Assignee: Americas Energy Management LLC
• Inventors: TOWSLEY, JACOB
• Granted Patent: US 9,816,721 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/83 by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/84 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/08 with separate supply and return lines for hot and cold heat-exchange fluids i.e. so-called "4-conduit" system

Abstract

A system and method that optimizes energy consumption in an HVAC unit by minimizing chiller activity. The system uses a control unit that overrides a thermostat in at least one room to close a cooling valve that leads a fluid input to the room. When multiple cooling valves are closed through the rooms, the consequential return fluid maintains greater cooling capacity and thus, the chiller does not have to operate at full capacity. The control unit individually controls components in the HVAC unit, which were previously controlled by switches on the thermostat. The control unit includes a temperature sensor that monitors an environment, such as the room and a plenum. The control unit also includes a control relay that closes the cooling valve on the HVAC unit when the predetermined temperature of the control unit is above the thermostat temperature set by a room occupant.

Claims

1. A system that optimizes energy consumption in an HVAC unit by minimizing chiller activity that uses a control unit to override a thermostat in at least one room, the system comprises:

at least one control unit that retrofits into at least one room, each control unit having a temperature sensor that monitors an environment to ensure that the at least one room is maintained within a range of a predetermined temperature; and

at least one control relay that controls a cooling valve, each control relay is a part of the control unit and at least one control relay closes the cooling valve at the predetermined temperature that is above a manually set thermostat temperature.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising a monitoring system that operatively connects to the control unit, the monitoring system overrides a local thermostat control that is based on an occupancy of each room.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the control relays closes a heating valve at the predetermined temperature that is below the thermostat temperature.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature is between the range of at least sixty and at most sixty-four degrees Fahrenheit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermostat temperature is set by an occupant in each room.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermostat temperature is between the range of at least fifty-two and at most eighty degrees Fahrenheit.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising a wire harness that is positioned between the control unit and the HVAC unit, thereby facilitating the retrofitting of the control unit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the control relays closes a heating valve at the predetermined temperature that is below the thermostat temperature.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit has at least two temperature sensors.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit has a variable speed motor control that controls an air volume that enters each room.