DEMAND CONTROL VENTILATION SYSTEM WITH COMMISSIONING AND CHECKOUT SEQUENCE CONTROL

• US 20150377507A1
• Filed: 09/08/2015
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Kreft, Todd, Thomple, Adrienne, Bokusky, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,765,986 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 11/49 ensuring correct operation, e.g. by trial operation or configuration checks
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/526 giving audible indications
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 12/006 using an air-to-air heat exchanger F24F12/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2011/0006 using low temperature external supply air to assist cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2012/007 using a by-pass for bypassing the heat-exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23193 Memory stores lifetime, different settings, configurations of controlled device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/56 Heat recovery units

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system that is capable of drawing outside air into an HVAC air stream. In some instances, the DCV and/or Economizer system may be configured to help perform one or more system checks to help verify that the system is functioning properly. In some instances, the DCV and/or Economizer system may provide some level of manual control over certain hardware (e.g. dampers) to help commission the system. The DCV and/or Economizer system may store one or more settings and or parameters used during the commissioning process (either in the factory or in the field), so that these settings and/or parameters may be later accessed to verify that the DCV and/or Economizer system was commissioned and commissioned properly.

Claims

1. A Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system that is configured to be attached to a roof top HVAC unit of a building, comprising:

a DCV and/or economizer unit having a damper and a controller, wherein the damper is configured to selectively control air flow from outside of the building and into the building;

the controller is configured to control a position of the damper such that a desired air flow of outside air is drawn into the building; and

the controller is further configured to initiate and perform one or more tests of the DCV and/or economizer unit upon receiving one or more test commands that are initiated by a user, the one or more tests comprising proving that the damper can be successfully moved from a first position to a second position, the controller is further configured to communicate a result of the one or more tests to a user interface.

2. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured to:

allow the user to initiate the one or more test commands; and

provide the result of the one or more tests to the user.

3. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 2, wherein the user interface includes a display.

4. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 3, wherein the user interface is secured to the DCV and/or economizer unit and operatively coupled to the controller via a wired connection.

5. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 3, wherein the user interface is part of a portable device, which is operatively coupled to the controller via a wireless and/or wired connection.

6. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 2, wherein the user interface includes a button and provides audio and/or visual feedback.

7. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 1, wherein the DCV and/or economizer unit includes a sensor, and the one or more tests comprises proving that the sensor is functioning.

8. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 1, wherein the DCV and/or economizer unit includes a fan and the one or more tests comprises proving that the fan is functioning.

9. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a non-volatile memory, and wherein the controller is configured to store the result of the one or more tests to the non-volatile memory.

10. A Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system for a building, comprising:

a DCV and/or economizer unit having a damper and a controller located at the DCV and/or economizer unit, the controller having a non-volatile memory, the damper having an open position and a closed position for controlling a flow of outside air into the building;

the controller, in an operational mode, is configured to control the damper position such that a desired flow of outside air is drawn from outside the building and into the building without having to enter a test mode; and

the controller, in the test mode, is configured to initiate and perform one or more self-tests of the DCV and/or economizer unit and to store a result of the one or more self-tests in the non-volatile memory for later access by a user.

11. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to enter the test mode and perform one or more of the self-tests after the controller is initially booted but before the controller enters the operational mode and controls the damper position such that a desired flow of outside air is drawn from outside the building and into the building.

12. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to enter the test mode and perform one or more of the self-tests on demand by a user.

13. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 10, wherein the result of the one or more self-tests is retrievable from the non-volatile memory and displayed on a user interface.

14. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 13, wherein the user interface includes a display.

15. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 13, wherein the user interface is secured to the DCV and/or economizer unit and operatively coupled to the controller via a wired connection.

16. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 13, wherein the user interface is part of a portable device, which can be operatively coupled to the controller via a wireless connection.

17. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 13, wherein the user interface includes a button and also provides audio and/or visual feedback.

18. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to automatically initiate and perform one or more of the self-tests.

19. The Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system of claim 10, wherein one or more of the self-tests are configured to prove that the damper moves to predetermined open and/or closed positions, prove that one or more sensors of the DCV and/or economizer unit are functioning properly, and/or prove that one or more fans of the DCV and/or economizer unit can be energized properly.

20. A Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system for a building, comprising:

a DCV and/or economizer unit having a damper and a controller located at the DCV and/or economizer unit, the controller having a non-volatile memory, the damper having a range of damper positions for controlling a flow of outside air into the building;

the controller is configured to control the damper position such that a desired flow of outside air is drawn from outside of the building and into the building; and

the controller is further configured to store system commission data generated during a commissioning of the DCV and/or economizer unit in the non-volatile memory for later confirmation of the the commissioning of the DCV and/or economizer unit, the system commissioning data comprising one or more of a current set and/or reset damper position, a maximum and/or minimum damper position, one or more air flow parameters, a date of commissioning, and a person and/or company name that performed the commissioning.