SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CLIMATE CONTROL IN A BUILDING

• US 20160047567A1
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Danmark A/S (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric Danmark A/S (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Srensen, John
• Granted Patent: US 10,330,330 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 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/61 using timers
• 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 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 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/12 of the outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/0442 with volume control at a constant temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means

Abstract

A method for controlling a climate parameter in a room of a building, the method comprising obtaining information regarding the climate parameter, the information including room specific measurements of the climate parameter during at least one climate control process, based on the room specific measurements of the climate parameter providing or amending a correspondence indicator CI, such that the correspondence indicator comprises information indicative of a rate of change of the climate parameter within the at least one room during the at least one climate control process, obtaining climate setting information including a desired climate parameter value C and a corresponding desired time t₁, obtaining a starting value V₁ of the climate parameter of the at least one room, based on the correspondence indicator CI, the desired time t₁, the starting value V₁ and the desired climate parameter value C₁ calculating a measure M₁ for an amount of time Δt needed to 1 change the climate parameter from the starting value V₁ of the climate parameter to the desired climate parameter value C₁, and scheduling a second climate control process of the climate parameter of the at least one room as a function F₁ of the measure M₁.

Claims

1. A method for controlling at least one climate parameter, including a first climate parameter, in at least one room of a building, the method comprising:

obtaining first information regarding the at least one climate parameter of the at least one room, the first information including first room specific measurements of the first climate parameter during at least one first climate control process, the at least one first climate control process including controlling the first climate parameter in the at least one room,

based on the first room specific measurements of the first climate parameter providing or amending a correspondence indicator CI, such that the correspondence indicator comprises information indicative of a first rate of change of the first climate parameter within the at least one room during the at least one first climate control process,

obtaining climate setting information including a desired first climate parameter value C₁ and a corresponding desired first time t₁ at which the desired first climate parameter value C₁ is desired to be present within the at least one room,

obtaining, a first starting value V₁ of the first climate parameter of the at least one room,

based on the first correspondence indicator CI, the desired first time t₁, the first starting value V₁ of the first climate parameter and the desired first climate parameter value C₁ calculating a first measure M₁ for an amount of time Δ

t needed to change the first climate parameter of the at least one room from the first starting value V₁ of the first climate parameter to the desired first climate parameter value C₁, and

scheduling at least an initial part of a second climate control process of the first climate parameter of the at least one room as a first function F₁ of the first measure M₁.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining second information regarding the first climate parameter of the at least one room, the second information including room specific measurements of the first climate parameter during the second climate control process,

utilizing the second information to amend the correspondence indicator CI, such that the correspondence indicator comprises information indicative of a second rate of change of the first climate parameter within the at least one room during the second climate control process, and

utilizing the amended correspondence indicator CI for scheduling a climate control process being subsequent to the second climate control process.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein an initial part of the second climate control process comprises

obtaining, a second starting value V₂ of the first climate parameter of the at least one room,

based on the first correspondence indicator CI, the desired first time t₁, the second starting value V₂ of the first climate parameter and the desired first climate parameter value C₁ calculating a second measure M₂ for a second amount of time needed to change the first climate parameter of the at least one room from the second starting value V₂ of the first climate parameter to the desired first climate parameter value C₁, and

amending the scheduling of the second climate control process of the first climate parameter of the at least one room as a function of the second measure M₂.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first function F₁ is defined such that the second climate control process is initiated at a first initiating time being about the amount of time Δ

t before the desired first time t₁.

5. The method according to any to claim 1, wherein the first function F₁ is defined such that the second climate control process is initiated at a first initiating time being at least at the amount of time Δ

t before the desired first time t₁.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the correspondence indicator CI comprises any one of an average rate of change of the first climate parameter within the at least one room during at least the at least one first climate control process, and a rate of change as a function of the actual value of the first climate parameter at the onset of at least the at least one first climate control process.

7. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of storing any one or more of the first information regarding the at least one climate parameter of the at least one room, the second information regarding the at least one climate parameter of the at least one room, the correspondence indicator CI, the desired first climate parameter value C₁, the desired first time t₁, the measured or estimated first starting value V₁ of the first climate parameter, the measured or estimated second starting value V₂ of the first climate parameter, the first measure M₁, the second measure M₂, the first function F₁, a second function F₂, and the amount of time Δ

t in a memory, the memory being one or more of an internal memory.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first climate parameter comprises any one or more of the air temperature within the at least one room and the air humidity within the at least one room.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises

obtaining information regarding one or more appliances situated in the at least one room during the at least one first climate control and/or the second climate control, such as e.g. information regarding power consumption, heat generation, cold generation, condensation and/or vaporization of/by the appliances, and wherein the information regarding appliances situated in the at least one room is included in the correspondence indicator CI.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises

obtaining during the at least one first climate control and/or the second climate control information regarding one or more of a temperature T_ext outside the at least one room a solar influx from outside the at least one room to the at least one room, an air humidity H_ext outside the at least one room, wind conditions outside the building, and draught to and/or from the at least one room and wherein the information regarding one or more of the temperature T_ext, the solar influx, the air humidity H_ext, the wind conditions outside the building and the draught to and/or from the at least one room is included in the correspondence indicator CI.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first climate parameter is the air temperature within the at least one room, wherein the correspondence indicator CI is indicative of a rate of a change of the air temperature Δ

T within the at least one room, and wherein Δ

T is a constant being between 0, 5°

C. and 5°

C.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first climate parameter is the air humidity within the at least one room, wherein the correspondence indicator CI is indicative of a rate of a change of the air humidity Δ

H within the at least one room, and wherein Δ

H is a constant being between 0, 5 and 5 percentage points.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining information regarding energy prices and the step of using the information regarding energy prices to for scheduling the second climate control process.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the system further is adapted for performing a method according to any of claims 2 to 13 and 16-19.

16. The method according to claim 5, wherein the amount of time Δ

t before the desired first time t₁ is selected from the group comprising at least 110%, at least 120% and at least 150% of the amount of time Δ

t before the desired first time t₁.

17. The method according to claim 9, wherein the information regarding one or more appliances situated in the at least one room during the at least one first climate control and/or the second climate control is selected from the group comprising information regarding power consumption, heat generation, cold generation, condensation and/or vaporization of/by the appliances.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein Δ

T is a constant being 1°

C.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein Δ

H is a constant being 1 percentage point.

14. System for controlling at least one climate parameter, including a first climate parameter, in at least one room of a building, the system comprising:

at least one sensor device obtaining first information regarding the at least one climate parameter of the at least one room, the first information including first room specific measurements of the first climate parameter during at least one first climate control process, the at least one first climate control process including controlling the first climate parameter in the at least one room,

a first input element for obtaining climate setting information including a desired first climate parameter value C₁ and a corresponding desired first time t₁ at which the desired first climate parameter value C₁ is desired to be present within the at least one room,

a second input element for obtaining a first starting value V₁ of the first climate parameter of the at least one room,

a processing element for based on the first room specific measurements of the first climate parameter providing or amending a correspondence indicator CI, such that the correspondence indicator comprises information indicative of a first rate of change of the first climate parameter within the at least one room during the at least one first climate control process and for based on the first correspondence indicator CI, the desired first time t₁, the first starting value V₁ of the first climate parameter and the desired first climate parameter value C₁ calculating a first measure M₁ for an amount of time Δ

t needed to change the first climate parameter of the at least one room from the first starting value V₁ of the first climate parameter to the desired first climate parameter value C₁, and

a regulating element for scheduling at least an initial part of a second climate control process of the first climate parameter of the at least one room as a first function F₁ of the first measure M₁.

20. A method for controlling at least one climate parameter, including a first climate parameter, in at least one room of a building, the method comprising:

obtaining first information regarding the at least one climate parameter of the at least one room, the first information including first room specific measurements of the first climate parameter during at least one first climate control process, the at least one first climate control process including controlling the first climate parameter in the at least one room,

based on the first room specific measurements of the first climate parameter providing or amending a correspondence indicator CI, such that the correspondence indicator comprises information indicative of a first rate of change of the first climate parameter within the at least one room during the at least one first climate control process,

obtaining climate setting information including a desired first climate parameter value C₁ and a corresponding desired first time t₁ at which the desired first climate parameter value C₁ is desired to be present within the at least one room,

obtaining a first starting value V₁ of the first climate parameter of the at least one room, and

based on the first correspondence indicator CI, the desired first time t₁, the first starting value V₁ of the first climate parameter and the desired first climate parameter value C₁ calculating a first measure M₁ for an amount of time Δ

t needed to change the first climate parameter of the at least one room from the first starting value V₁ of the first climate parameter to the desired first climate parameter value C₁.