REMOTE MONITORING OF AN HVAC SYSTEM FOR FAULT DETECTION AND DIAGNOSTICS

• US 20160217674A1
• Filed: 01/26/2016
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Imam, Mahfuz, Chen, Gang (Jacky), Stewart, Jeffrey L., Mutchnik, Karl J., Groskreutz, Mark E., Daugherty, William David III, Garrett, Carl L.
• Application Number:
  US15/006,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20160217674A1
• 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 11/58 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0227 Qualitative history assessment, whereby the type of data acted upon, e.g. waveforms, images or patterns, is not relevant, e.g. rule based assessment; if-then decisions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/187 Machine fault alarms

Abstract

A method and system for detecting and diagnosing faults in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a remote server receiving data from sensors associated with the HVAC system. The data received includes measured sensor data, from both HVAC equipment and co-located sensors, and identifying criteria for identifying the piece of equipment associated with the sensor and/or identifying a location of the sensor, which may or may not be on or in the HVAC equipment. A probability that a fault exists and/or a likelihood of occurrence of a fault in one of the pieces of the equipment is calculated based on the data received, and an alert is generated in accordance with an analysis thereof, which may include comparison of the probability and/or likelihood with predetermined threshold(s).

Claims

1. A method for detecting and diagnosing faults in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server, data from a plurality of sensors associated with a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the data including measured data from each of the plurality of sensors and identifying criteria associated therewith, the identifying criteria including a location of the sensor associated with the measured data, at least one of the plurality of sensors being associated with a piece of equipment in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the identifying criteria for the at least one sensor further identifying the piece of equipment associated therewith;

detecting, by the server, a fault in the piece of equipment based on the data received; and

generating an alert, by the server, of the fault in response to the detecting.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a probability of the fault in the piece of equipment based on the data received; and

generating the alert in response to the probability of the fault exceeding a predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the alert to one of a user device and a thermostat in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the alert being viewable on a display associated with the thermostat.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the alert in a database associated with the server for access by a user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving data includes receiving event data generated in response to an event, the measured data comprising a record of the event and a date and time of occurrence of the event.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving data further includes continuously receiving the measured data at predetermined intervals, the data further comprising a date and time of receiving the measured data, the method further including aggregating the event data and the measured data received at the predetermined intervals, and calculating a probability of the fault based on the aggregated data, wherein detecting the fault is based on the calculated probability.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving data, by the server, further includes collecting the data associated with one of a common type of equipment and a common mode of equipment from a plurality of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising analyzing the collected data associated with the one of the common type and the common mode of equipment to determine a set of rules for calculating a probability of a particular fault occurring in the equipment associated with the one of the common type and the common mode.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing the aggregated data, the probability calculated, and a record of the alert generated, in a database operably connected to the server.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising diagnosing one or more causes of the fault based on the data received, and communicating the alert as a fault notification including the fault and the one or more causes to one of a user device and a thermostat display.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising importing diagnostic data from a third-party device operably connected to the server and analyzing the data using the diagnostic data to diagnose the one or more causes of the fault.

12. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising acquiring the measured data by one of a dedicated electronic gathering device operably connected to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, a thermostat in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, and a control unit in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, the server receiving the measured data from the one of the dedicated electronic gathering device, the thermostat, and the control unit in response to a query from the server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault is a most likely existing fault, the detecting, by the server, further comprising:

detecting a plurality of possible faults in the piece of equipment based on the data received; and

ranking the plurality of possible faults in ranked order of most to least likely existing fault in the piece of equipment based on the data received, wherein the alert generated further includes the plurality of possible faults and the ranked order.

14. A system for detecting and diagnosing faults in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the system comprising:

a server, the server being communicatively coupled to a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system;

wherein the server is configured to;

receive data from a plurality of sensors associated with a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the data including measured data from each of the plurality of sensors and identifying criteria associated therewith, the identifying criteria including a location of the sensor associated with the measured data, at least one of the plurality of sensors being associated with a piece of equipment in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the identifying criteria for the at least one sensor further identifying the piece of equipment associated therewith;

detect a fault in the piece of equipment based on the data received; and

generate an alert in response to the fault being detected.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the server is further configured to:

calculate a probability of the fault in the piece of equipment based on the data received; and

generate an alert in response to the probability of the fault exceeding a predetermined threshold.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the data includes event data comprising a record of an event and a date and time of occurrence of the event, and measured data continuously received at predetermined intervals, the system further comprising a database operably connected to the server, wherein the server is further configured to:

continuously receive the measured data at predetermined intervals;

aggregate the event data and the continuously received measured data;

calculate the probability of the fault based on the aggregated data; and

store the aggregated data, the probability calculated, and a record of the alert generated, in the database.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the server is further configured to:

collect data associated with one of a common type and a common mode of equipment from a plurality of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; and

analyze the collected data associated with the one of the common type and the common mode of equipment to determine a set of rules for calculating a probability of a particular fault occurring in the equipment associated with the one of the common type and the common mode.

18. The system of claim 14, the server further configured to:

diagnose one or more causes of the fault based on the data received; and

communicate the alert in a fault notification including the fault and the one or more causes of the fault to one of a user device and a thermostat display.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the server is operably connected to one of a dedicated electronic gathering device, a thermostat, and a control unit in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, wherein the one of the dedicated electronic gathering device, the thermostat, and the control unit acquires the data associated with the equipment, the server further configured to query the one of the dedicated electronic gathering device, the thermostat, and the control unit to forward the data.

20. A computer-readable device to store instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving data from a plurality of sensors associated with a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the data including measured data from each of the plurality of sensors and identifying criteria associated therewith, the identifying criteria including a location of the sensor associated with the measured data, at least one of the plurality of sensors being associated with a piece of equipment in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the identifying criteria for the at least one sensor further identifying the piece of equipment associated therewith;

calculating a probability of a fault in the piece of equipment based on the data received; and

generating an alert in response to the calculated probability exceeding a predetermined threshold.

21. The computer-readable device of claim 20, the operations further comprising diagnosing one or more causes of the fault based on the data received, and communicating the alert as a fault notification including the fault and the one or more causes of the fault to one of a user device and a thermostat display.

22. A method for detecting and diagnosing faults in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server, data from a plurality of sensors associated with a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the data including measured data from each of the plurality of sensors and identifying criteria associated therewith, the identifying criteria including a location of the sensor associated with the measured data, at least one of the plurality of sensors being associated with a piece of equipment in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the identifying criteria for the at least one sensor further identifying the piece of equipment associated therewith;

calculating, by the server, a likelihood of occurrence of a fault in the piece of equipment based on the data received;

generating an alert, by the server, of the fault in response to the likelihood of occurrence exceeding a predetermined threshold; and

transmitting the alert to one of a user device and a thermostat in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the alert being viewable on a display associated with the thermostat.