Air Cleaning Systems and Methods

• US 20170050193A1
• Filed: 11/07/2016
• Published: 02/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Hagan, John Mark
• Granted Patent: US 10,807,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/46 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 2201/24 for measuring or calculating of parameters, e.g. efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 2201/32 Checking the quality of the result or the well-functioning of the device
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 3/017 Combinations of electrostatic separation with other processes, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 3/36 Controlling flow of gases or vapour
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 3/68 Control systems therefor electricity supply or control systems for cleaning the electrodes B03C3/746, B03C3/763

Abstract

An HVAC system having an air cleaner, a fan that selectively generates an air flow at least partially through the air cleaner, and a controller that establishes a functional relationship between an air flow related criterion and a correlated power level setting of the air cleaner, determines an air flow related criterion value, determines a correlated power level setting value using the determined air flow related criterion value and the functional relationship, and controls the air cleaner as a function of the determined correlated power level setting value is disclosed.

Claims

1. An HVAC system, comprising:

an air cleaner;

a fan configured to selectively generate an air flow at least partially through the air cleaner; and

a controller configured to establish a functional relationship between an air flow related criterion and a correlated power level setting of the air cleaner, determine an air flow related criterion value, determine a correlated power level setting value using the determined air flow related criterion value and the functional relationship, and control the air cleaner as a function of the determined correlated power level setting value.

2. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the air flow related criterion value is at least one of a fan speed setting and a measured fan speed of the fan.

3. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the air flow related criterion value is a volumetric flow-rate setting of the fan.

4. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the fan is configured to operate in an AUTO mode, an ON mode, and a CIRCULATING mode.

5. The HVAC system of claim 4, wherein the controller comprises a user interface configured to allow selection between the AUTO mode, the ON mode, and the CIRCULATING mode.

6. The HVAC system of claim 4, wherein when the fan is configured in the AUTO mode, the fan operates only when the HVAC system is providing a cooling or heating demand.

7. The HVAC system of claim 4, wherein when the fan is configured in the ON mode, the fan operates constantly unless overridden by another feature of the HVAC system.

8. The HVAC system of claim 7, wherein when the fan is configured in the ON mode, the fan operates at a user defined fan speed selected via a user interface of the controller.

9. The HVAC system of claim 4, wherein when the fan is configured in the CIRCULATING mode, the fan operates when the HVAC system is providing a cooling or heating demand and for a user defined time duration.

10. The HVAC system of claim 9, wherein the user defined time duration is selected via a user interface of the controller.

11. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the air cleaner comprises an electrical precipitation component.

12. The HVAC system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to control the air cleaner by adjusting a voltage supplied to the electrical precipitation component.

13. The HVAC system of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to adjust a voltage supplied to the electrical precipitation component as a function of a change in the air flow related criterion value.

14. A method of operating an HVAC system, comprising:

establishing a functional relationship between an air flow related criterion and a correlated power level setting of an air cleaner, wherein the air flow related criterion is associated with a fan configured to selectively generate an air flow at least partially through the air cleaner;

determining an air flow related criterion value;

determining a correlated power level setting value using the determined air flow related criterion value and the functional relationship; and

controlling the air cleaner as a function of the determined correlated power level setting value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the air flow related criterion value is at least one of a fan speed setting and a measured fan speed of the fan.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the air flow related criterion value is a volumetric flow-rate setting of the fan.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

selecting via a user interface of the controller between an AUTO mode, an ON mode, and a CIRCULATING mode, wherein the fan operates only when the HVAC system is providing a cooling or heating demand when the AUTO mode is selected, wherein the fan operates constantly unless operating of the fan is overridden by another feature of the HVAC system when the ON mode is selected, and wherein the fan operates when the HVAC system is providing a cooling or heating demand and for a user defined time duration when the CIRCULATING mode is selected.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the air cleaner comprises an electrical precipitation component.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

controlling the air cleaner by adjusting a voltage supplied to the electrical precipitation component as a function of a change in the air flow related criterion value.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

controlling a concentration of ozone outputted by the electrical precipitation component.