Control system for efficient intermittent operation of building HVAC equipment
First Claim
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1. A method of determining optimum start/stop times for an air handling unit in order to achieve a predetermined limit temperature within a building space controlled by the air handling unit at some preassigned time comprising the steps of:
- sensing an outside temperature outside a building encompassing the building space from an outside array of binary temperature sensors covering a range of outside temperatures and resolving it into quantum levels and assigning a unique integer J to a particular quantum level of the outside temperature sensedsensing an inside building space temperature within the building space controlled by the air handling unit from an inside array of binary temperature sensors covering a range of inside temperatures and resolving it into quantum levels and assigning a unique integer I to a particular quantum level of the inside building space temperature sensedstoring in a memory an array of start/stop parameter elements having a dimensionality of lead-time and having an individual parameter element associated with each pair of unique integers I and J assigned to the quantum levels of inside and outside air temperaturedetermining a time interval required to achieve the predetermined limit temperature by activating/deactivating an air handling unit by accessing a start/stop parameter element associated with an integer pair of integer I representing the present building space air temperature quantum level and integer J representing the present quantum level of outside air temperature, andcomputing if a time interval between present time and preassigned time equals the time interval to achieve the predetermined limit temperature and activating/deactivating the air handling unit when they are substantially equal.
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Abstract
A system of determining optimum start/stop times for HVAC equipment in a building utilizes quantized inside and outside air temperature values as the controlling data input. Lead-times necessary to achieve the desired control temperatures, given input and output temperature levels are stored in a matrix in a central processor storage. System performance is monitored and results are used to modify the lead-times so that the operating system can more closely achieve the desired results.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of determining optimum start/stop times for an air handling unit in order to achieve a predetermined limit temperature within a building space controlled by the air handling unit at some preassigned time comprising the steps of:
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sensing an outside temperature outside a building encompassing the building space from an outside array of binary temperature sensors covering a range of outside temperatures and resolving it into quantum levels and assigning a unique integer J to a particular quantum level of the outside temperature sensed sensing an inside building space temperature within the building space controlled by the air handling unit from an inside array of binary temperature sensors covering a range of inside temperatures and resolving it into quantum levels and assigning a unique integer I to a particular quantum level of the inside building space temperature sensed storing in a memory an array of start/stop parameter elements having a dimensionality of lead-time and having an individual parameter element associated with each pair of unique integers I and J assigned to the quantum levels of inside and outside air temperature determining a time interval required to achieve the predetermined limit temperature by activating/deactivating an air handling unit by accessing a start/stop parameter element associated with an integer pair of integer I representing the present building space air temperature quantum level and integer J representing the present quantum level of outside air temperature, and computing if a time interval between present time and preassigned time equals the time interval to achieve the predetermined limit temperature and activating/deactivating the air handling unit when they are substantially equal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A control system for determining optimum start/stop times for an air handling unit in order to achieve a predetermined limit temperature within a building space controlled by the air handling unit at some preassigned time comprising the steps of
first temperature sensing means for sensing an outside temperature outside a building encompassing the space from an outside array of binary temperature sensors covering a range of outside temperatures and resolving it into quantum levels and assigning a unique integer J to a particular quantum level of the outside temperature sensed, second temperature sensing means for sensing an inside space temperature within the space controlled by the air handling unit from an inside array of binary temperature sensors covering a range of inside temperatures and resolving it into quantum levels and assigning a unique integer I to a particular quantum level of the inside space temperature sensed, memory means for storing an array of start/stop parameter elements having a dimensionality of lead-time and having an individual parameter element associated with each unique integer I and J assigned to the quantum levels of inside and outside temperature means for determining a time interval required to achieve the predetermined limit temperature by activating/deactivating an air handling unit by accessing a start/stop parameter element associated with an integer pair of integer I representing the present space air temperature quantum level and integer J representing the quantum level of outside air temperature quantum level, and means for computing if a time interval between present time and preassigned time equals the time interval to achieve the predetermined limit temperature and switching means for activating/deactivating the air handling unit when they are substantially equal.
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8. A method of controlling optimum start/stop times for an air handling unit in order to achieve a desired temperature limit in a particular air space at a preassigned time comprising the steps of:
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quantizing an outside air temperature into a discrete level identified by an integer J, including the substeps of presetting an array of binary temperature sensors so that each sensor switches at a different temperature with individual temperature levels distributed over a range of interest, scanning sensor switch states and associating each combination of switch states with a unique integer J, quantizing an air space temperature into a discrete level identified by an integer I, computing a lead-time needed for achieving a desired temperature limit for a preset temperature for different integers I and J, activating an air handling unit at a preset time when the lead-time represents a time value that added to the present time equals the preassigned time. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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9. A method of controlling optimum start/stop times for an air handling unit in order to achieve desired temperature limit in a particular air space at a preassigned time comprising the steps of;
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quantizing an outside air temperature into a discrete level identified by an integer J, quantizing an air space temperature into a discrete level identified by an integer I, including the substeps of presetting an array of binary temperature sensors so that each sensor switches at a different temperature with individual temperature levels distributed over a range of desired temperatures, scanning sensor switch states and associating each combination of switch states with a unique integer I, computing a lead-time needed for achieving a desired temperature limit for a preset temperature for different integers I and J. activating an air handling unit at a preset time when the lead-time represents a time value that added to the present time equals the preassigned time.
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12. A method of controlling optimum start/stop times for an air handling unit in order to achieve a desired temperature limit in a particular air space at a preassigned time comprising the steps of;
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measuring an outside air temperature by subdividing a temperature range into a plurality of quantized temperature gradations and assigning a specific integer J to the outside temperature in accord with a temperature gradation in which it is located, measuring an air space temperature by subdividing a temperature range into a plurality of quantized temperature gradations and assigning a specific integer I to the air space temperature in accord with a temperature gradation in which it is located, computing a lead-time needed for achieving a desired temperature limit for a preset temperature for different integers I and J, activating an air handling unit at a preset time when the lead-time represents a time value that added to the present time equals the preassigned time.
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13. A method of controlling space air temperatures in a building comprising the steps of;
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measuring an outside air temperature outside the building by utilizing a first range of temperature divided into a plurality of quantum levels and converting the outside air temperature into an integer J corresponding to the quantum level of the outside air temperature, measuring an inside air temperature inside a space to be controlled by utilizing a second range of temperature divided into a plurality of quantum levels and converting the inside air temperature into an integer I corresponding to the quantum level of the inside air temperature, compiling a table of lead-times for each combination of inside and outside air temperature integers I and J that are necessary for establishing a desired temperature in an air space after activation/deactivation of an air handling unit, and monitoring results of activation/deactivation of an air handling unit and modifying lead-times in the table to correspond to actual performance times. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A method of controlling space air temperatures in a building comprising the steps of;
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converting an air temperature outside the building to an integer representing a quantum level representing the air temperature, converting an air temperature inside a space to be controlled to an integer representing a quantum level representing the air temperature, compiling a table of lead-times for each combination of outside and space air temperature quantum levels for amount of time to establish a desired temperature in an air space activation/deactivation of an air handling unit, and monitoring results of activation/deactivation of an air handling unit and modifying lead-times in the table to correspond to actual performance times, the step of monitoring including substeps of establishing a table of time intervals required from activation/deactivation to a desired temperature level, and comparing time intervals required for a particular combination of outside and inside air temperature quantum levels with adjacent lead-times to determine reasonableness of modified lead-times and substituting a lead-time of adjacent quantum levels if it is not reasonable.
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Specification