Opto-programmed HVAC controller

• US 7,797,080 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OGD V-Hvac Incorporated
• Original Assignee: OGD V-Hvac Incorporated
• Inventors: Durham, Ormonde G. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett; Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US10/867,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,283 Days
• Field of Search: 700/276, 700/278, 236/67, 236/74, 388/934
• US Class Current: 700/278
• 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 11/62 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 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/50 Air quality properties
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1932 to control the temperature of a plurality of spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/24 the sensing element having a resistance varying with temperature, e.g. a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/54 Free-cooling systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Management and Control System (CS) that provides “Closed Loop Adaptive Climate Control” of heating, cooling, ventilation or any combination thereof to an occupied space using standard AC electric induction motor(s) connected to a fan and other motor or electric powered devices. This new CS uses methods and apparatus based on Opto-Programming & Processing (OP) Analog techniques that allow multi-dimensional concurrent variables to continuously and Adaptively vary the quantity and/or rate of discharge air, return air, outside air (where available), discharge air temperature and thermal (heat/cool) fluid flow. This new CS adapts, adjusts, varies electric motor(s) and device(s), speeds and actions by concurrently adjusting motor voltage, frequency and phase as needed; to control fan output(s), associated damper actuators, valve actuators, or other unit devices. The new CS is capable of accepting or generating multiple inputs, outputs, or a combination of both from sensors, devices, motors and more in analog or digital format.

Claims

1. A closed loop, dynamic, Opto Programmable (OP) HVAC Control and Management System comprising:

a climate sensor that senses a climate condition and provides input signals relating to said climate condition;

a fan motor; and

an opto-programmed HVAC controller that receives input signals from said climate sensor and provides analog control signals based on an input signal received from said climate sensor to continuously vary the speed of said fan motor, said opto-programmed HVAC controller comprising control circuitry that includes an opto-programmed control section that can be programmed with a plurality of non-linear climate profiles and is opto-programmed to continuously vary the speed of said fan motor according to a selected non-linear climate profile from said non-linear climate profiles, said selected climate profile including target speed values for said fan motor, said target speed values including an idle speed representing a minimum speed for said fan motor and other speed values higher than said idle speed value, each target speed value being based on a climate condition, wherein said opto-programmed control section is opto-programmed to continuously vary the speed of said fan motor based on an input signal relating to said climate condition from said climate sensor and said target speed values in said selected climate profile.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said climate sensor is placed in the discharge air stream of said HVAC system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said climate sensor is comprised of a differential circuit bridge.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each said differential circuit comprises a plurality of opto emitters.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second climate sensor in communication with said HVAC controller to sense a climate parameter of a space.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said second climate sensor can be a thermostat, a humidity sensor, or a pressure sensor.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising a control valve and a heat exchanger coil, wherein said HVAC controller can send signals to said control valve to modulate the amount of fluid passing through said heat exchanger in response to signals from said first or said second climate sensor.

8. The system of claim 5, further comprising an outside air damper, wherein said HVAC controller can send signals to open or close said outside air damper based on signals from said first or said second climate sensor.

9. The system of claim 5, further comprising a return air damper, wherein said HVAC controller can send signals to open or close said return air damper based on signals from said first or said second climate sensor.

10. The system of claim 5, further comprising an outside air damper and a return air damper, wherein said HVAC controller can simultaneously send signals to open or close said outside air damper and said return air damper based on signals from said first or said second climate sensor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said fan motor includes an encoder mounted on a shaft thereof.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said opto-programmed controller is capable of receiving a plurality of input signals each related to a sensed environmental condition by a respective sensor and configured to concurrently integrate said plurality of input sianals into at least one output signal.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said opto-programmed includes a power electronics section which receives said analog output signals from said opto-programmed control section to drive said fan motor.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said opto-programmed HVAC controller further includes a detect and recover section in communication with said opto-programmed control section to perform motor start up, brown out detect, recovery and ride through, and stall recovery.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said opto-programmed HVAC controller further includes a section for voltage, frequency, and phase control in communication with said opto-programmed control section.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said opto-programmed HVAC controller further includes an Input/Output (IO) vector control section that communicates with said opto-programmed control section, filters, integrates and generates IO signals using optical programming, and is capable of receiving a plurality of input signals.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said opto-programmed HVAC controller further includes in one package a power electronics section which receives output signals from said opto-programmed control section to drive said fan motor device;

a detect and recovery section in communication with said opto-programmed control section to perform motor start up, brown out detect, recovery and ride through, and stall recovery;

a section for voltage and frequency control in communication with said opto-programmed control section; and

an Input/Output (JO) vector control section that communicates with said opto-programmed control section, filters, integrates and generates IO signals using optical programming, and is capable of receiving a plurality of input signals, wherein said opto-programmed control section is opto-programmed to integrate a plurality of input signals and provide one or more output signals from said plurality of input signals.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein each climate profile is curvilinear.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein each climate profile is U-shaped.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein each target speed value in at least one of said climate profiles is based on the thermal capacity of air at a given temperature.

21. An HVAC control and management system, comprising:

a controllable electromechanical device;

an opto-programmed controller that generates an analog output control signal for the control of said controllable electromechanical device, said opto-programmed controller comprising at least one optical device; and

a plurality of sensors each for sensing a respective environmental condition and providing an input signal representing said environmental condition to said opto-programmed controller, wherein said opto-programmed controller receives said input signals from said sensors concurrently and integrates said plurality of input signals into a control signal or control signals, and generates an output signal to drive said controllable electromechanical device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said controllable electromechanical device is either a fan motor, or a valve, or damper, or an electric motor or an electric motor powered device.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said environmental conditions include temperature, or presence of a gas, or humidity, or static pressure, or Co, or Co₂, or occupancy.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein said opto-programmed controller includes an opto-programmed control section which receives and integrates said input signals and a power electronics section which receives an output signal from said control section to drive said electromechanical device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said opto-programmed controller further includes a detect and recover section, in communication with said opto-programmed control section, and configured to perform motor start up, brown out detect, recovery and ride through, and stall recovery.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein said opto-programmed controller further includes a section for voltage, frequency, and phase control in communication with said opto-programmed control section.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said opto-programmed controller further includes an Input/Output (IO) vector control section that communicates with said opto-programmed control section, filters, integrates and generates IO signals using optical programming, and is capable of receiving a plurality of input signals.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein said controllable electromechanical device is a fan motor, and at least one of said plurality of sensors is a temperature sensor, said opto-programmed controller is programmed to control a speed of said fan motor based on a non-linear climate profile, said climate profile including target speed values for said fan motor, said target speed values including an idle speed representing a minimum speed for said fan motor and other speed values higher than said idle speed value, each target speed value being based on available thermal capacity of air, wherein said opto-programmed controller is opto-progranimed to continuously vary the speed of said fan motor based on an input signal relating to an environmental condition from one of said sensors and said speed values in said climate profile.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein said opto-programmed controller includes in one package an opto-programmed control section which receives and integrates said input signals and a power electronics section which receives an output signal from said control section to drive said electromechanical device;

a detect and recover section in communication with said control section to perform motor start up, brown out detect, recovery and ride through, and stall recovery;

a section for voltage and frequency control in communication with said control section; and

an Input/Output (IO) vector control section that communicates with said control section, filters, integrates and generates IO signals using optical programming, and is capable of receiving a plurality of input signals.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said controllable electromechanical device is a fan motor, and at least one of said plurality of sensors is a temperature sensor, and said opto-programmed control section is programmed to control a speed of said fan motor based on a non-linear climate profile, said climate profile, including target speed values for said fan motor, said target speed values including an idle speed representing a minimum speed for said fan motor and other speed values higher than said idle speed value, each target speed value being based on available thermal capacity of air, wherein said opto-programmed control section is opto-programmed to continuously vary the speed of said fan motor based on an input signal relating to said climate condition from one of said sensors and said speed values in said climate profile.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein each said sensor is comprised of a differential bridge.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein each said sensor comprises a plurality of opto emitters.