Model-based alarming

• US 8,495,886 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerson Digital Cold Chain Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Singh, Abtar, Wickberg, Paul, Starling, Neal, Mathews, Thomas J
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Chen Wen
• Application Number:
  US11/337,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20060117766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,745 Days
• Field of Search: 621/29, 621/25, 621/26, 621/27, 621/30, 622/30, 700/291, 700/295, 700/297, 165/11.1, 702/182, 702/188, 702/183
• US Class Current: 62/129
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/00 Frozen sweets, e.g. ice confectionery, ice-cream; Mixtures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/00 Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs preserving foods or foodstuffs in association with packaging B65B55/00
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/36 Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/075 with parallel compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/22 Refrigeration systems for supermarkets
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/07 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/195 of the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/005 of safety devices F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 5/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with several evaporator circuits, e.g. for varying refrigerating capacity with cascade operation F25B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/12 Sensors measuring the inside temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/14 Sensors measuring the temperature outside the refrigerator or freezer
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/16 Sensors measuring the temperature of products
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0245 based on a qualitative model, e.g. rule based; if-then decisions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method includes calculating an energy consumption model for at least one component of a building system, accessing actual weather data, applying the actual weather data to the energy consumption model, and determining an expected energy consumption value for the at least one component of the building system based on the applying.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

calculating an energy consumption model for at least one component of a building system;

accessing actual weather data;

applying said actual weather data to said energy consumption model;

determining an expected energy consumption value for said at least one component of said building system based on said applying;

accessing actual energy consumption data for said at least one component of said building system;

calculating a difference between said expected energy consumption value and said actual energy consumption data;

comparing said difference with a predetermined threshold;

generating an output based on said comparing;

wherein said energy consumption model functionally relates weather data and system data for said at least one component of said building system with expected energy consumption data for said at least one component of said building system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining occurs at least one of hourly, daily and monthly.

3. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 2.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said comparing occurs at least one of hourly, daily and monthly.

5. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 4.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating said actual energy consumption data with an energy sensor in communication with said at least one component of said building system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said energy sensor measures kilowatt-hours.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said system data comprises at least one of OEM design data, control methods and operating parameters for said at least one component of said building system.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 8.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating said output based on said comparing includes generating an alarm.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 10.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said calculating, said accessing, said applying and said determining are performed by a computer.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said computer is at least one computer of the following group of computers:

case controller, system controller, building system controller, building system server, in-store information system, local area network computer, wide area network computer, third-party computer, processing center, management center.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said computer is a local computer located at a location of said building system.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said computer is a remote location located outside of a location of said building system.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating said actual weather data with a weather sensor at a location of said building system.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating said actual weather data with a weather sensor located at a weather station near a location of said building system.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one component of said building system includes a compressor and wherein said energy consumption model functionally relates weather data and system data for said compressor with expected energy consumption data for said compressor.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said system data comprises at least one of OEM design data, control methods and operating parameters for said compressor.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one component of said building system includes a condenser and wherein said energy consumption model functionally relates weather data and system data for said condenser with expected energy consumption data for said condenser.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said system data comprises at least one of OEM design data, control methods and operating parameters for said condenser.

23. In a system for managing energy consumption of a building system, a software module with instructions, stored in a computer-readable medium, for:

accessing actual weather data;

applying said actual weather data to an energy consumption model for at least one component of said building system;

determining an expected energy consumption value for said at least one component of said building system based on said applying;

accessing actual energy consumption data for said at least one component of said building system;

calculating a difference between said expected energy consumption value and said actual energy consumption data;

comparing said difference with a predetermined threshold;

generating an output based on said comparing;

wherein said energy consumption model functionally relates weather data and system data for said at least one component of said building system with expected energy consumption data for said at least one component of said building system.

24. The software module of claim 23 wherein said determining occurs at least one of hourly, daily and monthly.

25. The software module of claim 23 wherein said comparing occurs at least one of hourly, daily and monthly.

26. The software module of claim 23 wherein said actual energy consumption data for said at least one component of said building system is generated by an energy sensor in communication with said at least one component of said building system.

27. The software module of claim 26 wherein said energy sensor measures kilowatt-hours.

28. The software module of claim 23 wherein said system data comprises at least one of OEM design data, control methods, and operating parameters for said at least one component of said building system.

29. The software module of claim 23 with instructions for generating an output based on said comparing.

30. The software module of claim 29 wherein said generating said output based on said comparing includes generating an alarm.

31. The software module of claim 30 wherein said alarm is a local notification at a location of said building system.

32. The software module of claim 30 wherein said alarm is a remote notification at a location remote from a location of said building system.

33. The software module of claim 23 wherein said actual weather data is generated by a weather sensor located at a location of said building system.

34. The software module of claim 23 wherein said actual weather data is generated by a weather sensor located at a weather station near a location of said building system.

35. The software module of claim 23 wherein said at least one component of said building system includes a compressor and wherein said energy consumption model functionally relates weather data and system data for said compressor with expected energy consumption data for said compressor.

36. The software module of claim 23 wherein said system data comprises at least one of OEM design data, control methods and operating parameters for said compressor.

37. The software module of claim 23 wherein said at least one component of said building system includes a condenser and wherein said energy consumption model functionally relates weather data and system data for said condenser with expected energy consumption data for said condenser.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein said system data comprises at least one of OEM design data, control methods and operating parameters for said condenser.