Heating system controller, a heating system and a method of operating a heating system

• US 9,261,282 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hadzidedic, Darko, Grohman, Wojciech, Den Boer, Pete
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): NAMAY, DANIEL ELLIOT
• Application Number:
  US12/557,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20110057046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,350 Days
• Field of Search: 237/2.A, 237/2.B, 237/2.R, 237/50, 237/81, 236/1.C, 236/1.E, 236/91.D, 219507-510, 219/482, 219490-494, 219/539, 621/60, 622/285, 622/29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1087 system using a heat pump
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 5/02 operating with discharge of hot air into the space or area to be heated
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 5/12 using heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/208 Temperature of the air after heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/281 Input from user
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/345 Control of fans, e.g. on-off control control of fans of heat pump units F24H15/375
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/37 of electric heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/375 Control of heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/414 using electronic processing, e.g. computer-based
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/13 Hot air central heating systems using heat pumps

Abstract

A heating system, a method of operating a heating system and a controller for a heating system are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the controller includes: (1) a system interface configured to receive thermostat calls from a thermostat, the thermostat calls including a heat pump thermostat call and an electrical heating elements thermostat call and (2) a processor coupled to the system interface and configured to select a starting heat load for the heating system based on the thermostat calls and a selected target discharge air temperature for the heating system.

Claims

1. A controller for a heating system having a heat pump, electrical heating elements, a blower and a thermostat, said controller comprising:

a system interface configured to receive thermostat calls from said thermostat, said thermostat calls including a heat pump thermostat call and an electrical heating elements thermostat call; and

a processor coupled to said system interface and configured to select a starting heat load for said heating system, by selectively energizing at least one of said heat pump, electrical heating elements and blowers, based on said thermostat calls and a selected target discharge air temperature for said heating system;

wherein said target discharge air temperature is selected from a predefined list of target discharge air temperatures based on a system inlet air temperature.

2. The controller as recited in claim 1 wherein said processor is further configured to determine said selected target discharge air temperature based on a selected input coupled to said processor.

3. The controller as recited in claim 1 wherein said processor is further configured to activate a second heat pump stage when receiving said heat pump thermostat call.

4. The controller as recited in claim 3 wherein said processor is further configured to delay activation of said blower for a predetermined amount of time when receiving said heat pump thermostat call.

5. The controller as recited in claim 1 further comprising current sensing circuitry coupled to said processor and configured to automatically detect a number of said electrical heating elements installed in said heating system.

6. The controller as recited in claim 1 wherein said system interface includes terminals to receive thermostat calls associated with said heat pump and said electrical heating elements selected from the group consisting of:

a first stage heat pump demand,

a second stage heat pump demand,

a first stage electrical heat demand, and

a second stage electrical heat demand.

7. The controller as recited in claim 1 wherein said processor is further configured to select said starting heat load based on a number of said electrical heating elements installed in said heating system.

8. A method of operating a heating system having a heat pump, electrical heating elements and a thermostat, comprising:

monitoring said thermostat for thermostat calls associated with said heat pump and said electrical heating elements;

determining a discharge air target temperature of said heating system; and

selecting a starting heat load, by selectively energizing at least one of said heat pump, electrical heating elements and blower, based on said thermostat calls and said discharge air target temperature;

wherein said discharge air target temperature is selected from a predefined list of discharge air target temperatures based on a system inlet air temperature.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said selecting is further based on a number of said electrical heating elements installed in said heating system.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said heating system further includes a blower, said method further comprising delaying activation of said blower for a predetermined amount of time when receiving a heat pump thermostat call.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising activating a second stage of said heat pump when receiving said heat pump thermostat call.

12. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising employing current sensing circuitry to automatically detect a number of said electrical heating elements connected to said heating system.

13. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said discharge air target temperature is determined based on a predetermined setting.

14. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said thermostat calls associated with said heat pump and said electrical heating elements are selected from the group consisting of:

a first stage heat pump demand,

a second stage heat pump demand,

a first stage electrical heat demand, and

a second stage electrical heat demand.

15. A heating system for an enclosure, comprising:

a heat pump;

electrical heating elements;

a blower;

a thermostat; and

a controller coupled to said heat pump, said electrical heating elements, said blower and said thermostat, said controller comprising;

a system interface configured to receive thermostat calls from said thermostat, said thermostat calls including a heat pump thermostat call and an electrical heating elements thermostat call; and

a processor coupled to said system interface and configured to select a starting heat load for said heating system, by selectively energizing at least one of said heat pump, electrical heating elements and blower, based on said thermostat calls and a selected target discharge air temperature for said heating system;

wherein said target discharge air temperature is selected from a predefined list of target discharge air temperatures based on a system inlet air temperature.

16. The heating system as recited in claim 15 wherein said processor is further configured to determine said selected target discharge air temperature based on a selected input coupled to said processor.

17. The heating system as recited in claim 15 wherein said processor is further configured to activate a second stage of said heat pump when receiving said heat pump thermostat call.

18. The heating system as recited in claim 17 wherein said processor is further configured to delay activation of said blower for a predetermined amount of time when receiving said heat pump thermostat call.

19. The heating system as recited in claim 15 wherein said controller further comprises current sensing circuitry coupled to said processor and configured to automatically detect a number of said electrical heating elements installed in said heating system.

20. The heating system as recited in claim 15 wherein said processor is further configured to select said starting heat load based on a number of said electrical heating elements installed in said heating system.