Temperature gradient reduction using building model and HVAC blower

• US 9,639,072 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Inventors: Burke, William Jerome
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, Miranda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lopez Alvarez, Olvin
• Application Number:
  US13/705,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 700276
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control

Abstract

A system is provided for reducing temperature gradients within a building. For example, temperature gradients between the air temperature measured at a thermostat controlling an HVAC system and the air temperature in one or more rooms of the building can be reduced. A model of the building is created by measuring the temperature gradient between the thermostat and one or more rooms of the building. This model is used to determine the operation of the HVAC system so as to reduce one or more of such temperature gradients.

Claims

1. A method of reducing temperature gradients in a building having multiple rooms, the building also having an HVAC system that includes at least one thermostat, at least one blower, one or more air treatment components for cooling the air, heating the air, or both, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring a temperature T_ST at the thermostat and a temperature T_i of a room i in the building over a period of time Δ

t_measure that includes operation of the HVAC system;

determining the operating states of the HVAC system during the period of time Δ

t_measure;

providing a model M<sub>Δ

Ti</sub> of a temperature difference Δ

T_i between the temperature at the thermostat T_ST and the temperature T_i of room i as function of the operating state of the HVAC system;

repeating said steps of measuring, determining, and providing for N−

1 additional rooms in the building so as to provide a model M<sub>Δ

Ti</sub> of the temperature difference Δ

T_i between the temperature at the thermostat T_ST and the temperature T_i of each such additional room as a function of the operating state of the HVAC system for a total of N rooms;

combining N models M<sub>Δ

Ti</sub> of the N rooms in the building so as to create an overall model M<sub>Δ

T-ALL</sub> of the building; and

using the model M<sub>Δ

T-ALL</sub> to determine whether to operate the blower so as to reduce one or more temperature gradients in the building, wherein using the model M<sub>Δ

T-ALL</sub> to determine whether to operate the blower comprises

using model M<sub>Δ

T-ALL</sub> to predict temperatures T_BL-ON in the building when the blower is operated,

using model M<sub>Δ

T-ALL</sub> to predict temperatures T_BL-OFF in the building when the blower is not operated, and

activating the blower, at least one of the air treatment components, or both when the difference between T_BL-ON and T_BL-OFF exceeds a predetermined value.

2. The method of reducing temperature gradients in a building having multiple rooms as in claim 1, wherein said step of providing a model M_Δ

Ti comprises;

operating the blower of the HVAC system so as to reduce Δ

T_i while all air treatment components are in an off state; and

determining a relationship between the operation of the blower and the temperature difference Δ

T_i when all air treatment components are in an off state.

3. The method of reducing temperature gradients in a building having multiple rooms as in claim 1, wherein said step of providing a model M_Δ

Ti comprises;

operating the blower and the one or more air treatment components of the HVAC system so as to reduce Δ

T_i;

determining a relationship between the temperature difference Δ

T_i and the operation of the blower and the one or more air treatment components from said step of operating;

running the blower of the HVAC system so as to reduce Δ

T_i while all air treatment components are in an off state; and

ascertaining the relationship between the operation of the blower and the temperature difference Δ

T_i when all air treatment components are in an off state from said step of running.

4. The method of reducing temperature gradients in a building having multiple rooms as in claim 1, wherein said step of using the model M_Δ

T-ALL comprises;

employing model M<sub>Δ

T-ALL</sub> to predict the temperatures in each room i of the N rooms after operating the blower for a period of time Δ

t_PREDICT;

applying model M<sub>Δ

T-ALL</sub> to predict the temperatures in each room i of the N rooms with the HVAC system off for the period of time Δ

t_PREDICT; and

determining whether to operate the blower based on the results of said steps of employing and applying.

5. The method of reducing temperature gradients in a building having multiple rooms as in claim 1, further comprising a step of calculating the period of time Δ

t_measure for use in said steps of measuring and determining.

6. The method of reducing temperature gradients in a building having multiple rooms as in claim 1, wherein said step of measuring comprises measuring at least one of the Temperature T_ST or the temperature T_i at predetermined intervals of time during the period of time Δ

t_measure.

7. The method of reducing temperature gradients in a building having multiple rooms as in claim 1, wherein said step of determining the operating state of the HVAC system comprises detecting whether the at least one blower, the one or more air treatment components, or both, are in an on or off condition.

8. The method of reducing temperature gradients in a building having multiple rooms as in claim 1, further comprising a step of operating the blower based on said step of determining whether to operate the blower.

9. The method of reducing temperature gradients in a building having multiple rooms as in claim 1, further comprising a step of operating the blower and at least one of the air treatment components based on said step of determining whether to operate the blower.

10. A method of reducing temperature gradients in a building that includes multiple temperature zones, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining the temperatures at a thermostat in the building and in a first temperature zone of the building over a first period of time, the building having multiple temperature zones, the building also having an HVAC system that includes at least one thermostat, at least one blower, one or more air treatment components for cooling the air, heating the air, or both, the first period of time occurring while the blower and at least one air treatment component of the HVAC system is operating;

acquiring the temperatures at the thermostat and the first temperature zone of the building over a second period of time, the second period of time occurring while only the blower of the HVAC system is operating;

developing a model of the temperature in first temperature zone as a function of the state of the HVAC system using temperatures from said steps of obtaining and acquiring;

repeating said steps of obtaining, acquiring, and developing for one or more additional temperature zones of the building so as to provide a model for each such additional temperature zone;

combining the models from said steps of developing and repeating so as to provide an overall model for multiple temperature zones of the building; and

using the overall model to determine when to operate the blower of the HVAC system so as to reduce temperature gradients between one or more temperature zones in the building and the thermostat, wherein using the overall model to determine when to operate the blower comprises

predicting with the overall model the temperatures in one or more temperature zones when the blower of the HVAC system is operated for a period of time,

calculating with the overall model the temperatures in one or more temperature zones when the blower of the HVAC system is not operated for a period of time

operating the blower when the average of the temperatures from said step of calculating exceeds the average of the temperatures from said step of predicting.

11. The method of reducing temperature gradients in a building as in claim 10, further comprising a step of operating at least one air treatment component, when the average of the temperatures from said step of calculating exceeds the average of the temperatures from said step of predicting.

12. The method of reducing temperature gradients in a building as in claim 10, wherein the first period of time and the second period of time are of equal length.

13. The method of reducing temperature gradients in a building as in claim 10, wherein said steps of obtaining and acquiring further comprise placing a temperature sensor in the first temperature zone of the building.

14. The method of reducing temperature gradients in a building as in claim 13, wherein said step of repeating comprises moving the temperature sensor between different temperature zones of the building.

15. The method of reducing temperature gradients in a building as in claim 10, further comprising a step of operating at least one air treatment component so as to reduce a temperature gradient between the temperature at the thermostat and the temperature in one or more temperature zones of the building.

16. The method of reducing temperature gradients in a building as in claim 10, further comprising a step of operating the blower so as to reduce a temperature gradient between the temperature at the thermostat and the temperature in one or more temperature zones of the building, said step of operating the blower occurring over a period of time during which no air treatment component is operating.

17. The method of reducing temperature gradients in a building as in claim 10, further comprising a step of determining the period of time, speed, or both at which to operate the blower so as to reduce temperature gradients between the temperature and the thermostat and the temperature in one or more temperature zones of the building.