Co-ordinated sensorless control system
First Claim
1. A flow control system, comprising:
- two or more circulating devices each having a respective internal sensor and each having a respective operable element, each device having a communication subsystem and configured to self-detect two or more device properties, the device properties resulting in output having two or more output properties, wherein the two or more device properties include a speed variable of a variably controllable motor and an electrical variable of the variably controllable motor, and wherein the two or more output properties comprise a pressure variable and a flow variable;
at least one memory which stores, for each device, correlation data between the two or more device properties including the speed variable and the electrical variable and the two or more output properties for that device including the pressure variable and the flow variable; and
one or more controllers configured to, using sensor data only from the respective internal sensors and without using sensor data from an external sensor that is external to the devices;
detect the two or more device properties self-detected by each device,correlate, for each device, based on the stored correlation data, the detected two or more device properties to the two or more output properties for that device,determine, for each device, a value of the pressure variable and the flow variable for that device which result in combined output of the devices achieving an output setpoint, andco-ordinate control of each device to operate their respective device properties of the speed variable and the electrical variable to achieve, based on the stored correlation data, their respective determined value of the pressure variable and the flow variable for that device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for co-ordinating control of a plurality of sensorless devices. Each device includes a communication subsystem and configured to self-detect one or more device properties, the device properties resulting in output having one or more output properties. The method includes: detecting inputs including the one or more device properties of each device, correlating, for each device, the detected one or more device properties to the one or more output properties, and co-ordinating control of each of the devices to operate at least one of their respective device properties to co-ordinate one or more output properties for the combined output to achieve a setpoint. In some example embodiments, the setpoint can be fixed, calculated or externally determined.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A flow control system, comprising:
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two or more circulating devices each having a respective internal sensor and each having a respective operable element, each device having a communication subsystem and configured to self-detect two or more device properties, the device properties resulting in output having two or more output properties, wherein the two or more device properties include a speed variable of a variably controllable motor and an electrical variable of the variably controllable motor, and wherein the two or more output properties comprise a pressure variable and a flow variable; at least one memory which stores, for each device, correlation data between the two or more device properties including the speed variable and the electrical variable and the two or more output properties for that device including the pressure variable and the flow variable; and one or more controllers configured to, using sensor data only from the respective internal sensors and without using sensor data from an external sensor that is external to the devices; detect the two or more device properties self-detected by each device, correlate, for each device, based on the stored correlation data, the detected two or more device properties to the two or more output properties for that device, determine, for each device, a value of the pressure variable and the flow variable for that device which result in combined output of the devices achieving an output setpoint, and co-ordinate control of each device to operate their respective device properties of the speed variable and the electrical variable to achieve, based on the stored correlation data, their respective determined value of the pressure variable and the flow variable for that device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 39, 40)
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18. A method for co-ordinating control of two or more circulating devices each having a respective internal sensor and each having a respective operable element, each device having a communication subsystem and configured to self-detect two or more device properties, the device properties resulting in output having two or more output properties, wherein the two or more device properties include a speed variable of a variably controllable motor and an electrical variable of the variably controllable motor, and wherein the two or more output properties comprise a pressure variable and a flow variable, wherein at least one memory stores, for each device, correlation data between the two or more device properties including the speed variable and the electrical variable and the two or more output properties for that device including the pressure variable and the flow variable, the method being performed using sensor data only from the respective internal sensors and without using sensor data from an external sensor that is external to the devices, the method comprising:
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detecting the two or more device properties self-detected by each device; correlating, for each device, based on the stored correlation data, the detected two or more device properties to the two or more output properties for that device; determining, for each device, a value of the pressure variable and the flow variable for that device which result in combined output of the devices achieving an output setpoint; and co-ordinate control of each device to operate their respective device properties of the speed variable and the electrical variable to achieve, based on the stored correlation data, their respective determined value of the speed variable and the electrical variable for that device. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 41, 42)
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35. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon executable by one or more processors for co-ordinating control of two or more circulating devices each having a respective internal sensor and each having a respective operable element, each device having a communication subsystem and configured to self-detect two or more device properties, the device properties resulting in output having two or more output properties, wherein the two or more device properties include a speed variable of a variably controllable motor and an electrical variable of the variably controllable motor, and wherein the two or more output properties comprise a pressure variable and a flow variable, wherein at least one memory stores, for each device, correlation data between the one or more device properties including the speed variable and the electrical variable and the two or more output properties for that device including the pressure variable and the flow variable, the co-ordinating control being executed using sensor data only from the respective internal sensors and without using sensor data from an external sensor that is external to the devices, the instructions comprising:
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instructions for detecting the two or more device properties self-detected by each device; instructions for correlating, for each device, based on the stored correlation data, the detected two or more device properties to the two or more output properties for that device; instructions for determining, for each device, a value of the pressure variable and the flow variable for that device which result in combined output of the devices achieving an output setpoint; and instructions for co-ordinating control of each device to operate their respective device properties of the speed variable and the electrical variable to achieve, based on the stored correlation data, their respective determined value of the speed variable and the electrical variable for that device. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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36. A circulating device for co-ordinating with one or more other circulating devices, each of the one or more other devices having a respective internal sensor and each having a respective operable element, each of the one or more other devices configured to self-detect two or more device properties, the device properties resulting in output having two or more output properties, wherein the two or more device properties include a speed variable of a variably controllable motor and an electrical variable of the variably controllable motor, and wherein the two or more output properties comprise a pressure variable and a flow variable, the circulating device comprising:
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an operable element having the speed variable and the electrical variable; an internal sensor configured to self-detect the two or more device properties including the electrical variable, the device properties resulting in output having the two or more output properties for the device; memory for storing correlation data, for each device, between the two or more device properties including the speed variable and the electrical variable and the two or more output properties for that device including the pressure variable and the flow variable; a controller configured to, using sensor data only from the respective internal sensor and without using data from sensor data from an external sensor that is external to the devices;
correlate, for the device, based on the stored correlation data, the detected two or more device properties to the two or more output properties for the device, and configured to determine, for each device, a value of the pressure variable and the flow variable for each device which result in combined output of the devices achieving an output setpoint;a communication subsystem for receiving, from at least one of the other devices, the detected two or more device properties or correlated two or more output properties of the one or more other devices, and for sending instructions to at least one of the other devices to co-ordinate control of each of the devices to operate their respective device properties of the speed variable and the electrical variable to achieve their respective determined value of the pressure variable and the flow variable for that device; and an output subsystem for controlling the device properties of the speed variable and the electrical variable for the operable element of the device to achieve the determined value of the pressure variable and the flow variable of the device. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
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37. A circulating device for co-ordinating with one or more other circulating devices each having a respective internal sensor and each having a respective operable element, each of the one or more other devices configured to self-detect two or more device properties, the device properties resulting in output having two or more output properties, wherein the two or more device properties include a speed variable of a variably controllable motor and an electrical variable of the variably controllable motor, and wherein the two or more output properties comprise a pressure variable and a flow variable, the circulating device comprising:
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an operable element having the speed variable and the electrical variable; a controller; an internal sensor configured to self-detect the two or more device properties, the device properties resulting in output having the two or more output properties for the device; memory for storing correlation data between the two or more device properties including the speed variable and the electrical variable and the two or more output properties for the device including the pressure variable and the flow variable; a communication subsystem for sending the detected two or more device properties or the correlated two or more output properties of the device based on the stored correlation data, and for receiving instructions to operate the device properties of the speed variable and the electrical variable of the device to co-ordinate, using sensor data only from the respective internal sensors and without using sensor data from an external sensor that is external to the devices, a respective value of the pressure variable and the flow variable of the devices for combined output to achieve an output setpoint; and an output subsystem for controlling the device properties of the speed variable and the electrical variable for the operable element of the device, to achieve the instructed value of the pressure variable and the flow variable for the device. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47)
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38. A flow control system for sourcing a load, including:
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a plurality of circulating devices each having a respective internal sensor and each including a respective circulating operable element arranged to source the load, each device configured to self-detect power and speed of the respective device; at least one memory which stores, for each device, correlation data between device properties including the self-detected power and speed and output properties including pressure and flow for that device; and one or more controllers configured to, using sensor data only from the respective internal sensors and without using data from an external sensor that is external to the devices; correlate, for each device, based on the stored correlation data, the detected power and speed to the pressure and flow for that device, determine, for each device, a value of the pressure and the flow for that device which result in combined output of the devices achieving a pressure setpoint at the load, and co-ordinate control of each device to operate at least the respective circulating operable element to achieve, based on the stored correlation data, their respective determined value of the pressure and the flow for that device.
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48. A flow control system, comprising:
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two or more devices including circulating devices each having a respective operable element, each device having a communication subsystem and configured to self-detect one or more device properties including an electrical variable, the device properties resulting in output having one or more output properties; at least one memory which stores, for each device, correlation data between the one or more device properties including the electrical variable and the one or more output properties for that device; and one or more controllers configured to; detect inputs including the one or more device properties of each device, correlate, for each device, based on the stored correlation data, the detected one or more device properties to the one or more output properties for that device, determine, for each device, a value of one or more output properties for that device which result in combined output of the devices achieving an output setpoint, and co-ordinate control of each device to operate at least one of their respective device properties to achieve, based on the stored correlation data, their respective determined value of one or more output properties for that device, wherein the one or more device properties comprise two or more device properties which are correlated, and wherein the one or more output properties comprise two or more output properties which are correlated, wherein the two or more device properties include a speed variable and a power variable, and wherein the two or more output properties comprise a local pressure variable and a flow variable, wherein the output setpoint is a remote pressure setpoint which is remote to the devices, wherein the speed variable of each device is controlled to achieve the remote pressure setpoint by achieving H=H1+(HD−
H1)*(Q/QD)^2, wherein H is the correlated local pressure variable which is local to the devices, H1 is the remote pressure setpoint, HD is a local pressure at design conditions, Q is a total of the correlated flow variables and QD is a total flow at design conditions, andwherein a number of the devices being operated (N) is increased when H<
HD*(Q/QD)^2*(N+0.5+k), and decreased if H>
HD*(Q/QD)^2*(N−
0.5−
k2), wherein k and k2 are constants to ensure a deadband around a sequencing threshold.
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49. A method for co-ordinating control of two or more devices including circulating devices each having a respective operable element, each device having a communication subsystem and configured to self-detect one or more device properties including an electrical variable, the device properties resulting in output having one or more output properties, wherein at least one memory stores, for each device, correlation data between the one or more device properties including the electrical variable and the one or more output properties for that device, the method comprising:
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detecting inputs including the one or more device properties of each device; correlating, for each device, based on the stored correlation data, the detected one or more device properties to the one or more output properties for that device; determining, for each device, a value of one or more output properties for that device which result in combined output of the devices achieving an output setpoint; and co-ordinating control of each device to operate at least one of their respective device properties to achieve, based on the stored correlation data, their respective determined value of one or more output properties for that device, wherein the one or more device properties comprise two or more device properties which are correlated, and wherein the one or more output properties comprise two or more output properties which are correlated, wherein the two or more device properties include a speed variable and a power variable, and wherein the two or more output properties comprise a local pressure variable and a flow variable, wherein the output setpoint is a remote pressure setpoint which is remote to the devices, wherein the speed variable of each device is controlled to achieve the remote pressure setpoint by achieving H=H1+(HD−
H1)*(Q/QD)^2, wherein H is the correlated local pressure variable which is local to the devices, H1 is the remote pressure setpoint, HD is a local pressure at design conditions, Q is a total of the correlated flow variables and QD is a total flow at design conditions, andwherein a number of the devices being operated (N) is increased when H<
HD*(Q/QD)^2*(N+0.5+k), and decreased if H>
HD*(Q/QD)^2*(N−
0.5−
k2), wherein k and k2 are constants to ensure a deadband around a sequencing threshold.
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50. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon executable by one or more processors for co-ordinating control of two or more devices including circulating devices each having a respective operable element, each device having a communication subsystem and configured to self-detect one or more device properties including an electrical variable, the device properties resulting in output having one or more output properties, wherein at least one memory stores, for each device, correlation data between the one or more device properties including the electrical variable and the one or more output properties for that device, the instructions comprising:
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instructions for detecting inputs including the one or more device properties of each device; instructions for correlating, for each device, based on the stored correlation data, the detected one or more device properties to the one or more output properties for that device; instructions for determining, for each device, a value of one or more output properties for that device which result in combined output of the devices achieving an output setpoint; and instructions for co-ordinating control of each device to operate at least one of their respective device properties to achieve, based on the stored correlation data, their respective determined value of one or more output properties for that device, wherein the one or more device properties comprise two or more device properties which are correlated, and wherein the one or more output properties comprise two or more output properties which are correlated, wherein the two or more device properties include a speed variable and a power variable, and wherein the two or more output properties comprise a local pressure variable and a flow variable, wherein the output setpoint is a remote pressure setpoint which is remote to the devices, wherein the speed variable of each device is controlled to achieve the remote pressure setpoint by achieving H=H1+(HD−
H1)*(Q/QD)^2, wherein H is the correlated local pressure variable which is local to the devices, H1 is the remote pressure setpoint, HD is a local pressure at design conditions, Q is a total of the correlated flow variables and QD is a total flow at design conditions, andwherein a number of the devices being operated (N) is increased when H<
HD*(Q/QD)^2*(N+0.5+k), and decreased if H>
HD*(Q/QD)^2*(N−
0.5−
k2), wherein k and k2 are constants to ensure a deadband around a sequencing threshold.
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Specification