Method and system for proactively and remotely diagnosing an HVAC system

• US 10,753,630 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2016
• Issued: 08/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Watsco Ventures LLC
• Original Assignee: Watsco Ventures LLC
• Inventors: Rupp, Steven, Nahmad, Aaron J., Cruz, Mario A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Toatley, Jr., Gregory J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stifter, Jr., Terence E
• Application Number:
  US15/153,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20160334127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• 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 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing remote and proactive diagnostics of HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) equipment and HVAC systems.

Claims

1. A method of remotely and proactively diagnosing HVAC equipment, said method comprising:

providing a set of sensors and connecting the set of sensors to at least three components of the HVAC equipment, wherein a first sensor of the set of sensors is a first pressure sensor and is connected at a high side Schrader valve and a second sensor of the set of sensors is a second pressure sensor and is connected at a low side Schrader valve;

connecting the sensors and the HVAC equipment to a permanently located on-premises monitoring device;

controlling operation of the HVAC equipment from the on-premises monitoring device to place the HVAC equipment into a state to alter the temperature of the HVAC equipment, the altered temperature being warmer than a temperature set point for the HVAC equipment in an air conditioning (AC) mode and the altered temperature being cooler than the set point for the HVAC equipment in a heat mode;

collecting, over time, at the monitoring device, data from the sensors and the HVAC equipment during operation of the HVAC equipment;

automatically performing, at the monitoring device, diagnoses with the data collected over time during operation of the HVAC equipment to determine if the HVAC equipment requires maintenance; and

transmitting, from the monitoring device to a remote platform, diagnostic codes corresponding to the automatically performed diagnoses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing a set of sensors further comprises providing one temperature sensor on the suction line, one temperature sensor on the liquid line, and one line sensor—

at a compressor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing a set of sensors comprises providing sensors to determine one or more anomalies that cause the HVAC equipment to become inefficient or inoperable.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing a set of sensors comprises providing a temperature sensor at the liquid line at the outlet of a condenser, a temperature sensor at the suction line at the outlet of an evaporator, and/or an ambient air temperature sensor near the high and low side Schrader valves.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of determining one of a superheat value, subcooling value, thermodynamic calculations or runtime statistics of the HVAC equipment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the superheat value comprises:

cycling, via control of the monitoring device, the HVAC equipment for approximately 10 minutes;

measuring, at the monitoring device, suction line pressure;

measuring, at the monitoring device, suction line temperature at the service port;

determining evaporator saturation temperature; and

determining the superheat value based on the evaporator saturation value and the suction line temperature.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the subcooling value comprises:

running, via control of the monitoring device, the HVAC equipment until it cycles off based on a thermostat set point;

measuring, at the monitoring device, pressure on a liquid line;

measuring, at the monitoring device, liquid line temperature at an outlet of a condenser;

determining a condenser saturation temperature; and

determining the subcooling value based on the condenser saturation temperature and the liquid line temperature.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein determining run time statistics comprises:

tracking, via the monitoring device, start and stop actions of the HVAC equipment; and

determining run times and cycle durations from the tracked start and stop times.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the collected data to a remote platform for remote diagnostic calculations.

10. A system for remotely and proactively diagnosing HVAC equipment, said system comprising:

a set of sensors connected to at least three components of the HVAC equipment, wherein a first sensor of the set of sensors is a first pressure sensor and is connected at a high side Schrader valve and a second sensor of the set of sensors is a second pressure sensor and is connected at a low side Schrader valve; and

an on-premises monitoring device permanently located at and connected to the HVAC equipment and the sensors, said on-premises monitoring device being adapted to;

control operation of the HVAC equipment to place the HVAC equipment into a state to alter the temperature of the HVAC equipment, the altered temperature being warmer than a temperature set point for the HVAC equipment in an air conditioning (AC) mode and the altered temperature being cooler than the set point for the HVAC equipment in a heat mode;

collect over time data from the sensors and the HVAC equipment during operation of the HVAC equipment;

automatically perform diagnoses with the data collected over time during normal operation of the HVAC equipment to determine if the HVAC equipment requires maintenance; and

transmit, to a remote platform, diagnostic codes corresponding to the automatically performed diagnoses.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

at least one user device adapted to display an interactive dashboard for obtaining data concerning the HVAC equipment from the remote platform and/or directly from the on-premises monitoring device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said sensors further comprise a third sensor to detect temperature on the suction line, a fourth sensor to detect pressure at a liquid line service valve, and a fifth sensor to detect temperature on the liquid line.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said sensors comprise a temperature sensor at the liquid line at the outlet of a condenser, a temperature sensor at the suction line at the outlet of an evaporator, and an ambient air temperature sensor near the high and low side Schrader valves.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the on-premises monitoring device is adapted to determine one of a superheat value, subcooling value or runtime statistics of the HVAC equipment.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the on-premises monitoring device is adapted to determine one or more of a superheat value, subcooling value, thermodynamic properties, or runtime statistics of the HVAC equipment.