Variable Speed Blower Control In An HVAC System Having A Plurality of Zones

• US 20080223943A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Paine, Brad, Arneson, David J., Mulhouse, David P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,766,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/49.3
• 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/81 by controlling the air supply to heat-exchangers or bypass channels
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/84 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A zone control panel for use with an HVAC system having zone control and a variable speed blower, and a method for controlling a fluid temperature conditioning device. In one aspect, the zone control panel includes a plurality of thermostat terminals for receiving thermostat signals, a plurality of damper terminals for transmitting damper control signals, and one or more terminals for transmitting signals to control a fluid temperature conditioning device having a variable speed blower. The zone control panel also includes a blower terminal for transmitting a signal to a dehumidification terminal associated with the fluid temperature conditioning device, where the dehumidification terminal is labeled or indicated for use with a dehumidification operating mode or for initiating a dehumidification operating mode of the variable speed blower. The blower terminal changes state in response to the number of zones that are calling for conditioning and changes between only a first off state and a second alternating current (AC) signal state. The change in the state of the blower terminal causes the speed of the variable speed blower to change.

Claims

1. A zone control panel comprising:

(i) a plurality of thermostat terminals, each thermostat terminal configured to receive signals from one of a plurality of thermostats, where each of the plurality of thermostats is located within one of a plurality of zones;

(ii) a plurality of damper terminals, each damper terminal configured to transmit signals to control one of a plurality of zone dampers;

(iii) one or more terminals for transmitting signals to control a fluid temperature conditioning device having a variable speed blower; and

(iv) a blower terminal for transmitting a signal to a dehumidification terminal associated with the fluid temperature conditioning device, where the dehumidification terminal is labeled or indicated for use with a dehumidification operating mode or to initiate a dehumidification operating mode of the variable speed blower, and where the blower terminal changes state in response to the number of zones that are calling for conditioning and changes between only a first off state and a second alternating current (AC) signal state, and where the change in the state of the blower terminal causes the speed of the variable speed blower to change.

2. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein the second state is a 24 Volt AC signal.

3. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein the second state is a 24 Volt AC signal with a frequency of 60 Hertz.

4. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein

(i) the variable speed blower terminal is at the second state when more than one of the plurality of zones is calling for conditioning, wherein the second state causes the variable speed blower to operate at a relatively higher output;

and

(ii) the variable speed blower terminal is at the first state when only one of the plurality of zones is calling for conditioning, wherein the first state causes the variable speed blower to operate at a relatively lower output.

5. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein

(i) the variable speed blower terminal is at the second state when 30% or more of the plurality of zones are calling for conditioning, wherein the second state causes the variable speed blower to operate at a relatively higher output;

and

(ii) the variable speed blower terminal is at the first state when less than 30% of the plurality of zones are calling for conditioning, wherein the first state causes the variable speed blower to operate at a relatively lower output.

6. The zone control panel of claim 1, where the variable speed blower terminal communicates with a terminal of the fluid temperature conditioning device that is labeled “

DS,”

“

BK,”

or “

DEHUM.”

7. A method of controlling a fluid temperature conditioning device comprising:

(i) receiving a plurality of thermostat signals, wherein each of the plurality of thermostats is located within one of a plurality of zones;

(ii) transmitting a plurality of damper control signals, each damper control signal configured to control one of a plurality of zone dampers;

(iii) transmitting an equipment control signal to control a fluid temperature conditioning device;

(iv) determining a number of the plurality of the zones that are calling for conditioning; and

(v) changing the state of a variable speed blower terminal in response to the number of zones that are calling for conditioning, the variable speed blower terminal being configured to control a variable speed blower within the fluid temperature conditioning device, wherein the variable speed blower terminal is configured to change between only a first state and a second state, where the first state is an off state and the second state is an alternating current (AC) signal state.

8. The method of controlling a fluid temperature conditioning device of claim 7, where the second state of the variable speed blower terminal is a 24 Volt AC signal state.

9. The method of controlling a fluid temperature conditioning device of claim 7, where the second state of the variable speed blower terminal is a 24 Volt AC signal state with a frequency of 60 Hz.

10. The method of controlling a fluid temperature conditioning device of claim 7, wherein the step of changing the state of a variable speed blower terminal comprises

(i) setting the variable speed blower terminal at the second state when more than one of the plurality of zones is calling for conditioning, wherein the second state causes the variable speed blower to operate at a relatively higher output;

and

(ii) setting the variable speed blower terminal at the first state when only one of the plurality of zones is calling for conditioning, wherein the first state causes the variable speed blower to operate at a relatively lower output.

11. The method of controlling a fluid temperature conditioning device of claim 7, wherein the step of changing the state of a variable speed blower terminal comprises

(i) setting the variable speed blower terminal at the second state when 30% or more of the plurality of zones are calling for conditioning, wherein the second state causes the variable speed blower to operate at a relatively higher output;

and

(ii) setting the variable speed blower terminal at the first state when less than 30% of the plurality of zones are calling for conditioning, wherein the first state causes the variable speed blower to operate at a relatively lower output.

12. The method of controlling a fluid temperature conditioning device of claim 7, where the variable speed blower terminal communicates with a terminal of the fluid temperature conditioning device that is labeled “

DS,”

“

BK,”

or “

DEHUM.”

13. A zone control panel comprising:

(i) a plurality of thermostat terminals, each thermostat terminal configured to receive signals from one of a plurality of thermostats, where each of the plurality of thermostats is located within one of a plurality of zones;

(ii) a plurality of damper terminals, each damper terminal configured to transmit signals to control one of a plurality of zone dampers;

(iii) one or more terminals for transmitting signals to control a fluid temperature conditioning device; and

(iv) a variable speed blower terminal that changes state in response to the number of zones that are calling for conditioning, the variable speed blower terminal being configured to control a variable speed blower within the fluid temperature conditioning device, wherein the variable speed blower terminal is configured to change between only a first state and a second state, where the first state is an off state and the second state is an alternating current (AC) signal state.

14. The zone control panel of claim 13, wherein the second state is a 24 Volt AC signal.

15. The zone control panel of claim 13, wherein the second state is a 24 Volt AC signal with a frequency of 60 Hertz.

16. The zone control panel of claim 13, wherein

(i) the variable speed blower terminal is at the second state when more than one of the plurality of zones is calling for conditioning, wherein the second state causes the variable speed blower to operate at a relatively higher output;

and

(ii) the variable speed blower terminal is at the first state when only one of the plurality of zones is calling for conditioning, wherein the first state causes the variable speed blower to operate at a relatively lower output.

17. The zone control panel of claim 13, wherein

(i) the variable speed blower terminal is at the second state when 30% or more of the plurality of zones are calling for conditioning, wherein the second state causes the variable speed blower to operate at a relatively higher output;

and

(ii) the variable speed blower terminal is at the first state when less than 30% of the plurality of zones are calling for conditioning, wherein the first state causes the variable speed blower to operate at a relatively lower output.

18. The zone control panel of claim 13, where the variable speed blower terminal communicates with a terminal of the fluid temperature conditioning device that is labeled “

DS,”

“

BK,”

or “

DEHUM.”