SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CALCULATING THE THERMAL MASS OF A BUILDING

• US 20100070084A1
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EcoFactor, Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: EcoFactor, Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Hublou, Scott Douglas, Steinberg, John Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/12 of the outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/32 of the outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/00 Control inputs relating to environmental factors not covered by group F24F2110/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/10 Weather information or forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/20 Sunlight
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/50 Load
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/20 Compensating for effects of temperature changes other than those to be measured, e.g. changes in ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 : Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 : HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 : characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 : using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 : Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general

Abstract

The invention comprises a system for calculating a value for the effective thermal mass of a building. The climate control system obtains temperature measurements from at least a first location conditioned by the climate system. One or more processors receive measurements of outside temperatures from at least one source other than the control system and compare the temperature measurements from the first location with expected temperature measurements. The expected temperature measurements are based at least in part upon past temperature measurements obtained by said HVAC control system and said outside temperature measurements. The processors then calculate one or more rates of change in temperature at said first location.

Claims

1. A system for calculating a value for the effective thermal mass of a building comprising:

at least one HVAC control system that receives temperature measurements from at least a first location conditioned by at least one HVAC system, and receives status of said HVAC system;

one or more databases that store at least said temperature measurements from said first location over time; and

one or more processors that receive outside temperature measurements associated with outside temperatures from at least one source other than said HVAC system and compare said temperature measurements from said first location with expected temperature measurements wherein the expected temperature measurements are based at least in part upon past temperature measurements and said outside temperature measurements, wherein the one or more processors are configured to calculate one or more rates of change in temperature measurements at said first location and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to relate said calculated rates of change to said outside temperature measurements.

2. A system as in claim 1 in which said processors receive measurements of outside temperatures for geographic regions such as ZIP codes from sources other than said HVAC system.

3. A system as in claim 1 further comprising receiving temperature measurements from a programmable thermostat that communicates with said HVAC control system using the Internet.

4. A system as in claim 1 in which said processors communicate with said HVAC system using a network that includes an electricity meter.

5. A system as in claim 1 further comprising a programmable thermostat and said programmable thermostat is the sole source for current data regarding temperature inside said location conditioned by said HVAC system.

6. A system as in claim 1 in which said temperature measurements inside said first location occur at only one physical location.

7. A system as in claim 1 in which the status of said HVAC system includes whether said system is “

on”

or “

off”

.

8. A system for calculating a value for the operational efficiency of an HVAC system comprising:

at least one HVAC control system that receives temperature measurements from at least a first location conditioned by at least one HVAC system, and receives status of said HVAC system;

one or more databases that store at least said temperatures measured at said first location over time; and

one or more processors that receive outside temperature measurements from at least one source other than said HVAC system and compare said temperature measurements from said first location with expected temperature measurements wherein the expected temperature measurements are based at least in part upon past temperature measurements and said outside temperature measurements, wherein said one or more processors are configured to calculate one or more rates of change in temperature at said first location for periods during which the status of the HVAC system is “

on” and

wherein said one or more processors are further configured to calculate one or more rates of change in temperature at said first location for periods during which the status of the HVAC system is “

off”

, and to relate said calculated rates of change to said outside temperature measurements

9. A system as in claim 8 in which said processors receive temperature of outside temperatures for geographic regions such as ZIP codes from sources other than said HVAC system.

10. A system as in claim 8 further comprising a programmable thermostat that communicates with said HVAC control system using the Internet.

11. A system as in claim 8 in which said processors communicate with said HVAC system using a network that includes an electricity meter.

12. A system as in claim 8 further comprising a programmable thermostat and said programmable thermostat is the sole source for current data regarding temperature inside said location conditioned by said HVAC system.

13. A system as in claim 8 in which said temperature measurements inside said first location occur at only one physical location.

14. A system as in claim 8 in which the status of said HVAC system includes whether said system is “

on”

or “

off”

.

15. A method for calculating a value for the operational efficiency of an HVAC system comprising:

storing over time, temperature measurements from at least a first location conditioned by at least one HVAC system;

calculating one or more rates of change in temperature at said first location for periods during which the status of the HVAC system is “

on”

;

calculating one or more rates of change in temperature at said first location for periods during which the status of the HVAC system is “

off”

;

relating said calculated rates of change to outside temperature measurements from a location other than said first location;

determining with a computer processor, expected temperature measurements based at least in part upon said calculated rates of change and based at least in part on one or more outside temperature measurements obtained from said location other than said first location,

16. The method as in claim 15 wherein said outside temperatures are for geographic regions such as ZIP codes from sources other than said HVAC system.

17. The method as in claim 15 further comprising communicating with a programmable thermostat associated with said HVAC system using the Internet.

18. The method as in claim 15 further comprising communicating with said HVAC system using a network that includes an electricity meter.

19. The method as in claim 15 further comprising a programmable thermostat that provides the sole source for current data regarding temperature inside said location conditioned by said HVAC system.

20. A method as in claim 15 further comprising receiving the status of said HVAC system wherein said status comprises whether said system is “

on”

or “

off”

.