FAN ARRAY CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20110014061A1
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nortek Air Solutions LLC (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Original Assignee: Huntair Incorporated (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Inventors: MOTLAND, BRIAN JAMES, HOPKINS, LAWRENCE G., GASSAWAY, MATTHEW ALAN
• Granted Patent: US 8,849,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/3
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0066 by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0281 responsive to a condition not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/166 using fans
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/004 by varying driving speed
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/02 Surge control surge detection F04D27/001
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/0207 by bleeding, bypassing or recycling fluids influencing the boundary layer by an uncontrolled bleeding of the working fluid F04D29/681
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/14 operative only when pump is inoperative
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/601 specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/663 Sound attenuation
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• 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 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/72 for controlling the supply of treated air, e.g. its pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/30 Velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/40 Pressure, e.g. wind pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/0442 with volume control at a constant temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/06 : with forced air circulation, e.g. by fan positioning of a ventilator in or against a conduit
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 : HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/24 : adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 : where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 : controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 : Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A fan array fan section in an air-handling system includes a plurality of fan units arranged in a fan array and positioned within an air-handling compartment One preferred embodiment may include an array controller programmed to operate the plurality of fan units at peak efficiency by computing the power consumed in various configurations and selecting the configuration requiring minimum power to operate.

Claims

1. An air handling system comprising:

a. A preselected number of individual fan units;

b. said fan units arranged in a fan array, said array capable of operation with a number of operative fan units less than the preselected number of fan units; and

c. a controller capable of automatically controlling selected fan units in said array of fan units in order to improve total fan array efficiency;

d. wherein the controller selects an optimal number of operative fan units so as to permit the operative fan units to run at substantially peak efficiency.

2. The air handling system of claim 1 wherein the controller calculates a necessary fan unit speed to give a selected static pressure at a selected airflow for all numbers of operative fan units from one fan unit up to the preselected number of fan units in the fan array.

3. The air handling system of claim 2 wherein the controller calculates said necessary fan unit speed by iteratively incrementing fan unit speed and the number of operative fan units.

4. The air handling system of claim 2 wherein a calculated static pressure at the selected airflow is given by the equation

5. The air handling system of claim 4 wherein X is 5 or 6.

6. The air handling system of claim 4 wherein the values of coefficients C_n are calculated by a method comprising the steps of:

a. measuring an empirical static pressure as a function of an empirical airflow for a single fan unit;

b. fitting the resulting data with a polynomial of order m, where m is an integer;

c. setting the value of C_n equal to the coefficient of the nth-power term of the fitted polynomial for n running from zero to m; and

d. setting X equal to m.

7. The air handling system of claim 1 wherein the controller first calculates a power level required to, operate the fan array at a selected static pressure, a selected airflow, and with different numbers of operative fan units, from one fan unit to the preselected number of fan units in the fan array, and then adjusts the number of operative fan units and a speed of the fan units to minimize the power level.

8. The air handling system of claim 7 wherein the controller calculates the power level required using the equation

9. The air handling system of claim 8 wherein X is 5 or 6.

10. The air handling system of claim 8 wherein the value of Es corresponding to each value of Ef is given by the results of the calculation shown in claim 4.

11. The air handling system of claim 8 wherein the values of coefficients C_n are calculated by a method comprising the steps of:

a. measuring the power level as a function of airflow for a single fan unit;

b. fitting the resulting data with a polynomial of order m, where m is an integer;

c. setting the value of C_n equal to the coefficient of the nth-power term of the fitted polynomial for n running from zero to m; and

d. setting X equal to m.

12. An air handling system comprising:

a. A plurality of individual fan units;

b. said fan units arranged in a fan array; and

c. a controller capable of calculating a set of parameters for controlling selected tan units in said array of fan units in order to improve total fan array efficiency.

13. A method for controlling an array of fan units, comprising the steps of:

a. providing a preselected number of individual fan units, said fan units arranged in a fan array, said array capable of operation with a number of operative fan units less than the preselected number of fan units;

b. providing a controller capable of calculating a power level required to operate the array at a selected static pressure and a selected airflow for different numbers of operative fan units;

c. identifying an optimum number of operative fan units that will minimize the power level; and

d. turning fan units on or off until said optimum number of operative fan units is reached.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the controller calculates the power level required using the equation

15. The method of claim 14 wherein X is 5 or 6.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the values of coefficients C_n are calculated by a method comprising the steps of:

a. measuring the power level as a function of airflow for a single fan unit;

b. fitting the resulting data with a polynomial of order m, where m is an integer;

c. setting the value of C_n equal to the coefficient of the nth-power term of the fitted polynomial for n running from zero to m; and

d. setting X equal to m.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of calculating a fan unit speed required to provide a selected volume of airflow at a selected static pressure for different numbers of operative fan units, from one fan unit up to the preselected number of fan units in the array.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the results of the fan unit speed calculation described in claim 17 are used in calculating the power level.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the static pressure is given by the equation

20. The method of claim 19 wherein X is 5 or 6.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the values of coefficients C_n are calculated by a method comprising the steps of:

a. measuring an empirical static pressure as a function of an empirical airflow for a single fan unit;

b. fitting the resulting data with a polynomial of order m, where m is an integer;

c. setting the value of C_n equal to the coefficient of the nth-power term of the fitted polynomial for n running from zero to m; and

d. setting X equal to m.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein the controller alters the number of operative fan units automatically.

23. An air handling system comprising:

a. A preselected number of individual fan units;

b. said fan units arranged in a fan array, said array capable of operation with a number of operative fan units less than the preselected number of fan units;

c. a controller capable of calculating a power level required to operate the array at a selected static pressure and a selected airflow for different numbers of operative fan units, identifying an optimum number of operative fan units that will minimize the power level, and turning fan units on or off until said optimum number of operative fan units is reached.