Actuator with diagnostics

• US 8,588,983 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Grabinger, Cory, McNallan, Torrey William, Waseen, Daniel, Thomle, Adrienne, McMillan, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): HARTMAN JR, RONALD D
• Application Number:
  US13/293,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20130116834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 700/276, 165/200, 702/108, 702/113
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/00 Control or safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/1426 characterised by actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2013/1433 with electric motors

Abstract

A system incorporating an actuator. The actuator may have a motor unit with motor controller connected to it. A processor may be connected to the motor controller. A coupling for a shaft connection may be attached to an output of the motor unit. The processor may incorporate a diagnostics program. The processor may be connected to a polarity-insensitive two-wire communications bus. Diagnostic results of the diagnostics program may be communicated from the processor over the communications bus to a system controller. If the diagnostic results communicated from the processor over the communications bus to the system controller indicate an insufficiency of the actuator, then an alarm identifying the insufficiency may be communicated over the communications bus to the system controller.

Claims

1. An actuator system for use with heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, comprising:

an HVAC actuator; and

wherein the actuator comprises;

a motor;

a motor controller connected to the motor;

a processor connected to the motor controller; and

a coupling for a shaft connection attached to an output of the motor; and

wherein;

the processor comprises a diagnostics program;

the processor is connected to a communications bus;

the processor indicates a status of active or inactive of the actuator on the communications bus;

if the status is indicated as inactive, then a condition of whether the actuator is operable or inoperable is determined; and

diagnostic results of the diagnostics program are communicated from the processor over the communications bus to a system controller.

2. The actuator system of claim 1, wherein if the diagnostic results communicated from the processor over the communications bus to the system controller indicate an insufficiency of the actuator, then an alarm identifying the insufficiency is communicated over the communications bus to the system controller.

3. The actuator system of claim 2, wherein the communications bus comprises two polarity-insensitive wires.

4. The actuator system of claim 1, wherein if the motor and/or the motor controller fails, then an alarm is sent to the system controller as an immediate notification of an actuator failure.

5. The actuator of claim 1, wherein:

the system controller identifies an actuator as communicating diagnostic results according to an address of the actuator; and

the system controller is an economizer.

6. An actuator system for use with heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment (HVAC), comprising:

an HVAC actuator; and

wherein the actuator comprises;

a motor;

a gear train mechanically connected to the motor;

an actuator shaft mechanically connected to the gear train;

a shaft position indicator connected to the actuator shaft; and

a processor connected to the motor and the shaft position indicator;

a current sensor connected to the motor and the processor;

a voltage sensor connected to the motor and the processor; and

wherein the processor comprises a diagnostics program.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is connected to a communications bus.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the processor determines immediate power consumption of the actuator from current and voltage indications from the current sensor and voltage sensor, respectively;

the processor provides an excessive power alarm if the immediate power consumption exceeds a predetermined percentage over a given amount of measured power consumption by the motor considered to be during normal operation of the actuator; and

the processor provides an insufficient power alarm if the immediate power consumption is less than a predetermined percentage under a given amount of measured power consumption by the motor considered to be during normal operation of the actuator.

9. The actuator system of claim 6, wherein if the actuator fails, the processor sends an actuator failure alarm via a communications bus as an immediate notification to a system controller.

10. The actuator system of claim 9, wherein the communications bus comprises two polarity-insensitive wires.

11. The actuator system of claim 6, wherein the processor provides alarms, status and diagnostics of the actuator automatically over a communications bus.

12. The actuator system of claim 6, wherein the processor provides on a communications bus one or more diagnostics items of a group consisting of high temperature warning, excessive noise on power line, record/report back electromotive force (EMF) on spring return, percentage of life detection, high amount of travel for given amount of time, hunting around a given point, actuator angle, communication normal indicator, stroke limiting, control valve (Cv) selection, flowrate on pressure independent control valve (PIC-V), set auxiliary switch, report auxiliary switch setting, report auxiliary switch status, report auxiliary switch current draw—

auxiliary equipment status, if switch drives fan—

verify fan shuts down before damper closes, if switch drives coils—

verify heat exchanger running before opening/closing valve, report stuck valve/damper, PIC-V constant pressure—

constant torque, changeover valve—

no cycling for a period of time, time since last movement, date/time of first operation (commissioning), audible/detectable signal for location, device in warranty, device model number/serial number/date code, device type—

outside air damper/standard ball valve/PIC-V valve/mixed air damper, actuator fitness/self-test routine—

known system conditions, sensor—

actual damper/valve position, super capacitor status, and energy consumption.

13. A method for attaining diagnostics of an actuator for use in heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC), comprising:

entering a diagnostics program for an HVAC actuator into a processor of the actuator;

transmitting results of the diagnostics program on a communications bus; and

reviewing the results from the communications bus; and

wherein the actuator comprises;

a motor;

a gear train connected to the motor;

an actuator shaft coupling connected to the gear train;

a shaft position indicator connected to the actuator shaft coupling and to the processor; and

one or more sensors situated at the actuator and connected to the processor;

sending an alarm via the processor to a controller via the communications bus if the actuator shaft coupling fails to move upon transmitting signals to the processor commanding a movement of the motor; and

wherein the controller is an economizer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the communications bus is a two-wire polarity-insensitive bus which can convey signals and power.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

two or more actuators are connected to the communications bus.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the diagnostics program having alarms and diagnostic characteristics is implemented in firmware of the processor.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the processor provides on the communications bus one or more actuator related items of a group consisting of high temperature warning, excessive noise on power line, record/report back electromotive force (EMF) on spring return, percentage of life detection, high amount of travel for given amount of time, hunting around a given point, actuator angle, communication normal indicator, stroke limiting, control valve (Cv) selection, flowrate on pressure independent control valve (PIC-V), set auxiliary switch, report auxiliary switch setting, report auxiliary switch status, report auxiliary switch current draw—

auxiliary equipment status, if switch drives fan—

verify fan shuts down before damper closes, if switch drives coils—

verify heat exchanger running before opening/closing valve, report stuck valve/damper, PIC-V constant pressure—

constant torque, changeover valve—

no cycling for a period of time, time since last movement, date/time of first operation (commissioning), audible/detectable signal for location, device in warranty, device model number/serial number/date code, device type—

outside air damper/standard ball valve /PIC-V valve/mixed air damper, actuator fitness/self-test routine—

known system conditions, sensor—

actual damper/valve position, super capacitor status, and energy consumption.

18. An actuator system for use with heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, comprising:

an HVAC actuator; and

wherein the actuator comprises;

a motor;

a motor controller connected to the motor;

a processor connected to the motor controller; and

a coupling for a shaft connection attached to an output of the motor; and

wherein;

the processor comprises a diagnostics program;

the processor is connected to a communications bus; and

diagnostic results of the diagnostics program are communicated from the processor over the communications bus to a system controller

wherein the system controller;

identifies an actuator as communicating diagnostic results according to an address of the actuator; and

is an economizer.