Heating furnace using rapid response heat control mode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10281165-B2
Application number	US-201615006588-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2016
Priority date	Jan 26, 2016
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A heating control system including an air circulation fan, a heating unit, a memory, and a microprocessor. The microprocessor is configured to operate the air circulation fan at a first speed and the heating unit in a first configuration where less than all of the burners are active. The microprocessor is further configured to determine a first temperature difference, compare the first temperature difference to a first temperature difference threshold, and transition the air circulation fan from the first speed to a second speed when the first temperature difference is less than the first temperature difference threshold. The microprocessor is further configured to determine a second temperature difference, compare the second temperature difference to a second temperature difference threshold, and transition the air circulation fan from the second speed to a third speed when the second temperature difference is less than the second temperature difference threshold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heating control system comprising:
an air circulation fan configurable to operate at a plurality of speeds;
a heating unit operably coupled to the air circulation fan, wherein the heating unit comprises:
a plurality of burners; and
a gas manifold comprising a first segment and a second segment within the gas manifold, wherein:
gas communication is disallowed between the first segment and the second segment of the gas manifold;
a first set of burners from the plurality of burners are disposed within the first segment of the gas manifold; and
a second set of burners from the plurality of burners are disposed within the second segment of the gas manifold;

a memory operable to store a plurality of temperature difference thresholds; and

a microprocessor operably coupled to the air circulation fan, the heating unit, and the memory, and configured to:
transmit a first electrical signal to operate the air circulation fan at a first speed and the heating unit in a first configuration with at least one active burner from the plurality of burners to achieve a first temperature, wherein less than all of the burners are active when the heating unit is in the first configuration, and wherein operating the air circulation fan at the first speed and the heating unit in the first configuration provides heat to a space;
determine a first temperature difference between the first temperature and a temperature set point;
compare the first temperature difference to a first temperature difference threshold;
transmit a second electrical signal to transition the air circulation fan from the first speed to a second speed when the first temperature difference is less than the first temperature difference threshold, wherein the second speed is greater than the first speed, wherein transitioning the air circulation fan to the second speed achieves a second temperature that is less than the first temperature, and wherein operating the air circulation fan at the second speed provides less heat to the space than operating the air circulation fan at the first speed;
determine a second temperature difference between the second temperature and the temperature set point;
compare the second temperature difference to a second temperature difference threshold; and
transmit a third electrical signal to transition the air circulation fan from the second speed to a third speed when the second temperature difference is less than the second temperature difference threshold, wherein transitioning the air circulation fan to the third speed achieves a third temperature that is less than the second temperature, and wherein operating the air circulation fan at the third speed provides less heat to the space than operating the air circulation fan at the second speed.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein operating the heating unit in the first configuration comprises:
activating the at least one active burner using a first gas valve; and
deactivating at least one burner from the plurality of burners using a second gas valve.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein operating the heating unit in the first configuration comprises:
activating the at least one active burner using the first segment of the gas manifold; and
deactivating at least one burner from the plurality of burners using the second segment of the gas manifold.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the memory is operable to store a temperature map that maps temperatures to speeds of the air circulation fan; and
the microprocessor is configured to:
determine the second speed using the first temperature difference and the temperature map; and
determine the third speed using the second temperature difference and the temperature map.

5. A heating control device comprising:
input/output (I/O) ports configured to transmit and receive electrical signals;
a memory operable to store a plurality of temperature difference thresholds;
a microprocessor operably coupled to I/O ports and the memory, and configured to:
transmit a first electrical signal to operate an air circulation fan at a first speed and a heating unit in a first configuration with at least one active burner from a plurality of burners within a gas manifold to achieve a first temperature, wherein:
a first set of burners from the plurality of burners are disposed within a first segment of the gas manifold;
a second set of burners from the plurality of burners are disposed within a second segment of the gas manifold;
gas communication is disallowed between the first segment and the second segment of the gas manifold; and
operating the air circulation fan at the first speed and the heating unit in the first configuration provides heat to a space;

determine a first temperature difference between the first temperature and a temperature set point;
compare the first temperature difference to a first temperature difference threshold;
transmit a second electrical signal to transition the air circulation fan from the first speed to a second speed when the first temperature difference is less than the first temperature difference threshold, wherein the second speed is greater than the first speed, wherein transitioning the air circulation fan to the second speed achieves a second temperature that is less than the first temperature, and wherein operating the air circulation fan at the second speed provides less heat to the space than operating the air circulation fan at the first speed;
determine a second temperature difference between the second temperature and the temperature set point;
compare the second temperature difference to a second temperature difference threshold; and
transmit a third electrical signal to transition the air circulation fan from the second speed to a third speed when the second temperature difference is less than the second temperature difference threshold, wherein transitioning the air circulation fan to the third speed achieves a third temperature that is less than the second temperature, and wherein operating the air circulation fan at the third speed provides less heat to the space than operating the air circulation fan at the second speed.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein operating the heating unit in the first configuration comprises:
activating the at least one active burner using a first gas valve; and
deactivating at least one burner from the plurality of burners using a second gas valve.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein operating the heating unit in the first configuration comprises:
activating the at least one active burner using the first segment of the gas manifold; and
deactivating at least one burner from the plurality of burners using the second segment of the gas manifold.

8. The device of claim 5 , wherein:
the memory is operable to store a temperature map that maps temperatures to speeds of the air circulation fan; and
the microprocessor is configured to:
determine the second speed using the first temperature difference and the temperature map; and
determine the third speed using the second temperature difference and the temperature map.

9. The device of claim 5 , wherein the microprocessor is configured to transition the heating unit from the first configuration to a second configuration when the first temperature difference is less than the first temperature difference threshold, wherein transitioning the heating unit from the first configuration to the second configuration comprises reducing a pressure of a gas valve for the active burners.

10. The device of claim 5 , wherein the microprocessor is configured to transition the heating unit from the first configuration to a second configuration when the first temperatu

Assignees

• Lennox Ind Inc

Inventors

• Perez Eric M
• Beste Mark G
• Schneider Steven

Classifications

• F24F11/30 Primary

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title

• G05B19/0423

  Input/output · CPC title

• F24F11/77 Primary

  by controlling the speed of ventilators · CPC title

• Y02B30/746

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F24F2110/10

  Temperature · CPC title