Method for operating and/or monitoring an HVAC system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10635120-B2
Application number	US-201815925565-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2018
Priority date	Sep 5, 2011
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A method for operating and/or monitoring an HVAC system (10), in which a medium circulating in a primary circuit (26) flows through at least one energy consumer (11, 12, 13), the medium entering with a volume flow (φ) through a supply line (14) into the energy consumer (11, 12, 13) at a supply temperature (Tv) and leaving the energy consumer (11, 12, 13) at a return temperature (TR) via a return line (15), and transferring heat or cooling energy to the energy consumer (11, 12, 13) in an energy flow (E). A control unit (21) adaptively operates the system by empirically determining the dependence of the energy flow (F) and/or the temperature difference ΔT between supply temperature (Tv) and return temperature (TR) on the volume flow (φ) for the energy consumers (11, 12, 13) in a first step, and by operating and/or monitoring the HVAC system (10) according to the determined dependency or dependencies in a second step.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for adaptively operating and/or monitoring a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system ( 10 ) under control of a controller ( 21 , 22 ), the method comprising:
circulating a medium in a primary circuit ( 26 ), such that the medium flows through at least one energy consumer ( 11 , 12 , 13 ), the medium entering at a volumetric rate of flow (φ) into an energy consumer ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) through a supply line ( 14 ) at a supply temperature (T V ) and leaving the energy consumer ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) at a return temperature (T R ) by way of a return line ( 15 ) and, in so doing, releases heat energy or cold energy to the energy consumer ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) in a flow of energy (E),
empirically determining a dependence of the flow of energy (E) and/or a temperature differential ΔT between the supply temperature (T V ) and the return temperature (T R ) on the volumetric flow rate (φ) for the respective energy consumer ( 11 , 12 , 13 ),
adaptively changing operation of the HVAC system ( 10 ) in accordance with the determined dependence and/or dependences,
wherein the dependence of the flow of energy (E) on the volumetric flow rate (φ) is repeatedly determined empirically at varying time intervals by the controller,
whereby the volumetric flow rate (φ) and the temperature differential ΔT between the supply temperature (T V ) and the return temperature (T R ) are measured simultaneously at different points in time and, if desired, the associated flow of energy (E) is determined for each of the points in time from associated measurement values and assigned to a respective volumetric rate of flow (φ) in order to determine empirically the dependence of the flow of energy (E) on the volumetric flow rate (φ), while the system is running, over a sufficiently long period of time, and
wherein, on the basis of the determined dependence, an upper limit value (E max ) of the flow of energy (E) is established, and said upper limit value is not exceeded while the HVAC system ( 10 ) is running.

2. The method, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the dependence of the flow of energy (E) on the volumetric flow rate (φ) is determined empirically at a start of the operation in a newly installed HVAC system ( 10 ), and
the HVAC system ( 10 ) or more specifically the individual components are changed or replaced, when the empirically determined dependences make it necessary.

3. The method, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein temperature sensors ( 16 , 17 ) for determining the temperature differential ΔT between the supply temperature (T V ) and the return temperature (T R ) as well as the at least one flow sensor ( 18 ) for determining the volumetric flow rate (φ) are provided in the HVAC system ( 10 ) for carrying out the operation, and
wherein the temperature and flow sensors ( 16 , 17 and/or 18 ) are used for empirically determining the dependence of the flow of energy (E) on the volumetric flow rate (φ).

4. A method for adaptively operating and/or monitoring a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system ( 10 ) under control of a controller ( 21 , 22 ), the method comprising:
circulating a medium in a primary circuit ( 26 ), such that the medium flows through at least one energy consumer ( 11 , 12 , 13 ), the medium entering at a volumetric rate of flow (φ) into an energy consumer ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) through a supply line ( 14 ) at a supply temperature (T V ) and leaving the energy consumer ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) at a return temperature (T R ) by way of a return line ( 15 ) and, in so doing, releases heat energy or cold energy to the energy consumer ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) in a flow of energy (E),
empirically determining a dependence of a temperature differential ΔT between the supply temperature (T V ) and the return temperature (T R ) on the volumetric flow rate (φ) for the respective energy consumer ( 11 , 12 , 13 ),
adaptively changing operation of the HVAC system ( 10 ) in accordance with the determined dependence and/or dependences,
wherein the dependence of the temperature differential ΔT between the supply temperature (T V ) and the return temperature (T R ) on the volumetric flow rate (φ) is repeatedly determined empirically at varying time intervals by the controller,
whereby the volumetric flow rate (φ) and the temperature differential ΔT between the supply temperature (T V ) and the return temperature (T R ) are measured simultaneously at different points in time and, if desired, the associated flow of energy (E) is determined for each of the points in time from associated measurement values and assigned to a respective volumetric rate of flow (φ) in order to determine empirically the dependence of the temperature differential ΔT between the supply temperature (T V ) and the return temperature (T R ) on the volumetric flow rate (φ), while the system is running, over a sufficiently long period to time,
wherein, on the basis of the determined dependence, a lower limit value (ΔT min ) of the temperature differential ΔT between the supply temperature (T V ) and the return temperature (T R ) is established.

5. The method, as claimed in claim 4 , wherein
the dependence of the temperature differential ΔT between the supply temperature (T V ) and the return temperature (T R ) on the volumetric flow rate (φ) is determined empirically at a start of the operation in a newly installed HVAC system ( 10 ), and
the HVAC system ( 10 ) or more specifically the individual components are changed or replaced, when the empirically determined dependences make it necessary.

6. The method, as claimed in claim 4 , wherein temperature sensors ( 16 , 17 ) for determining the temperature differential ΔT between the supply temperature (T V ) and the return temperature (T R ) as well as at least one flow sensor ( 18 ) for determining the volumetric flow rate (φ) are provided in the HVAC system ( 10 ) for carrying out the operation, and
wherein the temperature and flow sensors ( 16 , 17 and/or 18 ) are used for empirically determining the dependence of the temperature differential ΔT between the supply temperature (T V ) and the return temperature (T R ) on the volumetric flow rate (φ).

7. A method for adaptively operating and/or monitoring a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system ( 10 ) under control of a controller ( 21 , 22 ), the method comprising:
circulating a medium in a primary circuit ( 26 ), such that the medium flows through at least one energy consumer ( 11 , 12 , 13 ), the medium entering at a volumetric rate of flow (φ) into an energy consumer ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) through a supply line ( 14 ) at a supply temperature (T v ) and leaving the energy consumer ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) at a return temperature (T R ) by way of a return line ( 15 ) and, in so doing, releases heat energy or cold energy to the energy consumer ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) in a flow of energy (E),
empirically determining a dependence of the flow of energy (E) and/or a temperature differential ΔT between the supply temperature (T V ) and the return temperature (T R ) on the volumetric flow rate (φ) for the respective energy consumer ( 11 , 12 , 13 ),
adaptively changing operation of the HVAC system ( 10 ) in accordance with the determined dependence and/or dependences,
wherein the dependence of the flow of energy (E) and/or the temperature differential ΔT between the supply temperature (T V ) and the return temperature (T R ) on the volumetric flow rate (φ) is repeatedly determined empirically at varying time intervals by the controller,
whereby the volumetric flow rate (φ) and the temperature differential ΔT between the supply temperature (T V ) and the return temperature (T R ) are measured simultaneously at different points in time and, if desired, the associa

Assignees

• Belimo Holding Ag

Inventors

• D'Silva Vinod
• Nightlinger Mark
• Thuillard Marc
• Aeberhard Ronald

Classifications

• G05D23/1931

  to control the temperature of one space · CPC title

• F24D2220/044

  Flow sensors · CPC title

• F24F2140/20

  Heat-exchange fluid temperature · CPC title

• G01K2201/00

  Application of thermometers in air-conditioning systems · CPC title

• G01K17/10

  between an inlet and an outlet point, combined with measurement of rate of flow of the medium {if such, by integration during a certain time-interval} · CPC title