Sound-based diagnostics for a combustion air inducer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11655993-B2
Application number	US-202117333543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2021
Priority date	May 28, 2021
Publication date	May 23, 2023
Grant date	May 23, 2023

Abstract

A device is configured to operate a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. The device is further configured to determine that the speed of a combustion air inducer exceeds a speed threshold value. The device is further configured to receive an audio signal from a microphone while operating the HVAC system and to determine an audio signature for the combustion air inducer is not present within the audio signal. The device is further configured to determine whether an audio signature for the integrated furnace controller is present within the audio signal. The device is further configured to determine a fault type based on the determination of whether the audio signature for the integrated furnace controller is present within the audio signal, to identify a component identifier for a component of the HVAC system that is associated with fault type, and to output a recommendation identifying the component identifier.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) analysis system, comprising:
a combustion air inducer configured to provide combustion air to an HVAC system;
an integrated furnace controller configured to control the operation of the combustion air inducer;
a microphone configured to capture an audio signal of the combustion air inducer; and
an analysis device operably coupled to the microphone, comprising:
a memory operable to store an audio signature library comprising a plurality of audio signatures, wherein:
each audio signature identifies one or more attributes for a portion of an audio signal;
each audio signature is associated with a fault type for the HVAC system; and
each fault type is associated with a component identifier for a component of the HVAC system; and

a processor operably coupled to the memory, configured to:
operate the HVAC system, wherein operating the HVAC system comprises sending a command to initiate a heat cycle;
determine a speed of the combustion air inducer;
determine that the speed of the combustion air inducer exceeds a first speed threshold value;
in response to determining that the speed of the combustion air inducer exceeds the first speed threshold value, activate the microphone to capture a first audio signal;
receive the first audio signal from the microphone while operating the HVAC system;
determine that the speed of the combustion air inducer exceeds a second speed threshold value, wherein the second speed threshold is greater than the first speed threshold value;
in response to determining that the speed of the combustion air inducer exceeds the second speed threshold value, determine a first audio signature from the plurality of audio signatures of the audio signature library for the combustion air inducer is not present within the first audio signal;
determine whether a second audio signature from the plurality of audio signatures of the audio signature library for the integrated furnace controller is present within the first audio signal;
determine a fault type based on the determination of whether the second audio signature for the integrated furnace controller is present within the first audio signal;
identify a first component identifier for a first component of the HVAC system that is associated with the fault type; and
output a recommendation identifying the first component identifier.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first component identifier corresponds with the integrated furnace controller when the second audio signature for the integrated furnace controller is not present within the first audio signal; and
the recommendation indicates to replace the integrated furnace controller.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first component identifier corresponds with the combustion air inducer when the second audio signature for the integrated furnace controller is present within the first audio signal; and
the recommendation indicates to replace the combustion air inducer.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to transition the microphone from an inactive state to an active state after sending the command to heat the space, wherein:
the microphone is not configured to capture the first audio signal while in the inactive state; and
the microphone is configured to capture the first audio signal while in the active state.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the second audio signature for the integrated furnace controller is present within the first audio signal comprises:
generating a representation of the first audio signal; and
comparing the second audio signature for the integrated furnace controller to the representation of the first audio signal.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein outputting the recommendation comprises displaying the first component identifier on a graphical user interface.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein outputting the recommendation comprises sending the first component identifier to a device that is located outside of the space.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the memory is further operable to store instructions for servicing the components of the HVAC system; and
the processor is further configured to output instructions for servicing the first component of the HVAC system that is associated with the first component identifier.

9. A Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) analysis method, comprising:
operating an HVAC system, w herein operating the HVAC system comprises sending a command to initiate a heat cycle;
determining a speed of a combustion air inducer, wherein the combustion air inducer is configured to provide combustion air to the HVAC system;
determining that the speed of the combustion air inducer exceeds a first speed threshold value;
in response to determining that the speed of the combustion air inducer exceeds the first speed threshold value, activating a microphone to capture a first audio signal;
receiving the first audio signal from the microphone while operating the HVAC system;
determining that the speed of the combustion air inducer exceeds a second speed threshold value, wherein the second speed threshold is greater than the first speed threshold value;
identifying a first audio signature for the combustion air inducer from an audio signature library comprising a plurality of audio signatures, wherein:
each audio signature identifies one or more attributes for a portion of an audio signal;
each audio signature is associated with a fault type for the HVAC system; and
each fault type is associated with a component identifier for a component of the HVAC system;

in response to determining that the speed of the combustion air inducer exceeds the second s peed threshold value, determining the first audio signature for the combustion air inducer is not present within the first audio signal;
identifying a second audio signature for an integrated furnace controller from the plurality of audio signatures of the audio signature library;
determining whether the second audio signature for the integrated furnace controller is present within the first audio signal;
determining a fault type based on the determination of whether the second audio signature for the integrated furnace controller is present within the first audio signal;
identifying a first component identifier for a first component of the HVAC system that is associated with fault type; and
outputting a recommendation identifying the first component identifier.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the first component identifier corresponds with the integrated furnace controller when the second audio signature for the integrated furnace controller is not present within the first audio signal; and
the recommendation indicates to replace the integrated furnace controller.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the first component identifier corresponds with the combustion air inducer when the second audio signature for the integrated furnace controller is present within the first audio signal; and
the recommendation indicates to replace the combustion air inducer.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising transitioning the microphone from an inactive state to an active state after sending the command to heat the space, wherein:
the microphone is not configured to capture the first audio signal while in the inactive state; and
the microphone is configured to capture the first audio signal while in the active state.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining whether the second audio signature for the integrated furnac

Assignees

• Lennox Ind Inc

Inventors

• Delgoshaei Payam
• Kowald Glenn William

Classifications

• F24F11/56

  Remote control · CPC title

• F27D2019/0009

  Monitoring the pressure in an enclosure or kiln zone · CPC title

• F24F11/38 Primary

  Failure diagnosis · CPC title

• F27D21/04 Primary

  Arrangement of indicators or alarms · CPC title

• G05B13/028

  using expert systems only · CPC title