Systems and methods for auto-commissioning and self-diagnostics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9581985-B2
Application number	US-201414186999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2014
Priority date	Feb 21, 2014
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods for auto-commissioning and self-diagnostics of equipment in a building management system are provided. A self-testing module is implemented in a control unit of the building management system. The self-testing module exercises equipment of the building management system using a state-based testing procedure that differs from normal operation of the equipment and monitors feedback received from a sensor of the building management system in response to exercising the equipment. The self-testing module uses the feedback from the sensor to evaluate a state transition condition of the state-based testing procedure and to transition between states of the state-based testing procedure using a result of the evaluation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A building management system for performing automated testing and self-diagnostics of equipment in the building management system, the building management system comprising:
a sensor configured to measure a variable in the building management system and to provide feedback indicating a value of the measured variable;
equipment operable to affect the measured variable by exercising the equipment;
a control unit in communication with the sensor and the equipment, the control unit comprising a self-testing module configured to exercise the equipment using a state-based testing procedure, wherein exercising the equipment using the state-based testing procedure comprises providing the equipment with a sequence of control outputs that differs from normal operation of the equipment and enhances an effect of exercising the equipment on the measured variable relative to the normal operation of the equipment;
wherein the self-testing module is configured to concurrently operate in multiple different operating states, each of the multiple different operating states corresponding to a current operating state of a different state-based test of the equipment;
wherein the self-testing module is configured to monitor the feedback received from the sensor in response to exercising the equipment during the state-based testing procedure;
wherein the self-testing module is configured to use the feedback from the sensor to evaluate a state transition condition of the state-based testing procedure and to transition from a first state of the state-based testing procedure to one of a plurality of result states of the state-based testing procedure in response to the feedback satisfying the state transition condition;
wherein the self-testing module is configured to transition from the first state into another of the plurality of result states in response to the feedback not satisfying the state transition condition; and
wherein the self-testing module is configured to end the state-based testing procedure in response to transitioning into any of the plurality of result states, each of the result states indicating a result of the state-based testing procedure.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the self-testing module is configured to operate as a finite state machine, using feedback from the building management system to control transitions between operating states of the state-based testing procedure.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the state-based tests comprise at least two of:
a state-based fan diagnostic;
a state-based cooling diagnostic;
a state-based heating diagnostic;
a state-based economizer diagnostic; and
a state-based exhaust diagnostic.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the state-based testing procedure comprises at least one of:
a state-based fan diagnostic;
a state-based cooling diagnostic;
a state-based heating diagnostic;
a state-based economizer diagnostic; and
a state-based exhaust diagnostic.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the self-testing module is configured to monitor a set of test selection inputs received at the self-testing module, each of the test selection inputs corresponding to a different diagnostic test;
wherein the self-testing module is configured to use the set of test selection inputs to determine which of a plurality of diagnostic tests to perform during the state-based testing procedure.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the self-testing module is configured to identify a plurality of state transition conditions, each state transition condition comprising a criterion for transitioning into a different potential operating state;
wherein the self-testing module is configured to use feedback from the building management system to evaluate the plurality of state transition conditions and to transition into one of the potential operating states using a result of the evaluation.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein each of the potential operating states indicates a different result of the state-based testing procedure;
wherein the self-testing module is configured to output a result of the state-based testing procedure by identifying and reporting an operating state into which a state transition has occurred as a result of the evaluation.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises a user interface configured to present results of the state-based testing procedure, the results comprising an indication of a particular state-based test and a current state status of the particular state-based test.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an auxiliary control unit in communication with the self-testing module, wherein the auxiliary control unit is configured to provide a control output to the equipment of the building management system;
wherein the self-testing module is configured to output a testing state to the auxiliary control unit, the testing state causing the auxiliary control unit to enter a testing mode in which the self-testing module controls the control output provided from the auxiliary control unit to the equipment of the building management system.

10. A method for performing automated testing and self-diagnostics of equipment in a building management system, the method comprising:
exercising equipment of the building management system using a state-based testing procedure that differs from normal operation of the equipment and enhances an effect of exercising the equipment on a measured variable relative to the normal operation of the equipment, the state-based testing procedure comprising multiple different state-based tests, each of the multiple different state-based tests having a plurality of operating states;
concurrently operating in multiple different operating states, each of the multiple different operating states corresponding to a current operating state of one of the multiple different state-based tests;
monitoring feedback received from a sensor of the building management system in response to exercising the equipment during the state-based testing procedure, wherein the feedback from the sensor indicates a value of the measured variable, wherein the equipment is configured to affect the measured variable by exercising the equipment;
using the feedback from the sensor to evaluate a state transition condition of the state-based testing procedure, wherein the state-based testing procedure is performed by a control unit in communication with the sensor and the equipment;
transitioning from a first state of the state-based testing procedure to one of a plurality of result states of the state-based testing procedure in response to the feedback satisfying the state transition condition;
transitioning from the first state into another of the plurality of result states in response to the feedback not satisfying the state transition condition; and
ending the state-based testing procedure in response to transitioning into any of the plurality of result states, each of the result states indicating a result of the state-based testing procedure.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the exercising, monitoring, using, and transitioning steps are performed automatically by a self-testing module implemented in the control unit of the building management system;
wherein the self-testing module is configured to operate as a finite state machine, using feedback from the building management system to control transitions between operating states of the state-based testing procedure.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the state-based tests comprise at least two of:
a state-based fan diagnostic;
a state-based cooling diagnostic;
a state-based heating diagnostic;
a st

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Walser J Carlin
• Beyhaghi Saman
• Asmus Matthew J

Classifications

• G05B2219/24053

  Diagnostic of controlled machine · CPC title

• G05B2219/2642

  Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house · CPC title

• F24F11/30 Primary

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

• G05B2219/2614

  HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control · CPC title

• G05B19/048

  Monitoring; Safety · CPC title