System and flow adaptive sensorless pumping control apparatus for energy saving pumping applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9846416-B2
Application number	US-201514730871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2015
Priority date	Dec 16, 2011
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A signal processor receives signaling containing information about flow rates from sensorless converters in zone circulators in heating/cooling zones controlled by temperature sensors in a hydronic heating system in order to derive an adaptive pressure set point to meet the flow rates requested by the heating/cooling zones using an adaptive system and flow control curve equation, the signaling containing information about total flow rates requested by the zone circulators; determines desired pump speeds for the zone circulators to meet temperature requirements in heat zones; provides corresponding signaling containing information about the desired pump speeds; and/or determines the adaptive pump control curve equation based upon an adaptive system curve and as a moving maximum system flow rate depending on an adaptive pressure set point, a system flow rate requested by temperature loads, a minimum pressure at no flow, a control curve setting parameter, and an adaptive moving maximum flow and pressure.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus comprising:
a signal processor or processing module configured at least to:
receive signaling containing information about flow rates from sensorless converters in zone circulators in heating/cooling zones controlled by temperature sensors in a hydronic heating system in order to derive an adaptive pressure set point to meet the flow rates requested by the heating/cooling zones using an adaptive system and flow control curve equation, the signaling received also containing information about total flow rates requested by the zone circulators;
determine corresponding signaling containing information about desired pump speeds for the zone circulators to meet temperature requirements in heat zones, based upon the signaling received;
determine an adaptive pump control curve equation based upon an adaptive system curve and as a moving maximum system flow rate that depends on a relationship between an adaptive pressure set point, a system flow rate requested by temperature loads, a minimum pressure at no flow, a control curve setting parameter, and an adaptive moving maximum flow and pressure; and
determine
1) the adaptive pump control curve equation based upon the adaptive system curve and as the moving maximum system flow rate using an equation (2.1), as follows:

P
*

⁡

(
t
)

=

(

Q
*

⁡

(
t
)

Q
_

m

⁡

(
t
)

)

α

⁢

(

P
_

m

⁡

(
t
)

-

b
0

)

+

b
0

,

(
2.1
)

where P*(t) represents the adaptive pressure set point, Q*(t) is the system flow rate requested by the temperature loads, b 0 is the minimum pressure at no flow, α is the control curve setting parameter varying as 1≦α≦2 defined in between a linear curve and a quadratic one, and Q m (t) and P m (t) are the adaptive moving maximum flow and pressure; or
2) a flow signal for use in a flow PID control technique based upon a flow set point in a control function using an equation (2.2), as follows:

Q
*

⁡

(
t
)

=

(

P
*

⁡

(
t
)

-

b
0

P
0

-

b
0

)

-
α

⁢

Q
_

m

⁡

(
t
)

,

(
2.2
)

including where the signal processor or processing module is configured to receive the instant
pressure signal of P*(t) from a pressure sensor;

Assignees

• Fluid Handling Llc
• Fluid Handling Llc

Inventors

• Cheng Andrew A
• Gu James J
• Scott Graham A

Classifications

• F24F11/85

  using variable-flow pumps · CPC title

• F24F11/008

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F04D15/0072 Primary

  Installation or systems with two or more pumps, wherein the flow path through the stages can be changed, e.g. series-parallel · CPC title

• G05B13/041 Primary

  in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance · CPC title

• F24F11/83

  by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers · CPC title