System and method for HVAC interlocks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9921591-B2
Application number	US-201313827132-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Mar 26, 2012
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

An interlock function block system, method, and apparatus that reduces the necessity for a building automation programmer to program low-level instructions using a complex series of ANDs, ORs, and arithmetic functions to protect such devices is provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for applying interlock assurances for a plurality of building automation devices, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of interlock blocks as parts of a respective plurality of building automation devices, a first interlock block of the plurality of interlock blocks being in a supported building automation device of the plurality of the building automation devices, the first interlock block logically connected to the supported building automation device and second interlock block of the plurality of interlock blocks being in a supporting building automation device of the plurality of building automation devices, wherein each of the interlock blocks of the plurality has a same arrangement of parts and corresponding interlock function that is capable of use in any of the building automation devices of the plurality, the parts including inputs and outputs for communicating between the interlock blocks, the parts of each of the interlock functions selected based on the respective building automation device in which the interlock block is located;
wherein the first interlock block comprises;
an input status module for receiving an input from the second interlock block of the supporting building automation device;
an output status module for sending an output to the supported building automation devices; and
means for determining whether the supporting building automation device is configured to support the supported building automation device;

receiving, by the first interlock block, a demand request from the supported building automation device; and
determining, by the first interlock block, whether the supporting building automation device is configured to support the supported building automation device, the determining being based on the input from the second interlock block.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending a signal to the supported building automation device that the supporting building automation device is presently in a state in which the supporting building automation device can support the supported building automation device.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising configuring the supported building automation device to engage.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending a signal to the supported building automation device that the supporting building automation device is presently not in a state in which the supporting building automation device can support the supported building automation device.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising configuring the supported building automation device to disengage.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating a priority with the demand request for the supported building automation device, different ones of the building automation devices having different priorities such that the supporting and supported building automation devices are protected from damage caused by commands of lower priority from outside an interlock structure.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a third interlock block of the plurality of interlock blocks logically connected to a second supporting building automation device supporting the supported building automation device, wherein the third interlock block is logically connected to the first interlock block.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supported building automation device comprises a fan and the supporting building automation device comprise a damper or a heating coil.

9. A system for assuring that a supported building automation device has adequate support from a supporting building automation device, the system comprising:
a plurality of interlock blocks of a plurality of building automation devices, the plurality of interlock blocks including first and second interlock blocks, a first interlock block logically connected to the supported building automation device and the second interlock block of a supporting building automation device, wherein the interlock blocks of the plurality each comprise:
a device input status module for receiving one or more inputs from one or more building automation devices;
a device output status module for sending outputs to one or more building automation devices;
supplier demand out and supplier status in modules for communicating with one of the interlock blocks, the building automation device of the one of the interlock blocks being a supplier;
consumer demand in and status out models for communicating with a another one of the interlock blocks, the building automation device of the other one of the interlock blocks being a consumer; and
means for determining whether the supplier building automation device is configured to support the consumer building automation device.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising configuring the supported building automation device to properly react to a received signal indicating that the supporting building automation device is configured to support the supported building automation device.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the supporting building automation device comprises a damper.

12. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a control sequence linker for linking the communicating between the interlock blocks of the supplier demand out, supplier status in, consumer demand in, and/or the consumer status out models.

13. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a temperature sequence linker logically connected to the first interlock block, wherein the temperature sequence linker includes a temperature controller for a heating coil.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first interlock block is configured for supply chain coordination.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first interlock block is configured outside a control loop device.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first interlock block is configured to communicate with cascaded control loop devices.

17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first interlock block is configured with control loop devices of two or more control variables.

18. In a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a programmed processor for controlling a supported building automation device, the storage medium comprising instructions for:
providing a first interlock block logically connected to the supported building automation device and a second interlock block of a supporting building automation device of the supported building automation device, the first and second interlock blocks each comprising:
an input status module for receiving inputs from a first building automation device;
an output status module for sending outputs to a second building automation device; and
a module for determining from another interlock block whether support is available;

receiving a demand request from the supported building automation device; and
determining whether the supporting building automation device is presently configured to support the supported building automation device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , further comprising instructions for linking communications between the first and second interlock blocks.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , further comprising instructions for determining a priority level of the supported building automation device, different building automation devices having different priorities.

Assignees

• Renggli Franz
• Walti Marcel
• Pienta William Thomas
• Seribo Virgil
• Coogan James J
• Siemens Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Renggli Franz
• Walti Marcel
• Pienta William Thomas
• Seribo Virgil
• Coogan James J

Classifications

• G05D23/1919 Primary

  characterised by the type of controller · CPC title

• G05B15/00

  Systems controlled by a computer (G05B13/00, G05B19/00 take precedence; automatic controllers with particular characteristics G05B11/00) · CPC title

• H04L12/2821 Primary

  Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances (cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00) · CPC title