# US 11,679,646 B2 · Method for driving an actuator of an HVAC system

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- Number: US 11,679,646 B2
- Document ID: US11679646B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/827,055
- Filed: 2020-03-23
- Published: 2020-07-16
- Granted: 2023-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2016-02-25
- Assignees: Johnson Electric International AG
- Applicants: Johnson Electric International AG
- Inventors: Yvan Bourqui
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11679646B2

## CPC

- B60H 1/00871: {Air directing means, e.g. blades in an air outlet (construction of nozzles or air diffusers B60H1/34)}
- B60H 1/00857: {characterised by the means connecting the initiating means, e.g. control lever, to the damper door}
- H02P 21/06: Rotor flux based control involving the use of rotor position or rotor speed sensors
- H02P 31/00: Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors not provided for in groups H02P1/00 - H02P5/00, H02P7/00 or H02P21/00 - H02P29/00
- B60H 1/3414: {with means for adjusting the air stream direction (B60H1/345 takes precedence)}
- B60H 2001/3471: {Details of actuators}
- G05B 2219/41059: Play in gear, screw backlash, lost motion
- H02P 23/20: Controlling the acceleration or deceleration
- B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
- H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)

## Abstract

A method for driving an actuator of an HVAC system having a region of mechanical play is provided, and which comprises the steps of: a] monitoring a position of a movable member of the HVAC system or at least one rotatable element of the actuator to determine when the region of mechanical play has been entered or exited; and b] ramping a drive power to the actuator between a zero-velocity drive power and a steady-state-velocity drive power during the region of mechanical play. The HVAC system implementing the above method is not only capable of reducing the noise produced by an HVAC system, but is also capable of reducing an over-powering of the actuator when there is a low load on the system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for driving an actuator of an HVAC system having a region of mechanical play, the method comprising the steps of:
a] determining the region of mechanical play;
b] after completing step a], monitoring a position of at least one rotatable element of the actuator to determine when the region of mechanical play has been entered or exited;
c] ramping a drive power to the actuator between a zero-velocity drive power and a steady-state-velocity drive power during the region of mechanical play; and
during the step c], calculating a required velocity change of the actuator based on at least a parameter representing the region of mechanical play.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, during the step a], an information of the mechanical play is pre-programmed, so to determine the region of mechanical play.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the information of the mechanical play is determined by machine learning during operation or pre-testing of the HVAC system.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, during the step a], the region of mechanical play is determined through obtaining a parameter representing the region of the mechanical play, and wherein, during the step c], the drive power is ramped according to the parameter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step b] further comprises monitoring directionality of a travel of the actuator.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the actuator comprises a motor, and during the step a], determining the region of mechanical play, wherein magnitudes of mechanical play are different if a motor direction is different than a previous motor direction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a motor having a rotor, and during the step b], monitoring a position of the rotor to determine when the region of mechanical play has been entered or exited.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein, during the step b], the position of rotor is monitored via a position sensor associated with the actuator.