Multi-factor furnace and heat pump control system
AssigneeJohnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
InventorsGregory Ralph Harrod, Jeffrey Norris Nichols
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for adjusting an economic balance point in a dual fuel HVAC system includes a furnace, a heat pump and a control system. The method comprises providing a control device having a preprogrammed algorithm for controlling the HVAC system, providing a communication path between the control device and at least one component of the HVAC system, and accessing current fuel cost data; determining an economic balance point temperature based on the current fuel cost data; and updating the economic balance point temperature in the preprogrammed algorithm to adjust an actual balance point of the HVAC system.
Claims23
A method of adjusting a balance point temperature for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising a furnace, a heat pump, and a control system, the method comprising:
- receiving, by the control system, cost data for at least one of electricity to operate the heat pump or fuel to operate the furnace;
- determining, by the control system, an economic balance point temperature based on the cost data;
- calculating, by the control system, an application balance point temperature below which a heating capacity of the heat pump is less than a rate of heat loss of a structure;
- wherein,
- the application balance point temperature is calculated based on correlating heat loss trend data and heat capacity trend data;
- receiving, by the control system, user input indicative of a selected balance between comfort and financial savings;
- and
- selecting, by the control system, between operation of the furnace and the heat pump based on the user input, the economic balance point temperature, and the application balance point temperature.
A control system comprising a processing circuit configured to control a furnace and a heat pump, wherein the processing circuit is configured to:
- receive cost data for at least one of electricity to operate the heat pump or fuel to operate the furnace;
- determine an economic balance point temperature based on the cost data;
- calculate an application balance point temperature below which a heating capacity of the heat pump is less than a rate of heat loss of a structure;
- wherein,
- the application balance point temperature is calculated based on correlating heat loss trend data and heat capacity trend data;
- receive user input indicative of a selected balance between comfort and financial savings;
- and
- select between operation of the furnace and the heat pump based on the user input, the economic balance point temperature, and the application balance point temperature.
A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processing circuits, include operations for controlling a furnace and a heat pump, the operations comprising:
- receiving cost data for at least one of electricity to operate the heat pump or fuel to operate the furnace;
- determining an economic balance point temperature based on the cost data;
- calculate an application balance point temperature below which a heating capacity of the heat pump is less than a rate of heat loss of a structure;
- wherein,
- the application balance point temperature is calculated based on correlating heat loss trend data and heat capacity trend data;
- receiving user input indicative of a selected balance between comfort and financial savings;
- and
- selecting between operation of the furnace and the heat pump based on the user input, the economic balance point temperature, and the application balance point temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.