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US 12,061,003 B2Granted
Energy reducing retrofit apparatus for a constant volume HVAC system
AssigneePro Star Energy Solutions, L.P.
InventorsDanny Miller, Justin Sipe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods are provided and include a variable frequency drive configured to drive a fan motor of an HVAC system to ventilate an indoor space, the HVAC system having a cooling assembly that includes at least one of an economizer and a compressor. A controller is configured to communicate with the variable frequency drive, receive at least one signal from an occupancy sensing device, determine whether the indoor space is less than fully occupied based on the at least one signal, and control the variable frequency drive to reduce a speed of the fan motor in response to determining that the indoor space is less than fully occupied.
Claims18
A system comprising:
- a variable frequency drive configured to drive a fan motor of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to ventilate an indoor space, the HVAC system having a cooling assembly that includes at least one of an economizer or a compressor;
- and
- a controller configured to (i) communicate with the variable frequency drive, (ii) receive at least one signal from an occupancy sensing device, the at least one signal indicating an occupancy level of the indoor space, (iii) control the variable frequency drive to control a speed of the fan motor based on the at least one signal indicating the occupancy level of the indoor space, (iv) determine an actual energy consumption of the HVAC system, (v) determine an outside air temperature and a current time of day, (vi) access a database that stores historical data correlating time of day data and outside air temperature data with energy consumption data of the HVAC system, (vii) determine a number of energy consumption data values stored in the database for a combination of the outside air temperature and the current time of day, (viii) compare the number of energy consumption data values with a minimum number of stored values, (ix) in response to determining that the number of energy consumption data values is greater than the minimum number of stored values, determine a normal energy consumption range of values for the HVAC system based on the energy consumption data values stored in the database for the combination of the outside air temperature and the current time of day, compare the actual energy consumption of the HVAC system with the normal energy consumption range of values, and (xi) determine an energy consumption fault in response to the actual energy consumption being outside of the normal energy consumption range of values.
A method comprising:
- receiving, with a controller of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for an indoor space, at least one signal from an occupancy sensing device, the at least one signal indicating an occupancy level of the indoor space, and the HVAC system having a cooling assembly that includes at least one of an economizer or a compressor;
- controlling, with the controller, a variable frequency drive that drives a fan motor of the HVAC system to ventilate the indoor space by controlling a speed of the fan motor based on the at least one signal indicating the occupancy level of the indoor space;
- determining, with the controller, an actual energy consumption of the HVAC system;
- determining an outside air temperature and a current time of day;
- accessing a database that stores historical data correlating time of day data and outside air temperature data with energy consumption data of the HVAC system;
- determining a number of energy consumption data values stored in the database for a combination of the outside air temperature and the current time of day;
- comparing the number of energy consumption data values with a minimum number of stored values;
- in response to the number of energy consumption data values is greater than the minimum number of stored values, determining a normal energy consumption range of values for the HVAC system based on the energy consumption data values stored in the database for the combination of the outside air temperature and the current time of day;
- comparing, with the controller, the actual energy consumption of the HVAC system with the normal energy consumption range of values;
- and
- determining, with the controller, an energy consumption fault in response to the actual energy consumption being outside of the normal energy consumption range of values.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.