Agricultural building environmental control system

A method of controlling environmental conditions within an open interior of an agricultural building using an environmental control system, which includes:

• a main controller;
• and
• a plurality of zone systems, each zone system configured to control environmental conditions within one of a plurality of zones within the open interior, each zone system comprising:
• at least one environmental control device selected from the group consisting of a heating device and an exhaust fan;
• a temperature sensor configured to output a temperature signal indicating a temperature within the zone;
• and
• a smart hub;
• the method comprising:
• controlling environmental parameters of each zone using the corresponding zone system comprising:
• receiving a low setpoint temperature and/or a high setpoint temperature for the zone from the main controller using the smart hub;
• and
• controlling the at least one environmental control device based on the temperature signal and the low setpoint temperature or the high setpoint temperature using the smart hub;
• and
• preventing controlling of one of the environmental control devices of one of the zone systems based on an operating condition of one of the environmental control devices in another zone system using the main controller.

An environmental control system for controlling environmental conditions of an open interior of an agricultural building, the system comprising:

• a source of combustible gas;
• a main controller;
• a plurality of zone systems, each configured to control environmental conditions within one of a plurality of zones within the open interior, each zone system comprising:
• at least one heating device connected to the source of combustible gas through a supply line and configured to generate heat by burning the combustible gas when activated;
• a temperature sensor configured to output a temperature signal indicating a temperature within the zone;
• and
• a smart hub configured to control the at least one heating device based on a setpoint temperature for the zone issued by the main controller and the temperature signal output by the temperature sensor of the zone system;
• and
• at least one pressure transmitter, each configured to detect a pressure in the supply line and output a pressure signal,
• wherein the main controller or at least one of the smart hubs deactivates one or more of the heating devices when one of the at least one pressure signal drops below a threshold level.

A method of controlling environmental conditions of an open interior of an agricultural building using an environmental control system, which includes:

• a source of combustible gas;
• a main controller;
• a plurality of zone systems, each configured to control environmental conditions within one of a plurality of zones within the open interior, each zone system comprising:
• at least one heating device connected to the source of combustible gas through a supply line, and configured to generate heat by burning the combustible gas when activated;
• a temperature sensor configured to output a temperature signal indicating a temperature within the zone;
• and
• a smart hub;
• and
• at least one pressure transmitter;
• the method comprising:
• controlling the at least one heating device of each zone system based on a corresponding setpoint temperature issued by the main controller and the temperature signal output by the temperature sensor of the zone system;
• detecting a pressure in the supply line using the pressure transmitter;
• and
• deactivating one or more of the heating devices when the detected pressure drops below a threshold level using the main controller or one of the smart hubs.

An environmental control system for controlling environmental conditions of an open interior of an agricultural building, the system comprising:

• a main controller;
• and
• a plurality of zone systems, each configured to control environmental conditions within one of a plurality of zones within the open interior, each zone system comprising:
• a plurality of environmental control devices, each configured to control an environmental condition within the zone;
• a plurality of sensors, each configured to detect an environmental condition within the zone;
• and
• a smart hub configured to control the at least one environmental control device based on one or more parameters received from the main controller and the at least one sensor, the smart hub including:
• a plurality of input ports, each coupled to one of the sensors;
• and
• a plurality of input/output ports, each coupled to one of the environmental control devices;
• and
• a communication link between the main controller and each of the smart hubs, through which status information on each of the plurality of environmental control devices is communicated, the status information on each environmental control device includes an identification of the environmental control device and a condition of the environmental control device.

A method of operating an environmental control system for controlling environmental conditions of an open interior of an agricultural building, the system comprising:

• a main controller;
• and
• a plurality of zone systems, each configured to control environmental conditions within one of a plurality of zones within the open interior, each zone system comprising:
• a plurality of environmental control devices;
• a plurality of sensors;
• and
• a smart hub;
• and
• a communication link between the main controller and each of the smart hubs;
• the method comprising:
• controlling environmental conditions within each zone using the corresponding zone system comprising:
• receiving one or more setpoint parameters from the main controller for the zone using the smart hub;
• detecting environmental conditions within the zone using the sensors;
• and
• controlling the environmental control devices based on the setpoint parameters and the detected environmental conditions using the smart hub;
• and
• communicating status information on each of the plurality of environmental control devices of each zone system to the main controller over the communication link using the smart hubs, wherein the status information on each environmental control device includes an identification of the environmental control device and a condition of the environmental control device.

A zone system of an environmental control system for controlling environmental conditions of a zone within an open interior of an agricultural building, the zone system comprising:

• a heating device;
• a plurality of temperature sensors, each temperature sensor configured to output a temperature signal indicating a sensed temperature;
• and
• a smart hub including:
• a first operating mode, in which the smart hub controls the heating device based on the temperature signals received from a first subset of the temperature sensors;
• and
• a second operating mode, in which the smart hub controls the heating device based on the temperature signals received from a second subset of the temperature sensors that is different from the first subset,
• wherein:
• the first subset of the plurality of temperature sensors includes a first temperature sensor;
• when the smart hub receives the temperature signal from the first temperature sensor, the smart hub operates in the first operating mode;
• and
• when the smart hub does not receive the temperature signal from the first temperature sensor, the smart hub operates in the second operating mode.

A method of controlling environmental conditions within a zone of an open interior of an agricultural building using a zone system comprising:

• a heating device;
• a plurality of temperature sensors, each configured to output a temperature signal indicating a sensed temperature;
• and
• a smart hub;
• the method comprising:
• receiving temperature signals from only a first subset of the temperature sensors;
• operating the smart hub in a first operating mode including controlling the heating device based on the received temperature signals from the first subset of the temperature sensors;
• receiving temperature signals from only a second subset of the temperature sensors, which is different from the first subset;
• and
• operating the smart hub in a second operating mode including controlling the heating device based on the received temperature signals from the second subset of the temperature sensors.

An environmental control system for controlling environmental conditions of an open interior of an agricultural building, the system comprising:

• a main controller;
• and
• a plurality of zone systems, each zone system configured to control environmental conditions within one of a plurality of zones within the open interior, each zone system comprising:
• at least one environmental control device selected from the group consisting of a heating device and an exhaust fan;
• a temperature sensor configured to output a temperature signal indicating a temperature within the zone;
• and
• a smart hub configured to control the at least one environmental control device of the corresponding zone based on a low setpoint temperature and/or a high setpoint temperature for the zone issued by the main controller and the temperature signal output by the temperature sensor of the zone,
• wherein when communication between one of the zone systems and the main controller is lost, the smart hub of the zone system controls the at least one environmental control device of the zone system based on the temperature signal output by the temperature sensor of the zone system and last-received low and/or high setpoint temperatures from the main controller.

A method of controlling environmental conditions of an open interior of an agricultural building using an environmental control system, which includes:

• a main controller;
• and
• a plurality of zone systems, each configured to control environmental conditions within one of a plurality of zones within the open interior, each zone system comprising:
• at least one environmental control device selected from the group consisting of a heating device and an exhaust fan;
• a temperature sensor configured to output a temperature signal indicating a temperature within the zone;
• and
• a smart hub;
• the method comprising:
• controlling an environmental parameter of each zone using the corresponding zone system comprising steps of:
• periodically receiving a low setpoint temperature and/or a high setpoint temperature for the zone from the main controller using the smart hub;
• and
• controlling the at least one environmental control device based on the temperature signal output by the temperature sensor of the zone, and in response to the received low setpoint temperature and and/or high setpoint temperature;
• losing communication between a first of the zone systems and the main controller;
• and
• controlling the at least one environmental control device of the first zone system using the smart hub of the first zone system based on the temperature signal output by the temperature sensor of the first zone system, and the low setpoint temperature and/or the high setpoint temperature received from the main controller prior to losing communication with the main controller.