Automated cooling system for a building structure
AssigneeQc Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsDana Charles Stevenson, Dustin Martin Stevenson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated cooling system and method for energy efficient use with a building structure by adjusting operational parameters is provided. The automated cooling system can adjust operational parameters in response to conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity) detected by sensors located at one or more strategically selected locations inside or outside the building structure. The automated cooling system can ramp speeds of a motor that rotates fan blades in response to changes in the air temperature in the building structure so as to maintain a desired temperature without switching on and off the motor to preserve fan blade inertia.
Claims33
An automated cooling system for energy efficient use with an attic space of a building structure, the automated cooling system comprising:
- a cylindrical housing configured to be mounted to the building structure having the attic space, the cylindrical housing comprising an inflow end and an outflow end, the cylindrical housing configured to be secured to a roof over the attic space of the building structure;
- a motor configured to rotate a fan drive shaft;
- a fan blade assembly secured to the fan drive shaft so that rotation of the fan drive shaft causes the fan blade assembly to rotate,
- wherein the motor and the fan blade assembly are disposed within the cylindrical housing and configured to draw air from the attic space into the cylindrical housing through the inflow end and to exhaust air out of the attic space through the outflow end of the cylindrical housing;
- a first condition sensor comprising a temperature sensor and a second condition sensor comprising a humidity sensor;
- and
- a motor speed control unit configured to communicate with each of the first and second condition sensors and configured to receive a first condition sensor signal from the first condition sensor and further configured to receive a second condition sensor signal from the second condition sensor, the motor speed control unit electronically coupled to the motor and configured to change a speed at which the motor rotates the fan drive shaft, the motor speed control unit configured to access a first lookup table and a second lookup table, wherein the motor speed control unit is configured to determine a target speed based on a value of the first condition sensor signal using the first lookup table, wherein the motor speed control unit is configured to determine the target speed based on a value of the second condition sensor signal using the second lookup table,
- wherein the motor speed control unit is configured to determine an air temperature of the attic space based on the first condition sensor signal and compare the air temperature to a desired temperature, wherein the motor speed control unit is configured to maintain a temperature of the attic space at the desired temperature by ramping speeds of the motor via sending a first motor signal for the motor to operate at a first target speed based on the air temperature being equal to the desired temperature, sending a second motor signal for the motor to operate at a second target speed based on the air temperature being higher than the desired temperature, the second target speed being greater than the first target speed, and sending a third motor signal for the motor to operate at a third target speed based on the air temperature being lower than the desired temperature, the third target speed being less than the first target speed, such that motor speed is automatically adjusted in response to changes in the air temperature in the attic space so as to maintain the temperature of the attic space at the desired temperature without switching on and off the motor to preserve fan blade inertia while maintaining the temperature of the attic space at the desired temperature.
An automated cooling system for use with a building structure, the automated cooling system comprising:
- a motor configured to rotate a fan drive shaft;
- a fan blade assembly rotationally secured to the fan drive shaft so that rotation of the fan drive shaft causes the fan blade assembly to rotate;
- a housing configured to be secured to the building structure having an attic space, the housing comprising an inflow end and an outflow end, the motor and the fan blade assembly connected to the housing and configured to draw air from the attic space into the housing through the inflow end and to exhaust air out of the housing through the outflow end to exhaust air out of the attic space;
- a condition sensor comprising a temperature sensor;
- an other condition sensor comprising a humidity sensor;
- and
- a control unit configured to communicate with the condition sensor and configured to receive a condition sensor signal from the condition sensor, the control unit configured to communicate with the motor and configured to change a speed at which the motor rotates the fan drive shaft,
- wherein the control unit is configured to determine an air temperature based on the condition sensor signal and compare the air temperature to a desired temperature, wherein the control unit is configured to maintain a temperature of the attic space at the desired temperature by sending a first motor signal for the motor to operate at a first speed based on the air temperature being higher than the desired temperature, and sending a second motor signal for the motor to operate at a second speed based on the air temperature being lower than the desired temperature, the second speed being less than the first speed, such that motor speed is automatically adjusted in response to changes in the air temperature in the attic space so as to maintain the temperature of the attic space at the desired temperature without switching on and off the motor to preserve fan blade inertia while maintaining the temperature of the attic space at the desired temperature, and
- wherein the control unit is configured to communicate with the other condition sensor and configured to receive an other condition sensor signal from the other condition sensor, wherein the control unit is configured to determine humidity based on the other condition sensor signal and compare the humidity to a desired humidity, wherein the control unit is configured to start the motor based on the humidity being greater than the desired humidity, and wherein the control unit is configured to stop the motor based on the humidity being less than the desired humidity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.