Valve control in an hvac system with sensors

A control device for controlling opening of a valve in an HVAC system to regulate the flow φ of a fluid through a heat exchanger of the HVAC system and adjust the amount of energy per time, E, that is exchanged by the heat exchanger, the control device being configured to operatively couple to at least one sensor for receiving a default sensor signal, the control device further including a processor, the processor being configured:

• to control the opening of the valve according to a default control mode in dependence of the default sensor signal, the sensor signal being indicative of at least one parameter of the HVAC system;
• to determine, while controlling the opening of the valve according to the default control mode, whether the default sensor signal is faulty;
• to switch, in case of the default sensor signal being faulty, to controlling the opening of the valve according to a fallback control mode, with the opening of the valve being controlled independently of the faulty default sensor signal in the fallback control mode;
• to determine, while controlling the opening of the valve according to the fallback control mode, whether the previously faulty default sensor signal is non-faulty, and
• to switch back to controlling the opening of the valve according to the default control mode, in case of the default sensor signal being non-faulty.

A computer program product including a non-transient computer readable medium having stored therein computer program code configured to direct a processor of a control device for controlling opening of a valve in an HVAC system to regulate the flow φ of a fluid through a heat exchanger of the HVAC system and adjust the amount of energy per time, E, that is exchanged by the heat exchanger by:

• controlling the opening of the valve according to a default control mode in dependence of a default sensor signal, the default sensor signal reflecting at least one parameter of the HVAV system;
• determining, while controlling the opening of the valve according to the default control mode, whether the default sensor signal is faulty;
• switching, in case of the default sensor signal being faulty, to controlling the opening of the valve according to a fallback control mode, with the opening of the valve being controlled independently of the faulty default sensor signal in the fallback control mode;
• determining, while controlling the opening of the valve according to the fallback control mode, whether the previously faulty default sensor signal is non-faulty, and
• switching back to controlling the opening of the valve according to the default control mode, in case of the default sensor signal being non-faulty.