Automated diagnostic system having temporally coordinated wireless sensors
AssigneeArchitectural Engergy Corporation
InventorsDonald J. Frey, Michael J. Holtz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The diagnostic system makes use of a knowledge based controller and a plurality of data logger units, at least one of which is a wireless unit, to collect temporally coordinated data indicative of the real time operation of a system under test that comprises a plurality of spatially disjunct but operationally interdependent components. The diagnostic system controller automatically architects an instrumentation plan to collect the data and calculates performance factors from this collected data. A comparison of the calculated performance factors with optimum and typical failure mode performance factors identifies performance problems in the system under test.
Claims62
A maintenance apparatus for analyzing a system under test, which system under test has a plurality of operationally interdependent components, at least one of which is spatially disjunct from the remainder of said components, comprising:
- control means;
- a plurality of data collecting means, each said data collecting means being installable in said operationally interdependent components for measuring predefined parameters at said operationally interdependent components, absent direct connection to said control means while said data collection means are installed in said operationally interdependent components, each of which data collecting means comprises:
- means for determining a value for at least one predetermined parameter at each of a plurality of points in time,
- means for storing a plurality of sets of data, each said set of data being indicative of each said determined value of each said predetermined parameter at a one of said plurality of points in time,
- means for temporally enabling said determining means simultaneously with said determining means located in others of said data collecting means independent of said control means,
- means for transmitting a plurality of said sets of said collected data to said control means;
- wherein said control means comprises:
- means for storing each said set of collected data received from said plurality of data collecting means, and
- means for analyzing said system under test using said stored sets of data to identify performance problems in said system under test.
A method for analyzing a system under test which system under test has a plurality of operationally interdependent components, at least one of which is spatially disjunct from the remainder of said components, using a central control unit and a plurality of data collection units installable in said operationally interdependent components absent direct connection to said control means while said data collection units are installed in said operationally interdependent components, for measuring predefined parameters at said operationally interdependent components, comprising the steps of:
- determining at each of said data collection units a value for at least one predetermined parameter at predefined points in time.
- storing a plurality of sets of data, each said set of data being indicative of each said determined value of each said predetermined parameter at a one of said plurality of points in time,
- temporally enabling said step of determining in at least one of said data collection units simultaneously with said step of determining in others of said data collection units independent of said central control unit,
- transmitting said plurality of sets of said collected data to said central control unit from each of said data collection units;
- storing in said central control unit each said set of collected data received from said plurality of data collection units, and
- analyzing in said central control unit said system under test using said stored sets of data to identify performance problems in said system under test.
A method for analyzing a system under test which system under test has a plurality of operationally interdependent components, at least one of which is spatially disjunct from the remainder of said components, using a central control unit and a plurality of dam collection units installable in said operationally interdependent components for measuring predefined parameters at said operationally interdependent components, comprising the steps of:
- determining at each of said data collection units a value for at least one predetermined parameter at predefined points in time,
- storing a plurality of sets of data each said set of data indicative of each said determined value of each said predetermined parameter at a one of said plurality of points in time,
- temporally enabling said step of determining in at least one of said data collection units in temporal coordination with said step of determining in others of said data collection units independent of said central control unit,
- transmitting said plurality of sets of said collected data to said central control unit from each of said data collection units;
- storing in said central control unit each said set of collected data received from said plurality of data collection units, and
- analyzing in said central control unit said system under test using said stored sets of data to identify performance problems in said system under test.
A maintenance system for analyzing an HVAC system which HVAC system has a plurality of operationally interdependent air handling components, at least one of which is spatially disjunct from the remainder of said air handling components, comprising:
- control means;
- a plurality of data collecting means, each of which data collecting means is installable in said air handling components to measure environmental parameters at said air handling components, at least one of which data collecting means operates absent a direct electrical connection to said control means and each of which includes:
- means for determining a value for at least one environmental parameter at a one of said air handling components at predefined points in time,
- means for storing a plurality of sots of data, each said set of data being indicative of each said determined value of each said environmental parameter at a one of said plurality of points in time,
- means for temporally enabling said determining means simultaneously with said determining means located in others of said data collecting means independent of said control means,
- means for transmitting a set of said collected data to said control means;
- wherein said control means includes:
- means for storing each said set of collected data received from said plurality of data collecting means, and
- means for analyzing said HVAC system using said stored sets of data to identify performance problems in said HVAC system.
A method of operating a maintenance system having a controller for analyzing an HVAC system, which HVAC system has a plurality of operationally interdependent air handling components, at least one of which is spatially disjunct from the remainder of said air handling components, comprising the steps of:
- measuring environmental parameters at said air handling components using a plurality of apparatus for collecting data, each said data collecting apparatus being installable in said air handling components, at least one of which data collecting apparatus operates absent a direct electrical connection to said controller, including:
- determining a value for at least one environmental parameter at a one of said air handling components at predefined points in time,
- storing a plurality of sets of data, each said set of data being indicative of each said determined value of each said environmental parameter at a one of said plurality of points in time,
- temporally enabling said step of determining simultaneously with others of said data collecting apparatus independent of said controller,
- transmitting a plurality of sets of said collected data to said controller;
- storing each said set of collected data received from said plurality of data collecting apparatus in said controller, and
- analyzing said HVAC system using said stored sets of data to identify performance problems in said HVAC system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.