Fan array control system
AssigneeHuntair, Inc.
InventorsLawrence G. Hopkins, Brian James Motland, Matthew Alan Gassaway
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fan array fan section in an air-handling system includes a plurality of fan units arranged in a fan array and positioned within an air-handling compartment. One preferred embodiment may include an array controller programmed to operate the plurality of fan units at peak efficiency by computing the power consumed in various configurations and selecting the configuration requiring minimum power to operate.
Claims58
A control system for an air handling system having a preselected number of fan units, said fan units arranged in a fan array, said array capable of operation with a number of operative fan units less than the preselected number of fan units, the control system comprising:
- a controller calculating multiple combinations of candidate fan unit speeds and numbers of operative fan units configured to provide at least one of a common select static pressure or common select airflow;
- wherein, after calculating the multiple combinations, the controller automatically selects one of the combinations of candidate fan unit speeds and number of operative fan units so as to permit the operative fan units to run at a desired level while providing the at least one of a common select static pressure or common select airflow.
A method for controlling an array of fan units having a preselected number of fan units, said fan units arranged in a fan array, said array capable of operation with a number of operative fan units less than the preselected number of fan units the method comprising:
- providing a controller calculating an operating level required to operate the array at a selected static pressure and a selected airflow for multiple different candidate numbers of operative fan units;
- identifying, from the multiple candidate numbers, one of the candidate numbers of operative fan units that will achieve a desired operating level while providing the selected static pressure and selected airflow;
- and
- turning fan units on or off until said identified one of the candidate numbers of operative fan units is reached.
An air handling system comprising:
- a. a preselected number of fan units;
- b. said fan units arranged in a fan array, said array capable of operation with a number of operative fan units less than the preselected number of fan units;
- c. a controller calculating an operating level required to operate the array at a selected static pressure and a selected airflow for each of multiple different candidate numbers of operative fan units, identifying from the multiple candidate numbers one of the candidate numbers of operative fan units that will achieve a desired operating level while providing the selected static pressure and selected airflow, and turning fan units on or off until said identified one of the candidate numbers of operative fan units is reached.
A method for controlling an array of fan units, comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a preselected number of fan units, said fan units arranged in a fan array, said array capable of operation with a number of operative fan units less than the preselected number of fan units;
- b. automatically calculating, at a controller, multiple combinations of candidate fan unit speeds and numbers of operative fan units configured to provide at least one of a common select static pressure or common select airflow;
- c. automatically selecting, at the controller, from the multiple combinations, one of the combinations of candidate fan unit speeds and number of operative fan units so as to permit the operative fan units to run at a desired level while providing the at least one of a common select static pressure or common select airflow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.