Trane International Inc.

Youssef A Jaber

Wayne N Kraft

Behrooz Karimi

Don Alan Schuster

Raymond Walter Rite

Jonathan Edward Thrift

John Hughes

Nathan Smith

Thomas B Krugler

Steven Brooks

Ragunanthanan Mylsamy

Shivakumar Kolloju

Arulkumar Kaliyaperumal

Satish Mukundan Thiruvengadam

Sunit Agrawal

Satheesh Dharmar

Christopher Blake Smith

Architectures or techniques are presented that can prioritize operating a consumption device in a manner that is efficient in terms of consumption of a resource over satisfying a specified demand assigned to the consumption device. This re-prioritizing can be performed in response to a price of the resource exceeding a threshold.

Prioritizing efficient operation over satisfying an operational demand

A method is provided for controlling an HVAC system. The method includes obtaining observations of a measured temperature by at least one temperature sensor, and accessing a lumped-element model of the at least one temperature sensor in which a change in the measured temperature is expressed as a function of one or more independent variables including the measured temperature, and unknown parameter(s) including an ambient temperature of the conditioned space. A regression analysis of the lumped-element model is performed using observations of the one or more independent variables including the observations of the measured temperature, and estimates of the unknown parameter(s), to determine updated estimates of the unknown parameter(s) including an updated estimate of the ambient temperature. A value of the ambient temperature is determined from the updated estimate of the ambient temperature, and HVAC equipment is controlled using the value of the ambient temperature.

Model-based ambient temperature estimation for control of an HVAC system

Methods and related systems are disclosed for determining a temperature of an indoor space with a plurality of onboard sensors of a device of a climate control system. In an embodiment, the method includes detecting raw temperatures with the plurality of sensors. In addition, the method includes determining a combined temperature offset for a first sensor of the plurality of sensors based on outputs of a plurality of models. The plurality of models are to determine a plurality of temperature offsets for the first sensor based on different airflow directions relative to the device. Further, the method includes adjusting the raw temperature detected by the first sensor with the combined temperature offset.

Systems and methods for adjusting detected temperature for a climate control system

A method is provided for controlling an HVAC system. The method includes receiving zone priority levels and zone temperature setpoints, where at least one of the zones haves a higher priority level than others of the zones, receiving an indication of zone ambient temperature values, determining requested zone capacity values to maintain the zone ambient temperature values within a threshold deviation of respective ones of the zone temperature setpoints, determining target zone capacity values from the requested zone capacity values and zone size values, and from the zone priority levels where the target zone capacity values may be responsive to a total of the requested zone capacity values that is less than a minimum capacity or greater than a maximum capacity of the HVAC system, and causing the HVAC system to provide the conditioned air to the zones according to respective ones of the target zone capacity values.

Capacity control for HVAC system

Methods and related systems for controlling an indoor air temperature for a heat pump system are disclosed. The method includes (a) determining an outdoor coil temperature of an outdoor heat exchanger and a speed of a compressor of a heat pump system, (b) determining a target indoor coil temperature of the indoor coil based on the outdoor coil temperature and the speed of the compressor, and (c) adjusting a speed of air flowing across the indoor coil based on a difference between a current indoor coil temperature and the target indoor coil temperature to reduce the difference between the current indoor coil temperature and the target indoor coil temperature.

Systems and methods for indoor air temperature control for heat pump systems

Methods and related systems for controlling indoor relative humidity include (a) determining a target dew point temperature based on desired indoor conditions for the indoor space, and (b) determining an initial dew point temperature based on an initial set of current indoor conditions of the indoor space. The method includes (c) determining a target coil temperature of a coil of an indoor heat exchanger of the climate control system based on the target dew point temperature and the initial dew point temperature, and (d) adjusting a speed of air flowing across the coil or a speed of a compressor of the climate control system after (c) based on the target coil temperature to reduce a difference between a coil temperature of the coil and the target coil temperature.

Systems and methods for controlling indoor humidity

Refrigerant leak detection systems as well as related climate control systems and methods are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the refrigerant leak detection system includes a transmitter configured to emit an acoustic wave, and a receiver configured to detect the acoustic wave. The transmitter and the receiver are mounted within a space outside a conduit configured to carry a refrigerant of a climate control system. In addition, the refrigerant leak detection system includes a controller coupled to the transmitter and the receiver. The controller is configured to: determine a time of flight for the acoustic wave between the transmitter and the receiver, and determine whether a refrigerant is present in the space based on the time of flight.

Systems and methods for refrigerant leak detection in a climate control system

Prioritizng efficient operation over satisfying an operational demand

A method is provided for controlling combustion in a modulating gas furnace. The method includes receiving an indication of a firing rate setpoint for a burner assembly, and applying the firing rate setpoint to first and second continuous functions that map the firing rate setpoint to air-to-fuel ratio and combustion system pressure setpoints. A variable-speed draft inducer blower is set to drive to a combustion system pressure setpoint, and the modulating gas valve is controlled during combustion in the combustion system. In this regard, a combustion system pressure measurement is obtained and applied to an inverse of the first continuous function that outputs an adjusted firing rate for the combustion system pressure measurement. The adjusted firing rate is applied to a third continuous function that maps the firing rate to gas valve position, and outputs a gas valve position to which the modulating gas valve is set.

Modulating gas furnace and associated method of control

Climate control systems and related methods and systems therefore a disclosed. In an embodiment, the climate control system includes a heat exchanger configured to discharge conditioned air to an indoor space. In addition, the climate control system includes a display and a controller coupled to the display. The controller is to generate an operation selection option on the display. The operation selection option includes a plurality of selections for operating of the climate control system based on operational efficiency or occupant comfort within the indoor space. The controller is to adjust a temperature of the heat exchanger relative to a user selection from the plurality of selections.

Systems and methods for operation of a climate control system

A method is provided for controlling an HVAC system. The method includes receiving zone airflow target values for zones of a conditioned space. The method includes accessing a duct model including a first term that describes a flow factor for a zone damper as a nonlinear function of damper position, and a second term that describes zone airflow as a function of the flow factor and a branch pressure across zone-specific branches of an air circulation path. The method includes applying the zone airflow target values to the duct model to determine a damper position set, and actuating zone dampers to respective damper positions of the damper position set. The method may also include determining a value of total airflow to achieve the zone airflow target values with a total pressure target, and causing a fan to provide conditioned air with the value of the total airflow.

Model-based control of zone dampers in an HVAC system

Methods and related systems for controlling superheat in a climate control system are disclosed. In an embodiment, the method includes (a) determining a superheat of a refrigerant downstream of a coil of a heat exchanger of the climate control system. In addition, the method includes (b) determining that an expansion valve upstream of the heat exchanger is fully open. Further, the method includes (c) adjusting a speed of air flowing across the coil or a speed of a compressor of the climate control system after (b) based on the determination in (a) to control the superheat of the refrigerant.

Growing community of inventors

Tyler, TX, United States of America

Youssef A Jaber