Building Management Fault Diagnostics With Automatic Rule Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional building management systems (BMS) require manual intervention for fault detection and diagnostics, which is time-consuming and prone to errors, and lack automated solutions for identifying root causes and generating reports.
Innovation Solution
An automated system for applying fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) rules within a BMS, which maps equipment to relevant FDD rules using template points, implements these rules, generates reports, and updates rules, enabling automatic fault detection and diagnostics without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual intervention is used for fault detection and diagnostics in BMS, then the system can identify faults, but the process is time-consuming and prone to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic fault detection and diagnostics by having the BMS self-monitor equipment performance parameters, self-identify anomalies, and self-generate diagnostic reports without requiring manual intervention, thereby reducing time loss while maintaining detection accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection processes with automated electronic monitoring and analysis systems that continuously track equipment parameters, use algorithms to detect faults, and generate diagnostics automatically, eliminating the time-consuming manual process while improving reliability
2Productivity
If automated FDD rules are applied to all equipment, then fault detection efficiency improves, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments equipment into groups based on type, location, and operational characteristics, then applies specific FDD rules to each segment rather than uniformly to all equipment, which improves detection efficiency while managing system complexity through organized categorization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates universal FDD rule templates that can be automatically applied across multiple equipment types with similar characteristics, allowing the system to handle diverse equipment with standardized approaches, thereby improving efficiency without proportionally increasing complexity
3Reliability
If comprehensive FDD rule implementation is performed, then all faults are detected, but the implementation and maintenance effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary configuration by pre-defining FDD rule templates with standard parameters and thresholds that can be automatically applied to equipment groups, reducing the implementation effort required while ensuring comprehensive fault detection coverage through thorough upfront setup
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables copying of FDD rule configurations from one equipment or group to another, allowing comprehensive coverage to be achieved through replication of proven rule sets rather than creating and maintaining unique rules for each piece of equipment, thereby reducing maintenance effort while maintaining detection reliability
Data Source
AI summary
A system for automatic application of fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) rules within a building management system (BMS) includes a memory having instructions stored thereon and a processor configured to execute the instructions. The processor, in executing the instructions, may retrieve from a plurality of BMS devices, a first BMS device having at least one attribute. The processor may identify, from a plurality of FDD rules based on the at least one attribute, an FDD rule associated with the at least one attribute. The processor may apply the FDD rule to the data point of the first BMS device corresponding to the at least one attribute. The processor may, responsive to determining a second BMS device from the plurality of BMS devices shares the at least one attribute, automatically apply the FDD rule to the second BMS device.