Climate controller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional HVAC units lack advanced control mechanisms to regulate indoor climate based on relative humidity and user comfort, leading to inefficient energy usage and neglect of external climate conditions, with existing smart systems failing to provide intuitive control options for energy-efficient comfort levels.
Innovation Solution
A climate controller that integrates temperature and humidity sensors with machine learning algorithms to optimize HVAC unit operation, considering external conditions and user preferences, allowing for smart control of HVAC units to achieve comfort levels while minimizing energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a typical HVAC unit operates based on absolute temperature control with on/off switching, then the unit can maintain simple control logic and low device complexity, but it fails to account for relative humidity and user comfort, leading to poor comfort levels and wasted energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by continuously monitoring both temperature and relative humidity through sensors, then adjusting HVAC operation based on the calculated apparent temperature. This closed-loop system responds to actual environmental conditions rather than following fixed on/off schedules, optimizing energy usage while maintaining comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the control parameter from simple absolute temperature to apparent temperature, which incorporates both temperature and relative humidity. This parameter transformation allows the HVAC unit to account for human thermal perception more accurately, enabling energy-efficient operation that maintains comfort without unnecessary heating or cooling cycles.
2Temperature
If a HVAC unit cools the air to reach desired temperature, then the absolute temperature is reduced, but the relative humidity increases, compromising user comfort and requiring additional drying operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback control to monitor both temperature and relative humidity simultaneously. When cooling reduces temperature but increases humidity beyond comfortable levels, the system detects this through apparent temperature calculation and adjusts operation to prevent discomfort, rather than simply maintaining a fixed temperature setpoint.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines temperature control and humidity control into a unified apparent temperature control system. Rather than treating these as separate control loops, the system integrates them into a composite control approach where both parameters work together to achieve the desired apparent temperature, eliminating the need for sequential cooling then drying operations.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a HVAC unit operates in drying or fan modes indefinitely to maintain absolute temperature, then the unit continues running regardless of conditions, but this results in wasted energy when users already feel comfortable
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback control that continuously evaluates apparent temperature to determine when comfort objectives are met. When apparent temperature indicates user comfort is achieved, the system automatically terminates drying or fan operations, preventing unnecessary energy consumption while maintaining temperature stability only when needed for comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by running drying or fan modes only as long as necessary to achieve comfort, rather than operating indefinitely. The system performs just enough drying or ventilation to reach the apparent temperature target, then stops, avoiding the excessive energy consumption of continuous operation while still maintaining temperature stability when required.
4Loss of energy
If sophisticated control methods are used to reduce energy consumption, then energy efficiency improves, but the time taken to reach the desired end point apparent temperature increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic control strategies that adapt the rate of temperature change based on current conditions and comfort requirements. Rather than using fixed aggressive heating or cooling rates, the system dynamically adjusts power levels to reach apparent temperature targets efficiently, balancing speed of response with energy conservation by using higher power only when necessary and lower power when approaching targets.
Data Source
AI summary
A climate controller having a control unit operable to activate and de-activate an HVAC unit, a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor operable to communicate temperature and relative humidity measurements to the control unit, and an interface to a network through which the control unit is operable to connect to a networked server and transmitting measurements for temperature and relative humidity; the control unit operable to activate and de-activate the HVAC unit according to the control unit operable to measure a temperature and humidity level, operable to obtain a value for a temperature setting and mode of operation for the HVAC unit, and operable to communicate a signal to the HVAC unit to effect the activation or de-activation. Climate control is achieved with reference to a comfort level temperature, and energy efficiency is achieved through the application of machine learning methods operated on data sets gathered by the climate controller.