HVAC Runtime Monitoring for Early Failure Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
HVAC systems face challenges in early detection of suboptimal performance and failure, leading to energy inefficiency and potential health risks due to the limitations of existing energy demand metrics, which do not account for building-specific factors and require manual adjustments that are difficult to implement.
Innovation Solution
A computer program product that utilizes real-world usage data to forecast HVAC system performance by calculating an estimated run time percentage (ERT) based on temperature data and compares it to the actual run time percentage (ART), issuing alerts if deviations occur, and updates a calibration table to maintain accuracy, enabling continuous remote monitoring and early intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If HDD or CDD metrics are used to quantify energy demand, then simple measurement is achieved, but accuracy in predicting actual HVAC run time deteriorates due to non-linear heating/cooling requirements and building-specific factors
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors actual HVAC run time and compares it to predicted run time based on degree days. When the difference exceeds a threshold, it generates alerts indicating potential system degradation. This feedback loop enables continuous validation and adjustment of the monitoring approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses readily available temperature data and established degree day calculations to generate predictions, then automatically compares these against actual system performance. The methodology self-adjusts by learning from the specific building's response patterns without requiring manual recalibration for each building.
2Measurement precision
If manual adjustment of degree day calculations is implemented to account for building-specific factors, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity and ease of operation worsen due to difficulty in implementing manual adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically adapts to building-specific characteristics by comparing predicted versus actual run time over multiple cycles. It learns the building's thermal response, insulation properties, and occupancy patterns without requiring manual input of building specifications or manual adjustment of calculation parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous comparison between predicted and actual HVAC operation provides feedback that reveals building-specific thermal characteristics. This feedback enables the system to implicitly account for insulation quality, solar gain, and other building factors without explicit manual adjustment.
3Reliability
If continuous monitoring is implemented to detect early failure, then reliability improves through early detection, but loss of energy increases due to extended monitoring periods before failure occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors key performance indicators continuously but only triggers alerts when deviations exceed predetermined thresholds. This partial action approach focuses computational and attention resources on significant anomalies rather than continuously reacting to normal variations, reducing unnecessary energy consumption while maintaining early detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
By continuously comparing actual versus predicted run time and triggering alerts only when meaningful deviations occur, the system enables early intervention before complete failure. This feedback mechanism allows optimization of maintenance timing to balance early detection benefits against the energy and resources consumed during the monitoring period.
Data Source
AI summary
Computer program products, devices, systems, and operations for early detection of poor performance and failure of a climate control system. The invention provides operations for computing an actual run time percentage (ART) from operational data of the climate control system, and operations for computing an estimated run time percentage (ERT) of the climate control system from temperature data of an uncontrolled climate. The invention also provides operations for issuing one or more alerts if the ART deviates from the ERT or a range thereof.