Methods and systems for determining financial losses in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing HVAC systems experience excessive oscillations in subsystem settings or positions due to disturbances, leading to increased energy consumption, wear and tear, and frequent maintenance needs, without effective methods to quantify these losses.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize sensors to monitor HVAC component positions, apply a centered weighted moving average technique, and calculate Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to determine energy and lifespan losses by comparing real and baseline travel distances of components like valves and dampers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If HVAC subsystems make frequent adjustments to compensate for disturbances, then the system adapts better to changing conditions, but excessive oscillations occur leading to increased energy consumption and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism that monitors component positions and compares them against optimal trajectories. The system uses sensors to detect actual positions and feeds this information back to the control algorithm, which then adjusts control signals to minimize deviations and reduce oscillations, thereby lowering energy consumption while maintaining adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes control parameters by introducing a reference trajectory generation algorithm that optimizes component movement paths. The system dynamically adjusts trajectory parameters (position, velocity, acceleration profiles) to achieve smooth transitions that eliminate excessive oscillations while still responding effectively to disturbances, thus reducing energy waste
2Adaptability or versatility
If HVAC subsystems make frequent adjustments to compensate for disturbances, then the system adapts better to changing conditions, but wear and tear increases requiring more frequent maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback mechanism continuously monitors component positions and corrects deviations in real-time, preventing excessive oscillations that cause wear. By maintaining components closer to their optimal positions through feedback control, the system reduces mechanical stress and extends component lifespan while preserving adaptability to disturbances
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies movement parameters by generating optimized reference trajectories that minimize unnecessary component travel. By changing from reactive frequent adjustments to proactive trajectory-based control, the system reduces the number of actuation cycles and minimizes mechanical wear, thereby improving reliability and reducing maintenance frequency
3Device complexity
If no monitoring system is implemented, then the system operates simply, but there is no way to determine energy waste or maintenance needs due to oscillations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex physical monitoring infrastructure with a computational approach. Instead of adding numerous sensors and hardware monitoring systems, the invention uses software-based trajectory analysis and comparison algorithms that process existing control data to quantify oscillations, energy waste, and maintenance needs, thereby minimizing additional device complexity while maximizing information availability
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for determining financial losses in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system are disclosed. The method comprises receiving, via at least one processor, a first set of data associated with a plurality of positions of one or more components of HVAC system, from one or more sensors, over a predefined time period; determining a second set of data associated with plurality of positions, based at least on predefined width constant (K); determining at least one real travel distance (Sr) associated with plurality of positions based at least on first set of data; determining at least one baseline travel distance (Sb) associated with plurality of positions based at least on second set of data; and determining one or more Key Performance Indicator (KPI) values of one or more components based at least on the determined Sr and Sb, that relate to lifespan loss and energy wasting.