Multi-Zone HVAC Capacity Control Using Priority-Based Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing HVAC systems face challenges in providing uniform comfort across multiple zones due to differences in sensible capacity demand, leading to imbalances in capacity distribution, especially in zoned applications where physical constraints and varying zone priorities exist.
Innovation Solution
A controller that determines requested zone capacity values based on zone priority levels, temperature setpoints, and ambient temperatures, scaling these values to match the total capacity of the HVAC system, ensuring that conditioned air is distributed according to target capacity values that account for minimum and maximum system capacities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the HVAC system provides conditioned air to multiple zones simultaneously, then the system can serve more zones, but the capacity distribution becomes unbalanced causing some zones to receive excess or deficient capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements zone-specific capacity allocation by assigning priority levels to different zones and calculating individual target capacity values based on each zone's characteristics, temperature deviations, and priority weightings. This allows each zone to receive appropriately tailored capacity rather than uniform distribution, resolving the contradiction between serving multiple zones and maintaining capacity distribution uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts capacity allocation in real-time by continuously monitoring temperature deviations, updating priority weightings, and recalculating target capacity values for each zone. The controller modifies capacity distribution based on changing conditions, enabling the system to adapt to varying zone demands while maintaining overall capacity balance.
2Reliability
If the system scales down capacity to meet minimum capacity requirements, then the system can operate within capacity constraints, but zones with higher demand receive insufficient capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of capacity allocation by introducing priority levels and weighting factors that modify how total system capacity is distributed among zones. By adjusting these parameters dynamically based on temperature deviations and zone priorities, the system ensures minimum capacity compliance while maximizing capacity satisfaction for high-priority zones through proportional allocation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system cycles on and off to match requested demand, then the system can meet lower capacity demands, but the capacity delivery becomes intermittent and less reliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic capacity delivery through cyclical operation patterns where the system alternates between on and off states based on accumulated temperature deviations and zone priorities. This periodic action allows the system to meet varying demand levels while maintaining reliability through structured cycling rather than random on-off behavior, ensuring that high-priority zones receive capacity during active periods.
Data Source
AI summary
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.