Supervisory HVAC Control for Stable Open-Plan Climate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Decentralized control of HVAC units in open-plan spaces leads to oscillating temperatures and humidity due to close sensor or unit location, sensor errors, and differing setpoints, causing inefficiency and instability, with a lack of fault tolerance if one unit fails.
Innovation Solution
A system using overlapping sets of sensors to control HVAC units, with a supervisory controller that calculates operational parameter changes based on differences between sensor readings and reference values, employing a transfer matrix to weight contributions and ensure uniform environmental conditions, and providing fault tolerance by compensating for failed units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If decentralized stand-alone controls are used for each HVAC unit, then each unit can independently control temperature and humidity, but this causes units to fight against each other resulting in oscillating temperature and humidity and simultaneous heating and cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control functions of multiple decentralized HVAC units into a centralized control system. The centralized controller receives sensor data from all units and coordinates their operation to prevent conflicting actions, thereby maintaining temperature and humidity stability while preserving individual unit control capabilities through coordinated management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where sensors continuously monitor temperature and humidity conditions, and the centralized controller adjusts HVAC unit operations based on this feedback. This closed-loop control prevents oscillations by dynamically coordinating unit operations to respond to actual environmental conditions rather than operating independently with fixed setpoints.
2Adaptability or versatility
If each HVAC unit operates with its own sensor and set points, then units can be configured independently, but sensor errors and differing set points cause instability and unit-to-unit heating and cooling at the same time
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized control system serves multiple HVAC units with a single coordinating controller that manages all units universally. This multi-functional approach allows the system to handle different unit configurations and sensor variations while maintaining overall control stability through unified decision-making logic that accounts for all units' parameters and conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts operational parameters of HVAC units based on centralized processing of sensor data and environmental conditions. By changing control parameters centrally rather than allowing fixed independent setpoints, the system reconciles different unit configurations and sensor readings to achieve stable coordinated operation across all units.
3Productivity
If HVAC units are located in close proximity in open-plan spaces, then space utilization is maximized, but this causes one unit to fight against another resulting in waste by simultaneously heating and cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized controller acts as an intermediary between closely located HVAC units, mediating their operations to prevent conflicting actions. By coordinating which units heat or cool based on overall environmental conditions and unit locations, the system eliminates simultaneous heating and cooling of adjacent spaces, thereby reducing energy waste while maintaining high space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality control by assigning different operational roles to different HVAC units based on their specific locations and capabilities within the open-plan space. Rather than uniform operation, the centralized controller optimizes each unit's contribution to local environmental conditions, preventing energy waste from redundant or conflicting operations in proximate locations.
4Device complexity
If decentralized controls are used without coordination, then system complexity is reduced, but there is no fault tolerance if one unit fails
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized control system performs preliminary coordination and monitoring of all HVAC units before failures occur. By continuously tracking unit status and pre-planning operational adjustments, the system can detect and respond to unit failures promptly, redistributing control loads and maintaining operational reliability without requiring complex redundant hardware configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
A control strategy for heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) units used to condition the environment in data centers and other commercial buildings such as retail stores with an open-plan design is provided to coordinate the operation of the actuators of the HVAC units. A supervisory controller receives feedback signals from a plurality of environmental sensors and uses a set of references values to determine control signals to the actuators of the HVAC units. A pseudoinverse of a transfer function matrix G may be used to determine the control signals from errors in the feedback signals relative to the reference signals.