Temperature control system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Temperature control systems in buildings often malfunction after changes in the building structure, leading to inefficiencies and requiring costly repairs, as existing systems lack efficient diagnostic capabilities to quickly identify issues such as incorrect heat exchanger sizing, clogging, or valve malfunctions.
Innovation Solution
The system employs processing means with diagnostic capabilities to detect malfunctions by analyzing temperature differences, valve openings, and other physical characteristics over time, using distributed processing units and actuators to identify issues like incorrect heat exchanger sizing, clogging, or supply fluid malfunctions, and adjust control valves to maintain desired room temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If diagnostic means are added to detect malfunctions, then the ability to identify system defects is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processing means already present in the temperature control system for controlling heat exchangers is made to perform additional diagnostic functions. The same processing unit that controls the control valves also analyzes temperature differences and detects malfunctions, eliminating the need for separate diagnostic hardware and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-diagnosis by using its own sensors and processing means to detect malfunctions. The temperature control system monitors its own operation through temperature differences across heat exchangers and automatically identifies issues such as clogging or incorrect sizing without requiring external diagnostic equipment.
2Productivity
If multiple sensors and processing means are deployed to detect malfunctions quickly, then the productivity of fault identification is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Existing sensors in the temperature control system are utilized for dual purposes: both for normal control operations and for diagnostic functions. The processing means analyzes temperature data from these existing sensors to detect malfunctions, avoiding the need for additional dedicated diagnostic sensors and maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors temperature differences across heat exchangers and compares them against expected values. When deviations indicate potential malfunctions, the processing means generates diagnostic information. This continuous feedback loop enables rapid fault detection using existing system infrastructure without requiring complex additional hardware.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach facilitates rapid identification and diagnosis of system malfunctions, reducing repair time and costs by enabling early detection of issues like clogged heat exchangers or insufficient heat flow, ensuring efficient heating or cooling and optimizing energy use.
Implementation Method 1
at least two heat exchangers, each heat exchanger having a control valve, a supply port and a return port, the ports being connected to a fluid supply system supplying a heat carrying fluid
Implementation Method 2
a sensor arrangement detecting at least one physical characteristic of the heat carrying fluid at each heat exchanger and at least an additional physical characteristic of the system
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Temperature control system (1) for a room (2, 3) with two heat exchangers (4-6). Sensors (12-18; 23-25) detect a physical characteristic of the heat carrying fluid at each heat exchanger (4-6) and an additional physical characteristic, diagnostic means detecting a kind of a malfunction of the system (1) detect a wrong size of a heat exchanger (4-6) when at least one of the following conditions are fulfilled: a) a difference between an inlet temperature and an outlet temperature of the heat exchanger (4-6) is smaller than a predetermined value and the average room temperature does not match a desired temperature, b) the outlet temperature differs more than a predetermined value from the average room temperature, c) a difference between an inlet temperature and an outlet temperature of the heat exchanger (4-6) is smaller than a predetermined value over more than a predetermined time and a desired room temperature is not reached after the predetermined time and a command has given to fully open the control valve (20-22) and the conditions are fulfilled in a predetermined number of other rooms.