Control for a variable capacity temperature conditioning system

Claim 2

A control for a variable capacity temperature conditioning system in which a fluid is circulated through the system to temperature condition a comfort zone, comprising a. a supply fluid temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the fluid supplied by the system to condition the comfort zone; b. a return fluid temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the fluid after it is used to condition the comfort zone; c. control means connected to the supply and the return fluid temperature sensors, said control means being operative to vary the capacity of the temperature conditioning system in response to the deviation of the return and the supply fluid temperatures from desired values determined by the control means as a function of i. a predetermined full load return fluid temperature setpoint; ii. a predetermined full load supply fluid temperature setpoint; iii. a predetermined full load reference fluid temperature setpoint; and iv. the relative loading of the temperature conditioning system.

Claim 3

The control of claim 1 wherein the control means are further operative to adjust said three full load fluid temperature setpoints by an offset at start-up, said offset successively decreasing in value as the system approaches equilibrium.

Claim 4

The control of claim 2 wherein the offset at start-up is related to the greater of the differences between a. the sensed return fluid temperature and the predetermined full load return fluid temperature setpoint; and b. the sensed supply fluid temperature and the predetermined full load return fluid temperature setpoint.

Claim 5

The control of claim 1 further comprising an outdoor ambient air temperature sensor to which the control means are responsive, wherein the control means are further operative to adjust said three full load fluid temperature setpoints by an offset that is a function of the outdoor ambient air temperature.

Claim 6

The control of claim 1 wherein the system temperature conditions a plurality of comfort zones further comprising a plurality of comfort zone temperature sensors to which the control means are responsive, and means for defining a desired temperature setpoint in the comfort zones, wherein the control means are further operative to adjust said three full load fluid temperature setpoints by an offset that is a function of the average deviation of the comfort zone temperatures from the setpoint.

Claim 7

The control of claim 5 wherein the control means are further operative to apply predetermined weighting factors to the deviation of the comfort temperature from the setpoint temperature in one or more selected comfort zones so that said average deviation is weighted relatively more by the deviation in some comfort zones than in others.

Claim 8

A control for a temperature conditioning system having a plurality of stages to chill a fluid circulated by the system to cool a comfort zone, said control comprising a. a supply fluid temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the chilled fluid circulated to the comfort zone to cool it; b. a return fluid temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the fluid after it has been used to cool the comfort zone; c. control means connected to the supply and the return temperature sensors, said control means being operative to selectively energize and de-energize stages of temperature conditioning in response to the relationship of both the return and the supply fluid temperatures to chiller capacity load curves, where the control means determines the chiller capacity load curves for supply and return water temperature as a function of i. a predetermined full load return fluid temperature setpoint; ii. a predetermined full load supply fluid temperature setpoint; and iii. a predetermined full load reference fluid temperature setpoint.

Claim 9

A control for a temperature conditioning system having a plurality of stages to chill a fluid circulated by the system to cool a comfort zone, said control comprising a. a supply fluid temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the chilled fluid circulated to the comfort zone to cool it; b. a return fluid temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the fluid after it has been used to cool the comfort zone; c. control means connected to the supply and the return temperature sensors, said control means being operative to selectively energize and de-energize stages of temperature conditioning in response to the relationship of both the return and the supply fluid temperatures to chiller capacity load curves, where the control means determines the chiller capacity load curves for supply and return water temperature as a function of i. a predetermined full load return fluid temperature setpoint; ii. a predetermined full load supply fluid temperature setpoint; and iii. a predetermined full load reference fluid temperature setpoint.

Claim 10

The control of claim 7 wherein the control means are further operative to adjust said three full load fluid temperature setpoints by an offset at start-up, said offset successively decreasing in value as the system approaches equilibrium.

Claim 11

The control of claim 8 wherein the offset at start-up is related to the greater of the differences between a. the sensed return fluid temperature and the predetermined full load return fluid temperature setpoint; and b. the sensed supply fluid temperature and the predetermined full load return fluid temperature setpoint.

Claim 12

The control of claim 7 further comprising an outdoor ambient air temperature sensor to which the control means are responsive, wherein the control means are further operative to adjust said three full load fluid temperature setpoints by an offset that is a function of the outdoor ambient air temperature.

Claim 13

The control of claim 7 wherein the system cools a plurality of comfort zones, further comprising a plurality of comfort zone temperature sensors to which the control means are responsive, and means for defining a desired temperature setpoint in the comfort zones, the control means being further operative to adjust said three full load fluid temperature setpoints by an offset that is a function of the average deviation of the comfort zone temperatures from the setpoints.

Claim 14

The control of claim 11 wherein the control means are further operative to apply predetermined weighting factors to the deviation of the comfort temperature from the setpoint temperature in one or more selected comfort zones so that said average deviation is weighted relatively more by the deviation in some comfort zones than in others.

Claim 15

A control for a fluid chiller system having a plurality of stages that may be selectively energized and de-energized to meet the cooling demand in a plurality of comfort zones, said control comprising a. a supply fluid temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the chilled fluid supplied by the system to cool the comfort zone; b. a return fluid temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the fluid after it is used to cool the comfort zone; c. control means connected to and responsive to the supply and the return fluid temperature sensors, said control means being operative to determine a desired return fluid temperature operating point as a function of a predetermined full load return fluid temperature setpoint and a predetermined full load reference temperature setpoint, and the relative loading of the chiller system; and operative to determine a supply fluid temperature operating point as a function of the predetermined full load reference temperature setpoint and a predetermined full load supply fluid temperature setpoint, and the relative loading of the chiller system; said control means controlling staging of the chiller system in response to the relative values of the desired return and supply fluid temperature operating points, and the sensed return and supply fluid temperatures, respectively.

Claim 16

A control for a fluid chiller system having a plurality of stages that may be selectively energized and de-energized to meet the cooling demand in a plurality of comfort zones, said control comprising a. a supply fluid temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the chilled fluid supplied by the system to cool the comfort zone; b. a return fluid temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the fluid after it is used to cool the comfort zone; c. control means connected to and responsive to the supply and the return fluid temperature sensors, said control means being operative to determine a desired return fluid temperature operating point as a function of a predetermined full load return fluid temperature setpoint and a predetermined full load reference temperature setpoint, and the relative loading of the chiller system; and operative to determine a supply fluid temperature operating point as a function of the predetermined full load reference temperature setpoint and a predetermined full load supply fluid temperature setpoint, and the relative loading of the chiller system; said control means controlling staging of the chiller system in response to the relative values of the desired return and supply fluid temperature operating points, and the sensed return and supply fluid temperatures, respectively.

Claim 17

The control of claim 13 wherein the control means are operative to energize an additional stage to increase the chiller system cooling capacity if: a. the sensed supply fluid temperature is greater than said supply fluid temperature operating point; and b. the sensed return fluid temperature is greater than said return fluid temperature operating point; and c. the sensed return fluid temperature has not decreased substantially since a previous change in staging.

Claim 18

The control of claim 14 wherein a stage is energized only after an interval of time, determined by the control means as a function of the relative loading of the chiller system, has elapsed since the last change in staging.

Claim 19

The control of claim 13 wherein the control means are operative to de-energize a stage to reduce the chiller system cooling capacity if: a. the sensed supply fluid temperature is less than said supply fluid temperature operating point; and b. the sensed return fluid temperature is less than said return fluid temperature operating point; and c. the sensed return water temperature has not increased substantially since a previous change in staging.

Claim 20

The control of claim 16 wherein a stage is de-energized only after an interval of time, determined by the control means as a function of the relative loading of the chiller system, has elapsed since the last change in staging.

Claim 21

The control of claim 13 wherein the control means are further operative to adjust said three full load fluid temperature setpoints by an offset value.

Claim 22

The control of claim 18 wherein the offset value is a function of one of the sensed return fluid and sensed supply fluid temperatures, and of the predetermined full load return fluid temperature setpoint, and is applied at start-up of the chiller system.

Claim 23

The control of claim 18 further comprising an outdoor ambient air temperature sensor to which the control means are responsive, said offset value being determined by the control means as a function of the outdoor ambient air temperature.

Claim 24

The control of claim 18 further comprising a plurality of comfort zone temperature sensors to which the control means are responsive, and means for defining a desired temperature setpoint in each comfort zone, wherein the offset is determined by the control means as a function of the average deviation of the comfort zone temperature from their respective setpoints.

Claim 25

The control of claim 21 wherein the control means are operative to apply predetermined weighting factors to the deviation of the comfort temperature from the setpoint in selected comfort zones so that said average deviation is weighted relatively more by the deviation in some comfort zones than in others.

Claim 26

In a variable capacity temperature conditioning system for chilling a fluid that is circulated to cool a comfort zone, a method for controlling the capacity of the system comprising the steps of: a. sensing the temperature of the fluid supplied by the system to cool the comfort zone; b. sensing the temperature of the fluid returning from the comfort zone after it is used to cool the zone; and c. varying the capacity of the temperature conditioning system in response to the deviation of the return and the supply fluid temperatures from desired values determined by the control means as a function of: i. a predetermined full load return fluid temperature setpoint; ii. a predetermined full load supply fluid temperature setpoint; iii. a predetermined full load reference fluid temperature setpoint; and iv. the relative loading of the temperature conditioning system.

Claim 27

In a variable capacity temperature conditioning system for chilling a fluid that is circulated to cool a comfort zone, a method for controlling the capacity of the system comprising the steps of: a. sensing the temperature of the fluid supplied by the system to cool the comfort zone; b. sensing the temperature of the fluid returning from the comfort zone after it is used to cool the zone; and c. varying the capacity of the temperature conditioning system in response to the deviation of the return and the supply fluid temperatures from desired values determined by the control means as a function of: i. a predetermined full load return fluid temperature setpoint; ii. a predetermined full load supply fluid temperature setpoint; iii. a predetermined full load reference fluid temperature setpoint; and iv. the relative loading of the temperature conditioning system.

Claim 28

The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of adjusting said three predetermined full load fluid temperature setpoints by an offset value at start-up of the system.

Claim 29

The method of claim 23 further comprising the steps of sensing outdoor ambient air temperature and adjusting said three predetermined full load fluid temperature setpoints by an offset value that is a function of the outdoor ambient air temperature.

Claim 30

The method of claim 23 wherein the temperature conditioning system cools a plurality of comfort zones, said method further comprising the steps of sensing the temperature in the comfort zones, and adjusting said three predetermined full load fluid temperature setpoints by an offset value that is a function of the average deviation of comfort zone temperatures from the desired temperature setpoint in the respective zones.