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US5558274A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Dual duct control system

Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Co
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Filing: 1995-03-24
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Granted: 1996-09-24
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Expires: 2015-03-24
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Abstract

Abstract The present invention relates to a dual duct control system for use in an environmental control system. The dual duct control system is preferably utilized in a dual duct VAV box. The control system advantageously receives room temperature values, mixed air flow values, and positions the actuators in response to temperature values and flow values. The dual duct control system preferably executes a shower algorithm implemented in software to position the actuators. The shower algorithm provides a scheme for incrementally adjusting the hot and cold air flow setpoints for the VAV box so the internal environment reaches a comfortable temperature within a minimum amount of time.

Inventors

  • 👤 M. Nebil Ben-Aissa
  • 👤 Jerry J. Doran
  • 👤 Howard A. Jensen
  • 👤 Dick Monroe

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 19:49
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05D; G05D23/00; G05D23/19; G05D23/1927; G05D23/193; G05D23/1931; F; F24; F24F; F24F11/00; F24F11/62; F24F11/63; F24F11/64; F24F11/70; F24F11/72; F24F11/74; F24F11/76; F24F3/00; F24F3/044; F24F3/048; F24F3/052; F24F11/30; F24F13/00; F24F13/08; F24F2110/00; F24F2110/10; F24F2110/30

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim 272 words
In an environment control system including a first duct for providing hot air and a second duct for providing cold air, a flow sensor circuit configured to determine combined flow of the hot air and the cold air and to provide a mixed flow signal representative of the combined flow, and a temperature sensor configured to measure temperature of the combined flow and to provide a temperature signal representative of the temperature, a dual duct control system, comprising: a controller configured to individually control a hot flow of the hot air provided by the first duct and to individually control a cold flow of the cold air provided by the second duct, the controller comprising: a zone command circuit providing a zone command responsive to a zone temperature set point and a zone temperature value; a mixed temperature error circuit coupled to the zone command circuit providing a mixed temperature error signal responsive to the zone command and the temperature signal; a mixed flow error circuit coupled to the zone command circuit providing a mixed flow error signal responsive to the zone command and the mixed flow signal; a cold flow setpoint circuit coupled to the mixed temperature error circuit and the mixed flow error circuit providing a cold flow setpoint for controlling the cold flow responsive to the mixed temperature error signal and the mixed flow error signal; and a hot flow setpoint circuit circuit coupled to the mixed temperature error circuit and the mixed flow error circuit providing a hot flow setpoint for controlling the hot flow responsive to the mixed temperature error signal and the mixed flow error signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 272 words
In an environment control system including a first duct for providing hot air and a second duct for providing cold air, a flow sensor circuit configured to determine combined flow of the hot air and the cold air and to provide a mixed flow signal representative of the combined flow, and a temperature sensor configured to measure temperature of the combined flow and to provide a temperature signal representative of the temperature, a dual duct control system, comprising: a controller configured to individually control a hot flow of the hot air provided by the first duct and to individually control a cold flow of the cold air provided by the second duct, the controller comprising: a zone command circuit providing a zone command responsive to a zone temperature set point and a zone temperature value; a mixed temperature error circuit coupled to the zone command circuit providing a mixed temperature error signal responsive to the zone command and the temperature signal; a mixed flow error circuit coupled to the zone command circuit providing a mixed flow error signal responsive to the zone command and the mixed flow signal; a cold flow setpoint circuit coupled to the mixed temperature error circuit and the mixed flow error circuit providing a cold flow setpoint for controlling the cold flow responsive to the mixed temperature error signal and the mixed flow error signal; and a hot flow setpoint circuit circuit coupled to the mixed temperature error circuit and the mixed flow error circuit providing a hot flow setpoint for controlling the hot flow responsive to the mixed temperature error signal and the mixed flow error signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 21 words
The control system of claim 1 wherein the zone command is a function of a zone setpoint and a zone value.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 40 words
The control system of claim 1 wherein the mixed temperature error circuit is operable to determine a mixed temperature setpoint and to provide the mixed temperature error signal as a function of the mixed temperature setpoint and the temperature signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 18 words
The control system of claim 3 wherein the mixed temperature setpoint is determined responsive to the zone command.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 41 words
The control system of claim 1 wherein the mixed flow error circuit is operable to determine a mixed flow setpoint and to provide the mixed flow error signal as a function of the mixed flow setpoint and the mixed flow signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 18 words
The control system of claim 5 wherein the mixed flow setpoint is determined responsive to the zone command.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 32 words
The control system of claim 1 wherein the hot flow setpoint and the cold flow setpoint are incremental adjustments from a previous hot flow setpoint and a previous cold flow setpoint, respectively.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 29 words
The control system of claim 1 wherein the cold flow setpoint is a function of a difference between the mixed temperature error signal and the mixed flow error signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 29 words
The control system of claim 1 wherein the hot flow setpoint is a function of a sum of the mixed temperature error signal and the mixed flow error signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 168 words
In an environment control system including a first duct for providing a hot air flow and a second duct for providing a cold air flow, a flow sensor circuit configured to determine a combined flow of the hot air flow and the cold air flow and to provide a mixed flow signal representative of the combined flow, and a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the combined flow and to provide a temperature signal representative of the temperature, a method of controlling an environmental zone comprising: providing a zone command responsive to a zone temperature set point and a zone temperature value; determining a mixed temperature error responsive to the zone command and the temperature signal; determining a mixed flow error responsive to the zone command and the mixed flow signal; adjusting the cold flow responsive to the mixed temperature error signal and the mixed flow error signal; and adjusting the hot flow responsive to the mixed temperature error signal and the mixed flow error signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 168 words
In an environment control system including a first duct for providing a hot air flow and a second duct for providing a cold air flow, a flow sensor circuit configured to determine a combined flow of the hot air flow and the cold air flow and to provide a mixed flow signal representative of the combined flow, and a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the combined flow and to provide a temperature signal representative of the temperature, a method of controlling an environmental zone comprising: providing a zone command responsive to a zone temperature set point and a zone temperature value; determining a mixed temperature error responsive to the zone command and the temperature signal; determining a mixed flow error responsive to the zone command and the mixed flow signal; adjusting the cold flow responsive to the mixed temperature error signal and the mixed flow error signal; and adjusting the hot flow responsive to the mixed temperature error signal and the mixed flow error signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method of claim 10 wherein the step of providing a zone command comprises determining the zone command as a function of a zone setpoint and a zone value.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 38 words
The method of claim 10 wherein the step of determining a mixed temperature error comprises determining a mixed temperature setpoint and determining the mixed temperature error as a function of the mixed temperature setpoint and the temperature signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method of claim 12 wherein the step of determining the mixed temperature setpoint comprising determining the mixed temperature setpoint in response to the zone command.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 39 words
The method of claim 10 wherein the step of determining a mixed flow error comprises determining a mixed flow setpoint and determining the mixed flow error as a function of the mixed flow setpoint and the mixed flow signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the step of determining the mixed flow setpoint comprising determining the mixed flow setpoint in response to the zone command.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 37 words
The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of determining a hot flow setpoint and a cold flow setpoint as an incremental adjustment from a previous hot flow setpoint and a previous cold flow setpoint, respectively.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 38 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the step of determining a cold flow setpoint comprises determining the cold flow setpoint as a function of a difference between the mixed temperature error signal and the mixed flow error signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 38 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the step of determining a hot flow setpoint comprises determining the hot flow setpoint as a function of a sum of the mixed temperature error signal and the mixed flow error signal.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4917174A Cited
US5350113A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1999-09-24 2000-03-25 2000-09-24 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2003-09-24 2004-03-25 2004-09-24 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2007-09-24 2008-03-25 2008-09-24 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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