Methods and apparatuses for controlling air to a building
HVAC systems, including various HVAC system components, and methods for manufacturing the same are disclosed for controlling airflow into a building. Embodiments of the HVAC systems include apparatuses for controlling the volumetric airflow moving through at least one HVAC system component using a measurement device, for example an airflow detector, a regulator, for example a damper or blower, and a controller, where the controller receives input from the measurement device, manipulates the input with a control algorithm, and sends output commands to the regulator. Further embodiments include apparatuses and methods for development of the control algorithm by testing a similar HVAC system component, measuring the actual volumetric airflow through the HVAC system component, and comparing the actual volumetric airflow with the airflow measured by the measurement device. Still further embodiment include forming a plurality of similar HVAC components that each control airflow without requiring further testing.
1. A method for manufacturing at least one HVAC component adapted to connection to a building's HVAC system, wherein the HVAC component delivers a calibrated amount of air to the building's HVAC system, the method comprising the acts of:
forming a first HVAC component, said forming including:
forming a first housing with a first airflow passage configured and adapted to connect to HVAC ducting installed in a building with the first airflow passage in fluid communication with the HVAC ducting,
attaching a first airflow regulator to the first housing and, the first airflow regulator adapted to regulate the airflow through the first airflow passage,
attaching a first airflow detector to the first housing at a first location, the first airflow detector adapted to measure a measured airflow through the first airflow passage;
connecting a first controller with a memory to the first airflow regulator and to the first airflow detector, the first controller configured and adapted to receive a measured airflow valve from the first airflow detector and command the airflow regulator to change the amount of air moving through the first airflow passage,
calibrating the first HVAC component to deliver an actual volumetric airflow, said calibrating including:
moving air through the first airflow passage,
obtaining a measured airflow by measuring the airflow through the first airflow passage with the first airflow detector,
obtaining an actual volumetric airflow by determining the airflow through the first airflow passage with a calibrated test system,
determining a correction to convert the measured airflow to the actual airflow, and
applying the correction to the first controller, wherein the first controller:
commands the first airflow regulator to increase the airflow through the first airflow passage when the actual volumetric airflow is below a desired airflow, and
commands the first airflow regulator to decrease the airflow through the first airflow passage when the actual volumetric airflow is above a desired airflow.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming:
a second HVAC component, including a second housing substantially similar to the first housing and including a second airflow passage,
a second airflow detector substantially similar to the first airflow detector,
a second airflow regulator substantially similar to the first airflow regulator, and
a second controller substantially similar to the first controller with the correction applied;
attaching:
the second airflow detector to the second housing at a second location, wherein the second location of the second airflow detector in the second housing is substantially similar to the first location of the first airflow detector in the first housing, and
the second airflow regulator to the second housing and within the second airflow passage;
connecting:
the second airflow detector and the second controller, and
the second controller and the second airflow regulator; and
wherein the second controller:
commands the second airflow regulator to increase the airflow through the second airflow passage when the actual airflow is below a desired airflow,
commands a decrease in the second airflow regulator to decrease the airflow through the second airflow passage when the actual airflow is above a desired airflow.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said obtaining an actual volumetric airflow includes measuring actual airflow through the first airflow passage with a test airflow detector, and wherein said determining the actual volumetric airflow through the first airflow passage includes measuring the airflow through the first airflow passage with the test airflow detector.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first airflow regulator includes a first damper.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said attaching a first airflow regulator includes attaching a first blower within the first housing, and wherein said attaching a first airflow detector includes attaching the first airflow detector within the first housing.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said moving air through the first airflow passage is by the first blower.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said applying the correction to the first controller includes applying a polynomial equation the measured airflow value received from the first airflow detector.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the polynomial equation is at least a 2 nd order polynomial.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing the building's HVAC system, wherein the building's HVAC system includes at least two (2) tons of cooling capacity and at most twenty-five (25) tons of cooling capacity.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the airflow is turbulent at the first location during said obtaining a measured airflow.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said calibrating compensates for nonlinear responses within the HVAC component.
12. A plurality of HVAC systems, each system with at least one HVAC component adapted to control the volumetric airflow through the HVAC system, each of the plurality of HVAC system components being substantially similar to one another, at least one of the HVAC system components comprising:
a first HVAC component, including:
a first housing with a first airflow passage configured and adapted to connect to one of the HVAC system's ducting with said first airflow passage in fluid communication with the HVAC system's ducting,
a first airflow regulator attached to said housing within said airflow passage and adapted to change the airflow through said airflow passage,
a first airflow detector attached to said housing within said airflow passage and adapted to measure the airflow passing through said first airflow passage, and
a first controller with a memory, said first controller connected to said first airflow regulator and said first airflow detector, wherein said first controller commands said first airflow regulator to change the airflow rate through said first airflow passage to achieve a desired actual airflow rate using a control algorithm;
means for deriving said control algorithm including means for measuring the actual volumetric airflow through said first HVAC system component, wherein the control algorithm converts input from the first airflow detector to an actual volumetric airflow rate through said first HVAC system component, and wherein the control algorithm compares the actual airflow rate to a desired airflow rate.
13. The plurality of HVAC systems of claim 12 , further comprising a first HVAC system connected to said first HVAC component, wherein said first HVAC system includes at least two (2) tons of cooling capacity and at most twenty-five (25) tons of cooling capacity.
14. The plurality of HVAC systems of claim 12 , further comprising:
means for forming at least a second HVAC component substantially similar to said first HVAC component, wherein said second HVAC component includes:
a second housing with a second airflow passage substantially similar to said first housing and said first airflow passage;
a second airflow regulator for changing the airflow through said second airflow passage and substantially similar to said first airflow regulator;
a second airflow detector for measuring the airflow passing through said second airflow passage, and
a second controller with a memory, said second controller connected to said second airflow regulator and said second airflow detector, wherein said second controller is substantially similar to said first controller, and wherein said second controller commands said second airflow regulator to change the airflow rate through said second airflow passage to achieve a desired actual airflow rate using said control algorithm.
15. The plurality of HVAC systems of claim 12 , wherein said means for deriving said control algorithm includes means for measuring the actual volumetric airflow throughout the operation range of said first HVAC system component.
16. An HVAC system component to attach to a building's HVAC system and to control the airflow through the HVAC system component, the component comprising:
a housing defining an airflow passage;
an airflow detector adapted to detect a characteristic of the airflow through said airflow passage, said airflow detector attached to said housing and located at a first position in said airflow passage;
an airflow regulator attached to said housing and configured to regulate the airflow through said airflow passage;
a controller in communication with said airflow detector and said airflow regulator, wherein said controller receives input from said airflow detector and calculates a command using a control algorithm adapted to command an actual volumetric airflow calibrated to the HVAC system component with the airflow detector and the airflow regulator attached to the housing, wherein said controller commands said airflow regulator to:
increase airflow through said airflow passage when the actual airflow through said airflow passage is less than a desired airflow, and
decrease airflow through said airflow passage when the actual airflow through said airflow passage is greater than a desired airflow.
17. The HVAC system component of claim 16 , wherein the actual volumetric airflow through said airflow passage does not differ more than ten percent (10%) from a desired airflow during operation.
18. The HVAC system component of claim 17 , wherein the actual volumetric airflow through said airflow passage does not differ more than five percent (5%) from a desired airflow during operation.
19. The HVAC system component of claim 18 , wherein the actual volumetric airflow through said airflow passage does not differ more than three percent (3%) from a desired airflow during operation.
20. The HVAC system component of claim 16 , wherein said airflow detector is a pressure sensor.
21. The HVAC system component of claim 16 , wherein the airflow at said first position is turbulent.
22. The HVAC system component of claim 16 , wherein the airflow through said first airflow passage transitions between laminar and turbulent flow at said first position as the output of said airflow regulator changes between two substantially nonzero airflow rates.