IP Library Granted Patent US 10,907,846
Granted Patent B2
US 10,907,846 · App. 16/052,120 · Granted Feb 2, 2021

Building control system with cooperative extremum-seeking control

Inventors: Timothy I. Salsbury (Mequon, WI); John M. House (Saint-Leonard, CA)
Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
F24F11/30F24F11/63F24F11/70F24F11/88F25B49/02F25B49/027G05B5/01G05B13/024G05B13/0225G05D23/1917F24F11/0001F24F2110/00F24F2110/10F24F2110/20F24F2110/40F24F2140/40F24F2140/60F25B2313/0233F25B2313/0314F25B2600/11F25B2700/1931F25B2700/1933F25B2700/21163F25B2700/21173G05B2219/2614
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,907,846
App. No.
16/052,120
Granted
Feb 2, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cooperative extremum-seeking control system includes a first controller and a second controller. The first controller is configured to provide a first control input to a first plant and receive a first performance variable as feedback from the first plant. The second controller is configured to provide a second control input to a second plant that interacts with the first plant, receive a second performance variable as feedback from the second plant, and provide the second performance variable to the first controller. The first controller is further configured to aggregate the first performance variable and the second performance variable to determine a total performance variable, calculate a gradient of the total performance variable with respect to the first control input, generate a third control input using the gradient of the total performance variable, and provide the third control input to the first plant.

Claims (38)

1. A cooperative extremum-seeking control system comprising:

a first extremum-seeking controller configured to provide a first control input to a first plant and receive a first performance variable as feedback from the first plant; and

a second extremum-seeking controller configured to provide a second control input to a second plant that mutually interacts with the first plant, receive a second performance variable as feedback from the second plant, and provide the second performance variable to the first controller;

wherein the first extremum-seeking controller is further configured to aggregate the first performance variable and the second performance variable to determine a total performance variable, calculate a gradient of the total performance variable with respect to the first control input, generate a third control input using the gradient of the total performance variable, and provide the third control input to the first plant, wherein the first plant uses the third control input to operate equipment of the first plant, thereby affecting a variable state or condition of the first plant.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the total performance variable indicates total power consumption of the first plant and the second plant.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the third control input is a temperature setpoint, a pressure setpoint, a speed setpoint, a damper position, or a valve position.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first performance variable indicates power consumption, temperature, pressure, flow, humidity, air quality, damper position, coefficient of performance, comfort, or valve position.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first extremum-seeking controller is configured to drive the gradient of the total performance variable with respect to the first control input to zero in order to generate the third control input.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first plant is an air handling unit (AHU), a chilled water plant, a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system, or a vapor compression system.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first extremum-seeking controller is configured to filter disturbances from the first performance variable.

8. A cooperative extremum-seeking control method comprising:

providing a first control input to a first control system;

receiving a first performance variable as feedback from the first control system;

receiving a second performance variable from a second control system that mutually interacts with the first control system;

aggregating the first performance variable and the second performance variable to determine a total performance variable;

calculating a gradient of the total performance variable with respect to the first control input;

generating a second control input using the gradient of the total performance variable;

providing the second control input to the first control system; and

using the second control input to operate equipment of the first control system, thereby affecting a variable state or condition of the first control system.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the total performance variable indicates total power consumption of the first control system and the second control system.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second control input is a temperature setpoint, a pressure setpoint, a speed setpoint, a damper position, or a valve position.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first performance variable indicates power consumption, temperature, pressure, flow, humidity, air quality, damper position, coefficient of performance, comfort, or valve position.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein generating the second control input using the gradient of the total performance variable comprises driving the gradient of the total performance variable with respect to the first control input to zero.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first control system is an air handling unit (AHU), a chilled water plant, a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system, or a vapor compression system.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising filtering disturbances from the first performance variable.

15. An extremum-seeking controller configured to:

provide a first control input to a first control system;

receive a first performance variable as feedback from the first control system;

receive a second performance variable from a second control system that mutually interacts with the first control system;

aggregate the first performance variable and the second performance variable to determine a total performance variable;

calculate a gradient of the total performance variable with respect to the first control input;

generate a second control input using the gradient of the total performance variable; and

provide the second control input to the first control system, wherein the first control system uses the second control input to operate equipment of the first control system, thereby affecting a variable state or condition of the first control system.

16. The controller of claim 15 , wherein the total performance variable indicates total power consumption of the first control system and the second control system.

17. The controller of claim 15 , wherein the second control input is a temperature setpoint, a pressure setpoint, a speed setpoint, a damper position, or a valve position.

18. The controller of claim 15 , wherein the first performance variable indicates power consumption, temperature, pressure, flow, humidity, air quality, damper position, coefficient of performance, comfort, or valve position.

19. The controller of claim 15 , further configured to drive the gradient of the total performance variable with respect to the first control input to zero in order to generate the second control input.

20. The controller of claim 15 , wherein the first control system is an air handling unit (AHU), a chilled water plant, a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system, or a vapor compression system.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 9, 2024
From: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
To: TYCO FIRE & SECURITY GMBH
Reel/Frame 067056/0552 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Feb 4, 2022
From: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
To: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
Reel/Frame 058959/0764 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2018
From: SALSBURY, TIMOTHY I.; HOUSE, JOHN M.
To: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
Reel/Frame 047647/0567 →