Granted Patent B2

US 12,631,368 · App. 17/530,388 · Granted May 19, 2026

Inventors: Richard C. Furman (Atlanta, GA); Zachary M. Thomas (Pittsburgh, PA)

Assignee: FT Energy Controls, LLC

F24F13/22F24F11/83F24F2013/221F24F2110/10F24F2140/20F24F2140/30

Abstract

Claims (55)

1 . A system comprising:

a coil;

an actuator operably connected to the coil for regulating a temperature of coolant entering the coil;

a first humidity sensor to measure a humidity of ambient air;

a second humidity sensor to measure a humidity of air that has passed through the coil; and

a controller operably connected to the actuator and operably connected to receive measurements from the first and second humidity sensors, and to (i) determine a rate of latent cooling in the system based at least in part on the humidity of air that has passed through the coil and the humidity of ambient air; (ii) determine a target value for the temperature of the coolant entering the coil based at least in part on the humidity of the ambient air, a setpoint value for the humidity of the ambient air, and the rate of latent cooling; and (iii) control the actuator to achieve the target value for the temperature of the coolant entering the coil.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises at least one pump.

3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first temperature sensor to measure a temperature of ambient air; and

a second temperature sensor to measure a temperature of air that has passed through the coil;

wherein

the coil is positioned such that the ambient air entering the system passes through the coil from an entry side of the coil to an exit side of the coil,

the second humidity sensor and second temperature sensor are located on the exit side of the coil, and

the controller determines the rate of latent cooling in the system by (i) determining a first humidity ratio based at least in part on measurements of the ambient air, (ii) determining a second humidity ratio based at least in part from the second humidity sensor and second temperature sensor, and (iii) determining a difference in moisture content between air entering the coil and air exiting the coil based at least in part on the first and second humidity ratios.

4 . The system of claim 3 , further comprising:

a supply air port; and

a third sensor located to measure air exiting the system via the supply air port, wherein

the controller further measures a flow rate of air through the coil based at least in part from measurements from the second and third sensors, and

the controller in determining the rate of latent cooling utilizes the measured flow rate of air through the coil.

5 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising:

a conditioned air port; and

an air flow rate sensor to measure an air flow rate through the conditioned air port, wherein

the controller further estimates the flow rate of air through the coil based at least further in part on the air flow rate through the conditioned air port.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a recirculation air port and an air flow rate sensor, wherein, the coil is located such that ambient air entering the recirculation air port passes through the coil, an air flow rate of the ambient air entering the recirculation air port is measured by the air flow rate sensor, and the controller determines the rate of latent cooling in the system based further at least in part on the air flow rate measured by the air flow rate sensor.

7 . A method of cooling a conditioned space, the method comprising acts of:

measuring with a first humidity sensor a humidity of ambient air in the conditioned space;

receiving a setpoint value for the humidity of the ambient air in the conditioned space;

measuring with a second humidity sensor a humidity of air that has passed through a coil in a cooling system for the conditioned space;

determining a rate of latent cooling in the cooling system based at least in part on the humidity of air that has passed through the coil and the humidity of the ambient air in the conditioned space;

determining a target value for a temperature of coolant entering the coil based at least in part on the humidity of the ambient air in the conditioned space, a setpoint value for the humidity of the ambient air in the conditioned space, and the rate of latent cooling; and

controlling an actuator of the cooling system to achieve the target value for the temperature of the coolant entering the coil.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the actuator comprises at least one pump.

9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising acts of:

measuring with a first temperature sensor a temperature of the ambient air in the conditioned space; and

measuring with a second temperature sensor a temperature of air that has passed through the coil;

wherein

the coil is positioned in the cooling system such that ambient air from the conditioned space enters the cooling system and passes through the coil from an entry side of the coil to an exit side of the coil,

the second humidity sensor and second temperature sensor are located on the exit side of the coil, and

determining the rate of latent cooling comprises acts of

(i) determining a first humidity ratio based at least in part on measurements of the ambient air in the conditioned space,

(ii) determining a second humidity ratio based at least in part from the humidity of air that has passed through the coil and the temperature of air that has passed through the coil, and

(iii) determining a difference in moisture content between air entering the coil and air exiting the coil based at least in part on the first and second humidity ratios.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising acts of:

measuring with a third sensor a property of air exiting the cooling system via the supply air port;

estimating a flow rate of air through the coil based at least in part from measurements from the second and third sensors,

wherein

the determining the rate of latent cooling utilizes the measured flow rate of air through the coil.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising an act of:

measuring with an air flow rate sensor an air flow rate through a conditioned air port of the cooling system,

wherein

estimating the flow rate of air through the coil is based at least further in part on the air flow rate through the conditioned air port.

12 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising acts of:

measuring with an air flow rate sensor an air flow rate of the ambient air entering a recirculation air port of the cooling system,

wherein

determining the rate of latent cooling is based further at least in part on the air flow rate measured by the air flow rate sensor.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (43)