US-12624855-B2 - Heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) sensor device

US12624855B2US 12624855 B2US12624855 B2US 12624855B2US-12624855-B2

Abstract

A heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) sensor device includes a control signal input for receiving, from an HVAC controller, a control signal for controlling a HVAC actuator, a control signal output for transmitting a control signal to the HVAC actuator; and an electronic circuit, which receives a sensor signal indicative of condensation and/or indicative of relative humidity; and passes through the control signal to the control signal output in response to the sensor signal indicative of condensation and/or indicative of relative humidity being within defined ranges, or overwrites the control signal received at the control signal input with a control reference value and outputs the overwritten control signal at the control signal output in response to the sensor signal being outside the defined ranges. The control reference value causes the HVAC actuator to move an actuated part to a safety position which reduces and/or prevents formation of condensation.

Inventors

Henri HUYNH-QUAN-TRUNG
Robert WUEEST
Maik Hoffmann

Assignees

BELIMO HOLDING AG

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220412
Priority Date: 20210422

Claims (18)

1 . A heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) sensor device comprising: a control signal input for receiving, from an HVAC controller, a control signal for controlling an HVAC actuator; a control signal output for transmitting a control signal to the HVAC actuator; and an electronic circuit configured to: receive a sensor signal indicative of condensation and/or indicative of relative humidity; pass through the control signal received at the control signal input to the control signal output in response to the sensor signal indicative of condensation being within a defined condensation range and/or the sensor signal indicative of relative humidity is being within a defined relative humidity range, or overwrite the control signal received at the control signal input with a control reference value and output the overwritten control signal at the control signal output in response to the sensor signal indicative of condensation being outside the defined condensation range and/or the sensor signal indicative of relative humidity being outside the defined relative humidity range, wherein the control reference value, when received by the HVAC actuator, causes the HVAC actuator to move an actuated part to a safety position which reduces and/or prevents formation of condensation, and wherein the control reference value-is within a value range of the control signal received at the control signal input.
2 . The HVAC sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic circuit is further configured to derive the control reference value from the control signal received at the control signal input.
3 . The HVAC sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor signal is indicative of: condensation on a surface of a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the HVAC actuator; and/or condensation on a surface of a fluid connection to or from the HVAC actuator; and/or a temperature and a relative humidity of a volume of air in order to detect whether the volume of air has reached its dew point.
4 . The HVAC sensor device according to claim 1 , further comprising a reference input for receiving the control reference value.
5 . The HVAC sensor device according to claim 1 , further comprising a feedback output for transmitting a feedback signal to the HVAC controller, wherein the electronic circuit is further configured to output a feedback reference value at the feedback output in response to the sensor signal indicative of condensation being outside the defined condensation range and/or the sensor signal indicative of relative humidity being outside the defined relative humidity range.
6 . The HVAC sensor device according to claim 5 , further comprising a feedback input for receiving a feedback signal from the HVAC actuator, wherein the electronic circuit is further configured to pass through the feedback signal received at the feedback input to the feedback output in response to the sensor signal indicative of condensation being within the defined condensation range and/or the sensor signal indicative of relative humidity being within the defined relative humidity range.
7 . The HVAC sensor device according to claim 5 , further comprising a feedback reference input for receiving the feedback reference value.
8 . The HVAC sensor device according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor for measurement of condensation on a surface of a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the HVAC actuator and/or on a surface of a fluid connection to or from the HVAC actuator, and/or a sensor for measurement of relative humidity of a volume of air in order to detect whether the volume of air has reached its dew point.
9 . The HVAC sensor device according to claim 1 , further configured to: transfer at least a part of electrical power received at the control signal input to the control signal output; and/or power the electronic circuit and/or a sensor for the measurement of condensation and/or relative humidity using at least a part of the electrical power received at the control signal input.
10 . A heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising: the HVAC sensor device according to claim 1 ; an HVAC controller configured to generate a control signal for operating the HVAC actuator at a control interface; wherein the HVAC actuator comprises: an electric motor configured to move the actuated part coupled to the electric motor; an actuator electronic circuit connected to the electric motor; and a communication interface connected to the actuator electronic circuit and configured to receive the control signal for operating the HVAC actuator; wherein the actuator electronic circuit of the HVAC actuator is configured to control the electric motor in accordance with the control signals received via the communication interface; and wherein the HVAC sensor device is arranged between the control interface of the HVAC controller and the communication interface-of the HVAC actuator.
11 . The HVAC system-according to claim 10 , wherein the actuated part comprises a 6-way flow regulator comprising: a first fluid input; a second fluid input; a fluid output; a fluid return input; a first fluid return output; and a second fluid return output, wherein the HVAC actuator is configured to switch the 6-way flow regulator-between a first operating mode, a second operating mode and a third operating mode: wherein, in the first operating mode, the 6-way flow regulator enables: a flow of fluid from the first fluid input towards the fluid output; and a flow of fluid from the fluid return input towards the first fluid return output, wherein, in the second operating mode, the 6-way flow regulator enables: a flow of fluid from the second fluid input towards the fluid output; and a flow of fluid from the fluid return input towards the second fluid return output, wherein, in the third operating mode, the 6-way flow regulator prevents passage of fluid between any of the first fluid input; the second fluid input; the fluid output; the fluid return input; the first fluid return output and the second fluid return output, and wherein the HVAC actuator is configured to switch the 6-way flow regulator into the third operating mode upon receipt of the control reference value.
12 . The HVAC system according to claim 11 , further comprising: a heat exchanger having a fluid input side fluidly connected to the fluid output of the 6-way flow regulator and a fluid return side fluidly connected to the fluid return input of the 6-way flow regulator, a sensor configured to generate the sensor signal indicative of condensation and/or relative humidity; wherein the first fluid input of the 6-way flow regulator is fluidly connected to a fluid source of a first temperature and the second fluid input of the 6-way flow regulator is fluidly connected to a fluid source of a second temperature, the first temperature being different from the second temperature, and wherein the sensor is configured to measure condensation on a surface and/or relative humidity in a vicinity of the heat exchanger and/or a fluid connection between the heat exchanger and the 6-way flow regulator.
13 . A method comprising: receiving from a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) controller, at a control signal input of an HVAC sensor device, of a control signal for controlling an HVAC actuator; receiving, by an electronic circuit of the HVAC sensor device, of a sensor signal indicative of condensation and/or indicative of relative humidity in the HVAC system; comparing the sensor signal indicative of condensation with a defined condensation range and/or the sensor signal indicative of relative humidity with a defined relative humidity range; passing through the control signal received at the control signal input to a control signal output in response to if the sensor signal indicative of condensation being within the defined condensation range and/or the sensor signal indicative of relative humidity is being within the defined relative humidity range; and overwriting the control signal received at the control signal input with a control reference value and outputting the overwritten control signal at the control signal output in response to the sensor signal indicative of condensation being outside the defined condensation range and/or the sensor signal indicative of relative humidity being outside the defined relative humidity range, wherein the control reference value, when received by the HVAC actuator, causes the HVAC actuator to move an actuated part to a safety position which reduces and/or prevents formation of condensation, and wherein the control reference value is within a value range of the control signal.
14 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising deriving, by the electronic circuit, the control reference value from the control signal received at the control signal input.
15 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the sensor signal is indicative of: condensation on a surface of a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the HVAC actuator; and/or condensation on a surface of a fluid connection to or from the HVAC actuator; and/or a temperature and a relative humidity of a volume of air in order to detect whether the volume of air has reached its dew point.
16 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising transmitting, at a feedback output of the HVAC sensor device, a feedback reference value to the HVAC controller in response to the sensor signal indicative of condensation being outside the defined condensation range and/or the sensor signal indicative of relative humidity being outside the defined relative humidity range.
17 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising: receiving a feedback signal from the HVAC actuator at a feedback input of the HVAC sensor device; and passing through the feedback signal received at the feedback input to a feedback output in response to if the sensor signal indicative of condensation being within the defined condensation range and/or the sensor signal indicative of relative humidity being within the defined relative humidity range.
18 . The method according to claim 13 further comprising: transferring at least a part of electrical power received at the control signal input to the control signal output; and/or powering the electronic circuit of the HVAC sensor device and/or a sensor for measurement of condensation and/or relative humidity using at least a part of the electrical power received at the control signal input.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/EP2022/059751 filed Apr. 12, 2022, which is based on and claims priority to Swiss Patent Application No. 00431/21 filed Apr. 22, 2021, the contents of each of which being herein incorporated by reference in their entireties. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) sensor device. The present invention further relates to an HVAC system comprising one or more HVAC sensor devices, a controller device and one or more HVAC actuators configured to actuate one or more actuated parts. The present invention further relates to a method of operating an HVAC system. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the field of Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning, HVAC systems typically comprise a fluid transportation system connected to a heat exchanger arranged such as to be able to transfer thermal energy to or from the environment by means of a fluid circulating in said fluid transportation system. In order to be able to regulate the flow of fluid to/from the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger is connected to the fluid transportation system via one or more actuated parts, such as valves and dampers. The actuated parts are mechanically controlled by HVAC actuators, including motorized HVAC actuators coupled to the actuated part. In the field of HVAC, HVAC actuators typically comprise an electric motor, coupled (through gears and/or other mechanical coupling), to the actuated part. HVAC systems commonly comprise an HVAC controller configured to generate control signal(s) for operating the HVAC actuator(s). In typical HVAC applications, the HVAC controller(s) generate the control signals for the HVAC actuators according to various control algorithms (e.g. with regards to differential pressure, room temperature, flow of energy, etc.) to thereby actuate the actuators, such as to open and close an orifice of a valve or damper to regulate the flow of fluid to and from heat exchanger(s). It is an important aspect in the field of Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning HVAC to operate the HVAC system in view of environmental variable(s) of the environment the HVAC system is installed in. Such environmental variables are measured by corresponding sensors arranged in the controlled environment, for example in the proximity of the heat exchanger(s) and/or the fluid transportation system to/from such heat exchanger(s). In particular, condensation management is an important aspect in the field of Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning HVAC to prevent discomfort, damage or improper operation due to condensation on components of the HVAC system and/or surfaces of the environment where the HVAC system is installed. A known method for operating an HVAC system in view of environmental variable(s) is to communicatively connect sensors for the measurement of environmental variables to the HVAC controller(s) and to configure the HVAC controller(s) to generate the control signal(s) for operating the HVAC actuator(s) considering sensor signal(s) indicative of the one or more environmental variable(s). However, there are certain use cases when communicatively connecting the sensors arranged in the controlled environment (in the proximity of the heat exchanger(s) and/or the fluid transportation system) is not possible, disadvantageous and/or economically/logistically not preferred. A first use case, when communicatively connecting the sensors of environmental variables to the HVAC controller(s) is not desirable—is related to upgrading/retrofitting of installations not provided with sensors of environmental variables. A further use case, when communicatively connecting the sensors of environmental variables to the HVAC controller(s) is not desirable—is when HVAC controller(s) of an HVAC system are not suitable and/or not configured to be connected to such sensors and/or not configured to process signals of such sensors. An even further use case, when communicatively connecting the sensors of environmental variables to the HVAC controller(s) is not desirable—is when there is a significant distance between the controlled environment (where the sensors are to be located) and the HVAC controller(s). In such use cases, providing a data communication between the HVAC controllers and the sensors of environmental variables might require additional wiring infrastructure and/or additional radio communication equipment being installed, both of which might not be logistically or economically feasible. Furthermore, additional radio communication equipment might not even be possible, for example in environments where radio communication is to be reduced to a minimum due to sensitive equipment or due to security/privacy concerns. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of embodiments disclosed herein to provide a solution that—at least partially—addresses the above-identified use-cases,