U.S. patent application number 14/003143 was filed with the patent office on 2014-05-29 for control of active climatic beams.
The applicant listed for this patent is Olivier Josserand, Eric Royet. Invention is credited to Olivier Josserand, Eric Royet.
Application Number | 20140144159 14/003143 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44626555 |
Filed Date | 2014-05-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140144159 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Josserand; Olivier ; et
al. |
May 29, 2014 |
CONTROL OF ACTIVE CLIMATIC BEAMS
Abstract
A method of operating a climatic beam air conditioning system
includes operably connecting one or more controllers to two or more
climatic beams in two or more locations. Inputs are communicated
from the two or more locations to the one or more controllers. Each
controller of the one or more controllers is operably connected to
two or more climatic beams. Independent commands are communicated
to each climatic beam of the two or more climatic beams from the
one or more controllers to control operation of the two or more
climatic beams based on the inputs communicated from the two or
more locations.
Inventors: |
Josserand; Olivier; (La
Boisse, FR) ; Royet; Eric; (Thil, FR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Josserand; Olivier
Royet; Eric |
La Boisse
Thil |
|
FR
FR |
|
|
Family ID: |
44626555 |
Appl. No.: |
14/003143 |
Filed: |
March 4, 2011 |
PCT Filed: |
March 4, 2011 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB2011/000686 |
371 Date: |
February 4, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/56 ; 62/125;
62/126 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 2110/00 20180101;
F25D 29/00 20130101; F24F 11/89 20180101; F24F 11/54 20180101; F24F
2011/0002 20130101; F24F 11/30 20180101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/56 ; 62/125;
62/126 |
International
Class: |
F25D 29/00 20060101
F25D029/00 |
Claims
1. A method of operating a climatic beam air conditioning system
comprising: arranging two or more climatic beam units in two or
more locations; operably connecting one or more controllers to the
two or more climatic beams. communicating inputs from the two or
more locations to the one or more controllers, wherein each
controller of the one or more controllers is operably connected to
two or more climatic beams; and communicating independent commands
to each climatic beam of the two or more climatic beams from the
one or more controllers to control operation of the two or more
climatic beams based on the inputs communicated from the two or
more locations.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein each controller is configured to
control operation of two climatic beams of the two or more climatic
beams.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating inputs comprises
communicating a desired temperature from a user interface.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user interface is disposed in
one location of the two or more locations.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating inputs comprises
communicating data from one or more sensors connected to a
subcontroller of the one or more controllers and disposed in at
least one location of the two or more locations.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more sensors include a
room temperature sensor and/or a carbon dioxide sensor.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the inputs include a setpoint
reset.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the commands control operation of
a fresh air damper and/or a coil temperature of the two or more
climatic beams.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more climatic beams
and one or more controllers are interconnected via a communications
bus.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more locations are
two or more rooms.
11. An air conditioning system comprising: two or more active
climatic beams arranged in two of more locations; one or more
controllers operably connected to the two or more climatic beams,
the one or more controllers configured to control operation of the
two or more climatic beams; and a communication bus operably
connected to the two or more controllers, configured to distribute
inputs to the one or more controllers and distribute independent
outputs from the one or more controllers to each climatic beam of
the two or more climatic beams.
12. The system of claim 11, further comprising at least one user
interface operably connected to a controller of the one or more
controllers.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface is
configured to provide a desired temperature setting to the
controller.
14. The system of claim 11, wherein the inputs include one or more
of outside temperature, room temperature and carbon dioxide
level.
15. The system of claim 11, wherein each controller of the one or
more controllers controls operation of at least two of the two or
more climatic beams.
16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a temperature sensor
operably connected to the one or more controllers configured to
sense a room temperature.
17. The system of claim 11, further comprising a carbon dioxide
sensor operably connected to the one or more controllers.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The subject matter disclosed herein relates to active
climatic beam air conditioning systems. More specifically, the
subject disclosure relates control of multiple active climatic
beams in air conditioning systems.
[0002] An active climatic beam is a water-driven induction unit,
often mounted in a ceiling. It uses a supply of fresh ventilation
air to draw room air into the chilled beam's air conditioning
battery, which is typically a coil supplied with cold or warm water
depending on whether cooling or heating is of the room is desired.
Tempered ventilation air leaves the beam supply ducting through
slots or nozzles with sufficient velocity that room air is induced
into the beam and through the coil. The supply air and room air are
then mix and reenter the room via outlet slots in the beam.
Climatic beams are typically controlled individually, with each
beam having an independent controller. Since it is often common to
have multiple climatic beams in a large room, this requires the use
of multiple controllers to control the room environment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0003] According to one aspect of the invention, a method of
operating a climatic beam air conditioning system includes operably
connecting one or more controllers to two or more climatic beams in
two or more locations. Inputs are communicated from the two or more
rooms to the one or more controllers. Each controller of the one or
more controllers is operably connected to two or more climatic
beams. Independent commands are communicated to each climatic beam
of the two or more climatic beams from the one or more controllers
to control operation of the two or more climatic beams based on the
inputs communicated from the two or more locations.
[0004] According to another aspect of the invention, an air
conditioning system includes two or more active climatic beams and
one or more controllers operably connected to the two or more
climatic beams. The one or more controllers are configured to
control operation of the two or more climatic beams. A
communication bus operably connected to the one or more
controllers, configured to distribute inputs to the one or more
controllers and distribute independent outputs from the one or more
controllers to each climatic beam of the two or more climatic
beams.
[0005] These and other advantages and features will become more
apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with
the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is
particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at
the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other
features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the
following detailed description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings in which:
[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic of an embodiment of an air
conditioning system;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a schematic of an embodiment of a room layout
including an air conditioning system; and
[0009] FIG. 3 is a schematic of another embodiment of a room layout
including an air conditioning system.
[0010] The detailed description explains embodiments of the
invention, together with advantages and features, by way of example
with reference to the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Shown in FIG. 1 is a schematic arrangement of a plurality of
climatic beams 10. Six climatic beams 10 are shown in FIG. 1, but
it is to be appreciated that any number of climatic beams 10 may be
utilized. The climatic beams 10 are operably connected to
electronic controllers 12. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, two
climatic beams 10 are connected to one controller 12, but it is to
be appreciated that other embodiments may include other quantities
of climatic beams 10, for example three climatic beams 10 connected
to one controller 12. Each controller 12 includes two or more
subcontrollers 14, with each climatic beam 10 connected to a unique
subcontroller 14. The subcontroller 14 directly controls operation
of the climatic beam 10 to which it is connected.
[0012] The arrangement includes one or more user interfaces 16. The
user interfaces 16 are connected to the controllers 12 and allow
input of the user such as desired temperature and the like for a
room or other space in which the climatic beams 10 are located. The
controllers 12 receive further inputs, such as room temperature,
CO.sub.2 level of the room, user room setpoint, and/or setpoint
reset, where setpoint reset is an amount the room temperature is
permitted to vary from the user setpoint before the system is
engaged to heat or cool. Based on these inputs, the controllers 12
direct operation of the climatic beams 10, for example, opening or
closing of a fresh air damper, and/or changing a water flow through
a valve actuator connected to a coil of the climatic beam 10.
[0013] In some embodiments, the controllers 12 are interconnected
via a communications bus 18, and each subcontroller 14 is assigned
a unique identifier. Such interconnection allows for a layout of a
space with climatic beams 10 and controllers 12 installed therein
to be reconfigured without moving climatic beams 10 or controllers
12, but only reprogramming the subcontrollers 14 as will be
described below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.
[0014] Referring to FIG. 2, an embodiment of a room layout is
shown. The layout includes two rooms 20, a first room 20a and a
second room 20b. In this embodiment, climatic beams 10a, 10b, and
10c are located in room 20a, and climatic beams 10d, 10e, and 10f
are located in room 20b. The climatic beams 10a-10f are connected
to subcontrollers 14a-14f, respectively. In this embodiment, each
subsontroller 14a-14f receives common input regarding, for example,
outside temperature. The subcontrollers 14 are linked via the
communications bus 18, however, so that inputs to the
subcontrollers 14 regarding, for example, room temperature and
CO.sub.2 level are room-specific. For example, in the case of room
20a, room-specific inputs are directed from subcontroller 14a
through the communications bus 18, to subcontrollers 14b-14c to
control climatic beams 10b-10c in the same way as climatic beam
10a, since subcontrollers 14a-14c are identified as residing in
room 20a. In some embodiments, the room specific inputs are
provided by a temperature sensor 22 and a CO.sub.2 sensor 24
located in the room 20a. Further, the desired temperature may be
provided to the subcontrollers 14 by a user interface 16 located in
the room 20a, or at some centralized location outside of the room
20a. As can easily be seen, the same principles apply to control of
the climatic beams 10d-10f located in room 20b, and could be
extrapolated to the control of any number of climatic beams 10
distributed throughout a space, for example an entire floor or
floors of a building.
[0015] Interconnecting the subcontrollers 14 via the communications
bus 18 allows for rearrangement of the rooms 20 without the need to
change or modify climatic beams 10 or subcontrollers 14 or wiring.
As shown in FIG. 3, room 20a is modified to include climate beams
10a-10d and their corresponding subcontrollers 14a-14d, while room
20b now contains climatic beams 10e and 10f, and subcontrollers 14e
and 14f. To properly control the environments of modified rooms 20a
and 20b, it is only necessary to change the associations of the
subcontrollers 14 which control climatic beams 10 with respect to
rooms 20a and 20b, thus ensuring that, for example, climatic beam
10d and subcontroller 14d (which changed rooms from 20b to 20a) now
receive the correct room-specific inputs, from temperature sensor
22 and CO.sub.2 sensor 24 located in room 20a, rather than those
located in room 20b. Also, the user interface 16 located in room
20a could be now associated with climatic beam 10d and
subcontroller 14d, and will therefore control their operation.
[0016] While the invention has been described in detail in
connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be
readily understood that the invention is not limited to such
disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to
incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or
equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are
commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention.
Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been
described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may
include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the
invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing
description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended
claims.
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