U.S. patent application number 16/574944 was filed with the patent office on 2020-03-19 for thermo efficiency measurement system.
The applicant listed for this patent is Budderfly, Inc.. Invention is credited to Kenneth Buda, Jaan Leemet, Albert Subbloie, Mark Alphonse Veikos.
Application Number | 20200088433 16/574944 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 69773826 |
Filed Date | 2020-03-19 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200088433 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Subbloie; Albert ; et
al. |
March 19, 2020 |
Thermo Efficiency Measurement System
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for determining an energy
transfer rate of a room via one or more sensors to determine a
baseline efficiency measurement of a room as well as delta
efficiency gains obtained by making changes to internal or external
factors affecting thermal efficiency. The system further include
the automatic control for various equipment associated with the
room and automatic measurement based on the status of the room.
Inventors: |
Subbloie; Albert; (Orange,
CT) ; Buda; Kenneth; (Scarsdale, NY) ; Leemet;
Jaan; (Aventura, FL) ; Veikos; Mark Alphonse;
(Trumbull, CT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Budderfly, Inc. |
Shelton |
CT |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
69773826 |
Appl. No.: |
16/574944 |
Filed: |
September 18, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62732786 |
Sep 18, 2018 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 2110/10 20180101;
F24F 11/63 20180101; F24F 2110/32 20180101; F24F 11/46 20180101;
F24F 2110/20 20180101; F24F 2130/20 20180101; F24F 2110/12
20180101; F24F 2120/10 20180101 |
International
Class: |
F24F 11/46 20060101
F24F011/46; F24F 11/63 20060101 F24F011/63 |
Claims
1. A system for determining an energy transfer rate of a room
comprising: a first sensor mounted in a first housing, the first
sensor generating first environmental data and including: a first
environmental measuring device, a first power source, a first
processor, a first storage, and a first communications hardware
coupled to a network; a mounting element connected to the housing
such that said first sensor is freely positionable within the room;
software executing on said first processor and generating first
environmental data corresponding to discrete environmental
measurements taken within the room at first time intervals and
including time data associated with each discrete environmental
measurement; a computer coupled to the network and having a
computer storage accessible by said computer, said storage having
threshold environmental data saved thereon; wherein a second sensor
positioned outside the room generates second environmental data
corresponding to environmental measurements taken outside the room
and including time data associated with the environmental
measurements; the first environmental data and the second
environmental data transmitted to said computer via the network;
software executing on said computer processing the first
environmental data and the second environmental data compared to
the threshold environmental data to generate an energy transfer
rate of the room.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first environmental data is
selected from the group consisting of: temperature, humidity and
combinations thereof.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the second environmental data is
selected from the group consisting of: temperature, humidity, wind
speed, wind direction, solar energy intensity, and combinations
thereof.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein when the first and second
environmental data each comprise temperature measurements and the
second environmental data comprises an outside air temperature, the
temperature measurements taken by the first sensor at the first
time intervals are compared to the temperature measurements taken
by the second sensor to calculate a temperature differential.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least two sensors are
positioned in the room and the energy transfer rate determination
further indicates efficiency of one or more portions of the
room.
6. The system according to claim 1 wherein a volume of the room is
considered in the energy transfer rate determination.
7. The system according to claim 1 wherein a surface area of
internal surfaces of the room is considered in the energy transfer
rate determination.
8. The system according to claim 1 wherein a date and a geographic
location of the room is considered in the energy transfer rate
determination.
9. The system according to claim 8 wherein when the room is located
in a facility, the location of the room within the facility is
considered in the energy transfer rate determination.
10. The system according to claim 1 wherein said computer
automatically initiates the discrete environmental measurements of
said first sensor based on input relating to the status of the
room.
11. The system according to claim 10 wherein an occupancy sensor
located in the room provides data to said computer which is used to
determine the status of the room.
12. The system according to claim 10 wherein said computer
automatically controls various equipment associated with the room
prior to initiating the discrete environmental measurements of said
first sensor.
13. The system according to claim 14 wherein the various equipment
is selected from the group consisting of: motorized window shades
or binds, motorized air vents associated with the room, HVAC
equipment servicing the room and combinations thereof.
14. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a remote
computer coupled to the network and in communication with said
computer, said remote computer receiving the first environmental
data and the second environmental data.
15. A system for determining an energy transfer rate of a room
comprising: a sensor mounted in a housing, the sensor generating
environmental data and including: a environmental measuring device,
a power source, a processor, a storage, and a communications
hardware coupled to a network; a mounting element connected to the
housing such that said sensor is freely positionable within the
room; a computer coupled to the network and having a computer
storage accessible by said computer, said storage having threshold
environmental data saved thereon; software executing on said
processor and generating environmental data corresponding to a
discrete environmental measurement taken within the room and
including time data associated with the discrete environmental
measurement; software executing on said computer for automatically
initiating the discrete environmental measurement during based on
input relating to the status of the room; the environmental data
transmitted to said computer via the network; said software
executing on said computer processing the environmental data
compared to the threshold environmental data to generate an energy
transfer rate of the room.
16. The system according to claim 15 wherein an occupancy sensor
located in the room provides data to said computer which is used to
determine the status of the room or to send alerts or combinations
thereof.
17. The system according to claim 15 wherein at least one window or
door sensor is located in the room provides data to said computer
which is used to determine the status of the room.
18. The system according to claim 15 wherein said computer receives
data relating to whether a user is active on a computer associated
with the room and the data is used to determine the status of the
room.
19. The system according to claim 15 wherein said computer
automatically controls various equipment associated with the room
prior to initiating the discrete environmental measurement.
20. The system according to claim 19 wherein the various equipment
is selected from the group consisting of: motorized window shades
or binds, motorized air vents associated with the room, HVAC
equipment servicing the room and combinations thereof.
21. The system according to claim 15 further comprising a second
sensor mounted outside the room and generating second environmental
data corresponding to environmental measurements taken outside the
room.
22. The system according to claim 21 wherein said first sensor is
selected from the group consisting of: temperature sensor, humidity
sensor and combinations thereof.
23. The system according to claim 21 wherein said second sensor
measures temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar intensity or
combinations thereof.
24. The system according to claim 15 wherein the initiation of the
discrete environmental measurement is coordinated with a schedule
of the set points for HVAC equipment serving the room.
25. The system according to claim 15 wherein the threshold
environmental data comprises historical data associated with the
room or with a facility within which the room is located.
26. The system according to claim 15 wherein the threshold
environmental data comprises calculated energy transfer rates based
on a configuration of the room or the construction materials of the
room or a geographic location of the room or combinations
thereof.
27. A method for determining an energy transfer rate of a room
comprising the steps of: positioning a plurality of sensors within
a plurality of different rooms in a facility; generating
environmental data for a plurality of discrete environmental
measurements in the plurality of rooms, each discrete environmental
measurement including time data corresponding to a time when each
of the environmental measurements was taken and which room the
measurement corresponds to; transmitting the environmental data to
a computer via a network connection; processing the environmental
data based upon a rate of change of the environmental measurements
over a set time period; determining an energy transfer indication
of each of the rooms by comparing the environmental data with
threshold environmental data.
28. The method of claim 27 wherein the computer automatically
initiates the plurality of discrete environmental measurements
based on input received by the computer relating to the status of
the room.
29. The method of claim 27 wherein an occupancy sensor located in
the room provides data to the computer which is used to determine
the status of the room.
30. The method of claim 27 wherein the computer automatically
controls various equipment associated with the room prior to
initiating the discrete environmental measurements.
31. The method of claim 30 wherein the computer automatically shuts
down HVAC equipment servicing the room or closes vents serving the
room prior to initiating the discrete environmental measurements.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to systems and methods for
evaluating the thermal envelop of an individual space or room to
determine the value of stepwise changes taken to improve the
thermal envelop of the space. In particular, the system relates to
a measurement device that can be freely placed in the space to
gather specific environmental data that can be compared/combined
with target or expected data or with alternative measurement data
to achieve an energy reduction goal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Energy use has been a concern for companies for many years
leading to many different efforts to quantify energy use with the
purpose of determining how energy use could be reduced. For years
it has been the escalating costs associated with excessive energy
use that has driven the desire to lower energy usage. As energy
costs continue to escalate, cost is still a driving factor
motivating companies to look for new and better ways to reduced
energy usage.
[0003] In recent years, in addition to excessive costs, concern for
the impact that energy production puts on the environment has also
provided a motivation for seeking to reduce energy usage. In
particular, concerns relating to the burning of fossil fuels and
the impact this may have on the planet has spurred efforts to look
into the use of renewable energy sources. However, it has been
observed that renewable energy sources are typically restricted in
size in the ability to generate megawatt hours when compared to
fossil fuel burning plants. So while renewable energy sources
continue to be integrated into the power grid, the need for
non-renewable (e.g., fossil fuel burning plants) energy sources
continues in view of the high need for electrical energy. This is
especially the case with heavy use of electronic and electrical
devices in residential, commercial and even industrial
applications. However, if the overall energy consumption could be
reduced, then the reliance and need for non-renewable energy
sources could likewise be reduced and maybe even eliminated.
[0004] U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) stated that
primary energy consumption in the United States reached a record
high of 101.3 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) in 2018, up
4% from 2017 and 0.3% above the previous record set in 2007. The
increase in 2018 was the largest increase in energy consumption, in
both absolute and percentage terms, since 2010.
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=39092.
Environmental control takes up a large portion of the overall
energy consumption on the power grid. EIA estimated that in 2018,
electricity use for cooling the interior of buildings (space
cooling) by the U.S. residential and commercial sectors was about
377 billion kilowatthours (kWh), which was equal to about 9% of
total U.S. electricity consumption in 2018. See,
https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=1174$t=1. As such, energy
consumption for environmental control is a large sector of the
energy usage market that could be targeted for reduced energy
usage.
[0005] A major factor in determining the amount of energy that is
used for environmental control is the thermal envelop of a building
or structure. The thermal envelop will define how easily energy is
transferred to or from a space, which in turn, will determine how
much energy is needed to maintain a space at a certain
environmental level. For example, if a space has a very poor
thermal envelop (i.e., allows energy to be easily transferred to or
from the space), Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC)
equipment serving the space will have to work longer and harder to
maintain a set environment level in the space. Alternatively, if
the space is very well insulated from the surrounding areas, then
the amount of energy transfer between the space and the surrounding
area will be low resulting in the HVAC equipment serving the space
having to work much less resulting in lower energy consumption.
Many factors impact the energy transfer rate into or out of a space
including the selection of construction materials for the walls,
the ceiling and floor and even whether the foundation is built on
rock or soil. Whether the construction materials were properly
installed and whether they have been properly maintained can also
impact the energy transfer rate. There are also external factors
that can impact the energy transfer rate including the temperature
differential (i.e., the A) between the space and the area
immediately surrounding the space, the amount and direction of
wind, sun, and moisture also affect the energy transfer rate.
[0006] The transfer of energy may often vary greatly throughout a
structure, and one may notice that some spaces resist temperature
changes much longer than others. For example, two rooms in the same
or similar climates with similar external conditions using similar
construction techniques may intuitively seem equivalent but may
exhibit very different thermal efficiency values.
[0007] As will be understood, the thermal efficiency of a room has
a direct correlation on the amount of time an HVAC system serving
the space must operate. Take for example, a thermostat that turns
on an HVAC system to heat the space to a temperature set point
(e.g., 68 degrees). When the temperature in the space drops below
the set point, the HVAC system turns on to heat the space. When the
temperature in the space reaches the temperature set point, the
HVAC system turns off. However, depending on the outside
temperature, assuming that it is colder outside than in the space
the temperature in room gradually drops below the set point again
requiring that the HVAC system turn back on to raise the
temperature in the room. A room that resists any change in
temperature for a longer period of time will take less energy to
maintain a given set point temperature and can be considered more
thermally efficient.
[0008] While the forgoing may seem self-evident, we live in a time
where unsubstantiated claims are made seemingly as a matter of
course with little to no data providing any sort of objective
measurement to support the claims. This has been true with respect
to companies that provide energy reduction services. While they may
be able to point to the information previously described above,
they are generally unable to provide concrete and granular data
showing actual energy transfer rates for rooms or spaces within a
company's facility. Likewise, they are only able to discuss at a
very general level overall expected savings for a facility.
[0009] Having no good measurement technique for benchmarking
specific values of a space before and after modifications has
enabled the rise of many products and organization that attempt to
take advantage of unsuspecting and uninformed consumers with a
desire to lower energy consumption. Even in cases where products
would intuitively improve for example, thermal efficiency,
determining the return on investment of such improvements can be
difficult without a reliable system to specifically measure these
gains. For example, one may decide to invest in new windows and
doors, install sun shades, or do small renovations such as
reapplying caulking or installing plastic window film in an attempt
to reduce thermal transfer. However, it is difficult to measure the
efficiency and effectiveness of these changes. Looking at the
overall energy bill is not a reliable measurement technique as the
overall bill reflects many variables and does not isolate the
energy use to a given space to provide a good method of
comparison.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Accordingly, a device capable of measuring the energy
transfer rate (e.g., thermal efficiency) of a room and providing a
standardized thermal efficiency measurement would be
beneficial.
[0011] Additionally, a system that could compare data specific to
each room to determine the real impact of renovations or changes
made to a room would be very beneficial.
[0012] The present invention is directed to systems and methods for
assessing the energy transfer rates in rooms or spaces, which may
be accomplished via a network connection, such as a
telecommunications network and/or the internet, and may comprise
one or more sensor devices coupled to computer. such as a mobile
phone, tablet and the like. The systems and methods herein may
provide a thermal efficiency value as a way of measuring and
benchmarking spaces against one another, or of measuring the
thermal efficiency gains of renovations made to a space regarding
energy savings and thermal efficiency.
[0013] In accordance with one configuration, a device is provided
that includes a controller, one or more sensors generating sensor
data and coupled to the controller where the sensor is configured
to detect one or more environmental parameters, (e.g., temperature,
humidity, and the like) in a room, and further including a wireless
communication interface. The device may communicate through low
power wireless signals, such as Wi-Fi or comparable, to a remote
computer system, which may include a storage device and software
executing on the computer for processing the sensor data. The
sensor data may be processed to generate reports and alerts and may
further be used to generate target thresholds to be achieved.
[0014] Additionally, the computer may also receive data from a
plurality of external sources, which provide data relating to a
plurality of environmental measurements that are external to the
room being measured with the sensor. This external source data can
then be used in conjunction with the sensor data to determine if
target thresholds have been reached or indicate that room may have
an unidentified problem with the room's thermal envelope.
[0015] In one configuration, an electronic sensing device is placed
in a room for a pre-determined period and environmental data, such
as temperature and humidity, is captured. The environmental data is
then transmitted to a computer and stored on a storage device
accessible by the computer. A temperature change (A) is measured
over time, while simultaneously the climate control system is
turned off. The A temperature over a set time period is used to
calculate the energy transfer rate of the room. In such an
embodiment the device may have a manual start button with several
test cycles representing varying lengths. Ideally the measurement
would take place with the room sealed and no activity in the room.
It is contemplated that the measurement could be interrupted and
paused if activity (e.g., motion detector) was detected in the
space during a measurement cycle. Additionally, the measurement
could also be interrupted if it was determined that the space were
opened (e.g., monitor if door/window opened with sensor) to the
surrounding area.
[0016] It is contemplated that is could be desirable to
automatically close off ducts and external openings during the
test, and to further automatically close widow shades to reduce
external factors and variables that may affect the results. These
processes could correlated with the set points in thermostats to
take readings and measurements while the HVAC unit is
non-operational. For example, when the HVAC has cooled the room to
a given temperature set point, and after some settling period, a
measurement could automatically be triggered that runs before the
next cooling cycle starts. This automatic measurement cycle could
provide the automatic adjustments described above for including
closing vents and shades or the test may be run after dark and when
there are no room occupants and no outside light or solar energy.
Alternatively, if it is determined that a window or door is open,
the system could send an alert for these to be closed prior to the
test being conducted.
[0017] In accordance with another configuration of the system, one
or more such sensors may be provided for measuring one or more
environmental parameters in multiple rooms or spaces. Each
measurement device may have one or more processors coupled with
sensors that can measure the specific environmental data. In
addition, each sensing device may include a transmitter and a power
source to allow the sensing to operate and to transmit measurement
data to a computer. The data stored and processed by the computer
may be combined into a single consolidated report for a combination
of spaces such as an apartment or office building, or factory. In
such configuration, the electronic sensing device may include a
remote interface capability allowing a remote computer to
synchronize testing windows by initiating tests and capturing the
resultant data. For example, the system could provide for the
automatic or even remote, shut down of the HVAC equipment serving
the room(s) to coordinate the environmental measurements.
[0018] In still another configuration, the systems and methods may
provide early warning indicators by confirming if the room
maintains temperatures within a normal thermal efficiency range
while all heating and cooling systems remain functional. For
example, the system could determine if the HVAC equipment has to
run longer than anticipated or projected when taking into
consideration all the internal and external factors, to keep the
room within a temperature range at times of peak temperature
variations with the outside environment. In such a configuration,
the device may only report data when thresholds are not met in the
form of alarms or warnings, allowing for the further analysis by
supplying the captured test results and data to interested parties.
These thresholds may be set by the knowledge of how the equipment
should operate in the space either through the analysis of similar
equipment and experience or through the setting of a baseline over
time at the given location for example. However, multiple factors
can impact whether the equipment exceeds a threshold energy usage.
For example, the outside temperature and humidity can greatly
impact how hard the system has to operate as does the number of
people in the space and the particular utilization of the space
(e.g., large number of people, large number of heat generating
devices, required temperature set point, etc.). In any event, all
this data collected relating to external and internal factors may
have a significant impact on the energy usage target for the room.
This becomes even more difficult to determine when a single piece
of HVAC equipment serves multiple rooms.
[0019] In yet another configuration, an external humidity and
temperature sensor can be used to trigger the start of a test when
conditions are right for doing the test. Thus, tests can be run
multiple times (e.g., when humidity is high/low, when temperature
is high/low) allowing for comparison data for thermal efficiency
measurement when comparing the external data to data measured
inside of the room. Tests can be scheduled at times occupants are
not in the space and won't be affected by the running of the tests.
Short tests could also be run between standard set points while the
system is operational thus eliminating the inconvenience of having
to shut down systems or block vents to run the tests.
[0020] It is further contemplated that a clock/timer for running
the test can be used and started when it is determined that all
personnel have left the room or space. In this case, one may
normally want to save energy as a matter of course and the
thermostat may already have a lowered set point in winter or a
higher set point in summer. The start of such a test could be
triggered by the same change in set point when detected and such
timing would allow for the test to run longer than it normally
could within the standard set point changes utilized under normal
circumstances. Alternatively, a computer may interface with both
the energy management system, including the thermostat in this
example, and the sensors to coordinate the testing cycles. It is
understood that some rooms may be utilized 24 hours a day and as
such, may never be completely free of occupants. In these
instances, the number of people in a space could be weighed in any
measurements taken. The inclusion of occupancy sensors that can
track movement in a room thereby indicating at least one person is
active in the space, while identification of the actual persons in
the room could be achieved by various identification systems (e.g.,
card key access, log in activity on a device/computer, wireless
tracking of wearable technology, recognition by audio or video, or
mobile devices, etc.).
[0021] For this application the following terms and definitions
shall apply:
[0022] The term "data" as used herein means any indicia, signals,
marks, symbols, domains, symbol sets, representations, and any
other physical form or forms representing information, whether
permanent or temporary, whether visible, audible, acoustic,
electric, magnetic, electromagnetic or otherwise manifested. The
term "data" as used to represent predetermined information in one
physical form shall be deemed to encompass any and all
representations of the same predetermined information in a
different physical form or forms.
[0023] The term "network" as used herein includes both networks and
internetworks of all kinds, including the Internet, and is not
limited to any particular network or inter-network.
[0024] The terms "coupled", "coupled to", "coupled with",
"connected", "connected to", and "connected with" as used herein
each mean a relationship between or among two or more devices,
apparatus, files, programs, applications, media, components,
networks, systems, subsystems, and/or means, constituting any one
or more of (a) a connection, whether direct or through one or more
other devices, apparatus, files, programs, applications, media,
components, networks, systems, subsystems, or means, (b) a
communications relationship, whether direct or through one or more
other devices, apparatus, files, programs, applications, media,
components, networks, systems, subsystems, or means, and/or (c) a
functional relationship in which the operation of any one or more
devices, apparatus, files, programs, applications, media,
components, networks, systems, subsystems, or means depends, in
whole or in part, on the operation of any one or more others
thereof.
[0025] The terms "process" and "processing" as used herein each
mean an action or a series of actions including, for example, but
not limited to, the continuous or non-continuous, synchronous or
asynchronous, routing of data, modification of data, formatting
and/or conversion of data, tagging or annotation of data,
measurement, comparison and/or review of data, and may or may not
comprise a program.
[0026] The term "room" or "space" as used herein each mean a
defined volume that that is bounded by some structure from its
surroundings. It may or may not be located in a building or
structure and may include locations in commercial, residential
and/or industrial areas including equipment that may define an
inner volume, enclosed or partially enclosed area.
[0027] In one configuration a system for determining an energy
transfer rate of a room is provided comprising: a first sensor
mounted in a first housing, the first sensor generating first
environmental data. The first sensor including: a first
environmental measuring device, a first power source, a first
processor, a first storage, and a first communications hardware
coupled to a network. The system further comprises a mounting
element connected to the housing such that said first sensor is
freely positionable within the room. The system still further
comprises software executing on the first processor and generating
first environmental data corresponding to discrete environmental
measurements taken within the room at first time intervals and
including time data associated with each discrete environmental
measurement. The system also comprises a computer coupled to the
network and having a computer storage accessible by the computer,
the storage having threshold environmental data saved thereon. The
system is provided such that a second sensor positioned outside the
room generates second environmental data corresponding to
environmental measurements taken outside the room and including
time data associated with the environmental measurements, where the
first environmental data and the second environmental data
transmitted to the computer via the network. Finally, the system
includes software executing on the computer processing the first
environmental data and the second environmental data compared to
the threshold environmental data to generate an energy transfer
rate of the room.
[0028] In another configuration a system for determining an energy
transfer rate of a room is provided comprising: a sensor mounted in
a housing, the sensor generating environmental data. The sensor
including: a environmental measuring device, a power source, a
processor, a storage, and a communications hardware coupled to a
network. The system further includes a mounting element connected
to the housing such that the sensor is freely positionable within
the room, and a computer coupled to the network and having a
computer storage accessible by the computer, the storage having
threshold environmental data saved thereon. The system still
further comprises software executing on the processor and
generating environmental data corresponding to discrete
environmental measurements taken within the room and including time
data associated with each discrete environmental measurement. The
system also comprises software executing on the computer for
automatically initiating the discrete environmental measurements
based on input relating to the status of the room, where the
environmental data is transmitted to the computer via the network.
The system is provided such that the software executing on the
computer processes the environmental data compared to the threshold
environmental data to generate an energy transfer rate of the
room.
[0029] In another configuration a remote computer coupled to the
network and connected to the system described above may be used to
trigger the collection of data and the capture of environmental
data.
[0030] In still another configuration the remote computer in the
network connected to the system described may also use external
feeds or systems to capture data such as weather networks and the
like.
[0031] In still another configuration a method for determining an
energy transfer rate of a room is provided comprising the steps of:
positioning a plurality of sensors within a plurality of different
rooms in a facility, and generating environmental data for a
plurality of discrete environmental measurements in the plurality
of rooms, each discrete environmental measurement including time
data corresponding to a time when each of the environmental
measurements was taken and which room the measurement corresponds
to. The method further comprises the steps of: transmitting the
environmental data to a computer via a network connection,
processing the environmental data based upon a rate of change of
the environmental measurements over a set time period, and
determining an energy transfer indication of each of the rooms by
comparing the environmental data with threshold environmental
data.
[0032] In such a configuration, the starting of the test may be
triggered by commands sent from a remote computer to synchronize
the capture of environmental data from multiple sensors. In
particular, ensuring the outside environmental data (i.e. external
temperature, sun, wind, etc.) timing of measurements correlate to
an extent with the capture of environmental data from the sensors
(temperature) being used to measure the thermal efficiency of the
rooms.
[0033] Other objects of the invention and its particular features
and advantages will become more apparent from consideration of the
following drawings and accompanying detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the system for
determining energy transfer rates.
[0035] FIG. 2. is a block diagram illustrating the individual
sensor in greater detail according to the system of FIG. 1.
[0036] FIG. 3 an illustration of an installation of the system and
the sensing device for measuring energy transfer in a room
according to FIG. 1.
[0037] FIG. 4 is an illustration of an installation of the system
and the sensing device for measuring energy transfer in multiple
rooms according to FIG. 1.
[0038] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of the processing logic in
capturing and monitoring or displaying a sensors data during a test
according to the system of FIG. 1.
[0039] FIG. 6 illustrates a sample plot with key areas identified
in a cooling cycle to be to be measured by the system of FIG.
1.
[0040] FIG. 7 is flow diagram for a room sensor according to the
system of FIG. 1.
[0041] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a one configuration for the
sensor device according to the system of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0042] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference
numerals designate corresponding structure throughout the
views.
[0043] Turning to the drawings and specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2,
FIG. 1 illustrates one configuration for the system 100 for
determining an energy transfer rate of a room. The system includes
a computer 102 that is coupled to a sensor 130. It is contemplated
that multiple sensors 130, 130', 130'' may be coupled to the
computer 102. Also shown in FIG. 1, are external sensors including
an environmental sensor 120, a temperature sensor 122 and a
humidity sensor 124. It will be understood that these external
sensors may be locally mounted sensors external to a facility
containing the rooms to be measured, or these may be data feeds
from a network connection from a local weather measurement station
or the like. Additionally, the environmental sensor 120 may
comprise a number of different sensors or data feeds providing
information for wind speed and direction, solar intensity and so
forth. All of this type of environmental data could be factored in
and used to calculate the energy transfer rate of a room. While the
external sensors 120,122,124 are illustrated as being initially
connected to the computer 102, it should be noted that sensors
120,122,124 may be stand-alone systems capable of transmitting
their data directly to a central system (not shown) where a remote
computer 200 can correlate this data with the sensor(s) 130, 130',
130'' data. The intent of depicting sensors 120,122,124 is to
illustrate that the data such sensors can generate can be used by
the system to determine an energy transfer rate of the room
regardless of how that external sensor data is obtained or routed
etc.
[0044] The computer receives the sensor 130 data, which comprises
discrete measurements at various time intervals. FIG. 1 is
diagrammatic in that the sensors and the various data feeds to
computer 102 are illustrated with lines and arrows showing the data
connections between the various equipment. However, it will be
understood by those of skill in the art that the sensors 130, 130',
130'' may be coupled to computer 102 via a wireless low-power
connection (e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.).
[0045] The computer is illustrated having a processor 104, a
storage 106 and a communications interface 108 that is provided to
receive and transmit data to and between the sensors 130, 130',
130''. As stated above, the communications interface 108 may be
adapted to communicate via a wireless low-power connection (e.g.,
WiFi, Bluetooth and the like). Storage 106 may include data saved
thereon that is used by the processor 104 to process the data
generated from environmental measuring device/sensors 132, 132',
132'' and transmitted to computer 102.
[0046] Also illustrated in FIG. 1 is remote computer 200, which
could be a computer that is located remotely from the facility or
location where the room is being measured/analyzed. Computer 102
may be connected to remote computer 200 via a network connection
where remote computer 200 is part of central network that gathers
all the data to be used for historical purposes and to generate
core expected values for energy transfer rates of a room. In other
cases, instead of including remote computer 200, computer 102 may
be located remotely from the facility or location and the
measurement data may be transmitted directly.
[0047] In particular, the data that would be associated with the
energy transfer rate data would include information such as, the
construction materials used in the room including for example, the
types of wall board and insulation and finish materials, the
configuration and types of windows in the room, the flooring
materials, the ceiling construction, the location of the room
within the larger facility, the geographic facing of the room, the
condition of the seals around the windows, the proximity of
heat-generating equipment relative to the room, then number impact
of heat-generating equipment in the room, etc. All this information
can potentially be used to determine an expected energy transfer
rate of the room and can be used to generate and/or modify base
threshold expected energy transfer rates for the room.
[0048] Additionally, while certain functions such as the scheduling
of when measurements are taken by the sensors 130, 130', 130'' may
in one configuration be initiated by computer 102, one of skill in
the art will understand that software executing on remote computer
200 may send a command to computer 102 to initiate room testing.
The software executing on computer 102 may receive the initiate
testing command and will then process this data, which in one
configuration may include simply passing this command through to
the processor 134 or it may be that computer 102 generates a
separate or even a supplemental command.
[0049] FIG. 2 shows the sensor 130 of FIG. 1 in greater detail.
Sensor 130 includes an environmental measuring device/sensor 132
that may be adapted to measure the temperature of the room in which
the sensor 130 is placed. Also shown in FIG. 2 is environmental
measuring device/sensor 132' that may be adapted to measure the
humidity and environmental measuring device/sensor 132'' that may
be adapted to perform other environmental measurements as desired.
The various environmental measuring device/sensors 132, 132', 132''
generate data and are coupled to processor 134.
[0050] Also shown in FIG. 2 is a storage 136 that is accessible to
processor 134. Storage 136 provides the sensor a storage location
for the data received from the various environmental measuring
device/sensors 132, 132', 132'', which can be stored until
transmitted to computer 102. It is contemplated that the data can
be automatically transferred as it is received, however, storage
136 provides for saving of the data in the event a wireless
connection cannot be achieved. Alternatively, the processor 134 may
automatically transmit the data saved on storage 136 as regular
scheduled intervals. In addition to the data received by the
various environmental measuring device/sensors 132, 132', 132'',
the testing status of the sensor can be saved and transmitted to
computer 102.
[0051] A communications interface 138 (hardware) is coupled to
processor 134 and is adapted to transmit data to and between
computer 102. As stated in connection with FIG. 1, the connection
may comprise a wireless low-power connection. A power source 131 is
provided that provides power to the environmental measuring
device/sensors 132, 132', 132'', the processor 134 and the
communications interface 138. The power source 131 may comprise any
type of electrical power source such as, for example, a
rechargeable battery or the like.
[0052] The sensor 130 also comprises a housing 139 within which the
various electronic devices are positioned. The housing is provided
with means to connect the sensor to a mounting element 140 such
that said sensor 130 is freely positionable within the room or
space. This allows for the sensor to be positioned at virtually any
location in the space including at various elevations and at
various lateral locations. This can be highly desireable to move
the sensor 130 about the room so that measurements can be taken at
various locations and at various heights as needed. Likewise, if
the space is regularly in use, the sensor 130 can be placed in
manner that reduces an impact to the use of the space. The mounting
element 140 is only diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2, but
could comprise a device that would allow the sensor 130 to be hung
from the ceiling (including for example, a drop ceiling). In one
configuration the sensor 130 is approximately centered with respect
to the ceiling and floor of the room and measures environmental
data at approximately five feet off the ground. Alternatively, the
mounting element 140 could free stand on the floor and be movable
about the room allowing for the sensor to be suspended at various
heights. Still further, the mounting element 140 could comprise a
wall-mountable element that allows the sensor 130 to be hung from
the wall at various heights and/or be positioned about the room at
various location and in the proximity of windows or the like.
[0053] The data transmitted from sensor 130 to computer 102 may
further include a code that corresponds to the room in which the
sensor 130 is located. This would enable unique identification of
each sensor data such that the codes can be matched to the room in
which the sensor 130 is mounted and is represented by location 141
input to processor 134.
[0054] Alternatively, location detection can also be built into the
sensor as one of the environmental sensors in the form of GPS or
other triangulation or location technology which is adaptable and
accurate for indoors environments. When placing sensors in an
enterprise location, the sensors also incorporate location services
which can accurately specify the location of the sensor in a given
environment. Technology has evolved to where location services for
asset tracking are much more accurate than previous GPS that
required satellite communication and was not accurate enough for
indoor applications. Triangulation technology and other means can
accurately locate latitude, longitude and height making it possible
to accurately within a meter to locate a sensing device in an
office building.
[0055] Since the sensors may be moved into and out of office
locations and used for tests of a transient nature, this
localization of the sensor is very important to correlate the
results with a given location or customer. When customers and
prospects are added, a location is mapped to the software detailing
the customer site and where it is located allowing one to identify
that a test is being done in a particular customer site. Further,
as the sensor is moved into a particular location in the office, a
location of latitude, longitude and height is also sent and a room
or a particular office mapping can be done when the sensor is
placed.
[0056] Alternatively if a floor plan or office map is provided and
some initial coordinates can be mapped with the sensor, for example
the front door and a few additional points, the localization of the
sensor within the office environment or building can be mapped to
the floor plan based on the reported location.
[0057] Allowing the sensor to accurately determine its own location
and to map this to a known office location based on a floor plan or
a relative position within the office is helpful to map the test
results to a particular room on the premises where the tests are
being conducted.
[0058] It is further contemplated that the sensor 130 may also be
equipped with one or more local indicators or displays such as LEDs
or a display panel that indicates the status of the test and can
enable access to the test results.
[0059] After receiving the measurement data from sensor(s) 130,
130', 130'', computer 102 stores the results in storage 106. This
data can be combined and analyzed by the processor 104 and reports
or alerts may be generated to indicate test results or status.
[0060] As described above, computer 102 may also receive
supplementary data from external feeds, which may be external
computers, databases, or news feeds. These feeds could include,
external environmental data such as temperature (outside),
humidity, wind and other environmental data are received over the
wireless interface and stored and combined in local storage
106.
[0061] Turning now to FIG. 3, rendering of an installation of the
sensor 130 in a room in a facility is illustrated. The sensor 130
is placed in the room 10 and uses a wireless interface to
communicate the results of the measurements. In this configuration,
for example, the sensor 130 could be measuring the temperature of
room 10. Additionally, the outside temperature could also be
measured by means of an outside air temperature measurement device
20. Alternatively, the outside air temperature could comprise a
data feed via the network connection. While mounting element 140 is
depicted in this configuration as an element allowing sensor 130 to
hang down from the ceiling, the mounting element 140 could comprise
a floor-mounted element or a wall-mounted element as desired.
[0062] FIG. 4 is a rendering of an installation of multiple sensors
130, 130' located in multiple different rooms 10, 12 in a facility.
The sensors 130, 130' could be networked together enabling them to
measure multiple spaces. In this instance, they are positioned in
different room and connected to a common wireless network to
computer 102. Computer 102 collects the temperature and
environmental data from sensors 130, 130'. In this configuration,
outside air temperature is also monitored and stored to enable a
comparison between the outside temperature and the inside
temperature to determine the differential. The computer 102 can
then communicate the individual or the combined results to computer
200 via an external network. It is also understood that depending
on room size, it may be desired to provide multiple sensing devices
within the same space/room. In this manner, the rate of change of
temperature in different portions of the room could indicate where
within the room thermal efficiency leaks are occurring.
[0063] FIG. 5 depicts a flow diagram of the processing logic in
capturing and monitoring or displaying a sensors data during a test
and is described in a series of logic steps. The room sensor 150
captures temperature readings in a loop at intervals, typically in
the 5 second range. The data is then transmitted from the sensor.
Within the MQTT message the data is formatted as a JSON (name value
pair) message. An MQTT broker 152 captures the data and then
transmits it to a visualization module 154, which stores the data
in a database 156. From this data in the database, a set of widgets
can be developed and used using a widget dashboard 158. Data can
also be extracted, for example, like time series data 160, which
can be fed to an external analysis engine 162. The external
analysis engine 162 can then build up static data sets for the
building 164 or for a particular room 166. This model can be
replicated for multiple buildings/facilities and rooms and
timestamped data can then be correlated between multiple sources
and feeds and compared and analyzed.
[0064] FIG. 6 is an illustration of a sample data plot from a room
sensor 130 in a room analysis phase with the HVAC system engaged.
As can be seen, a typical test cycle (1) where the temperature
along they axis decreases with time gradually as in this case,
there is a blending of outside air into the room to cool using
energy efficient methods. Later, a precooling cycle (2) is
initiated getting the building temperature down before the
occupants (who generate heat) arrive and making the building
comfortable. Finally, in (3) the normal thermostat driven cycles
kick in as temperature rises to approximately 74 degrees followed
by a decrease, caused by the HVAC equipment turning on and cooling.
As the temperature approaches 70 and 71, it can be seen that the
curve reverses and temperatures start to rise again as the HVAC
equipment is cycled off. These are the typical cycles driven by an
electronic thermostat driven HVAC system.
[0065] Referring now to FIG. 7 a functional flow diagram is
provided for software running on a sensor 130. Upon initiating (1)
the software will check whether or not a configuration exists (2).
If not, the software will run a setup (3) routine, which could
include prompting for the input of a Wi-Fi password (4) and then
saving this configuration to flash memory (5) allowing for it to be
used on the next start. Once saved, the software could go back to
the start cycle (1).
[0066] If the configuration was detected in (2) then the software
could then look for a hardware setup button being pressed (6) and
if so would fall into setup mode (7). The setup button is one that
is pushed and held during the reset sequence, often with a pin or a
sharp tool to avoid going into setup mode by accident as this would
cause the loss of configuration data.
[0067] Assuming that the configuration exists in (2) and the setup
button is not depressed in (6), the room sensor software goes into
its normal operating state for the intended purpose of monitoring
and measuring environmental aspects of the room. The software loads
the configuration (8) connects to Wi-Fi (9) and connects to the
data collection and analysis software (10) which is depicted as
ThingsBoard in this example.
[0068] One connected in (10), the software starts looping with a
counter which is set to zero initially and subsequently incremented
in (11). On each loop, the software reads the temperature sensor
data in (12) and sends this data to the collection and analysis
software (13) again depicted as ThingsBoard in this example. In
FIG. 7, the counter is then compared to a fixed value (14) which
has been set to five in the example flow. If less than, it means we
have not taken five readings and we will loop back to (11) until
having done so.
[0069] Once five readings have been obtained in (14) the software
goes into a deep sleep (15) which is a battery saving function. In
the example five minutes is used, however, one of skill in the art
will recognize that virtually an interval can be configured and set
as appropriate for the test scenario. The circuit comes out of deep
sleep after the predetermined interval and goes back to the start
(1) of the cycle. Note that the deep sleep will not wipe any of the
configuration data, so the rerunning of setup would only be
initiated by depressing the setup button on startup or reset.
[0070] FIG. 8 depicts a sample schematic diagram of an exemplary
sensor 130. The processor 134 depicted here as an ESP8266-12E
manufactured by Ai-Thinker and is wired with power circuit 131
driving the module through a power source of two AA batteries. A
sample display 133 is shown to highlight results and complement the
LEDs that are showed elsewhere in the schematic. A temperature
sensor 132 is connected to the processor 134 and is used to gather
the raw temperature data. Finally, a reset circuit 135 is shown
which forces the module back into setup mode.
[0071] A discussion will now be presented with respect to the
measurement and analysis of a room or space for determining an
energy transfer rate of the space. In particular, when considering
the thermal efficiency of a particular space or room there are a
number of factors that have a direct correlation on the thermal
efficiency of the room.
[0072] The room volume is a measure of how much air is in a
particular space, and as the temperature varies in that space and
the volume of air dissipates heat or gains heat as the case may be.
Note that for the purposes of this description, cooling and heating
will be discussed in the same manner and consideration will only be
made of the temperature variation along with the functioning of the
HVAC system to control and change the temperature in the space.
[0073] The surface area of the room, including the walls, floor and
ceiling make up the envelope that contains the volume of air in the
room. The temperature change is correlated to the amount of heat or
air that passes through or is in contact with these surfaces. In
such a scenario, two rooms of the same size can be compared with
the rate at which they change temperature. The one that is better
sealed or has walls made of more efficient materials will dissipate
less heat than the other. Examples may include solariums or rooms
with large windows which would allow more heat to escape than rooms
with thick walls made of stone or brick.
[0074] The outside temperature and in particular the A (delta)
between the inside and outside temperatures affects the amount of
dissipation of heat in or out of the space that is being
measured.
[0075] Additional variables can have an impact on thermal
efficiency including sunlight, wind, humidity, and such. While
these can be factored in and correlated, for simplification a
static constant will be applied to differentiate between various
classes of spaces. For example, a stand-alone building with all
walls and ceiling exposed to the outside elements would be
considered one class, while another space that is part of a larger
building (e.g., a multi-story strip mall) may have only two walls
exposed to the outside and would form a separate distinct class of
building. Other distinct classifications include facilities that
are inside shopping centers (e.g., a food court), and spaces with
many windows or solarium type and open terraces. While it may be
possible to accurately factor in each of these variables and types
specifically, in most cases, results will be compared in the same
space (before and after some renovation or change), or between two
comparable spaces (where the external factors will play a similar
role for spaces in the same class).
[0076] While the room size including the volume and surface area
are constant and straight forward to measure, the temperature
reading is an important variable that requires accurate and
consistent measurement using both instrumentation and technique in
placing such instrumentation to obtain consistent and unhampered
test results for the space(s) in question.
[0077] In order to perform this assessment across an enterprise it
would generally be necessary to have a group of connected
temperature sensors distributed throughout an enterprise that will
report time stamped temperature data to a centralized database.
That data can be analyzed and assessed to determine the locations
throughout the organization where the room envelope could benefit
from additional energy performance improvements. Further, when
making any updates that may affect energy performance, such a
system can be used to measure and compare results to evaluate the
effectiveness of these improvements with before and after
values.
[0078] The sensors 130, 130', 130'' that have been previously
discussed would need to meet the following requirements: [0079]
Wireless operation--the ability to transmit temperature information
wirelessly via Wi-Fi network. The sensors should be capable of
working with 802.11 b/g/n networks or equivalent. [0080] Real-time
temperature updates--The sensor should be capable of publishing
temperature updates at intervals of 5 seconds or less. [0081]
Battery operation--The sensor should be capable of operating for
the length of a multi-day test and would ideally employ
rechargeable batteries, or even incorporate solar charging
capabilities. In some longer-term measurement applications, the
operating time should reach 1 year or more. [0082]
Configurable--The sensor should be configurable so that it may
allow for different Wi-Fi SSIDs and network passwords as it is used
in a variety of locations. The sensor should also accommodate the
ability to add physical location details to the device
configuration. [0083] Range and Accuracy--The accuracy of the
temperature sensor should be accurate to +/-0.5 C from -10 C to 85
C. [0084] Security--the design of the sensor should prevent
intrusion into the sensor network and any attempts to navigate
through the network to other connected hosts should be prevented.
As an option support for the WPA2 Enterprise wireless network
security protocol or better should be available. [0085] Standalone
operation--the sensor should also be equipped with an optional
display that can show results of independent tests in the form of
blinking multicolor LEDs to show status such as: test started, in
progress, complete, error etc. Values can also be shown on the
display. [0086] Capacity--The device must also employ a processor
such as an ESP8266-12E system on chip (SoC) or equivalent and also
include a temperature sensor capable of delivering real-time
temperature readings such as a DS18620 single wire temperature
sensor manufactured by Dallas Semiconductor.
[0087] The access point provides the Wi-Fi network connectivity for
the sensor network. For this application, either the customer
network can be used, or a temporary network can be brought in for
the purpose of collecting data during the period of time when the
room envelope integrity evaluation is underway.
[0088] A temporary network infrastructure to accommodate the
network of IoT devices (room sensors) will simplify the process of
deploying the network and gathering fine grained room level
temperature data. A standalone cellular based router providing
access to the devices and a laptop to gather the data can be used
or the equivalent.
[0089] Data from the sensor is read and put into a table for
subsequent analysis and display using a database and can be read by
visualization software to deliver and display the results in an
easy to read and see format. Analytics can be performed on the data
using any number of analytics and predictive analytics
platforms.
[0090] The following example table defines static data and time
series sensor data used in preliminary testing:
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Static Data Data Element Name Description
Remarks Building Address for Building Location Floor Floor of the
building Room Location Location of the room Room ID Room identifier
Unique identifier associated with a room Room Geo coordinates of
the Coordinates room Room Type Type of room e.g., individual
office, conference room, corridor, storage room, etc. Room exterior
Number of exterior walls walls Room Interior Number of interior
walls walls Room wall Description of the wall material material
being used Room Ceiling The ceiling height of the Height room Room
Ceiling The type of ceiling used Type in the room Room Floor They
type of floor of the Type room Room Sq ft The square footage of the
room Other Room Description of other room A basic description of
the Attributes attributes room attributes, such as glass walls,
open concept, etc. Outside Air Temperature of the outside Taken at
the time of the Temp air temperature test Adjacent space
Temperature in adjacent Taken at the time of the temperature spaces
test -this may be an array of multiple temperature readings Ceiling
Plenum Temperature in the air Taken at the time of the air
temperature space above the ceiling test
[0091] The test process used is such that the sensors are placed in
a location within the room that is temperature stable, for example,
a location that is out of direct sunlight and away from surfaces
that may conduct temperature. The sensor may, for example, be
suspended from the ceiling using a small diameter wire so that the
sensor remains at a height equidistant from the floor and ceiling
in an area in the middle of the room.
[0092] The sensor should be placed in a location providing a
reasonable representation of the average temperature of the room.
Where possible, this placement must be consistent for multiple
rooms when doing comparisons. i.e. distance from floor and ceiling
and the distance from openings should be consistent across
rooms.
[0093] In one configuration, the system may utilize a two-part
testing approach as a means to gather the data necessary to assess
the environment under test. Part one is a room envelope test, and
this test attempts to eliminate the impact of the HVAC system from
the room environment. The second part of the test is a room
temperature monitoring test and will monitor the temperature of the
room environment for anywhere between two and seven days. The first
part of the test assesses the ability of the space to resist
temperature change, the second part of the test will provide data
to determine how well the HVAC system performs for that particular
room location. Although both tests provide valuable data on their
own, the combination of these two tests provides valuable insights
into the performance of both the building envelope and HVAC system
at the room level.
[0094] For the Room Envelope Test, once the sensor has been placed
in the room and the temperature in the room has stabilized (this
period of time depends on the size of the room, but for a
10.times.10 office, the period of time should be about 15 to 20
minutes) the HVAC system will be disabled. Ideally the return air
vent will be blocked, and the temperature sensor will be started.
The computer will begin gathering data within 30 seconds and the
sensor will be programmed to take a temperature reading every 5
minutes for the next hour.
[0095] In order to be minimally disruptive to the working
environment, the duration of the test period for the Room Envelope
test may be kept to one hour. It is possible to conduct other
longer tests after working hours, but it is found that the test
results are consistent between the shorter and longer tests and
this is unnecessary in most cases. Cases where smaller variations
in highly efficient rooms are to be measured may be an exception.
After a field test of the room sensors a determination is made to
decide whether a single one-hour test is sufficient for assessing
the room envelope.
[0096] The Room Temperature Monitoring test is the second part of
the test and is intended to monitor the temperature of the room
over several days. Monitoring the temperature of the room 24 hours
a day over a multi-day period will provide valuable insights into
the ability of the HVAC system to maintain a comfortable room
environment during periods of time when the room is occupied as
well as identify potential problems related to the HVAC setbacks.
Improperly configured setbacks can be a contributing major factor
for excess energy consumption.
[0097] The time series data gathered by these tests is the data
gathered by the individual temperature sensors. Although the
ESP8266-12E/DS18620 temperature sensor used in the prototyping is
capable of delivering a temperature reading per second, for the
purpose of this analysis that data frequency is not believed to be
necessary. In order to maximize battery life in the remote sensor,
the temperature sensor is configured to deliver twelve (12)
temperature readings per hour or one reading every five (5)
minutes. This variation of sensor reading timing is simply an
example, and should not be viewed as limiting. Data can be gathered
in a variety of timing increments and generally speaking, the more
frequently it is measured the more accurate and granular the
results will be.
[0098] An example of the data reported at the sensor level is
depicted in the following table:
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Data Element Name Description Sensor ID
information Sensor ID to correlate with placement. Timestamp
Timestamp for each measure Temp Temperature Humidity Percentage of
humidity
[0099] The objective of the data analysis is to identify and
isolate areas of the building that do not maintain temperature as
well as others. The analysis will allow those poor performing areas
to be targeted for building envelope improvements. The following
outlines the process and lists the variables to be analyzed.
[0100] As a means for providing a consistent measure for the rate
that a room warms or cools, the data gathered in the course of the
testing can be used to gather the essential input data to calculate
the cooling constant of the room. This cooling constant can be
derived from Newtown's law of cooling that states that the rate of
change of the temperature of an object is proportional to the
difference between its own temperature and the ambient temperature
(i.e., the temperature of its surroundings). By understanding the
rate of change in each area being evaluated it is possible to
produce an objective score that us useful for assessing the
envelope properties of a room.
[0101] Simple Temperature over Time. The temperature sensor will
gather 12 readings per hour in the default setting of five-minute
data gathering windows. This data will be characterized in a table
with the parameters listed in the example sensor data over
time.
[0102] A thermal efficiency metric is determined using [0103] a.
Temperature variation over time [0104] b. External temperature
[0105] c. Volume of the room/space [0106] d. Surface area of the
room/space
[0107] Mathematically, the Thermal Efficiency is calculated as
follows:
Thermal Efficiency = { 20 LN { ( Inside Start Temperature - Outside
Temperature ) ( Inside End Temperature - Outside Temperature ) } }
.times. Volume Surface Area ##EQU00001##
*Note that a value of 20 is used to smooth out the values, however
this is illustrative and depending on the application and target
range this constant can be modified or omitted.
[0108] Although the invention has been described with reference to
a particular arrangement of parts, features and the like, these are
not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or features, and
indeed many other modifications and variations will be
ascertainable to those of skill in the art.
* * * * *
References