Patent ID: 9696056
Date: 2017-07-04
CPC Classifications: F24F,G05B

Claim:
1. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning performance monitoring method for identifying performance reductions, impending failures with impending collateral damage, and existing failures and permitting a maintenance response the method comprising: providing a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system comprising an air handler, a compressor, cooling coils, heating coils/element, a controller and air ducts; providing service to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system to optimize system performance and to establish optimal system operation; providing a data acquisition device, the data acquisition device comprising a plurality of data monitors for monitoring operational data and environmental data, a processor adapted for reading the operational data and the environmental data from the data monitors, memory for temporary storage of the operational data and the environmental data, and a network interface device for coupling the data acquisition device to a communication network; the plurality of data monitors including operational sensors detecting operational data based on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning operational conditions, the operational sensors comprising cool ON, cool OFF, heat ON, heat OFF, fan ON, fan OFF, voltage, time and condensate drain pan overflow safety switch; the plurality of data monitors also including environmental sensors to detect the environmental data based on environmental conditions, the environmental sensors comprising humidity, air temperature, air pressure; a data bus connection for the monitoring of digital operational data; installing the data acquisition device in the air handler and downstream of the cooling coils; providing a remote server for remote data storage and analysis; defining contacts in the remote server associated with the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system; establishing communication between the data acquisition device and the remote server by registering the data acquisition device with the remote server; monitoring the operational data and the environmental data by the data acquisition device on a continuous basis, saving the operational data and the environmental data based on the operational data changes and the environmental data changes detected by the data acquisition device in the memory; recognizing immediate problem indicator data based on the operational data and the environmental data by the data acquisition device, the immediate problem indicator data comprising condensate drain pan overflow safety switch sensor ON, cooling control ON and no correlating change of temperature, fan control ON and no correlating change in pressure, and heat control ON and no correlating change in temperature, storing the immediate problem indicator data; transmitting of the immediate problem indicator data to the remote server by the data acquisition device; receiving the immediate problem indicator data in the remote server; saving the immediate problem indicator data in the remote server; analyzing and processing the immediate problem indicator data in the remote server; creating and sending alerts by the remote server based on the analysis of the immediate problem indicator data to the defined contacts; defining periods for saving the operational data and the environmental data based on time when no operational changes occur; defining an operating cycle consisting of two consecutive time periods, time OFF, time OFF defined as a first time period when the HVAC System is not operating followed by time ON, time ON defined a second time period when the HVAC System is operating; recording precision time measurements for each of the time periods of the operating cycle; saving the operational data and the environmental data based on the operating cycle and the defined periods; transmitting the saved operational data and the saved environmental data by the data acquisition device based on the operating cycle and the defined periods to the remote server; receiving the operational data and the environmental data in the remote server; saving the operational data and the environmental data in the remote server; defining a cooling conservation of energy algorithm for the operating cycle when cooling as the time OFF multiplied by energy gain is equal to the time ON multiplied by a result of energy removed minus energy gained during the operating cycle when cooling i.e. (Time OFF)×(Energy Gain)=(Time ON)×((Energy Removed)−(Energy Gained)); defining a heating conservation of energy algorithm for the operating cycle when heating as the time OFF multiplied by the energy gain is equal to the time ON multiplied by a result of energy added minus energy lost during the operating cycle when heating (TimeOFF)×(Energy Loss)=(TimeON)×((Energy Added)−(Energy Loss)); analyzing the operational data and the environmental data using the cooling conservation of energy algorithm and the heating conservation of energy algorithm in the remote server to determine current performance; establishing a historical database composed of the environmental data and the operational data representative of past performance; analyzing the historical database by the remote server using the cooling conservation of energy algorithm and the heating conservation of energy algorithm to determine historical performance data; performing a trend analysis of the historical performance data to establish a baseline analogous to current performance data; comparing the current performance data to the baseline to identify operational issues by determining a service response; and configuring the remote server to create and send the service response to the defined contacts based on the identified operational issues.