US20230090958A1

US20230090958A1 - Self-contained data logging air measurement device

Info

Publication number: US20230090958A1
Application number: US17/932,550
Authority: US
Inventors: Shaun B. Atchison; Shelby Mitchell
Original assignee: Air Distribution Technologies IP LLC
Current assignee: Air Distribution Technologies IP LLC
Priority date: 2021-09-17
Filing date: 2022-09-15
Publication date: 2023-03-23

Abstract

Systems and methods of the present disclosure include heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) air measurement devices configured to enable operators to select data relating to certain air flow parameters to be directly downloaded from the HVAC air measurement devices and/or to otherwise be transmitted directly from the HVAC air measurement devices in substantially real time during operation to enable operators to make analytical decisions quickly and to reduce design development timelines, among other things. In addition, the HVAC air measurement devices obviate the need for: (1) separate computing devices to be connected to the HVAC air measurement devices to extract the data from the HVAC air measurement devices, and/or (2) using specialized software to extract the data from the HVAC air measurement devices, as required by conventional HVAC air measurement devices.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/245,297, entitled “SELF-CONTAINED DATA LOGGING AIR MEASUREMENT DEVICE,” filed Sep. 17, 2021, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure and are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be noted that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) systems are utilized in residential, commercial, and industrial applications to control environmental properties, such as temperature and humidity, for occupants of respective environments. An HVAC system may control the environmental properties through control of properties of an air flow delivered to and ventilated from spaces serviced by the HVAC system. For example, the HVAC system may transfer heat between the air flow and refrigerant flowing through the system (e.g., a heat exchanger) to provide cooled air for an indoor environment. Similarly, the HVAC system may heat the air flow to provide warmth to an indoor environment. In some situations, the HVAC system may even provide cooling of the air flow followed by heating of the air flow to limit humidity while providing air at a desired temperature to the indoor environment. The HVAC system may also control a flowrate of the air flow to manage (e.g., expedite transitioning between) environmental conditions. As such, air flow parameters of air flow through air flow paths of an HVAC system are often required to enable control of parameters of the HVAC system. In such situations, air measurement devices are often used to help collect data relating to such air flow parameters. However, conventional air measurement devices do not allow operators to extract specific types of data without the need for physically connected other computing devices to the air measurement devices and/or utilizing specialized software.

SUMMARY

A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be noted that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.
In one embodiment, a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) air measurement device includes a housing, a display disposed on an outer surface of the housing, and one or more inputs disposed on the outer surface of the housing. In addition, the HVAC air measurement device includes control circuitry configured to be electrically connected to one or more sensors disposed within an air flow path of an HVAC system. The one or more sensors are configured to detect one or more parameters of air flow through the air flow path. The control circuitry is configured to display a parameter selection menu via the display. The parameter selection menu presents the one or more parameters as one or more selectable parameter options. The control circuitry is also configured to receive one or more parameter selection commands from the one or more inputs. The one or more parameter selection commands relate to one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters. The control circuitry is further configured to receive data relating to the one or more parameters from the one or more sensors. In addition, the control circuitry is configured to transmit data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device based at least in part on the one or more parameter selection commands.
In one embodiment, a method includes displaying, via control circuitry of an HVAC air measurement device, a parameter selection menu via a display of the HVAC air measurement device. The parameter selection menu presents one or more parameters of air flow through an air flow path of an HVAC system as one or more selectable parameter options. The one or more parameters are detected by one or more sensors disposed within the air flow path of the HVAC system. The method also includes receiving, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, one or more parameter selection commands from one or more inputs of the HVAC air measurement device. The one or more parameter selection commands relate to one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters. The method further includes receiving, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, data relating to the one or more parameters from the one or more sensors. In addition, the method includes transmitting, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device based at least in part on the one or more parameter selection commands.
In one embodiment, an HVAC air measurement system includes one or more sensors configured to be disposed within an air flow path of an HVAC system. The one or more sensors are configured to detect one or more parameters of air flow through the air flow path. The HVAC air measurement system also includes an HVAC air measurement device that includes a housing, a display disposed on an outer surface of the housing, and one or more inputs disposed on the outer surface of the housing. The HVAC air measurement system further includes control circuitry configured to be electrically connected to the one or more sensors. The control circuitry is configured to display a parameter selection menu via the display. The parameter selection menu presents the one or more parameters as one or more selectable parameter options. The control circuitry is also configured to receive one or more parameter selection commands from the one or more inputs. The one or more parameter selection commands relates to one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters. The control circuitry is further configured to receive data relating to the one or more parameters from the one or more sensors. In addition, the control circuitry is configured to transmit data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device based at least in part on the one or more parameter selection commands.

DRAWINGS

Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system for environmental management that may employ one or more HVAC units, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a packaged HVAC unit that may be used in the HVAC system of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a cutaway perspective view of an embodiment of a residential, split HVAC system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic of an embodiment of a vapor compression system that can be used in any of the systems of FIGS. 1-3 , in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a first HVAC air measurement system that is configured to detect parameters of air flow at an inlet of a fan, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates two sensors and associated sensor cables of the HVAC air measurement system of FIG. 5 , which may be electrically connected to an HVAC air measurement device, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a front view of a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a front view of a client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a side view of a second HVAC air measurement system that is configured to detect parameters of air flow through a duct, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 are perspective views of two HVAC air measurement systems of FIG. 9 , in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a cutaway view of a duct having two HVAC air measurement systems of FIG. 9 mounted thereto, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 illustrates a first level menu option relating to data logging being presented via a display of a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 illustrates a second level menu option relating to data logging being presented via a display of a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 illustrates a third level menu option relating to data logging being presented via a display of a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 illustrates a fourth level menu option relating to data logging being presented via a display of a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 18 illustrates a first level menu option relating to data transmission being presented via a display of a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 19 illustrates a second level menu option relating to data transmission being presented via a display of a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 20 is a flow diagram of a method for operating a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 21 is a flow diagram of a data logging process that may be utilized using the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be noted that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be noted that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.
When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be noted that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.
As used herein, the terms “real time” and “substantially real time” may refer to actions that are performed substantially simultaneously with other actions, without any human-perceptible delay between the actions. For example, two functions performed in substantially real time occur within seconds (or even within milliseconds) of each other. As but one non-limiting example, two functions performed in substantially real time occur within 1 second, within 0.1 second, within 0.01 second, and so forth, of each other.
The present disclosure is directed to heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) air measurement devices configured to enable operators to select data relating to certain air flow parameters to be directly downloaded from the HVAC air measurement devices and/or to otherwise be transmitted directly from the HVAC air measurement devices in substantially real time during operation to enable operators to make analytical decisions quickly and to reduce design development timelines, among other things. In addition, the HVAC air measurement devices described herein obviate the need for: (1) separate computing devices to be connected to the HVAC air measurement devices to extract the data from the HVAC air measurement devices, and/or (2) using specialized software to extract the data from the HVAC air measurement devices, as required by conventional HVAC air measurement devices.
Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an HVAC system for environmental management that may employ one or more HVAC units. As used herein, an HVAC system includes any number of components configured to enable regulation of parameters related to climate characteristics, such as temperature, humidity, air flow, pressure, air quality, and so forth. For example, an “HVAC system” as used herein is defined as conventionally understood and as further described herein. Components or parts of an “HVAC system” may include, but are not limited to, all, some of, or individual parts such as a heat exchanger, a heater, an air flow control device, such as a fan, a sensor configured to detect a climate characteristic or operating parameter, a filter, a control device configured to regulate operation of an HVAC system component, a component configured to enable regulation of climate characteristics, or a combination thereof. An “HVAC system” is a system configured to provide such functions as heating, cooling, ventilation, dehumidification, pressurization, refrigeration, filtration, or any combination thereof. The embodiments described herein may be utilized in a variety of applications to control climate characteristics, such as residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, or other applications where climate control is desired.
In the illustrated embodiment, a building 10 is air conditioned by a system that includes an HVAC unit 12. The building 10 may be a commercial structure or a residential structure. As shown, the HVAC unit 12 is disposed on the roof of the building 10; however, the HVAC unit 12 may be located in other equipment rooms or areas adjacent the building 10. The HVAC unit 12 may be a single package unit containing other equipment, such as a blower, integrated air handler, and/or auxiliary heating unit. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may be part of a split HVAC system, such as the system shown in FIG. 3 , which includes an outdoor HVAC unit 58 and an indoor HVAC unit 56.
The HVAC unit 12 is an air cooled device that implements a refrigeration cycle to provide conditioned air to the building 10. Specifically, the HVAC unit 12 may include one or more heat exchangers across which an air flow is passed to condition the air flow before the air flow is supplied to the building. In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 12 is a rooftop unit (RTU) that conditions a supply air stream, such as environmental air and/or a return air flow from the building 10. After the HVAC unit 12 conditions the air, the air is supplied to the building 10 via ductwork 14 extending throughout the building 10 from the HVAC unit 12. For example, the ductwork 14 may extend to various individual floors or other sections of the building 10. In certain embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may be a heat pump that provides both heating and cooling to the building with one refrigeration circuit configured to operate in different modes. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may include one or more refrigeration circuits for cooling an air stream and a furnace for heating the air stream.
A control device 16, one type of which may be a thermostat, may be used to designate the temperature of the conditioned air. The control device 16 also may be used to control the flow of air through the ductwork 14. For example, the control device 16 may be used to regulate operation of one or more components of the HVAC unit 12 or other components, such as dampers and fans, within the building 10 that may control flow of air through and/or from the ductwork 14. In some embodiments, other devices may be included in the system, such as pressure and/or temperature transducers or switches that sense the temperatures and pressures of the supply air, return air, and so forth. Moreover, the control device 16 may include computer systems that are integrated with or separate from other building control or monitoring systems, and even systems that are remote from the building 10.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the HVAC unit 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 12 is a single package unit that may include one or more independent refrigeration circuits and components that are tested, charged, wired, piped, and ready for installation. The HVAC unit 12 may provide a variety of heating and/or cooling functions, such as cooling only, heating only, cooling with electric heat, cooling with dehumidification, cooling with gas heat, or cooling with a heat pump. As described above, the HVAC unit 12 may directly cool and/or heat an air stream provided to the building 10 to condition a space in the building 10.
As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2 , a cabinet 24 encloses the HVAC unit 12 and provides structural support and protection to the internal components from environmental and other contaminants. In some embodiments, the cabinet 24 may be constructed of galvanized steel and insulated with aluminum foil faced insulation. Rails 26 may be joined to the bottom perimeter of the cabinet 24 and provide a foundation for the HVAC unit 12. In certain embodiments, the rails 26 may provide access for a forklift and/or overhead rigging to facilitate installation and/or removal of the HVAC unit 12. In some embodiments, the rails 26 may fit onto “curbs” on the roof to enable the HVAC unit 12 to provide air to the ductwork 14 from the bottom of the HVAC unit 12 while blocking elements such as rain from leaking into the building 10.
The HVAC unit 12 includes heat exchangers 28 and 30 in fluid communication with one or more refrigeration circuits. Tubes within the heat exchangers 28 and 30 may circulate refrigerant, such as R-410A, through the heat exchangers 28 and 30. The tubes may be of various types, such as multichannel tubes, conventional copper or aluminum tubing, and so forth. Together, the heat exchangers 28 and 30 may implement a thermal cycle in which the refrigerant undergoes phase changes and/or temperature changes as it flows through the heat exchangers 28 and 30 to produce heated and/or cooled air. For example, the heat exchanger 28 may function as a condenser where heat is released from the refrigerant to ambient air, and the heat exchanger 30 may function as an evaporator where the refrigerant absorbs heat to cool an air stream. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may operate in a heat pump mode where the roles of the heat exchangers 28 and 30 may be reversed. That is, the heat exchanger 28 may function as an evaporator and the heat exchanger 30 may function as a condenser. In further embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may include a furnace for heating the air stream that is supplied to the building 10. While the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2 shows the HVAC unit 12 having two of the heat exchangers 28 and 30, in other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may include one heat exchanger or more than two heat exchangers.
The heat exchanger 30 is located within a compartment 31 that separates the heat exchanger 30 from the heat exchanger 28. Fans 32 draw air from the environment through the heat exchanger 28. Air may be heated and/or cooled as the air flows through the heat exchanger 28 before being released back to the environment surrounding the HVAC unit 12. A blower assembly 34, powered by a motor 36, draws air through the heat exchanger 30 to heat or cool the air. The heated or cooled air may be directed to the building 10 by the ductwork 14, which may be connected to the HVAC unit 12. Before flowing through the heat exchanger 30, the conditioned air flows through one or more filters 38 that may remove particulates and contaminants from the air. In certain embodiments, the filters 38 may be disposed on the air intake side of the heat exchanger 30 to prevent contaminants from contacting the heat exchanger 30.
The HVAC unit 12 also may include other equipment for implementing the thermal cycle. Compressors 42 increase the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant before the refrigerant enters the heat exchanger 28. The compressors 42 may be any suitable type of compressors, such as scroll compressors, rotary compressors, screw compressors, or reciprocating compressors. In some embodiments, the compressors 42 may include a pair of hermetic direct drive compressors arranged in a dual stage configuration 44. However, in other embodiments, any number of the compressors 42 may be provided to achieve various stages of heating and/or cooling. Additional equipment and devices may be included in the HVAC unit 12, such as a solid-core filter drier, a drain pan, a disconnect switch, an economizer, pressure switches, phase monitors, and humidity sensors, among other things.
The HVAC unit 12 may receive power through a terminal block 46. For example, a high voltage power source may be connected to the terminal block 46 to power the equipment. The operation of the HVAC unit 12 may be governed or regulated by a control board 48. The control board 48 may include control circuitry connected to a thermostat, sensors, and alarms. One or more of these components may be referred to herein separately or collectively as the control device 16. The control circuitry may be configured to control operation of the equipment, provide alarms, and monitor safety switches. Wiring 49 may connect the control board 48 and the terminal block 46 to the equipment of the HVAC unit 12.
FIG. 3 illustrates a residential heating and cooling system 50, also in accordance with present techniques. The residential heating and cooling system 50 may provide heated and cooled air to a residential structure, as well as provide outside air for ventilation and provide improved indoor air quality (IAQ) through devices such as ultraviolet lights and air filters. In the illustrated embodiment, the residential heating and cooling system 50 is a split HVAC system. In general, a residence 52 conditioned by a split HVAC system may include refrigerant conduits 54 that operatively couple the indoor unit 56 to the outdoor unit 58. The indoor unit 56 may be positioned in a utility room, an attic, a basement, and so forth. The outdoor unit 58 is typically situated adjacent to a side of residence 52 and is covered by a shroud to protect the system components and to prevent leaves and other debris or contaminants from entering the unit. The refrigerant conduits 54 transfer refrigerant between the indoor unit 56 and the outdoor unit 58, typically transferring primarily liquid refrigerant in one direction and primarily vaporized refrigerant in an opposite direction.
When the system shown in FIG. 3 is operating as an air conditioner, a heat exchanger 60 in the outdoor unit 58 serves as a condenser for re-condensing vaporized refrigerant flowing from the indoor unit 56 to the outdoor unit 58 via one of the refrigerant conduits 54. In these applications, a heat exchanger 62 of the indoor unit functions as an evaporator. Specifically, the heat exchanger 62 receives liquid refrigerant, which may be expanded by an expansion device, and evaporates the refrigerant before returning it to the outdoor unit 58.
The outdoor unit 58 draws environmental air through the heat exchanger 60 using a fan 64 and expels the air above the outdoor unit 58. When operating as an air conditioner, the air is heated by the heat exchanger 60 within the outdoor unit 58 and exits the unit at a temperature higher than it entered. The indoor unit 56 includes a blower or fan 66 that directs air through or across the indoor heat exchanger 62, where the air is cooled when the system is operating in air conditioning mode. Thereafter, the air is passed through ductwork 68 that directs the air to the residence 52. The overall system operates to maintain a desired temperature as set by a system controller. When the temperature sensed inside the residence 52 is higher than the set point on the thermostat, or the set point plus a small amount, the residential heating and cooling system 50 may become operative to refrigerate additional air for circulation through the residence 52. When the temperature reaches the set point, or the set point minus a small amount, the residential heating and cooling system 50 may stop the refrigeration cycle temporarily.
The residential heating and cooling system 50 may also operate as a heat pump. When operating as a heat pump, the roles of heat exchangers 60 and 62 are reversed. That is, the heat exchanger 60 of the outdoor unit 58 will serve as an evaporator to evaporate refrigerant and thereby cool air entering the outdoor unit 58 as the air passes over the outdoor heat exchanger 60. The indoor heat exchanger 62 will receive a stream of air blown over it and will heat the air by condensing the refrigerant.
In some embodiments, the indoor unit 56 may include a furnace system 70. For example, the indoor unit 56 may include the furnace system 70 when the residential heating and cooling system 50 is not configured to operate as a heat pump. The furnace system 70 may include a burner assembly and heat exchanger, among other components, inside the indoor unit 56. Fuel is provided to the burner assembly of the furnace 70 where it is mixed with air and combusted to form combustion products. The combustion products may pass through tubes or piping in a heat exchanger, separate from heat exchanger 62, such that air directed by the blower 66 passes over the tubes or pipes and extracts heat from the combustion products. The heated air may then be routed from the furnace system 70 to the ductwork 68 for heating the residence 52.
FIG. 4 is an embodiment of a vapor compression system 72 that can be used in any of the systems described above. The vapor compression system 72 may circulate a refrigerant through a circuit starting with a compressor 74. The circuit may also include a condenser 76, an expansion valve(s) or device(s) 78, and an evaporator 80. The vapor compression system 72 may further include a control panel 82 that has an analog to digital (A/D) converter 84, a microprocessor 86, a non-volatile memory 88, and/or an interface board 90. The control panel 82 and its components may function to regulate operation of the vapor compression system 72 based on feedback from an operator, from sensors of the vapor compression system 72 that detect operating conditions, and so forth.
In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 72 may use one or more of a variable speed drive (VSDs) 92, a motor 94, the compressor 74, the condenser 76, the expansion valve or device 78, and/or the evaporator 80. The motor 94 may drive the compressor 74 and may be powered by the variable speed drive (VSD) 92. The VSD 92 receives alternating current (AC) power having a particular fixed line voltage and fixed line frequency from an AC power source, and provides power having a variable voltage and frequency to the motor 94. In other embodiments, the motor 94 may be powered directly from an AC or direct current (DC) power source. The motor 94 may include any type of electric motor that can be powered by a VSD or directly from an AC or DC power source, such as a switched reluctance motor, an induction motor, an electronically commutated permanent magnet motor, or another suitable motor.
The compressor 74 compresses a refrigerant vapor and delivers the vapor to the condenser 76 through a discharge passage. In some embodiments, the compressor 74 may be a centrifugal compressor. The refrigerant vapor delivered by the compressor 74 to the condenser 76 may transfer heat to a fluid passing across the condenser 76, such as ambient or environmental air 96. The refrigerant vapor may condense to a refrigerant liquid in the condenser 76 as a result of thermal heat transfer with the environmental air 96. The liquid refrigerant from the condenser 76 may flow through the expansion device 78 to the evaporator 80.
The liquid refrigerant delivered to the evaporator 80 may absorb heat from another air stream, such as a supply air stream 98 provided to the building 10 or the residence 52. For example, the supply air stream 98 may include ambient or environmental air, return air from a building, or a combination of the two. The liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 80 may undergo a phase change from the liquid refrigerant to a refrigerant vapor. In this manner, the evaporator 80 may reduce the temperature of the supply air stream 98 via thermal heat transfer with the refrigerant. Thereafter, the vapor refrigerant exits the evaporator 80 and returns to the compressor 74 by a suction line to complete the cycle.
In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 72 may further include a reheat coil in addition to the evaporator 80. For example, the reheat coil may be positioned downstream of the evaporator relative to the supply air stream 98 and may reheat the supply air stream 98 when the supply air stream 98 is overcooled to remove humidity from the supply air stream 98 before the supply air stream 98 is directed to the building 10 or the residence 52.
Any of the features described herein may be incorporated with the HVAC unit 12, the residential heating and cooling system 50, or other HVAC systems. Additionally, while the features disclosed herein are described in the context of embodiments that directly heat and cool a supply air stream provided to a building or other load, embodiments of the present disclosure may be applicable to other HVAC systems as well. For example, the features described herein may be applied to mechanical cooling systems, free cooling systems, chiller systems, or other heat pump or refrigeration applications.
The embodiments described herein relate to HVAC air measurement systems configured to enable operators to select data relating to certain air flow parameters to be directly downloaded from the HVAC air measurement devices and/or to otherwise be transmitted directly from the HVAC air measurement devices in substantially real time during operation to enable operators to make analytical decisions quickly and to reduce design development timelines, among other things. In addition, the HVAC air measurement devices described herein obviate the need for: (1) separate computing devices to be connected to the HVAC air measurement devices to extract the data from the HVAC air measurement devices, and/or (2) using specialized software to extract the data from the HVAC air measurement devices, as required by conventional HVAC air measurement devices.
The techniques described herein may be utilized in various types of HVAC air measurement systems. FIGS. 5 through 11 illustrate two exemplary types of HVAC air measurement systems. For example, FIG. 5 illustrates a first HVAC air measurement system 100 that is configured to detect parameters of air flow at an inlet 102 of a fan 104. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5 , one or more sensors 106 may be disposed in an air flow path defined by the inlet 102 of the fan 104 such that the sensors 106 can detect parameters of air flow through the air flow path defined by the inlet 102 of the fan 104 during operation of the fan 104.
As illustrated in FIG. 6 , in certain embodiments, each of the sensors 106 may be connected to respective sensor cables 108 that have electrical connectors 110 disposed at opposite ends of the sensor cables 108 from the sensors 106, wherein the electrical connectors 110 enable the sensors 106 to be electrically connected to a host (or “primary”) HVAC air measurement device 112 via mating electrical connectors of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, as illustrated in FIG. 5 . In certain embodiments, the sensors 106 (as well as the sensors 132 described below) may be thermal dispersion type sensors. However, any other suitable sensors may be used in conjunction with the data logging and transmission techniques described herein.
As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 includes a housing 114 that, in certain embodiments, includes one or more mounting mechanisms 116 that enable the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 to be mounted to a portion of an HVAC system. In addition, in certain embodiments, the housing 114 includes one or more release mechanisms 118 configured to release a front portion of the housing 114 from a back portion of the housing 114 to enable the front portion of the housing 114 to swing open via a hinge 120 that connects the front portion of the housing 114 from the back portion of the housing 114 such that control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device 112, which is enclosed within the housing 114, may be accessible to operators. In addition, in certain embodiments, the housing 114 includes one or more electrical connectors that are configured to electrically connect the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 to certain sensors 106.
In addition, as also illustrated in FIG. 7 , the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 includes a display 122 disposed on an outer surface 124 of the housing 114. As described in greater detail herein, the display 122 may be used to present certain menu options to operators of an HVAC system, wherein the menu options relate to parameters of air flow through the HVAC system. In certain embodiments, the display 122 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), however, any suitable display may be used in other embodiments. In addition, in certain embodiments, the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 includes one or more inputs 126 disposed on the outer surface 124 of the housing 114. As described in greater detail herein, the inputs 126 may be used by operators to select certain parameters of air flow through an HVAC system to be directly downloaded from the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 and/or to otherwise be transmitted directly from the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, as described in greater detail herein.
In the illustrated embodiment, the inputs 126 include: (1) a “MENU” button that may be selected by an operator to cause menu options to be presented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, (2) an “ESC” button that may be selected by an operator to escape from the menu options (e.g., to cause the menu options to be removed from display via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112), (3) an “UP” button that may be selected by an operator to move up among a current level of menu options presented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, (4) a “DOWN” button that may be selected by an operator to move down among a current level of menu options presented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, and (5) an “ENTER” button that may be selected by an operator to select a menu option that is currently displayed via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112. Although illustrated in FIG. 7 as being buttons that may be selected by an operator, in other embodiments, the inputs 126 may take different forms. For example, in certain embodiments, the inputs 126 may be integrated into the display 122, for example, in embodiments where the display 122 is a touch screen display.
As described in greater detail herein, the control circuitry of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 that is enclosed within the housing 114 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may be configured to be electrically connected to certain sensors 106; to display a parameter selection menu via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, wherein the parameter selection menu presents certain parameters detected by the sensors 106 as selectable parameter options; to receive parameter selection commands from the inputs 126 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, wherein the parameter selection commands relate to parameters selected via the parameter selection menu; to receive data relating to parameters from certain sensors 106; and to transmit data relating to the selected parameters directly from the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 based at least in part on the parameter selection commands.
As described in greater detail herein, in certain embodiments, the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may be electrically connected to, and receive data from, certain sensors 106, whereas one or more client (or “ancillary”) HVAC air measurement devices 128 may be electrically connected to, and receive data from, other sensors 106. In such embodiments, the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may function as a hub that collects data from the other client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device(s) 128, and processes both the data collected from the other client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device(s) 128 as well as data received from its respective sensors 106. In such embodiments, the menu selection commands that are received by the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may apply to data collected by the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 as well as data collected by the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device(s) 128. As illustrated in FIG. 8 , in certain embodiments, the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device(s) 128 may be substantially similar to the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112. However, in certain embodiments, the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device(s) 128 do not include displays 122 or inputs 126 disposed on an outer surface 124 of a housing 114 of the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device(s) 128.
FIGS. 5 through 8 illustrate a first type of HVAC air measurement system 100, and FIGS. 9 through 11 illustrate a second type of HVAC air measurement system 130. As illustrated, the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 and the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device(s) 128 of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 9 through 11 may be substantially similar to the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 and the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device(s) 128 of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 5 through 8 . However, as illustrated in FIG. 9 , sensors 132 may be mounted to an airfoil-shaped sensor array beam 134 that extends from the back portion 136 of the HVAC air measurement device(s) 112, 128 at a first end of the sensor array beam 134 to a mounting plate 138 at a second, opposite end of the sensor array beam 134.
As illustrated in FIG. 11 , the HVAC air measurement system(s) 130 may be mounted within a duct 140 of an HVAC system by, for example, mounting the HVAC air measurement device(s) 112, 128 to a first wall 142 of the duct 140 (e.g., using the mounting mechanisms 116 of the HVAC air measurement device(s) 112, 128 described above) and mounting the mounting plate(s) 138 to a second, opposite wall 144 of the duct 140. In general, the airfoil-shaped sensor array beams 134 ensure that the HVAC air measurement system(s) 130 cause a relatively low pressure drop and relatively low noise levels during operation of the HVAC system of which the duct 140 is part.
The HVAC air measurement systems 100, 130 illustrated in FIGS. 5 through 11 are merely exemplary, and not intended to be limiting, of the types of HVAC air measurement systems that may utilize the air measurement data logging and transmission techniques described herein. Indeed, any and all HVAC air measurement systems may leverage the air measurement data logging and transmission techniques described herein. In general, each of the HVAC air measurement systems 100, 130 described herein include an HVAC air measurement device 112, 128 that is configured to be electrically connected to one or more sensors 106, 132 that are configured to detect parameters of air flow through air flow paths of HVAC systems. In addition, as described in greater detail herein, a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may be used to collect data relating to the parameters of air flow through air flow paths of an HVAC system from sensor(s) 106, 132 that are directly electrically connected to the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, as well as collecting data relating to the parameters of air flow through the air flow paths of the HVAC system from one or more client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement devices 128 that are directly electrically connected to other sensor(s) 106, 132, in certain embodiments.
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, as described herein. As described above, the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 includes one or more inputs 126 configured to be manipulated by an operator to enable the operator to make menu selections from menu options presented via a display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, wherein the menu options relate to parameters of air flowing through an air flow path of an HVAC system that are detected by one or more sensors 106, 132 that are electrically connected to the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112. For example, in certain embodiments, one or more sensors 106 of an HVAC air measurement system 100 may be electrically connected to the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 via one or more electrical connectors 146 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, which may be directly coupled to mating electrical connectors 110 of sensor cables 108 associated with the one or more sensors 106, as described above. In other embodiments, one or more electrical connectors 146 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may be directly connected to one or more sensors 132 of an HVAC air measurement system 130, for example, via respective electrical wires that are disposed within an interior of a sensor array beam 134 of the HVAC air measurement system 130, which is directly coupled to a back portion 136 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, as described above.
In addition, as described in greater detail herein, the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 includes control circuitry 148 that enables the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 to perform the data logging and transmission techniques described in greater detail herein. In certain embodiments, the control circuitry 148 includes memory media 150 and processing circuitry 152. The memory media 150 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium that may store instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry 152, may cause the processing circuitry 152 to perform the data logging and transmission techniques described in greater detail herein. In certain embodiments, the processing circuitry 152 may be any suitable type of computer processor or microprocessor capable of executing computer-executable code, including but not limited to one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), programmable logic devices (PLD), programmable logic arrays (PLA), and the like.
In addition, in certain embodiments, the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may include one or more memory card ports 154, each of which may receive a memory card (e.g., a secure digital (SD) card, a MicroSD card, a flash drive, a memory stick, or any other suitable memory card) such that data relating to parameters of air flow through air flow paths of an HVAC system that have been selected by an operator may be directly downloaded onto the memory card, as described in greater detail herein. In addition, in certain embodiments, the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may include a communication interface 156 that enables communication with other devices, such as the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement devices 128 described herein as well as external computing devices. For example, in certain embodiments, the communication interface 156 may enable the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 to receive data from one or more client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement devices 128 (e.g., to which the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 is either directly electrically connected, or at least communicatively coupled with) and, in certain embodiments, to transmit data (e.g., either wired or wirelessly) to one or more external computing devices, such as a building management system, cloud storage service, and so forth, as described in greater detail herein. In certain embodiments, the communication interfaces 156 described herein may utilize customized universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART) hardware to enable the HVAC air measurement devices 112, 128 to communication with each other, and to enable the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 to communicate with external computing devices, as described in greater detail herein. In addition, in certain embodiments, the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may be configured to automatically (e.g., without human intervention) convert the data into a data format that is specifically suitable for a particular external computing device to receive, for example, in the case of a third party computing device that uses a different data format than that used locally by the HVAC air measurement devices 112, 128.
FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device 128, as described herein. As illustrated in FIG. 13 , in certain embodiments, the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device 128 may be substantially similar to the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 of FIG. 12 . However, as described in greater detail herein, the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device 128 may not include inputs 126, a display 122, or memory card ports 154. However, in certain embodiments, the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device 128 may include a communication interface 156 that enables communication with a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 to enable the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device 128 to transmit data to an associated host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, wherein the data relates to parameters of air flow through air flow paths of an HVAC system that have been selected by an operator via an associated host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, and which has been collected by one or more sensors 106, 132 that are electrically connected to the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device 128, as described in greater detail herein.
As described in greater detail herein, the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 is configured to present operators with menu options that may be used to select certain parameters of air flow through air flow paths of an HVAC system that are detected by one or more sensors 106, 132 disposed within the air flow paths, and to transmit the data directly from the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 (e.g., by downloading the data to a memory card received into a memory card port 154 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 and/or by transmitting the data directly from the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 to an external computing device such as a building management system, a cloud storage service, and so forth) without the need to directly connect other computing devices to the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, without the need to use additional software, and so forth. In addition, the menu options presented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may be presented as hierarchical menu options that enable relatively complex data logging and data transmission, as described in greater detail herein. For example, FIG. 14 illustrates an example first level menu option being presented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 (in this instance, “Data Logging”), which may be scrolled to by manipulating the “MENU” button of the inputs 126 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 and scrolling up or down by manipulating the “UP” or “DOWN” buttons of the inputs 126, and may be selected by manipulating the “ENTER” button of the inputs 126.
Then, once the first level “Data Logging” menu option is selected, as illustrated in FIG. 15 , second level menu options may be presented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, which may enable the selection of different parameters of air flow through air flow paths of an HVAC system that are detected by one or more sensors 106, 132 disposed within the air flow paths. As illustrated in FIG. 15 , one example second level menu option may include “Temperature” of the air flow through the air flow paths of the HVAC system detected by the one or more sensors 106, 132. However, other second level menu options may include “Flow Rate” of the air flow through the air flow paths of the HVAC system detected by the one or more sensors 106, 132, “Relative Humidity” of the air flow through the air flow paths of the HVAC system detected by the one or more sensors 106, 132, “Barometric Pressure” of the air flow through the air flow paths of the HVAC system detected by the one or more sensors 106, 132, “Refrigerant Detection” of refrigerant within the air flow through the air flow paths of the HVAC system (e.g., due to refrigerant leaks) detected by the one or more sensors 106, 132, or any other parameter of air flow through the air flow paths of the HVAC system that are detected by one or more sensors 106, 132. In certain embodiments, an operator may select a particular parameter from the second level menu options by manipulating the “Enter” button of the inputs 126 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 when the particular parameter is presented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, and then the operator may select other parameters from the second level menu options by again manipulating the “Enter” button of the inputs 126 when the other parameters are presented via the display 122. As such, the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may enable the selection of multiple parameters by, in other words, enabling toggling of any of the second level menu options until a final “Finish Parameter Selections” second level menu option is selected by manipulating the “Enter” button of the inputs 126 when the “Finish Parameter Selections” second level menu option is presented via the display 122.
Then, once the second level “Finish Parameter Selections” menu option is selected, as illustrated in FIG. 16 , third level menu options may be presented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, which may enable the selection of various sensors 106, 132 disposed within the air flow paths of the HVAC system. As illustrated in FIG. 16 , the sensors 106, 132 may have names that may be recognized by an operator (e.g., “Fan 22 Inlet” in the illustrated example). In certain embodiments, an operator may select a particular sensor 106, 132 from the third level menu options by manipulating the “Enter” button of the inputs 126 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 when the particular sensor 106, 132 is presented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, and then the operator may select other sensors 106, 132 from the third level menu options by again manipulating the “Enter” button of the inputs 126 when the other sensors 106, 132 are presented via the display 122. As such, the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may enable the selection of multiple sensors 106, 132 by, in other words, enabling toggling of any of the third level menu options until a final “Finish Sensor Selections” third level menu option is selected by manipulating the “Enter” button of the inputs 126 when the “Finish Sensor Selections” third level menu option is presented via the display 122.
Then, once the third level “Finish Sensor Selections” menu option is selected, as illustrated in FIG. 17 , fourth level menu options may be presented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, which may enable the selection of a data logging frequency at which data may be collected from the selected one or more sensors 106, 132 disposed within the air flow paths of the HVAC system. As illustrated in FIG. 17 , one example fourth level menu option may include “Every 1.0 Second”. However, other fourth level menu options may include “Every 5.0 Seconds”, “Every 15 Seconds”, “Every 30 Seconds”, “Every 1.0 Minute”, “Every 5.0 Minutes”, “Every 15 Minutes”, “Every 30 Minutes”, “Every 1.0 Hour”, or any other data logging frequency at which data may be collected from the selected one or more sensors 106, 132. In certain embodiments, an operator may select a particular data logging frequency from the fourth level menu options by manipulating the “Enter” button of the inputs 126 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 when the particular data logging frequency is presented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112. Once the particular parameters of air flow through the air flow paths of the HVAC system, the particular sensors 106, 132 detecting the particular parameters of air flow through the air flow paths of the HVAC system, and the data logging frequency are selected by an operator, a data logging loop may be created by the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, as described in greater detail herein.
Then, at any time after the data logging loop has had an opportunity to run (e.g., and the data relating to the selected parameters of air flow through the air flow paths of the HVAC system has been collected and stored in the memory media 150 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112), an operator may select to have the created data log to be transmitted directly from the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112. For example, FIG. 18 illustrates another example first level menu option being presented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 (in this instance, “Data Transmission”), which may be scrolled to by manipulating the “MENU” button of the inputs 126 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 and scrolling up or down by manipulating the “UP” or “DOWN” buttons of the inputs 126, and may be selected by manipulating the “ENTER” button of the inputs 126.
Then, once the first level “Data Transmission” menu option is selected, as illustrated in FIG. 19 , second level menu options may be presented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, which may enable the selection of a transmission method by which a data log may be transmitted. As illustrated in FIG. 19 , one example second level menu option may include “Wireless to BMS” (e.g., meaning to wirelessly transmit the data log to a building management system associated with an HVAC system to which the data log relates). However, other second level menu options may include a list of different transmission options for the data log, such as wired communication to the building management system, wired or wireless communication to a cloud storage service, direct downloading into a memory card that is inserted into a memory card port 154 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, or any other suitable data transmission method to one or more external computing devices, as described in greater detail herein. In certain embodiments, an operator may select a particular data transmission method from the second level menu options by manipulating the “Enter” button of the inputs 126 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 when the particular data transmission method is presented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, at which point the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may begin transmitting the data log using the selected data transmission method.
It will be appreciated that the menu options described with reference to FIGS. 14 through 19 are merely exemplary, and are not intended to be limiting. In particular, in other embodiments, additional or fewer menu options relating to data logging and/or data transmission may be presented to operators, and used by the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 to determine how to collect and/or transmit data relating to parameters of air flow through air flow paths of HVAC systems, as described in greater detail herein.
FIG. 20 is a flow diagram of a method 158 for operating the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 described in greater detail herein. As illustrated in FIG. 20 , in certain embodiments, the method 158 includes displaying, via control circuitry 148 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, a parameter selection menu via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, wherein the parameter selection menu presents one or more parameters of air flow through an air flow path of an HVAC system as one or more selectable parameter options, wherein the one or more parameters are detected by one or more sensors 106, 132 disposed within the air flow path of the HVAC system (block 160). In addition, in certain embodiments, the method 158 includes receiving, via the control circuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, one or more parameter selection commands from one or more inputs 126 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, wherein the one or more parameter selection commands relate to one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters (block 162). In addition, in certain embodiments, the method 158 includes receiving, via the control circuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, data relating to the one or more parameters from the one or more sensors 106, 132 (block 164). In addition, in certain embodiments, the method 158 includes transmitting, via the control circuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device 112 based at least in part on the one or more parameter selection commands (block 166).
In addition, in certain embodiments, transmitting, via the control circuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device 112 includes transmitting the data to a building management system. In addition, in certain embodiments, transmitting, via the control circuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device 112 includes transmitting the data to a cloud storage service. In addition, in certain embodiments, transmitting, via the control circuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device 112 includes storing the data on a memory card received by a memory card port 154 of the HVAC air measurement device 112. In certain embodiments, historical data may be stored in the memory media 150 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, which may include both data logged and transmitted, as described in greater detail herein, as well as data collected over time by the HVAC air measurement device 112.
In addition, in certain embodiments, the parameter selection menu presents one or more data logging frequencies as one or more selectable data logging frequency options, and the method 158 includes receiving, via the control circuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, a data logging frequency selection command from the one or more inputs 126, wherein the data logging frequency selection command relates to a selected data logging frequency; logging, via the control circuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, the data relating to the one or more parameters in a log file at the selected data logging frequency; and transmitting, via the control circuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, the log file directly from the HVAC air measurement device 112.
In addition, in certain embodiments, the parameter selection menu presents the one or more sensors 106, 132 as one or more selectable sensor options, and the method 158 includes receiving, via the control circuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, one or more sensor selection commands from the one or more inputs 126, wherein the one or more sensor selection commands relate to one or more selected sensors 106, 132 of the one or more sensors 106, 132; and transmitting, via the control circuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device 112 based at least in part on the one or more sensor selection commands.
In addition, in certain embodiments, the method 158 includes receiving, via the control circuitry 148 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, a subset of the data relating to the one or more parameters from one or more client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement devices 128.
FIG. 21 is a flow diagram of a data logging process 168 that may be utilized using the HVAC air measurement devices 112, 128 described herein. As illustrated in FIG. 21 , the data logging process 168 may begin with booting the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 (block 170), after which the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may load data logging settings, for example, from the memory media 150 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 (block 172) and, in certain embodiments, a command to reset a data logging device (e.g., a client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device 128, in certain situations) (block 174). At this point, a decision may be made whether data logging is enabled for the particular HVAC air measurement device 112, 128 (decision branch 176). If data logging is not enabled for the HVAC air measurement device 112, 128, then the data logging process 168 ends (block 178). However, if data logging is enabled for the HVAC air measurement device 112, 128, then the data logging process 168 starts a data logging loop (block 180).
At this point, a decision may be made whether it is time for a new data logging event (decision branch 182). If it is not time for a new data logging event, the data logging process 168 begins the data logging loop again (block 180). However, if it is time for a new data logging event, a decision may be made whether a new log file needs to be started (decision branch 184). In certain embodiments, a new log file may be started for the first log file since boot or when a full 24 hours have passed starting a new log file for the next day. If a new log file does not need to be started, the data logging process 168 may proceed to sending data to the log file (block 186). However, if a new log file does need to be started, the data logging process 168 may continue by setting a new log file name (block 188). In certain embodiments, the log file name may follow a predefined naming convention, such as MBBBBDDD.csv, where M=type of the HVAC air measurement device 112, 128 (e.g., H=host, P=primary, C=client, and A=ancillary), BBBB=a number of boots since data logging was enabled for the HVAC air measurement device 112, 128, and DDD=a number of days of data logging on the current boot number.
After the new log file has been named, a command may be sent for the data logging device to start a new log file using the new log file name (e.g., a command being sent from a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 to a client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device 128) (block 190). Then, header text for the new log file may be sent (e.g., from a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 to a client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device 128) (block 192). In certain embodiments, the header text and the data logged may be dependent on the particular device settings that are loaded in block 172). For example, as described in greater detail herein, the log file may log data from sensor(s) 106, 132 associated with the particular HVAC air measurement device 112, 128, may log data that are averages from several sensors 106, 132 associated with the particular HVAC air measurement device 112, 128, may log data that are averages for a particular HVAC component (e.g., a particular fan, a particular duct, etc.), and so forth.
Then, data may be sent to the log file (block 186), and the next data logging event time may be set (block 194), at which point the data logging loop ends (block 196), and the data logging process 168 proceeds back to the start of a new data logging loop (block 180). In certain embodiments, the data logging event timing may be at set intervals, as described in greater detail herein. The steps of the data logging process 168 are merely exemplary, and are not intended to be limiting. Indeed, additional steps may be included in the data logging process 168 or some of the illustrated steps may be omitted from the data logging process 168.
While only certain features and embodiments of the disclosure have been illustrated and described, many modifications and changes may occur to those skilled in the art, such as variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, including temperatures and pressures, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, and so forth without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited in the claims. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the disclosure. Furthermore, in an effort to provide a concise description of the exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not have been described, such as those unrelated to the presently contemplated best mode of carrying out the disclosure, or those unrelated to enabling the claimed disclosure. It should be noted that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation specific decisions may be made. Such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure, without undue experimentation.

Claims

1. A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) air measurement device, comprising:

a housing;

a display disposed on an outer surface of the housing;

one or more inputs disposed on the outer surface of the housing; and

control circuitry configured to be electrically connected to one or more sensors disposed within an air flow path of an HVAC system, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect one or more parameters of air flow through the air flow path, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

display a parameter selection menu via the display, wherein the parameter selection menu presents the one or more parameters as one or more selectable parameter options;

receive one or more parameter selection commands from the one or more inputs, wherein the one or more parameter selection commands relate to one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters;

receive data relating to the one or more parameters from the one or more sensors; and

transmit data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device based at least in part on the one or more parameter selection commands.

2. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein transmitting the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device comprises transmitting the data to a building management system.

3. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein transmitting the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device comprises transmitting the data to a cloud storage service.

4. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, comprising a memory card port configured to receive a memory card, wherein transmitting the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device comprises storing the data on the memory card.

5. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the parameter selection menu presents one or more data logging frequencies as one or more selectable data logging frequency options, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

receive a data logging frequency selection command from the one or more inputs, wherein the data logging frequency selection command relates to a selected data logging frequency;

log the data relating to the one or more parameters in a log file at the selected data logging frequency; and

transmit the log file directly from the HVAC air measurement device.

6. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the parameter selection menu presents the one or more sensors as one or more selectable sensor options, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

receive one or more sensor selection commands from the one or more inputs, wherein the one or more sensor selection commands relate to one or more selected sensors of the one or more sensors; and

transmit the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device based at least in part on the one or more sensor selection commands.

7. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to receive a subset of the data relating to the one or more parameters from one or more other HVAC air measurement devices.

8. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprise a temperature of the air flow through the air flow path.

9. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprise a flow rate of the air flow through the air flow path.

10. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprise a relative humidity of the air flow through the air flow path.

11. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprise a barometric pressure of the air flow through the air flow path.

12. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprise a refrigerant detection of refrigerant within the air flow through the air flow path.

13. A method, comprising:

displaying, via control circuitry of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) air measurement device, a parameter selection menu via a display of the HVAC air measurement device, wherein the parameter selection menu presents one or more parameters of air flow through an air flow path of an HVAC system as one or more selectable parameter options, wherein the one or more parameters are detected by one or more sensors disposed within the air flow path of the HVAC system;

receiving, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, one or more parameter selection commands from one or more inputs of the HVAC air measurement device, wherein the one or more parameter selection commands relate to one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters;

receiving, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, data relating to the one or more parameters from the one or more sensors; and

transmitting, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device based at least in part on the one or more parameter selection commands.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device comprises transmitting the data to a building management system.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device comprises transmitting the data to a cloud storage service.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device comprises storing the data on a memory card received by a memory card port of the HVAC air measurement device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the parameter selection menu presents one or more data logging frequencies as one or more selectable data logging frequency options, and wherein the method comprises:

receiving, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, a data logging frequency selection command from the one or more inputs, wherein the data logging frequency selection command relates to a selected data logging frequency;

logging, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, the data relating to the one or more parameters in a log file at the selected data logging frequency; and

transmitting, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, the log file directly from the HVAC air measurement device.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the parameter selection menu presents the one or more sensors as one or more selectable sensor options, and wherein the method comprises:

receiving, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, one or more sensor selection commands from the one or more inputs, wherein the one or more sensor selection commands relate to one or more selected sensors of the one or more sensors; and

transmitting, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device based at least in part on the one or more sensor selection commands.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the method comprises receiving, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, a subset of the data relating to the one or more parameters from one or more other HVAC air measurement devices.

20. A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) air measurement system, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to be disposed within an air flow path of an HVAC system, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect one or more parameters of air flow through the air flow path; and

an HVAC air measurement device, comprising:

a housing;

a display disposed on an outer surface of the housing;

one or more inputs disposed on the outer surface of the housing; and

control circuitry configured to be electrically connected to the one or more sensors, wherein the control circuitry is configured to: