Weather Anticipating Programmable Thermostat and PTAC / Heat Pump Control
Update: October 22, 2019 The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted a patent for our Weather Anticipating Programmable Thermostat and Wireless Network PTAC / Heat Pump Control. Additional patents are pending in the United States and other jurisdictions.
Our Patented Weather Anticipating Thermostats connect to the internet through wireless networks and obtain weather forecast data to reduce energy consumption and maximize comfort levels. The following describes the basic operations of our Weather Anticipating Programmable Thermostat when used with a Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner (PTAC).
PTACs are self-contained heating and air conditioning systems commonly found in hotels, hospitals and large residential complexes. In hotel applications our Weather Anticipating Programmable Thermostat / PTAC Control interface through the wireless networks with the front desk registration system and automatically switch the PTAC to room occupied status upon guest check in and to room unoccupied status upon guest checkout. Thereby adjusting the room temperature before the guest enters the room and once the guest has checkout the PTAC automatically reduces energy consumption.
For additional energy savings the Weather Anticipating PTAC Controllers communicate wirelessly with each other to automatically reduce peak electrical demand.
This example is from figure 5 of our patent filing, and overlays the weather forecast temperature data 501 with the room / zone temperature data 502 over 24 HR. Note: Night or unoccupied setback is not included in this example. At 00:00 the system is in heating mode as the outside temperature is below the room / zone temperature set point of 69F/ 20.5C and the room / zone temperature is maintained around this temperature.
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At around 06:00 the weather anticipating programmable thermostat goes into heating energy conservation mode and lowers the set point 503 because the weather forecast indicates that the outside temperature will be above the set point 504. The room / zone temperature drops to the lower set point 505 and then the heating is activated to maintain the room / zone temperature. Once the actual outside temperature rises above the room / zone temperature set point the system is automatically switched to cooling mode. The room / zone temperature rises to the cooling set point of just below 25C / 77F and the cooling is activated 506. At around 15:00 the weather anticipating programmable thermostat goes into cooling energy conservation mode and raises the set point 507 because the weather forecast indicates that the outside temperature will be below the set point 506. |
The room / zone temperature rises to the higher set point 508 and then the cooling is activated to maintain the room / zone temperature. Once the actual outside temperature drops below the room / zone temperature set point the system is automatically switched to heating mode and the room / zone temperature is maintained at the heating set point 509. The weather anticipating programmable thermostat calculates the amount of time for heating and cooling energy conservation modes by recording the temperatures during previous energy conservation modes. In this example the heating energy conservation mode was activated at 503 about 4.5HR before the anticipated rise in outdoor temperature from the weather forecast data 504. In order to minimize discomfort caused by the heating being lowered 505 below the set point the next heating energy conservation mode cycle would be shortened so that lower room / zone temperature 505 occurs around 09:00. Likewise to minimize discomfort caused by the room temperature rising above cooling set point 506 the next cooling energy conservation mode cycle would be shortened so that higher room / zone temperature 508 occurs around 17:00. Should the room / zone temperature drop below the minimum cooling / heating changeover setting 511 the system is switched to heating mode, likewise should the room / zone temperature go above the maximum changeover set point 513 the system is switched to cooling mode. Should the room / zone temperature exceed 515 or drop below 517 an alarm signal is generated and transmitted by text message and or email to appropriate personnel.