Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090120380 | TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A WATER HEATER - A system for detecting stacking and controlling temperature in a water heater. A controller with a connection to a temperature sensor and heating element in a water tank of the heater may be designed to limit stacking and its effects. The controller may use a sensing and calculation technique to detect the stacking. If stacking is detected, then the setpoint for the heater may be lowered so that the outlet water temperature is within a safe limit. If stacking is not detected, then the setpoint may be gradually restored to optimize water heater capacity. | 05-14-2009 |
20090293867 | COMBUSTION BLOWER CONTROL FOR MODULATING FURNACE - A furnace includes a combustion blower and one or more pressure switches. In some cases, the one or more pressure switches may be used to calculate one or more operating points for the combustion blower. Additional operating points may be calculated by interpolation and/or extrapolation, as appropriate. The furnace may temporarily alter these operating points as necessary to keep the furnace safely operating in response to minor and/or transient changes in the operating conditions of the furnace. | 12-03-2009 |
20090297997 | COMBUSTION BLOWER CONTROL FOR MODULATING FURNACE - A furnace includes a combustion blower and one or more pressure switches. In some cases, the one or more pressure switches may be used to calculate one or more operating points for the combustion blower. Additional operating points may be calculated by interpolation and/or extrapolation, as appropriate. The furnace may temporarily alter these operating points as necessary to keep the furnace safely operating in response to minor and/or transient changes in the operating conditions of the furnace. | 12-03-2009 |
20090308372 | SELECTABLE EFFICIENCY VERSUS COMFORT FOR MODULATING FURNACE - A furnace controller for a modulating furnace that helps provide a balance between energy efficiency and occupant comfort across various burner firing rates and/or across various circulating blower speeds. In some cases, the furnace controller can be configured to permit a user to customize operation of the furnace in accordance with their particular needs and/or desires with respect to efficiency and comfort. A selection may be made between an energy efficiency setting and a user comfort setting. Then, a plenum parameter such as a discharge air temperature (DAT) or discharge air flow (DAF) may be regulated in accordance with the selected setting. | 12-17-2009 |
20100009302 | BURNER FIRING RATE DETERMINATION FOR MODULATING FURNACE - A modulating furnace having a variable rate burner and a controller is operated at a first burner firing rate for a first period of time, and a higher burner firing rate once the first period of time has expired. In some instances, the burner may be operated only while the controller is receiving a call for heat from a thermostat or the like. | 01-14-2010 |
20100173252 | APPLIANCE CONTROL WITH AUTOMATIC DAMPER DETECTION - Methods and systems for operating a fuel fired appliance that may include an optional hardware component such as a damper are disclosed. In some cases, the presence of the optional hardware component is detected, and it is determined whether the optional hardware component is required for future operation of the fuel fired appliance. The fuel fired appliance may be operated normally if the optional hardware component is present and required, or, in some cases, if the optional hardware component is determined to be not required. If the optional hardware component is absent but required, normal operation of the fuel fired appliance may be stopped. | 07-08-2010 |
20120115095 | COMBUSTION BLOWER CONTROL FOR MODULATING FURNACE - A furnace includes a combustion blower and one or more pressure switches. In some cases, the one or more pressure switches may be used to calculate one or more operating points for the combustion blower. Additional operating points may be calculated by interpolation and/or extrapolation, as appropriate. The furnace may temporarily alter these operating points as necessary to keep the furnace safely operating in response to minor and/or transient changes in the operating conditions of the furnace. | 05-10-2012 |
20120130542 | BURNER FIRING RATE DETERMINATION FOR MODULATING FURNACE - A modulating furnace having a variable rate burner and a controller is operated at a first burner firing rate for a first period of time, and a higher burner firing rate once the first period of time has expired. In some instances, the burner may be operated only while the controller is receiving a call for heat from a thermostat or the like. | 05-24-2012 |
20140023976 | COMBUSTION BLOWER CONTROL FOR MODULATING FURNACE - A furnace includes a combustion blower and one or more pressure switches. In some cases, the one or more pressure switches may be used to calculate one or more operating points for the combustion blower. Additional operating points may be calculated by interpolation and/or extrapolation, as appropriate. The furnace may temporarily alter these operating points as necessary to keep the furnace safely operating in response to minor and/or transient changes in the operating conditions of the furnace. | 01-23-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100140364 | USER INTERFACE FOR BUILDING CONTROLLER - A user interface for a building appliance controller that may include a control panel and one or more option cards. The user interface may allow a user or technician to program, modify, and/or view one or more parameters of the control panel and/or the one or more option cards. In some cases, the control panel may be configured to send one or more messages to a selected option card that indicate an input at the user interface, and in response, the selected option card may send one or more messages to the control panel that indicate display information for display on the user interface of the control panel. In some embodiments, such as when the user interface includes a segmented display, the display information may include the on/off state of the various segments of the display. | 06-10-2010 |
20100145475 | BUILDING APPLIANCE CONTROLLER WITH SAFETY FEATURE - A building appliance controller is disclosed that includes a safety feature. In one illustrative embodiment, the building appliance controller may include a controller and a safety element. In some cases, the controller may include a control panel configured to provide an interface, and one or more option cards configured to communicate with the control panel via the interface and to provide additional functionality to the appliance controller. The safety element may include a first relay or other switching element that is configured to selectively pass power to the building appliance. In some illustrative embodiments, when an unsafe operating condition is detected by the control panel and/or the one or more option cards, the control panel and/or the one or more option cards may open the first relay of the safety element to cut off power to the building appliance. In some cases, a safety key may be passed between the control panel and the one or more option cards to help verify the safe operation of the building appliance. | 06-10-2010 |
20120191226 | PROGRAMMABLE CONTROLLER WITH BOTH SAFETY AND APPLICATION FUNCTIONS - A controller that controls both safety and application functions of connected equipment is disclosed. The controller allows a user to freely program application specific functions while preventing the application functions from affecting the safety functions of the controller. This may give the user more flexibility and leeway when programming the application specific programming functions, without having to worry about affecting the safe operation of the connected equipment. | 07-26-2012 |
20130159267 | PROVIDING COMBUSTION SYSTEM MANAGEMENT INFORMATION - The present disclosure provides methods, devices, and computer readable media for providing combustion system management information. One or more embodiments include receiving a prompt to access management information associated with a combustion system, accessing the management information associated with the combustion system in response to the prompt, and communicating the management information associated with the combustion system. | 06-20-2013 |
20140199640 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING AN IGNITION SEQUENCE FOR AN INTERMITTENT FLAME-POWERED PILOT COMBUSTION SYSTEM - A locally powered intermittent pilot combustion controller may include an igniter, a thermal electric and/or photoelectric device that produces an electrical signal having power when exposed to a flame, and a local power source for providing power when the thermal electric and/or photoelectric device is not exposed to a flame. In some cases, the intermittent pilot combustion controller may include a memory for storing information about an ignition sequence for igniting a pilot flame, and a controller coupled to the memory. The controller may be configured to initiate the ignition sequence of the pilot flame using information stored in the memory, determine whether the ignition was successful by monitoring the electrical signal produced by the thermal electric and/or photoelectric device, and adjust the information stored in the memory based on whether the ignition sequence completed successfully. | 07-17-2014 |
20140199641 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR STARTING AN INTERMITTENT FLAME-POWERED PILOT COMBUSTION SYSTEM - A flame powered intermittent pilot combustion controller may include a first power source and a second power source separate from the first power source, a thermal electric and/or photoelectric device, an igniter and a controller. The thermal electric and/or photoelectric device may charge the first power source when exposed to a flame. The controller and the igniter may receive power from the first power source when the first power source has sufficient available power, and may receive power from the second power source when the first power source does not have sufficient available power. | 07-17-2014 |