Patents Assigned to Control Technology
  • Patent number: 10955157
    Abstract: A building management system (BMS) including device controllers configured to monitor and control one or more heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) devices and to store and process time-series data associated with the HVAC devices. The BMS includes a BMS controller that is communicably coupled to the device controllers. The BMS controller is configured to generate and send one or more processing sub-requests to at least one of the device controllers based on a processing request requesting time-series data associated with an HVAC device. The BMS controller is configured to receive one or more processing results from the at least one of the device controllers and join the one or more processing results into a joined result. The BMS controller is configured to provide the joined result to a requesting entity. The device controllers are configured to receive and process processing sub-requests and send results to the BMS controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Youngchoon Park, Sudhi Sinha
  • Patent number: 10955800
    Abstract: Granular assets of a building are identified. Each granular asset represents one or more devices of that operate to produce, consume, or store resources in the building. General assets are defined by grouping the granular assets into groups. A non-granular optimization is performed to determine a non-granular allocation of the resources among the general assets. Non-granular allocation defines an amount of each of the resources consumed, produced, or stored by each of the general assets at each time step in a time period. A granular optimization is performed for each general asset to determine a granular allocation of the resources among the granular assets. The granular allocation defines an amount of each resource consumed, produced, or stored by the granular assets at each time step in the time period. The equipment of the building are operated to consume, produce, or store the amount of each resource defined by granular allocation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: John H. Burroughs, Andrew J. Przybylski, Michael J. Wenzel, Matthew J. Ellis
  • Patent number: 10956842
    Abstract: A controller for central plant equipment obtains a model of one or more sources configured to supply input resources, one or more subplants configured to convert the input resources to output resources, and one or more sinks configured to consume the output resources. The controller generates a resource balance constraint that requires balance between a first amount of each resource and a second amount of each resource. The first amount of each resource includes a sum of an amount of the resource supplied by the sources and an amount of the resource produced by the subplants. The second amount of each resource includes a sum of an amount of the resource consumed by the subplants and an amount of the resource consumed by the sinks. The controller performs an optimization of an objective function subject to the resource balance constraint to determine target amounts of each resource to be produced or consumed by the central plant equipment at a plurality of times within an optimization period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Matthew J. Ellis
  • Patent number: 10955179
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes an expansion device disposed between a condenser and an evaporator of a vapor compression system and a control panel communicatively coupled to the expansion device. The control panel is configured to: determine a liquid refrigerant level set point of the condenser based on parameters of the vapor compression system, provide a first control signal to increase an opening of the expansion device in response determining that the current liquid refrigerant level in the condenser is greater than a determined liquid refrigerant level set point of the condenser, and provide a second control signal to decrease the opening of the expansion device in response to determining that the current liquid refrigerant level in the condenser is less than the determined liquid refrigerant level set point of the condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Satheesh Kulankara
  • Patent number: 10948884
    Abstract: Systems and methods for distributing load of an energy plant are disclosed herein. A target load of at least a first device and a second device of the energy plant is obtained. A first power consumption of the first device and the second device predicted to result from operating the first device and the second device according to a first combination of set points to satisfy the target load is predicted. A second power consumption of the first device and the second device predicted to result from operating the first device and the second device according to a second combination of set points to satisfy the target load is predicted. The first power consumption and the second power consumption are compared, and a combination of set points rendering lower power consumption is selected to operate the energy plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Ryan C. Beaty, Graeme Willmott, Matthew J. Asmus, Shawn A. Schlagenhaft, Jared Fread
  • Patent number: 10949777
    Abstract: An energy cost optimization system for a building includes HVAC equipment configured to operate in the building and a controller. The controller is configure to generate a cost function defining a cost of operating the HVAC equipment over an optimization period as a function of one or more electric loads for the HVAC equipment. The controller is further configured to generate participation hours. The participation hours indicate one or more hours that the HVAC equipment will participate in an economic load demand response (ELDR) program. The controller is further configured to generate an ELDR term based on the participation hours, the ELDR term indicating revenue generated by participating in the ELDR program. The controller is further configured to modify the cost function to include the ELDR term and perform an optimization using the modified cost function to determine an optimal electric load for each hour of the participation hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Mohammad N. ElBsat, Michael J. Wenzel
  • Patent number: 10947881
    Abstract: A reductant generator includes a housing defining a chamber, an inlet to direct engine exhaust gas into the chamber, a moveable member that receives driving input from an engine and which is configured to compress engine exhaust gases within the chamber, and a supply to provide a fluid into the chamber to be transformed into reductant. The generator also includes an outlet from which the reductant is directed into an exhaust system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies, USA, LLC
    Inventor: Eduardo Alano
  • Patent number: 10948213
    Abstract: An HVAC system includes HVAC components configured to adjust environmental conditions within a space. A control system is in communication with the HVAC components and is configured to execute in an efficiency operation mode. The efficiency operation mode is configured to receive configuration data related to the space and operational values for the HVAC components, monitor environmental parameters such as outdoor ambient temperature, indoor ambient temperature, and occupancy of the space, monitor an energy usage of the HVAC components based on the current operational values, determine new operational values configured to reduce the energy usage for the HVAC components based on the monitored energy usage and the environmental parameters, and transmit the new operating values to the HVAC components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Shaun B. Atchison, Theresa N. Gillette, John W. Uerkvitz, Jedidiah O. Bentz
  • Patent number: 10948203
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a climate management system having an outdoor coil of a refrigerant circuit, a first indoor coil of the refrigerant circuit, and a second indoor coil of the refrigerant circuit disposed downstream of the first indoor coil with respect to a flow of air directed across the first indoor coil and the second indoor coil. The climate management system is configured to, in a cooling mode, direct refrigerant flow in a first direction through the outdoor coil, direct refrigerant flow through the first indoor coil, and restrict refrigerant flow from the second indoor coil. The climate management system is also configured to, in a heating mode, direct refrigerant flow in a second direction through the outdoor coil, direct refrigerant flow through the second indoor coil, and restrict refrigerant flow from the first indoor coil. The second direction is opposite the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Norman J. Blanton
  • Patent number: 10948214
    Abstract: An HVAC system for a building includes an airside economizer, a plurality of sensors, and a controller. The airside economizer includes a first air intake configured to receive return air from within a building, a second air intake configured to receive outdoor air from outside the building, and an air discharge configured to provide discharge air to the building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Soumyadeep Ray, Milan Mitra, Sayan Chakraborty, Anjani Kumari
  • Publication number: 20210072742
    Abstract: A method for performing model predictive maintenance (MPM) of building equipment includes obtaining a first objective function that defines a cost of operating the building equipment and at least one of replacing the building equipment or performing maintenance on the building equipment as a function of operating decisions and at least one of replacement decisions or maintenance decisions for the building equipment for multiple short-term time steps within a short-term horizon. The method also includes performing a first optimization of the first objective function to generate a short-term maintenance and replacement schedule for the building equipment over a duration of the short-term horizon. The method also includes using a result of the first optimization to perform a second optimization of a second objective function to generate a long-term maintenance and replacement schedule for the building equipment over a duration of a long-term horizon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Yaqing WU, Mohammad N. ELBSAT, Michael J. WENZEL, Christos T. MARAVELIAS
  • Publication number: 20210072709
    Abstract: A building system includes one or more storage devices having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to receive an unstructured user question from a user device of a user and query a graph database based on the unstructured user question to extract context associated with the unstructured user question from contextual information of a building stored by the graph database, wherein the graph database stores the contextual information of the building through nodes and edges between the nodes, wherein the nodes represent equipment, spaces, people, and events associated building and the edges represent relationships between the equipment, spaces, people, and events. The instructions further cause the one or more processors to retrieve data from one or more data sources based on the context and compose a presentation based on the retrieved data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: George R. Oliver, Justin J. Ploegert, Karl F. Reichenberger, Sudhi R. Sinha, Sujith Ebenezer, Youngchoon Park
  • Patent number: 10941951
    Abstract: A residential HVAC system includes, a compressor, and an outdoor unit controller in communication with the compressor. The outdoor unit controller is configured to receive an indoor ambient temperature and a temperature set point. The outdoor unit controller is further configured to determine an outdoor ambient temperature, and to determine an operating value for the compressor based on a percentage of a delta between a minimum operating value of the compressor and a maximum operating value of the compressor, plus the minimum operating value. The minimum operating value and the maximum operating value are based on the determined outdoor ambient temperature. The percentage of the delta is based on a predefined temperature differential multiplier and one or more time dependent multipliers. The outdoor unit controller is further configured to modify the current operating value of the compressor with the determined operating value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Shawn A. Hern, Brian D. Rigg, Tom R. Tasker, Jedidiah O. Bentz, Theresa N. Gillette, Shaun B. Atchison, Tyler McCune, Aneek M. Noor, Cody J. Kaiser, Daniel S. Middleton
  • Patent number: 10941961
    Abstract: A fluid handling system includes an ultrasonic transducer configured to atomize fluid condensate generated by the fluid handling system into atomized fluid particles. The fluid handling system also includes a solid desiccant configured to absorb the atomized fluid particles. The fluid handling system also includes a fluid conduit extending through or against the solid desiccant such that the solid desiccant is configured to cool a heat exchange fluid passing along the fluid conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Nicholas P. Mislak
  • Patent number: 10941693
    Abstract: A vehicle exhaust system includes a first component that receives exhaust gas output from an engine and a second component that is fluidly coupled to the first component to define an upstream portion of a vehicle exhaust system. A vehicle frame member includes an internal acoustic volume. A pipe connects the internal acoustic volume in parallel to the upstream portion of the vehicle exhaust system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies, USA, LLC
    Inventors: James Egan, Joseph E. Callahan
  • Patent number: 10941967
    Abstract: A system for reducing the refrigerant pressure in an oil sump or in a cavity of a housing. The invention is particularly useful for reducing pressure in a compressor for heat pump applications that has been validated for water chiller operations or in turbine and generator systems in ORC systems generating electricity using refrigerant, the ORC systems essentially being a heat pump application operating in reverse. An auxiliary compressor, an auxiliary condenser or an ejector pump may be used to reduce pressure in the oil sump, to separate refrigerant from oil. The auxiliary compressor, the auxiliary condenser or the ejector pump may also be used to reduce the pressure of refrigerant in the housing of a compressor in heat pump applications at temperatures and pressures at which the compressor was validated for water chiller applications and of the turbine and generator in ORC applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Paul Marie De Larminat, Damien Jean Daniel Arnou
  • Publication number: 20210062549
    Abstract: A housing includes an upper housing member, a lower housing member, a first interlocking member, and a second interlocking member. The first interlocking member includes an engagement portion, and a first interlocking portion. The engagement portion is at a proximate end and is configured to engage a corresponding contact surface of the upper housing member. The first interlocking portion is at a distal end. The second member extends from the lower housing member into an inner volume of the upper housing member. The second interlocking member includes an opening and a second interlocking portion. The opening is positioned between a proximate end and a distal end of the second interlocking member. The window is configured to at least partially receive the first interlocking portion of the first interlocking member. The second interlocking portion is configured to engage a corresponding engagement portion of the upper housing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Daulat Dattatray Shelke, Wesley Irek, Sriganesh Thangavel Chandrasekaran, Mayuresh Yashodhan Sapre, Lakhan Shivaji Doke
  • Publication number: 20210063976
    Abstract: A system controlling equipment to serve energy loads of a building includes a cost function generator configured to obtain a cost function of decision variables representing an amount of resources consumed or produced by the equipment, an optimizer configured to perform a first optimization of the cost function subject to a first set of constraints defining first values of constraint variables to generate a first result defining first values of decision variables, a constraint modifier configured determine a cost gradient, recommend changes to constraint variables, and modify constraint variables to modified values in response to changes. The optimizer is configured to perform an optimization of the cost function subject to a second set of constraints to generate a second optimization result defining second values of the decision variables. The system includes a controller that operates equipment to consume or produce resources defined by second values of the decision variables.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: John H. Burroughs, Andrew J. Przybylski, Michael J. Wenzel
  • Patent number: 10935454
    Abstract: A refrigerant leak management system of a HVAC unit includes a sensor configured to detect a refrigerant in an interior of an air handling enclosure. The refrigerant leak management system includes a plurality of airflow management assemblies configured to fluidly isolate the interior of the air handling enclosure in a closed configuration. The plurality of airflow management assemblies includes a return inlet assembly, a supply outlet assembly, and a purge exhaust outlet assembly. The refrigerant leak management system includes a controller configured to actuate the purge exhaust outlet assembly based on detection of the refrigerant by the sensor such that the purge exhaust outlet assembly transitions from a closed position of the purge exhaust outlet assembly to an open position of the purge exhaust outlet assembly that opens the interior of the air handling enclosure to an external environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Douglas A. Kester
  • Patent number: 10933387
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to mixing devices included in automotive exhaust treatment systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to reducing agent mixers for mixing reducing agents with exhaust streams to induce a chemical reaction between the reducing agent and exhaust gasses to reduce Nitrous Oxides (NOx) in the exhaust gas. Reducing agent mixers in accordance with the present disclosure include reducing agent delivery devices for conducting reducing agents into an internal mixing space through which exhaust gasses flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies, USA, LLC
    Inventor: Randy Cvelbar