Abstract: A method for determining a participation strategy for a load-following-block rate structure and controlling equipment in accordance with the participation strategy includes selecting a plurality of hedge percentages, running a simulation over a time period for each of the plurality of hedge percentages, determining, for each of the plurality of hedge percentages, a total cost for the time period based on the simulation for the hedge percentage, selecting a recommended hedge percentage based on the total costs, and controlling the equipment to consume a total amount of at least one of energy or power from a utility provider. The recommended hedge percentage of the total amount is priced at a fixed rate and a remainder of the total amount is priced at a variable rate.

Abstract: A method includes operating equipment to consume energy resources including energy or power purchased from a utility, and obtaining a block-and-index rate profile for a future time period. The block-and-index rate profile includes a block rate and a block size for each of a plurality of sub-periods in the future time period. The block size for a sub-period identifies an amount of energy or power priced at the block rate for the sub-period. The method also includes applying the block-and-index rate profile in an optimization process for the equipment over the time period, running the optimization process, and allocating energy resources to the equipment over the time period in accordance with a result of the optimization process.

Abstract: A variety of assemblies are configured for use with an actuator. One embodiment relates to an actuator that includes a cover and a lower body. The cover includes a first cover end, a second cover end disposed axially away from the first cover end, the second cover end in contact with a lower body, a cover surface disposed between the first cover end and the second cover end, a protrusion radially disposed along an external surface of the cover surface, and a plurality of snap elements that extend axially away from the first cover end. The lower body includes a first body end, the first body end configured to receive the second cover end, a second body end disposed axially away from the first body end, a body surface extending axially between the first cover end and the second cover end; and a plurality of snapping surfaces.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a refrigeration circuit that includes a controller communicatively coupled to a compressor, an expansion valve, and a sensor of the refrigeration circuit. The controller may activate the compressor and actuate the expansion valve such that the compressor is active while the expansion valve is closed. The controller may also measure a pressure of a refrigerant in the refrigeration circuit using the sensor while the compressor is active and the expansion valve is closed. Additionally, the controller may determine whether a refrigerant leak exists based on a maximum measurement time being reached or a time difference between a first time associated with the compressor being active while the expansion valve is closed and a second time associated with the measured pressure falling below a threshold value.

Abstract: A vapor compression system that includes a controller. The controller includes instructions for switching between first and second modes of operation of the vapor compression system. The controller activates a first compressor and a second compressor of the vapor compression system in the first mode of operation in response to a temperature level and a humidity level exceeding a threshold temperature and a threshold humidity level, respectively. And in the second mode of operation, the controller activates the first compressor in response to only the humidity level exceeding the threshold humidity level.

Abstract: An actuator in a HVAC system includes a mechanical transducer, a processing circuit, a wireless transceiver, and a power circuit. The processing circuit includes a processor and memory and is configured to operate the mechanical transducer according to a control program stored in the memory. The wireless transceiver is configured to facilitate bidirectional wireless data communications between the processing circuit and an external device. The power circuit is configured to draw power from a wireless signal received via the wireless transceiver and power the processing circuit and the wireless transceiver using the drawn power. The processing circuit is configured to use the power drawn from the wireless signal to wirelessly transmit data stored in the memory of the actuator to the external device via the wireless transceiver, wirelessly receive data from the external device via the wireless transceiver, and store the data received from the external device in the memory.

Abstract: A building management system includes building equipment operable generate training data relating to behavior of a building system and a controller configured to perform a system identification process that includes generating a prediction error function based on the training data and a system model, generating initial guesses of one or more parameters of the system model, running an optimization problem of the prediction error function for a first group of iterations, discarding, after the first group of iterations, a portion of the initial guesses based on one or more criteria and ranking a remaining portion of the initial guesses, running the optimization problem of the prediction error function for a top-ranked initial guess of the remaining portion to local optimality to identify a first set of values of the one or more parameters, and identifying the one or more parameters as having the first set of values.

Abstract: A variable refrigerant flow system includes one or more outdoor units and a first indoor unit of a plurality of indoor units configured to receive refrigerant from the one or more outdoor units. The first indoor unit is configured to serve a first building zone. The variable refrigerant flow system also includes a user input device configured to receive a user command requesting heating or cooling of the first building zone by the first indoor unit. The variable refrigerant flow system also includes a controller configured to receive the command from the user input device, receive an indication of a current price of energy, in response to receiving the command generate a constraint on a capacity of the one or more outdoor units based on the current price of energy, and control the one or more outdoor units to operate in accordance with the constraint.

Abstract: An automotive exhaust aftertreatment system includes an onboard ammonium carbamate reactor. The onboard ammonium carbamate reactor is coupled to a diesel emission fluid reservoir also included in the system and is configured to generate aqueous ammonium carbamate solution from diesel emission fluid. A hybrid heating system for use with the ammonium carbamate reactor is provided in this disclosure.

Abstract: A building management system for sharing data includes a plurality of data sources configured to expose a plurality of data points. Each data source is associated with a use identifier characterizing one or more of the data points exposed by the data source. The system further includes one or more data recipients configured to access the data points. The data recipients include building management devices and/or building management applications. The system further includes a data share manager configured to receive a selected data source from the plurality of data sources, identify the use identifier associated with the selected data source, generate and present a list of the data recipients that have the use identifier associated with the selected data source as an attribute, receive a selected data recipient from the list of data recipients, and create a data share relationship linking the selected data source with the selected data recipient.

Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for a building includes a plurality of actuation devices operable to affect one or more variables in the building, a plurality of sensors configured to measure the variables affected by the actuation devices, and a controller. The controller is configured to operate the actuation devices to affect one or more of the measured variables by providing an actuation signal to the actuation devices and to receive sensor response signals from the sensors. The sensor response signals indicate an effect of the actuation signal on the measured variables. For each of the sensor response signals, the controller is configured to calculate a similarity metric indicating a similarity between the sensor response signal and the actuation signal. The controller is configured to automatically establish a device pairing including one of the actuation devices and one of the sensors based on the similarity metrics.

Abstract: A building management system includes one or more computer-readable storage media having a data structure, wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of vulnerabilities and a plurality of pairs, each of the plurality of pairs comprising one of a plurality of assets and one of the plurality of threat types, wherein each of the plurality of pairs is associated with one of the plurality of vulnerabilities and instructions. The instructions cause one or more processors to receive a threat, the threat comprising a particular threat type of the plurality of threat types, the threat indicating an incident affecting a risk value associated with a particular asset of the plurality of assets, identify a particular vulnerability of the data structure based on the particular threat type and the particular asset, and determine, based on the particular vulnerability and the threat, the risk value associated with the particular asset.

Abstract: A prismatic lithium ion battery cell includes a packaging having a cover sealed to a can, wherein the cover includes a reversal disk. A conductive member is disposed above the reversal disk and a power assembly is disposed within the packaging. A first terminal pad and a second terminal pad are disposed above the conductive member and respectively coupled to the power assembly. The reversal disk is configured to deflect upwards and to displace the conductive member to contact the first and second terminal pads in response to a pressure within the packaging being greater than a first predefined pressure threshold and thereby form an external short-circuit between the first and second terminal pads via the conductive member. Subsequently, a portion of the power assembly fails in response to the external short-circuit and interrupts current flow between the first and second terminal pads.

Abstract: A system for a plurality of thermostats each located in a different building in a neighborhood. Each thermostat includes a processing circuit configured to receive one or more assigned operating time slots from an analytics service and operate building equipment associated with the thermostat based on the one or more assigned operating time slots. The system further includes the analytics service. The analytics service includes a processing circuit configured to receive weather forecast data from a weather service and predict a period of time during which an energy usage peak will occur for the plurality of buildings based on the weather forecast data, determine the one or more operating time slots based on the period of time, assign the one or more operating time slots to each of the plurality of thermostats, and send the one or more assigned operating time slots to the plurality of thermostats.

Abstract: A condenser includes a shell having a vapor refrigerant inlet, a first tube bundle and a liquid refrigerant outlet. A second tube bundle is positioned in a subcooler component. The subcooler component has a center channel and at least two outer channels and conforms to the shell.

Abstract: Systems and methods for implementing an economic model predictive control (EMPC) strategy in any resource-based system include an EMPC tool. The EMPC tool is configured to present user interfaces to a client device. The EMPC tool is further configured to receive first user input including resources and subplants associated with a central plant. The EMPC tool is also configured to receive second user input including sinks and connections between central plant equipment. The EMPC tool also includes a data model extender configured to extend a data model to define new entities and/or relationships specified by user input. The EMPC tool also includes a high level EMPC algorithm configured to generate an optimization problem and an asset allocator configured to solve the resource optimization problem in order to determine optimal control decisions used to operate the central plant.

Abstract: A refrigerant leak detection system for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a vessel configured to receive an air sample. The refrigerant leak detection system includes a cooling device configured to cool the vessel and a liquid detection device configured to detect liquid in the vessel. The refrigerant leak detection system further includes an actuator configured to actuate a transfer mechanism to collect the air sample in the vessel.

Abstract: A compressor and method for controlling the volume ratio of a compressor is provided. The compressor includes a an intake passage, a discharge passage and a compression mechanism, the compression mechanism being positioned to receive vapor from the intake passage and provide compressed vapor to the discharge passage. At least one opening is positioned in the compression mechanism to bypass a portion of the vapor in the compression mechanism to the discharge passage, the at least one opening being sized and positioned to automatically vary a volume ratio in the compressor in response to a varying pressure differential between the intake passage and the discharge passage.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling an actuator for an HVAC system are disclosed. A valve is configured to be positioned in a conduit. An actuator includes a motor configured to rotate the valve between a first position and a second position. An actuator controller identifies a condition for performing a partial stroke test of the valve. The actuator controller performs the partial stroke test for the valve. The actuator controller controls the motor to rotate the valve from the first position to a second position, and controls the motor to rotate the valve back to the first position.