Abstract: A universal gateway device includes a first network interface circuit and a second network interface circuit. The first network interface circuit is utilized to communicate over a first network associated with an Internet of Things (IoT) management system utilizing a first communications protocol. The second network interface circuit is utilized to communicate over a second network associated with an IoT device utilizing a second communications protocol that is different from the first communications protocol. The first network interface circuit generates a virtual device representation of the IoT device on the first network. The virtual device representation is utilized to communicate data from the IoT device over the first network utilizing the first communications protocol.

Abstract: An environmental building sensor, the environmental building sensor including a sensing device configured to measure an environmental condition of a building, an output connection between one or more circuits of the environmental building sensor and an external device, the output connection connected to an input impedance of the external device, and one or more circuits. The one or more circuits are configured to detect a feedback voltage, the feedback voltage based on the input impedance, determine, based on the feedback voltage, whether the external device is configured to receive an analog current input or an analog voltage input from the environmental building sensor, and generate the analog current input or the analog voltage input based on the environmental condition measured by the sensing device and provide the analog current input or the analog voltage input to the external device via the output connection.

Abstract: Example implementations include a method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium comprising monitoring, by a control panel, an ambient noise via one or more microphones in the control panel. The implementations further include determining, by the control panel, whether the ambient noise is indicative of a security event. In some non-limiting implementations, the control panel may be configured to detect events based on various noise detection models, such as continued noise level above a threshold, noise associated with multiple short sharp impacts (e.g., an intruder trying to kick down a door), gunshot detection, voice recognition to identify a request for assistance (e.g., a person asking for help), glass break detection, or detection of a particular standardized pattern of beeps such as the temporal-three pattern of a smoke detector going off (according to ISO 8201 and ANSI/ASA S3.41 Temporal Pattern), the temporal-four pattern of a carbon monoxide detector going off, etc.

Abstract: A method for commissioning a variable air volume (VAV) system is shown. The method includes receiving instructions via an application on a user interface, the instructions provided over a wireless communications network. The method further includes determining that a cold commissioning testing sequence has been completed for the VAV system. The method further includes, in response to determining that the cold commissioning testing sequence has been completed, initiating a hot commissioning testing sequence. The method further includes performing the hot commissioning testing sequence. The method further includes providing a report of the hot commissioning testing sequence to the user interface.

Abstract: A system includes a plurality of controllers associated with the plurality of units of building equipment, each controller comprising a plurality of communication ports, a plurality of cables connected to the plurality of communication ports and linking together the plurality of controllers, wherein the plurality of controllers are configured to self-identify a break in a connection between two the plurality of controllers by monitoring statuses of the plurality of communication ports. The system also includes circuitry configured to receive a signal indicative of the order of the connections between the plurality of controllers from the plurality of controllers, generate a graphical map of the order of the connections between the plurality of controllers based on the signal, receive, from the plurality of controllers, an indication of a break in a connection between two of the plurality of controllers, and update the graphical map to indicate the connection as broken.

Abstract: A device in communication with a first network associated with a building management system (BMS) includes one or more processing circuits configured to receive a new virtual device corresponding to one or more physical devices or systems and provide a mapping between the new virtual device and the physical devices or systems. Data points of the new virtual device correspond to data points of the physical devices or systems. The processing circuits are configured to receive data values for the data points of the physical devices or systems and update the data points of the new virtual device with the data values for the data points of the physical devices or systems. The new virtual device is configured to represent the physical devices or systems on the first network.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a system, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for operating an energy plant. In one aspect, a system determines a ratio of flow rates between devices of the energy plant connected in parallel with each other in a branch. The system generates a candidate set of operating parameters of the devices according to the ratio of flow rates. The system predicts thermodynamic states of the devices operating according to the candidate set of operating parameters. The system determines whether the predicted thermodynamic states satisfy constraints of the devices. The system determines whether the predicted thermodynamic states satisfy a target thermal energy load of the branch based on the ratio of the flow rates. The system operates the energy plant according to the candidate set of operating parameters, in response to determining that the predicted thermodynamic states satisfy the constraints and the target thermal energy load.

Abstract: One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement a software defined alarm control unit (SDACU) to augment an existing fire panel, the SDACU configured to receive, from one or more sensors distributed within a building via the existing fire panel, a fire detection signal, generate, based on the fire detection signal, an operating command for one or more fire response devices associated with the building, and generate a graphical representation of the building, the graphical representation including a status of at least one of the one or more fire response devices.

Abstract: A method includes finding, in subplant performance data points defined by values of an independent variable and values of a dependent variable, a first point for which a convexity metric of the dependent variable with respect to the independent variable exceeds a threshold, creating a subplant curve by providing a first convex region on a first side of the first point and a second convex region on a second side of the first point, and controlling the campus subplant based on the subplant curve.

Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) unit includes a heater housing having a first side wall, a second side wall opposing the first side wall, and a ceiling extending between the first side wall and second side wall. The HVAC unit also includes a first mounting rail disposed across the first side wall at a first distance from the ceiling, and a second mounting rail disposed across the second side wall at a second distance from the ceiling. The first distance is greater than the second distance. The HVAC unit also includes a heating element assembly coupled to the first and second mounting rails and having a planar heating interface extending from the first mounting rail to the second mounting rail.

Abstract: A method for recording mail screening process includes receiving, by a processor of a recording device, a first image of a mail item placed into an inspection zone of a mail screening device from a first image sensor of the mail screening device. A video stream capturing screening of the mail item is received by the processor of the recording device from a second image sensor of the mail screening device. The first image of the mail item and the video stream of the mail item are analyzed by the recording device to determine if the mail item contains a security threat. A notification is generated, by the processor of the recording device, in response to determining that the mail item contains the security threat.

Abstract: An equipment monitoring system includes an unmanned vehicle, an alarm circuit remote from the unmanned vehicle, and a vehicle control circuit remote from the unmanned vehicle. The unmanned vehicle can include a communications circuit and a flight controller. The alarm circuit detects a failure condition of a building component and outputs an indication of the failure condition. The vehicle control circuit receives the indication of the failure condition from the alarm circuit; generates, based on the indication of the failure condition, an equipment verification signal that includes an identifier of the building component, a position of the building component, and a test of the building component to be executed; and transmits the equipment verification signal to the flight controller of the unmanned vehicle via the communications circuit of the unmanned vehicle to cause the unmanned vehicle to execute the test of the building component.

Abstract: A heat exchanger for a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system includes a shell having an inlet configured to receive refrigerant and an outlet configured to output the refrigerant. The heat exchanger also includes a refrigerant distributor disposed within the shell, and multiple evaporating tubes disposed within the shell and positioned below the refrigerant distributor. The refrigerant distributor includes a perforated plate having multiple holes, each hole extends from a top surface of the perforated plate to a bottom surface of the perforated plate, and a center point of each hole is substantially aligned with a centerline of a respective evaporating tube.

Abstract: A controller for equipment that operate to store, discharge, generate, or consume one or more resources is configured to provide an objective function indicating a total value of obtaining a resource from a utility provider over a plurality of time steps subject to a load-following-block rate structure. The objective function includes a first term representing a load-following-block of the resource as being sourced from the utility provider at a fixed rate and a second term representing a remainder of the resource as being sourced from the utility provider at a variable rate. The controller is configured to use the objective function to generate values for decision variables and control the equipment to store, discharge, generate, or consume amounts of the resources indicated by the values of the decision variables at the plurality of time steps.

Abstract: A system includes one or more memory devices having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including obtaining a first building information model (BIM) file associated with a building, the building comprising one or more building assets, obtaining a second BIM file associated with the building, linking data from the first BIM file to data from the second BIM file, and concurrently presenting, via a single user interface, a representation of at least a portion of the first BIM file and the second BIM file based on the linked data.

Abstract: Systems and methods to generate new equipment models and/or connectors to integrate the new equipment models are described herein. Generation of new equipment models can include retrieving information from one or more publicly accessible data sources.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a heat exchanger system that includes a conduit configured to flow a working fluid therethrough, where the conduit has a first portion, a second portion, and a bend directly coupling the first portion and the second portion, where the first portion includes a first header connection, the second portion includes a second header connection, and the bend is distal to the first header connection and the second header connection and a support plate coupled to the bend and positioned between the first portion and the second portion of the conduit.

Abstract: A building system of a building including one or more memory devices having instructions thereon, that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to receive a request to access a portion of a building graph of the building from a system, the building graph including a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges, the plurality of nodes representing entities of the building and the plurality of edges representing relationships between the entities of the building. The instructions cause one or more processors to determine whether the system has access to the portion of the building graph based on a policy indicated by the plurality of nodes and edges of the building graph and provide the portion of the building graph to the system in response to a determination that the system has access to the portion of the building graph.

Abstract: An energy optimization system includes an asset sizing system to determine an asset size and to cause a new asset to be purchased or installed. The energy optimization system uses a cost function dependent on a cost of operating a building system and on an initial purchase price of the new asset. The new asset may be a heat recover chiller, a solar energy system, a hydroelectric system, or an energy storage system. The optimization may be performed subject to a constraint related to the use of a resource supplied to the building system by one or more utilities. The optimization may include minimizing a simple pay back period or to maximizing a rate of return on the purchase of the new asset.

Abstract: A system for predicting performance of building equipment includes one or more processors and memory storing instructions. When executed by the one or more processors, the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations. The operations include obtaining sensor data generated by one or more sensors while operating the building equipment to affect one or more environmental conditions of a building, generating a predicted performance of the building equipment using a machine learning model if the machine learning model comprises prior data similar to the sensor data, and requesting feedback from an expert related to the predicted performance of the building equipment if the sensor data are different from the prior data.