Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system including a thermal light detector configured to detect a heat indication within a conditioned space. The HVAC system further includes a controller configured to receive feedback indicative of the heat indication from the thermal light detector and, based on the feedback, correlate the heat indication with a categorized event of a plurality of categorized events. The controller is further configured to adjust operation of the HVAC system based on the categorized event.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) control system having an enclosure that includes a first portion and a second portion assembled in a clamshell configuration. The first portion and the second portion are configured to hingedly engage in a closed configuration about a controller for an HVAC system and are configured to hingedly disengage into an open configuration. The HVAC control system also includes a hinge feature that is configured to hingedly couple the enclosure to a housing of the HVAC system.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that calibrate a defrost threshold used to determine when a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system enters a defrost mode, and, more particularly, determine frost temperature differences used to determine the defrost threshold when the HVAC system is in a stable condition. A frost temperature difference is a difference between an outdoor ambient temperature and a refrigerant temperature. The HVAC system determines that it is in the stable condition by determining that a standard deviation of a current frost temperature difference from a previous frost temperature difference is below a standard deviation threshold. When the HVAC system is in the stable condition, the frost temperature differences are determined, and the defrost threshold is determined from the frost temperature differences.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system that includes a mobile air conditioning unit configured to separately dock with each docking station of a plurality of docking stations. The mobile air conditioning unit includes a refrigerant circuit configured to condition an airflow to produce a conditioned airflow and a transportation system configured to autonomously relocate the mobile air conditioning unit.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a refrigerant circuit configured to flow a refrigerant. The refrigerant circuit includes a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant, a condenser configured to receive the refrigerant from the compressor and to condense the refrigerant, a valve configured to receive a first portion of the refrigerant from the condenser and to decrease a pressure of the first portion of the refrigerant, and an evaporator configured to receive the first portion of the refrigerant from the condenser and configured to evaporate the first portion of the refrigerant. The refrigerant circuit also includes a refrigerant sub-circuit configured to receive a second portion of the refrigerant from the condenser and to convert thermal energy of the second portion of the refrigerant to electrical energy.

Abstract: A system for heating a building via refrigerant includes a coil temperature sensor, an ambient temperature sensor, and a controller. The controller includes a processing circuit configured to record a system operating parameter and a control step of a control process before performing a sacrificial defrost cycle. The processing circuit is configured to cause the system to perform the sacrificial defrost cycle and operate the system at predefined system operating parameters other than the recorded system operating parameters. The system is configured to cause the system to operate at the recorded system operating parameters and generate calibration data in response to the sacrificial defrost cycle ending. The processing circuit is configured to cause the control process to operate at the recorded control step and cause the system to perform a defrost cycle based on the calibration data, the coil temperature, and the ambient temperature.

Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system may include a refrigerant loop to circulate refrigerant, a first valve, a second valve, a sensor to measure parameters of the refrigerant, a refrigerant tank fluidly coupled to the refrigerant loop via the valves, and control circuitry communicatively coupled to the sensor, the first valve, and the second valve. The control circuitry may determine environmental conditions and detect whether an undercharge or overcharge condition is present in the refrigerant loop based at least in part on the environmental conditions and the measured parameters. The control circuitry may also instruct the first valve to open when the undercharge condition is detected to facilitate flowing refrigerant from the refrigerant tank into the refrigerant loop and instruct the second valve to open when the overcharge condition is detected to facilitate flowing refrigerant from the refrigerant loop into the refrigerant tank.

Abstract: A climate management system includes a controller configured to control operation of the climate management system to control climate characteristics in a building. The climate management system also includes virtual reality or augmented reality (VR/AR) equipment that includes a display and is configured to be communicatively coupled to the controller. The VR/AR equipment includes a memory device and a processor, and the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to send a command to the controller based on a user input received with the VR/AR equipment.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes systems and methods for determining dimensions, shapes, and locations of rooms of a building using a mobile device for controlling heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) provided to the rooms and building. A measuring device receives a shape of a room in the building and determines a dimension set of the room based on the shape of the room. The measuring device transmits the shape of the room and the dimension set to a mobile device that determines a layout of the building based on the shapes and the dimension sets corresponding to the rooms of the building. In this manner, the systems and methods provide the layout of the building more efficiently, resulting in an improved HVAC system installation and operation process.

Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes an outdoor unit having a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a coil configured to route refrigerant therethrough. The HVAC system also includes a motor configured to drive a fan, a motor controller configured to regulate operation of the motor, and a global controller configured to regulate operation of global aspects of the HVAC system. The HVAC system also includes a power sensor configured to detect a power parameter relating to a power input to the motor controller, a power output from the motor controller, or a power input to the motor, wherein the global controller is configured to receive data indicative of the power parameter from the power sensor, and wherein the global controller is configured to analyze the data indicative of the power parameter to detect a frozen coil condition, a fouled coil condition, or both.

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.

Abstract: An outdoor unit for a building HVAC system includes one or more sensors configured to measure temperature and pressure values. The unit also includes a user interface coupled to the outdoor unit. The user interface is configured to display information to a user. The unit includes a controller including a processing circuit. The processing circuit configured to record the temperature values and the pressure values via the sensors and cause the user interface to display temperature values and pressure values.

Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a controller associated with a residence. The controller is configured to determine an expected value range for an operating parameter of a component of the HVAC system. Additionally, the controller is configured to receive a signal from a sensor indicative of a current value of the operating parameter of the component and determine if the current value of the operating parameter is outside the expected value range. Based on the determination that the current value is outside the expected value range, the controller is additionally configured to initiate a diagnostic mode of the controller. In the diagnostic mode, the controller is configured to collect diagnostic data associated with the HVAC system.

Abstract: A system for heating a building via refrigerant includes a coil temperature sensor, an ambient temperature sensor, and a controller. The controller includes a processing circuit configured to record a system operating parameter and a control step of a control process before performing a sacrificial defrost cycle. The processing circuit is configured to cause the system to perform the sacrificial defrost cycle and operate the system at predefined system operating parameters other than the recorded system operating parameters. The system is configured to cause the system to operate at the recorded system operating parameters and generate calibration data in response to the sacrificial defrost cycle ending. The processing circuit is configured to cause the control process to operate at the recorded control step and cause the system to perform a defrost cycle based on the calibration data, the coil temperature, and the ambient temperature.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a refrigerant circuit configured to flow a refrigerant. The refrigerant circuit includes a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant, a condenser configured to receive the refrigerant from the compressor and to condense the refrigerant, a valve configured to receive a first portion of the refrigerant from the condenser and to decrease a pressure of the first portion of the refrigerant, and an evaporator configured to receive the first portion of the refrigerant from the condenser and configured to evaporate the first portion of the refrigerant. The refrigerant circuit also includes a refrigerant sub-circuit configured to receive a second portion of the refrigerant from the condenser and to convert thermal energy of the second portion of the refrigerant to electrical energy.