Patents by Inventor Michael J. Wenzel

Michael J. Wenzel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10190793
    Abstract: A central plant that generates and provides resources to a building. The central plant includes an electrical energy storage subplant configured to store electrical energy purchased from a utility and to discharge the stored electrical energy. The central plant includes a plurality of generator subplants that consume one or more input resources. The central plant includes a controller configured to determine, for each time step within a time horizon, an optimal allocation of the input resources and the output resources for each of the subplants in order to optimize a total monetary value of operating the central plant over the time horizon. The total monetary value includes revenue from participating in incentive-based demand response programs as well as costs associated with resource consumption, equipment degradation, and losses in battery capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Kirk H. Drees, Michael J. Wenzel, Robert D. Turney
  • Publication number: 20190025774
    Abstract: A controller for a building system receives training data including input data and output data. The output data indicate a state of the building system affected by the input data. The controller pre-processes the training data using a first set of pre-processing options to generate a first set of training data and pre-processes the training data using a second set of pre-processing options to generate a second set of training data. The controller performs a multi-stage optimization process to identify multiple different sets of model parameters of a dynamic model for the building system. The multi-stage optimization process includes a first stage in which the controller uses the first set of training data to identify a first set of model parameters and a second stage in which the controller uses the second set of training data to identify a second set of model parameters. The controller uses the dynamic model to operate the building system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Robert D. Turney
  • Patent number: 10186889
    Abstract: A frequency response optimization system includes a battery configured to store and discharge electric power, a power inverter configured to control an amount of the electric power stored or discharged from the battery at each of a plurality of time steps during a frequency response period, and a frequency response controller. The frequency response controller is configured to receive a regulation signal from an incentive provider, determine statistics of the regulation signal, use the statistics of the regulation signal to generate an optimal frequency response midpoint that achieves a desired change in a state-of-charge (SOC) of the battery while participating in a frequency response program, and use the midpoints to determine optimal battery power setpoints for the power inverter. The power inverter is configured to use the optimal battery power setpoints to control the amount of the electric power stored or discharged from the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Taurus DES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Kirk H. Drees, Mohammad N. ElBsat
  • Patent number: 10175681
    Abstract: An optimization system for a central plant includes a processing circuit configured to receive load prediction data indicating building energy loads and utility rate data indicating a price of one or more resources consumed by equipment of the central plant to serve the building energy loads. The optimization system includes a high level optimization module configured to generate an objective function that expresses a total monetary cost of operating the central plant over an optimization period as a function of the utility rate data and an amount of the one or more resources consumed by the central plant equipment. The high level optimization module is configured to optimize the objective function over the optimization period subject to load equality constraints and capacity constraints on the central plant equipment to determine an optimal distribution of the building energy loads over multiple groups of the central plant equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Robert D. Turney, Kirk H. Drees, Matthew J. Asmus
  • Publication number: 20180356782
    Abstract: An energy optimization system for a building includes a processing circuit configured to generate a user interface including an indication of one or more economic load demand response (ELDR) operation parameters, one or more first participation hours, and a first load reduction amount for each of the one or more first participation hours. The processing circuit is configured to receive one or more overrides of the one or more first participation hours from the user interface, generate one or more second participation hours, a second load reduction amount for each of the one or more second participation hours, and one or more second equipment loads for the one or more pieces of building equipment based on the received one or more overrides, and operate the one or more pieces of building equipment to affect an environmental condition of the building based on the one or more second equipment loads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Mohammad N. ElBsat, Michael J. Wenzel, Nicole A. Madison, Tricia J. Valentine, Collin W. Eggert, Matthew J. Asmus, James P. Kummer, Carol T. Tumey, Peter A. Craig
  • Publication number: 20180356770
    Abstract: An energy optimization system for a building includes a processing circuit configured to provide a first bid including one or more first participation hours and a first load reduction amount for each of the one or more first participation hours to a computing system. The processing circuit is configured to operate one or more pieces of building equipment based on one or more first equipment loads and receive one or more awarded or rejected participation hours from the computing system responsive to the first bid. The processing circuit is configured to generate one or more second participation hours, a second load reduction amount for each of the one or more second participation hours, and one or more second equipment loads based on the one or more awarded or rejected participation hours and operate the one or more pieces of building equipment based on the one or more second equipment loads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Mohammad N. ElBsat, Michael J. Wenzel, Matthew J. Asmus, James P. Kummer, Peter A. Craig, Robert D. Turney
  • Publication number: 20180357577
    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: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Mohammad N. ElBsat, Michael J. Wenzel
  • Patent number: 10146237
    Abstract: A thermostat includes an equipment controller and a model predictive controller. The equipment controller is configured to drive the temperature of a building zone to an optimal temperature setpoint by operating HVAC equipment to provide heating or cooling to the building zone. The model predictive controller is configured to determine the optimal temperature setpoint by generating a cost function that accounts for a cost operating the HVAC equipment during each of a plurality of time steps in an optimization period, using a predictive model to predict the temperature of the building zone during each of the plurality of time steps, and optimizing the cost function subject to a constraint on the predicted temperature of the building zone to determine optimal temperature setpoints for each of the time steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Robert D. Turney, Matthew J. Ellis, Michael J. Wenzel, Mohammad N. Elbsat, Juan Esteban Tapiero Bernal, Brennan H. Fentzlaff
  • Patent number: 10120375
    Abstract: A building management system (BMS) includes a controller that monitors performance values for a controlled process during a first time period relative to initial outlier detection limits and generates new outlier detection limits for the controlled process in response to a detected change in the controlled process during the first time period. The controller monitors the performance values relative to the new outlier detection limits during a second time period to detect outliers during the second time period. The controller calculates a confidence difference for an estimated confidence parameter based on a number of outliers detected using the new outlier detection limits during the second time period. The controller adjusts the new outlier detection limits in response to the confidence difference dropping below a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Andrew J. Przybylski, Michael J. Wenzel, Andrew J. Boettcher
  • Publication number: 20180314220
    Abstract: A building energy system includes equipment and an asset allocator configured to determine an optimal allocation of energy loads across the equipment over a prediction horizon. The asset allocator generates several potential scenarios and generates an individual cost function for each potential scenario. Each potential scenario includes a predicted load required by the building and predicted prices for input resources. Each individual cost function includes a cost of purchasing the input resources from utility suppliers. The asset allocator generates a resource balance constraint and solves an optimization problem to determine the optimal allocation of the energy loads across the equipment. Solving the optimization problem includes optimizing an overall cost function that includes a weighted sum of individual cost functions for each potential scenario subject to the resource balance constraint for each potential scenario.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: RANJEET KUMAR, MICHAEL J. WENZEL, MATTHEW J. ELLIS, MOHAMMAD N. ELBSAT, KIRK H. DREES, VICTOR MANUEL ZAVALA TEJEDA
  • Publication number: 20180313557
    Abstract: A thermostat includes an equipment controller and a model predictive controller. The equipment controller is configured to drive the temperature of a building zone to an optimal temperature setpoint by operating HVAC equipment to provide heating or cooling to the building zone. The model predictive controller is configured to determine the optimal temperature setpoint by generating a cost function that accounts for a cost operating the HVAC equipment during each of a plurality of time steps in an optimization period, using a predictive model to predict the temperature of the building zone during each of the plurality of time steps, and optimizing the cost function subject to a constraint on the predicted temperature of the building zone to determine optimal temperature setpoints for each of the time steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Robert D. Turney, Matthew J. Ellis, Michael J. Wenzel, Mohammad N. EIBsat, Juan Esteban Tapiero Bernal, Brennan H. Fentzlaff
  • Patent number: 10101730
    Abstract: An optimization system for a central plant includes a processing circuit configured to receive load prediction data indicating building energy loads and utility rate data indicating a price of one or more resources consumed by equipment of the central plant to serve the building energy loads. The optimization system includes a high level optimization module configured to generate an objective function that expresses a total monetary cost of operating the central plant over the optimization period as a function of the utility rate data and an amount of the one or more resources consumed by multiple groups of the central plant equipment. The optimization system includes a load change penalty module configured to modify the objective function to account for a load change penalty resulting from a change in an amount of the building energy loads assigned to one or more of the groups of central plant equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Robert D. Turney
  • Patent number: 10095820
    Abstract: A set of energy use model parameters for each of a plurality of buildings is used to determine a typical set of energy use model parameters for the plurality of buildings. A distance between the typical set of energy use model parameters and the set of energy use model parameters for each of the plurality of buildings is determined. Each distance is compared to a critical value. A building is identified as a candidate for energy conservation measures in response to the distance for the building exceeding the critical value. Energy conservation measures are implemented in the identified building. Implementing energy conservation measures may include replacing existing HVAC equipment in the identified building with new energy-efficient HVAC equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Kirk H. Drees, Michael J. Wenzel
  • Publication number: 20180285800
    Abstract: A central plant includes an asset allocator configured to determine an optimal allocation of energy loads across central plant equipment. The asset allocator identifies sources configured to supply input resources, subplants configured to convert the input resources to output resources, and sinks configured to consume the output resources. The asset allocator generates a cost function and a resource balance constraint. The resource balance constraint requires balance between a total amount of each resource supplied by the sources and the subplants and a total amount of each resource consumed by the subplants and the sinks. The asset allocator determines the optimal allocation of the energy loads across the central plant equipment by optimizing the cost function subject to the resource balance constraint. The asset allocator is configured to control the central plant equipment to achieve the optimal allocation of the energy loads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Matthew J. Ellis
  • Patent number: 10088814
    Abstract: A controller for a building system receives training data that includes input data and output data. The output data measures a state of the building system affected by both the input data and an extraneous disturbance. The controller performs a two-stage optimization process to identify system parameters and Kalman gain parameters of a dynamic model for the building system. During the first stage, the controller filters the training data to remove an effect of the extraneous disturbance from the output data and uses the filtered training data to identify the system parameters. During the second stage, the controller uses the non-filtered training data to identify the Kalman gain parameters. The controller uses the dynamic model with the identified system parameters and Kalman gain parameters to generate a setpoint for the building system. The building system uses the setpoint to affect the state measured by the output data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Robert D. Turney
  • Publication number: 20180260101
    Abstract: A building management system for generating a building model for a building and operating building equipment of the building based on the building model. The system includes a processing circuit configured to receive a context, wherein the context includes metadata defining the building model for the building and generate a building model editor interface for viewing and editing the received context, wherein the building model interface includes building elements for the building model, wherein the building elements are based on the received context and represent the building equipment. The processing circuit is configured to receive user edits of the context via the building model interface, wherein the user edits include edits to the building elements, generate an updated context based on the user edits of the context, and deploy the updated context to control environmental conditions of the building with the building equipment based on the updated context.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Andrew J. Przybylski, Todd Schluechtermann, John H. Burroughs, Jon T. Mueller, Michael J. Wenzel, Matthew J. Ellis
  • Publication number: 20180254632
    Abstract: An energy storage system for a building includes a battery asset configured to store electricity and discharge the stored electricity for use in satisfying a building electric load. The system includes a planning tool configured to identify one or more selected functionalities of the energy storage system and generate a cost function defining a cost of operating the energy storage system over an optimization period. The cost function includes a term for each of the selected functionalities. The planning tool is configured to generate optimization constraints based on the selected functionalities, attributes of the battery asset, and the electric energy load to be satisfied. The planning tool is configured to optimize the cost function to determine optimal power setpoints for the battery asset at each of a plurality of time steps of the optimization period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: MOHAMMAD N. ELBSAT, MICHAEL J. WENZEL, KIRK H. DREES
  • Publication number: 20180224814
    Abstract: An energy cost optimization system for a building includes HVAC equipment and a controller. The controller is configured to generate a cost function defining a cost of operating the HVAC equipment as a function of one or more energy load setpoints. The controller is configured to modify the cost function to account for both an initial purchase cost of a new asset to be added to the HVAC equipment and an effect of the new asset on the cost of operating the HVAC equipment. Both the initial purchase cost of the new asset and the effect of the new asset on the cost of operating the HVAC equipment are functions of one or more asset size variables. The controller is configured to perform an optimization using the modified cost function to determine optimal values for decision variables including the energy load setpoints and the asset size variables.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Mohammad N. Elbsat, Michael J. Wenzel
  • Publication number: 20180197253
    Abstract: An energy storage system includes a battery and an energy storage controller. The battery is configured to store electrical energy purchased from a utility and to discharge the stored electrical energy for use in satisfying a building energy load. The energy storage controller is configured to generate a cost function including multiple demand charges. Each of the demand charges corresponds to a demand charge period and defines a cost based on a maximum amount of the electrical energy purchased from the utility during any time step within the corresponding demand charge period. The controller is configured to modify the cost function by applying a demand charge mask to each of the multiple demand charges. The demand charge masks cause the controller to disregard the electrical energy purchased from the utility during any time steps that occur outside the corresponding demand charge period when calculating a value for the demand charge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Mohammad N. ElBsat, Michael J. Wenzel, Robert D. Turney
  • Patent number: 10007259
    Abstract: A controller is configured to use an energy cost function to predict a total cost of energy purchased from an energy provider as a function of one or more setpoints provided by the controller. The energy cost function includes a demand charge term defining a cost per unit of power corresponding to a maximum power usage of the building system. The controller is configured to linearize the demand charge term by imposing demand charge constraints and to mask each of the demand charge constraints that applies to an inactive pricing period. The controller is configured to determine optimal values of the one or more setpoints by performing an optimization procedure that minimizes the total cost of energy subject to the demand charge constraints and to provide the optimal values of the one or more setpoints to equipment of the building system that operate to affect the maximum power usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Robert D. Turney, Michael J. Wenzel