Abstract: Embodiments determine the effect of an environmental maintenance device on other environmental maintenance devices in environmentally controlled space. The determined effects may be modeled and graphically represented using, for example, an effectiveness map. In the case of a data center, an exemplary effectiveness map may illustrate the effect that one or more computer room air conditioners (CRACs) have on themselves and on other CRACs in the data center. In the case of an office building, an exemplary effectiveness map may illustrate the effect that one or more selected variable air volume (VAV) terminal units have on their own thermostat readings and the thermostat readings of other VAV terminal units in the office building.

Abstract: Embodiments provide a machine learning model to identify changes in setpoints of one or more environmental control modules that, while having a high critical error, provide greater reductions in a cost function associated with the one or more environmental modules provided in an environmentally controlled space. The high critical error associated with the identified changes may still be within an acceptable threshold range associated with the environmentally controlled space. Thus, contrary to rule-based methods, the artificial intelligence (AI) based model described herein may recommended optimal changes to the system that yield to greater savings in the cost function and may not focus on minimizing the critical control error. Rather, the AI-based technique may simply aim at keeping the critical control error within an acceptable threshold range.

Abstract: Embodiments determine the effect of an environmental maintenance device on other environmental maintenance devices in environmentally controlled space. The determined effects may be modeled and graphically represented using, for example, an effectiveness map. In the case of a data center, an exemplary effectiveness map may illustrate the effect that one or more computer room air conditioners (CRACs) have on themselves and on other CRACs in the data center. In the case of an office building, an exemplary effectiveness map may illustrate the effect that one or more selected variable air volume (VAV) terminal units have on their own thermostat readings and the thermostat readings of other VAV terminal units in the office building.

Abstract: Methods are provided for calculating a reserve value or a risk value for various locations in an environmentally-controlled space such as a data center, and using the reserve value or risk value to allocate environmental maintenance modules and/or load. For example, an influence model can predict a change in a sensor value at a location for a corresponding change in an operation level of an actuator of one of the environmental maintenance modules. Based on the influence model and an operation level of the actuator, a reserve value can be determined for the location. A risk value for the location can be determined using a risk metric that may use the reserve value, a current sensor value at the location, and a threshold sensor value at the location.

Abstract: Methods are provided for calculating a reserve value or a risk value for various locations in an environmentally-controlled space such as a data center, and using the reserve value or risk value to allocate environmental maintenance modules and/or load. For example, an influence model can predict a change in a sensor value at a location for a corresponding change in an operation level of an actuator of one of the environmental maintenance modules. Based on the influence model and an operation level of the actuator, a reserve value can be determined for the location. A risk value for the location can be determined using a risk metric that may use the reserve value, a current sensor value at the location, and a threshold sensor value at the location.

Abstract: A piezoelectric motor comprising a vibratory element is configured to move a first driven element by vibrations generated by the vibratory element. A second driven element is brought into frictional contact with the first driven element to form a multistage piezoelectric drive system. Alternatively, a selected contacting portion on a support for the first driven element is provided for drivingly engaging the second driven element. The system is configured to also move the second driven element by vibrations generated by the vibratory element, these vibrations being transmitted from the vibratory element into the first driven element and possibly also into the support for the first driven element. The system is preferably configured to move the first and second driven elements independently from each other using only electric signals that are applied to the same one vibratory element.

Abstract: The invention relates to a piezoelectric motor comprising a piezoelectric component that is connected to a resonator and a two-dimensional resonator that interacts with a movable. element, the resonator having principal surfaces that are parallel to each other and that are also identical in shape and size. The invention further relates to methods for producing such piezoelectric motors, wherein the resonators are manufactured by cutting a profiled, extruded bar into lengths or by cutting, preferably by punching, from sheet metal having constant thickness. Finally, this invention relates to a method for exciting such a piezoelectric motor, wherein the excitation frequency or frequencies is/are generated by the control electronics as a function of time in response to the respective peak current and/or in response to the respective phase minimum between current and voltage and/or in response to the change in phase.

Abstract: A piezoelectric apparatus comprising a piezoelectric element that is held in static compression is manufactured using moldable materials and a molding process, e.g., injection molding or die casting. The static compression is caused by an intrinsic urge of the moldable material to expand, contract, or deform otherwise, which develops in the material during the hardening phase of the molding process. To enhance the usefulness of the device, a variety of inserts can be connected to the device and various features can be formed by the moldable material at the same time as the molding process takes place. Static preloads may also be caused by mechanically preloaded elements that are introduced during the molding process or by elements that concurrently introduced but that are permanently deformed thereafter.

Abstract: A piezoelectric system has a piezoelectric motor (20) driving a driven element (22) so as to move the driven element (822) in response to an electric signal (25). The motor (20) has at least a first optimal operating frequency at which the motor (20) moves the driven element (22) an amount that meets predetermined criteria. The motor (20) and driven element (22) have a desired performance criteria when operated at that first operating frequency. A plurality of concatenated sinusoidal sweeping frequencies are repeatedly supplied to the piezoelectric motor (20) with at least one of the sweeping frequencies being sufficiently close to the first operating frequency to cause detectable motion of the driven element (22). The frequencies are varied in response to movement of at least one of the motor (20) and the driven element (22) to produce an average performance of the motor (20) and driven element (22) for a time corresponding to the time for one sweep of frequencies.