SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF A CHILLER SYSTEM

Abstract

A monitoring system is configured to monitor an environment within an enclosure of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and/or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system. The monitoring system includes a sensor configured to acquire data indicative of an environmental parameter value within the enclosure. The monitoring system also includes a controller configured to receive the data from the sensor, to determine occurrence of a thermal event within the enclosure based on the data, and to instruct a circuit breaker of the HVAC&R system to transition to a fault configuration in response to determining the occurrence of the thermal event.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/151,418, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF A CHILLER SYSTEM,” filed Feb. 19, 2021, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

A chiller system utilized in commercial or industrial heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and/or refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems typically includes a compressor for circulating a working fluid (e.g., refrigerant) through heat exchangers of the HVAC&R system. The heat exchangers facilitate transfer of thermal energy between the working fluid and a space to be conditioned, such as a room or zone within a building or other structure serviced by the HVAC&R system. Generally, the chiller system includes one or more electrical components that facilitate control and operation of the chiller system. For example, the chiller system may include a variable speed drive (VSD) that facilitates adjustment of an operating speed of a motor (e.g., an electric motor) configured to drive operation of the compressor. It may be desirable to monitor operational conditions of the electrical components during operation of the chiller system.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a monitoring system configured to monitor an environment within an enclosure of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and/or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system. The monitoring system includes a sensor configured to acquire data indicative of an environmental parameter value within the enclosure. The monitoring system also includes a controller configured to receive the data from the sensor, to determine occurrence of a thermal event within the enclosure based on the data, and to instruct a circuit breaker of the HVAC&R system to transition to a fault configuration in response to determining the occurrence of the thermal event.

The present disclosure also relates to a method that includes acquiring, via one or more sensors, data indicative of an environmental parameter value within an enclosure of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and/or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system. The method also includes determining, via a controller, occurrence of a thermal event within the enclosure based on the data. The method also includes instructing, via the controller, a circuit breaker of the HVAC&R system to transition to a fault configuration in response to determining the occurrence of the thermal event.

The present disclosure also relates to a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and/or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system. The HVAC&R system includes a circuit breaker configured to direct an electric current from a power supply to an electrical component disposed within an enclosure of the HVAC&R system. The HVAC&R system also includes a sensor configured to acquire data indicative of an environmental parameter within the enclosure. The HVAC&R system also includes a controller configured to receive the data from the sensor, determine occurrence of a thermal event within the enclosure based on the data, and instruct the circuit breaker to transition to a fault configuration to interrupt flow of the electric current to the electrical component in response to determining the occurrence of the thermal event.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a building that may utilize a heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and/or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system in a commercial setting, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a vapor compression system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic of an embodiment of the vapor compression system of FIG. 2, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic of an embodiment of the vapor compression system of FIG. 2, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic of an embodiment of a portion of an HVAC&R system, illustrating a monitoring system configured to monitor one or more electrical components of the HVAC&R system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method for operating the monitoring system of FIG. 5, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is a partial exploded view of an embodiment of a sensor that may be included in the monitoring system of FIG. 5, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. These described embodiments are examples of the presently disclosed techniques. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions may be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

As briefly discussed above, a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and/or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system may be used to thermally regulate a space within a building, home, or other suitable structure. For example, the HVAC&R system may include a vapor compression system (e.g., a chiller system) that transfers thermal energy between a heat transfer fluid, such as a refrigerant, and a fluid to be conditioned, such as air, water, or brine. The vapor compression system may include a condenser and an evaporator that are fluidly coupled to one another via conduits. A compressor may be used to circulate the refrigerant through the conduit and, thus, enable the transfer of thermal energy between the heat transfer fluid and the fluid to be conditioned via the condenser and/or the evaporator. In many cases, the compressor may be driven by a motor (e.g., an electric motor) of the HVAC&R system.

Generally, the HVAC&R system includes electrical components (e.g., power components, control components, electromechanical components, etc.) configured to control operation of various components of the chiller system, such as motors for compressors, fans, and so forth. For example, in some embodiments, the electrical components may include a variable speed drive (VSD) that is electrically coupled to the compressor motor and is configured to control an operational speed of the motor. As an example, the VSD may accelerate the motor from zero revolutions per minute (RPM) to a threshold operating speed during start-up of the HVAC&R system. In some cases, the VSD may further regulate a magnitude of the operating speed and/or threshold operating speed during operation of the HVAC&R system. In certain cases, it may be desirable to monitor an operational state or condition of the electrical components (e.g., the VSD) during operation of the HVAC&R system.

Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a monitoring system configured to monitor an operational state or condition of one or more electrical components of the HVAC&R system (e.g., chiller system). The monitoring system may include one or more sensors that are disposed within an enclosure of the HVAC&R system. The enclosure may be configured to house at least a portion of the electrical components. The sensors are configured to monitor one or more environmental parameters within the enclosure, such as parameters corresponding to a quality and/or composition of the air contained or residing within the enclosure. The sensors may also generate and provide feedback indicative of the environmental parameters. A controller of the monitoring system is electrically and/or communicatively coupled to the sensors and is configured to receive the feedback from the sensors. As discussed in detail herein, the controller is configured to determine and monitor an operational state or condition of one or more electrical components disposed within the enclosure based on the feedback received from the sensors. Further, the controller may adjust operation of the HVAC&R system based on the feedback received from the sensors (e.g., based on an operational state or condition of the one or more electrical components).

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an environment for a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system 10 in a building 12 for a typical commercial setting. The HVAC&R system 10 may include a vapor compression system 14 (e.g., a chiller system) that supplies a chilled liquid, which may be used to cool the building 12. The HVAC&R system 10 may also include a boiler 16 to supply warm liquid to heat the building 12 and an air distribution system which circulates air through the building 12. The air distribution system can also include an air return duct 18, an air supply duct 20, and/or an air handler 22. In some embodiments, the air handler 22 may include a heat exchanger that is connected to the boiler 16 and the vapor compression system 14 by conduits 24. The heat exchanger in the air handler 22 may receive either heated liquid from the boiler 16 or chilled liquid from the vapor compression system 14, depending on the mode of operation of the HVAC&R system 10. The HVAC&R system 10 is shown with a separate air handler on each floor of building 12, but in other embodiments, the HVAC&R system 10 may include air handlers 22 and/or other components that may be shared between or among floors.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are embodiments of the vapor compression system 14 that can be used in the HVAC&R system 10. The vapor compression system 14 may circulate a refrigerant through a circuit starting with a compressor 32. The circuit may also include a condenser 34, an expansion valve(s) or device(s) 36, and a liquid chiller or an evaporator 38. The vapor compression system 14 may further include a control panel 40 that has an analog to digital (A/D) converter 42, a microprocessor 44, a non-volatile memory 46, and/or an interface board 48.

Some examples of fluids that may be used as refrigerants in the vapor compression system 14 are hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) based refrigerants, for example, R-410A, R-407, R-134a, hydrofluoro olefin (HFO), “natural” refrigerants like ammonia (NH₃), R-717, carbon dioxide (CO₂), R-744, or hydrocarbon-based refrigerants, water vapor, or any other suitable refrigerant. In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 14 may be configured to efficiently utilize refrigerants having a normal boiling point of about 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) at one atmosphere of pressure, also referred to as low pressure refrigerants, versus a medium pressure refrigerant, such as R-134a. As used herein, “normal boiling point” may refer to a boiling point temperature measured at one atmosphere of pressure.

In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 14 may use one or more of a variable speed drive (VSDs) 52, a motor 50, the compressor 32, the condenser 34, the expansion valve or device 36, and/or the evaporator 38. The motor 50 may drive the compressor 32 and may be powered by the variable speed drive (VSD) 52. The VSD 52 receives alternating current (AC) power having a particular fixed line voltage and fixed line frequency from an AC power source and provides power having a variable voltage and frequency to the motor 50. In other embodiments, the motor 50 may be powered directly from an AC or direct current (DC) power source. The motor 50 may include any type of motor that can be powered by a VSD or directly from an AC or DC power source, such as a switched reluctance motor, an induction motor, an electronically commutated permanent magnet motor, or another suitable motor.

The compressor 32 compresses a refrigerant vapor and delivers the vapor to the condenser 34 through a discharge passage. In some embodiments, the compressor 32 may be a centrifugal compressor. The refrigerant vapor delivered by the compressor 32 to the condenser 34 may transfer heat to a cooling fluid (e.g., water or air) in the condenser 34. The refrigerant vapor may condense to a refrigerant liquid in the condenser 34 as a result of thermal heat transfer with the cooling fluid. The liquid refrigerant from the condenser 34 may flow through the expansion device 36 to the evaporator 38. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3, the condenser 34 is water cooled and includes a tube bundle 54 connected to a cooling tower 56, which supplies the cooling fluid to the condenser 34.

The liquid refrigerant delivered to the evaporator 38 may absorb heat from another cooling fluid, which may or may not be the same cooling fluid used in the condenser 34. The liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 38 may undergo a phase change from the liquid refrigerant to a refrigerant vapor. As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3, the evaporator 38 may include a tube bundle 58 having a supply line 60S and a return line 60R connected to a cooling load 62. The cooling fluid of the evaporator 38 (e.g., water, ethylene glycol, calcium chloride brine, sodium chloride brine, or any other suitable fluid) enters the evaporator 38 via return line 60R and exits the evaporator 38 via supply line 60S. The evaporator 38 may reduce the temperature of the cooling fluid in the tube bundle 58 via thermal heat transfer with the refrigerant. The tube bundle 58 in the evaporator 38 can include a plurality of tubes and/or a plurality of tube bundles. In any case, the vapor refrigerant exits the evaporator 38 and returns to the compressor 32 by a suction line to complete the cycle.

FIG. 4 is a schematic of the vapor compression system 14 with an intermediate circuit 64 incorporated between condenser 34 and the expansion device 36. The intermediate circuit 64 may have an inlet line 68 that is directly fluidly connected to the condenser 34. In other embodiments, the inlet line 68 may be indirectly fluidly coupled to the condenser 34. As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 4, the inlet line 68 includes a first expansion device 66 positioned upstream of an intermediate vessel 70. In some embodiments, the intermediate vessel 70 may be a flash tank (e.g., a flash intercooler). In other embodiments, the intermediate vessel 70 may be configured as a heat exchanger or a “surface economizer.” In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 4, the intermediate vessel 70 is used as a flash tank, and the first expansion device 66 is configured to lower the pressure of (e.g., expand) the liquid refrigerant received from the condenser 34. During the expansion process, a portion of the liquid may vaporize, and thus, the intermediate vessel 70 may be used to separate the vapor from the liquid received from the first expansion device 66.

Additionally, the intermediate vessel 70 may provide for further expansion of the liquid refrigerant because of a pressure drop experienced by the liquid refrigerant when entering the intermediate vessel 70 (e.g., due to a rapid increase in volume experienced when entering the intermediate vessel 70). The vapor in the intermediate vessel 70 may be drawn by the compressor 32 through a suction line 74 of the compressor 32. In other embodiments, the vapor in the intermediate vessel may be drawn to an intermediate stage of the compressor 32 (e.g., not the suction stage). The liquid that collects in the intermediate vessel 70 may be at a lower enthalpy than the liquid refrigerant exiting the condenser 34 due to expansion in the expansion device 66 and/or the intermediate vessel 70. The liquid from intermediate vessel 70 may then flow in line 72 through a second expansion device 36 to the evaporator 38.

With the foregoing in mind, FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a portion of the HVAC&R system 10, illustrating a monitoring system 100 configured to monitor an operational condition or state of one or more electrical components 102 of the HVAC&R system 10 and/or of the HVAC&R system 10 generally. For example, the one or more components 102 may include the VSD 52 and/or components of the VSD 52. For clarity, as used herein, “electrical components 102” may refer to and/or include digital components (e.g., microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits [ASICs], field-programmable gate arrays [FPGAs]), analog components (e.g., wires, resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors), electromechanical components (e.g., solenoids, actuators), power components (e.g., power supplies, inverters, power busses, etc.) and/or other components that utilize and/or operate with electrical current. In the illustrated embodiments, the HVAC&R system 10 includes a circuit breaker 104 that is configured to receive electrical power from a power supply 106. As a non-limiting example, the power supply 106 may provide three-phase, fixed voltage, and fixed frequency alternating current (AC) power to the circuit breaker 104 from an AC power grid, distribution system, or other source. The circuit breaker 104 is configured to distribute the electrical power received from the power supply 106 to the electrical components 102 of the HVAC&R system 10. In some embodiments, the circuit breaker 104 may supply electrical power to the monitoring system 100. In other embodiments, the monitoring system 100 may receive a supply of electrical power from a separate power source (e.g., a battery).

In any case, the circuit breaker 104 may monitor a magnitude of electrical current flow from the power supply 106, through the circuit breaker 104, and to the electrical components 102 (e.g., across contacts of the circuit breaker 104). The circuit breaker 104 is configured to enable or interrupt the electrical current flow across the circuit breaker 104 based on the magnitude of the electrical current flow. For example, in response to the magnitude of the electrical current flow across the circuit breaker 104 exceeding a threshold value, or remaining above a threshold value for a predetermined time interval, the circuit breaker 104 may electrically decouple the power supply 106 from the electrical components 102 (e.g., via opening of contacts of the circuit breaker 104) to block flow of electrical current from the power supply 106 to the electrical components 102. That is, the circuit breaker 104 may transition to an open circuit configuration to electrically decouple the power supply 106 from all of the electrical components 102 or from a subset of the electrical components 102. Indeed, it should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the circuit breaker 104 may include a plurality of individual circuit breakers configured to selectively enable or block flow of electrical current from the power supply 106 to corresponding electrical components 102 of the HVAC&R system 10.

In some embodiments, in the open circuit configuration of the circuit breaker 104, the circuit breaker 104 may be configured to block flow of electrical current 107 (e.g., from the power supply 106) to the electrical components 102 while still enabling flow of electrical current 108 (e.g., from the power supply 106) to the monitoring system 100. As discussed below, in a fault configuration of the circuit breaker 104 (e.g., a type of open circuit configuration of the circuit breaker 104), the circuit breaker 104 may block flow of electrical current (e.g., from the power supply 106) to both the electrical components 102 and the monitoring system 100.

In the illustrated embodiment, the monitoring system 100 includes a controller 110 (e.g., a printed circuit board [PCB], an automation controller, a programmable logic controller [PLC]) that is configured to receive electrical power from the circuit breaker 104. Particularly, the controller 110 may be electrically coupled to a power converter 112 configured to receive AC power (e.g., electric current) from the circuit breaker 104 and to output direct current (DC) power (e.g., electric current) to the controller 110. As a non-limiting example, the power converter 112 may receive a supply of 120 Volt AC power from the circuit breaker 104 and output a supply of 24 Volt DC power to the controller 110. In some embodiments, a fuse 114 may be electrically coupled between the circuit breaker 104 and the power converter 112.

In certain embodiments, some of or all of the electrical components 102 and/or the monitoring system 100 or a portion thereof may be disposed within an enclosure 120 (e.g., an electronics enclosure, a housing) of the HVAC&R system 10. The controller 110 may be electrically and/or communicatively coupled to one or more sensors 122 of the monitoring system 100. As discussed in detail herein, the sensors 122 are configured to monitor one or more environmental parameters within an interior 124 of the enclosure 120 and to provide the controller 110 with feedback indicative of the environmental parameters. As used herein, “environmental parameters” may include, for example, a concentration (e.g., in parts per million [ppm]) of compounds (e.g., organic compounds, non-organic compounds) that may be dispersed in the air within the enclosure 120. As a non-limiting example, such compounds may include carbon monoxide. Additionally or alternatively, “environmental parameters” may include a concentration of particulate matter (e.g., carbon particles) that may be suspended in the air within the enclosure 120. The sensors 122 may include a first group or subset of sensors 130 (e.g., one or more of the sensors 122) and a second group or subset of sensors 132 (e.g., one or more of the sensors 122) that, as discussed below, facilitate detection and monitoring of the environmental parameters within the enclosure 120 via the controller 110. It should be appreciated that individual sensors 122 of the first group of sensors 130 and/or the second group of sensors 132 may be disposed at various suitable locations within the enclosure 120. For example, the sensors 130, 132 may be positioned adjacent to particular electrical components 102 for which monitoring is desired. The controller 110 may utilize the feedback received from the sensors 122 to evaluate an operational condition or state of the electrical components 102 and/or of the HVAC&R system 10 generally.

For example, in some embodiments, certain of the electrical components 102 may incur performance degradation over time. Indeed, a useful or designed life of some electrical components 102 may expire, and it may be desirable to perform maintenance and/or replacement of such electrical components 102 in order to maintain desirable operation of the HVAC&R system 10. In some cases, performance degradation of the electrical components 102 and/or other variables (e.g., electrical power quality, environmental factors, such as humidity, etc.) may cause the electrical components 102 to experience a thermal event during operation of the HVAC&R system 10. As used herein, a thermal event may be indicative of an operational condition or state of the electrical component 102 in which a temperature of the electrical component 102 exceeds an expected operating temperature range of the electrical component 102 (e.g., overheating of the electrical component 102). As such, during a thermal event, the operational state of the electrical component 102 may deviate from an expected operational state of the electrical component 102 (e.g., a temperature of the electrical component 102 may be elevated beyond an expected operating temperature of the electrical component 102).

In certain embodiments, the presence of certain compounds and/or particulates in the air within the enclosure 120 may be indicative of a potential occurrence and/or the existence of a thermal event. That is, the environmental parameters within the enclosure 120 may be altered before and/or during a thermal event. Thus, the sensors 122 are configured to detect the presence of one or more compounds and/or particulates within the air that may be indicative of a potential or existing thermal event. The controller 110 may therefore detect occurrence or potential occurrence of the thermal event within the enclosure 120 in response to feedback from one or more of the sensors 122 indicative of the current (e.g., real-time) and/or detected environmental parameters within the enclosure 120.

For example, in some embodiments, carbon monoxide may be present in the interior 124 of the enclosure 120 prior to or during a thermal event. The first group of sensors 130 may include carbon monoxide sensors that are configured to detect a concentration of carbon monoxide within the interior 124. As such, based on feedback from the first group of sensors 130, the controller 110 may continuously or intermittently monitor the concentration of carbon monoxide within the enclosure 120 (e.g., during operation of the HVAC&R system 10). In some embodiments, the controller 110 may determine an occurrence of the thermal event in response to feedback from any one of the first group of sensors 130 indicating that the concentration of carbon monoxide within the interior 124 exceeds a threshold value (e.g., by a target amount or tolerance) at a particular instance in time or for a predetermined time interval (e.g., 5 seconds). Additionally or alternatively, the controller 110 may determine a potential or actual occurrence of the thermal event in response to feedback from a subset (e.g., two or more) of the first group of sensors 130 indicating that the concentration of carbon monoxide within the interior 124 exceeds the threshold value at any particular instance in time or for the predetermined time interval. To this end, the controller 110 may detect the potential or occurrence of the thermal event without utilizing, for example, temperature feedback from one or more temperature sensors configured to monitor an operating temperature (e.g., of one or more of the electrical components 102) within the enclosure 120.

In certain embodiments, the controller 110 may detect a potential occurrence or actual occurrence of a thermal event based on feedback from the second group of sensors 132 in addition to, or in lieu of, feedback that may be received by the controller 110 from the first group of sensors 130. For example, in some embodiments, particulate matter (e.g., carbon particles) may be present within the interior 124 of the enclosure 120 prior to, at the onset of, and/or during a thermal event. The second group of sensors 132 may include optical sensors (e.g., photoelectric detectors) that are configured to detect a concentration of particulates (e.g., carbon particles) that may be suspended in the air within the interior 124. As such, based on feedback received from the second group of sensors 132, the controller 110 may continuously or intermittently monitor the concentration of particulates suspended in the air within the enclosure 120 (e.g., during operation of the HVAC&R system 10). In some embodiments, the controller 110 may determine a potential occurrence or existence of the thermal event in response to feedback from any sensor of the second group of sensors 132 indicating that the concentration of particulate matter suspended in the air within the interior 124 exceeds a threshold value (e.g., by a target amount or tolerance) at a particular instance in time or for a predetermined time interval (e.g., 5 seconds). Additionally or alternatively, the controller 110 may determine potential occurrence or existence of the thermal event in response to feedback from a subset (e.g., two or more) of the second group of sensors 132 indicating that the concentration of the particulate matter suspended in the air within the interior 124 exceeds the threshold value at any particular instance in time or for the predetermined time interval. To this end, the controller 110 may detect the potential occurrence or existence of the thermal event within the enclosure 120 without utilizing, for example, temperature feedback from one or more temperature sensors configured to monitor an operating temperature (e.g., of the electrical components 102) within the enclosure 120.

In some embodiments, in response to detection of the potential occurrence or existence of a thermal event within the enclosure 120, the controller 110 may send instructions to a shunt trip 140 of the circuit breaker 104 to effectuate an interruption in electrical power (e.g., current) flow from the power supply 106 to the electrical components 102 and to the monitoring system 100. The shunt trip 140 enables adjustment of the circuit breaker 104 based on an input signal from the controller 110 (e.g., instead of based on a magnitude of the electrical current flowing through the circuit breaker 104 at a particular instance in time). For example, the shunt trip 140 may be configured to actuate the circuit breaker 104 (e.g., in response to receiving a control signal from the controller 110) to transition the circuit breaker 104 to a fault configuration (e.g., a type of open circuit configuration), in which the circuit breaker 104 may electrically decouple the power supply 106 from the electrical components 102 and/or the monitoring system 100. In this way, in the fault configuration, the circuit breaker 104 may block flow of electrical current 146 (e.g., both the electrical currents 107 and 108) from the power supply 106 to the electrical components 102 and to the monitoring system 100. To this end, the shunt trip 140 enables the controller 110 to effectuate an interruption in electrical current flow from the circuit breaker 104 to the electrical components 102, as well as to the components of the monitoring system 100 (e.g., the sensors 122, the controller 110), based on feedback from any one or combination of the sensors 122. By disabling flow of electrical current from the power supply 106 to the electrical components 102, the controller 110 may inhibit progression and/or escalation of the thermal event and enable the electrical components 102 to cool to a temperature that is substantially equal to or below an expected operating temperature of the electrical components 102.

In some embodiments, the monitoring system 100 includes an indicator 150 (e.g., a flip-dot memory device, a visual indicator, etc.) that is configured to provide an indication (e.g., a visual indication) of whether the controller 110 has actuated the shunt trip 140 in response to detection of a thermal event. That is, the indicator 150 may provide an indication as to whether the controller 110 has effectuated an interruption of electrical current flow from the power supply 106 to the electrical components 102 and the monitoring system 100 based on feedback from the sensors 122.

For example, in some embodiments, the indicator 150 may include an electromagnet 152, a plate 154 (e.g., a disk), and a spring 156. The electromagnet 152 may be configured to generate a magnetic force that is sufficient to retain the plate 154 in a first orientation (e.g., a face up orientation) via electrical current supplied to the electromagnet 152 from the circuit breaker 104. In response to an interruption of electrical current to the electromagnet 152 (e.g., such as when the controller 110 transitions the circuit breaker 104 to the fault configuration in response to detection of a thermal event), a reduction or loss in the magnetic force generated by the electromagnet 152 enables the spring 156 to transition the plate 154 from the first orientation to a second orientation (e.g., a face down orientation). As a result, an operator (e.g., a service technician) inspecting the HVAC&R system 10 may determine whether a thermal event has occurred via inspection of the indicator 150. For example, the operator may determine that a thermal event has not occurred based on observance of the plate 154 of the indicator 150 in the first orientation. Conversely, the operator may determine that the thermal event has occurred based on observance of the plate 154 of the indicator 150 in the second orientation.

As discussed above, the indicator 150 may transition the plate 154 from the first orientation to the second orientation in response to an interruption of power or electrical current to the monitoring system 100, such as may occur when the controller 110 actuates the shunt trip 140 to transition the circuit breaker 104 to the fault configuration. However, the indicator 150 may not transition the plate 154 from the first orientation to the second orientation in response to interruption of power or electrical current to the electrical components 102 alone. For example, the indicator 150 may not transition the plate 154 from the first orientation to the second orientation in response to the circuit breaker 104 interrupting current flow to the electrical components 102 due to the electrical current flow through the circuit breaker 104 exceeding a threshold value. In such a circumstance, the circuit breaker 104 (e.g., in the open circuit configuration) may nevertheless maintain supply of power (e.g., electrical current flow) to the monitoring system 100 (e.g., to the controller 110). The indicator 150 may be coupled to the controller 110 and/or to another suitable component of the monitoring system 100. In other embodiments, the monitoring system 100 may include any other suitable device configured to alert an operator of occurrence of the thermal event in addition to, or in lieu of, the indicator 150. In further embodiments, the controller 110 may be configured to send an indication (e.g., an alert message, an alert command) to another electronic device external to the monitoring system 100 upon detection of the thermal event. The controller 110 may send the indication before actuation of the shunt trip 140, concurrently with actuation of the shunt trip 140, or in response to actuation of the shunt trip 140.

In some embodiments, the controller 110 includes a processor 160, such as a microprocessor, which may execute software for controlling components of the HVAC&R system 10 and/or components of the monitoring system 100. The processor 160 may include multiple microprocessors, one or more “general-purpose” microprocessors, one or more special-purpose microprocessors, and/or one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICS), or some combination thereof. For example, the processor 160 may include one or more reduced instruction set (RISC) processors. The controller 110 may also include a memory device 162 (e.g., a memory, a memory storage, etc.) that may store information such as instructions, control software, look up tables, configuration data, etc. The memory device 162 may include a volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), and/or a nonvolatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM). The memory device 162 may store a variety of information and may be used for various purposes. For example, the memory device 162 may store processor-executable instructions including firmware or software for the processor 160 to execute, such as instructions for controlling components of the HVAC&R system 10 and/or components of the monitoring system 100. In some embodiments, the memory device 162 is a tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium that may store machine-readable instructions for the processor 160 to execute. The memory device 162 may include ROM, flash memory, a hard drive, or any other suitable optical, magnetic, or solid-state storage medium, or a combination thereof. The memory device 162 may store data, instructions, and any other suitable data.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method 170 for operating the monitoring system 100 in accordance with the techniques described herein. It should be noted that the steps of the method 170 discussed below may be performed in any suitable order and are not limited to the order shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 6. Moreover, it should be noted that additional steps of the method 170 may be performed and certain steps of the method 170 may be omitted, in certain embodiments. Still further, it should be appreciated that certain of the steps of the method 170 may be performed concurrently with other steps. The method 170 may be executed by the processor 160 of the controller 110 (e.g., via execution of processor-executable instructions stored on the memory device 162) and/or by other suitable processing circuitry of the HVAC&R system 10 and/or the monitoring system 100.

The method 170 includes operating the monitoring system 100 to detect potential occurrence or existence of a thermal event in the enclosure 120, as indicated by block 172. The illustrated embodiment of the method 170 also includes monitoring feedback (e.g., data) from the first group of sensors 130 and the second group of sensors 132, as indicated by blocks 174 and 176, respectively. As indicated by block 178, the controller 110 may determine, for example, whether feedback from a sensor of the first group of sensors 130 indicates that a carbon monoxide concentration within the enclosure 120 exceeds a first threshold value. As indicated by block 180, the controller 110 may determine, for example, whether feedback from a sensor of the second group of sensors 132 indicates that a concentration of particulate matter suspended in the air within the enclosure 120 exceeds a second threshold value.

In response to determining that none of the sensors 122 of the first group of sensors 130 provide feedback indicating that the carbon monoxide concentration within the enclosure 120 exceeds the first threshold value, and that none of sensors 122 of the second group of sensors 132 provide feedback indicating that the concentration of particulate matter suspended in the air within the enclosure 120 exceeds the second threshold value, the controller 110 may revert to block 172 of the method 170. In response to determining that at least one of the sensors 122 of the first group of sensors 130 provides feedback indicating that the carbon monoxide concentration within the enclosure 120 exceeds the first threshold value and/or that at least one of the sensors 122 of the second group of sensors 132 indicates that the concentration of particulate matter suspended in the air within the enclosure 120 exceeds the second threshold value, the controller 110 may activate the shunt trip 140 in accordance with the aforementioned techniques to transition the circuit breaker 104 to the fault configuration, as indicated by block 182. It should be appreciated that, in other embodiments, the controller 110 may control the shunt trip 140 and/or detect the thermal event based on feedback from other suitable sensors in addition to, or in lieu of, the feedback provided by the first and second groups of sensors 130, 132.

FIG. 7 is a partial exploded view of an embodiment of one of the sensors 122, referred to herein as a sensor 190 (e.g., a sensor assembly or module). The sensor 190 may include or be one of the sensors 122 of the first group of sensors 130 and/or one of the sensors 122 of the second group of sensors 132. Indeed, in some embodiments, the sensor 190 may house one or more of the first group of sensors 130 and one or more of the second group of sensors 132 within a housing 192 of the sensor 190. In other embodiments, each sensor 122 of the first group of sensors 130 and each sensor 122 of the second group of sensors 132 may be disposed within separate housings 192.

In some embodiments, the sensor 190 may include one or more magnets 194 (e.g., permanent magnets) that are coupled to or recessed within a surface (e.g., a base surface 196, a base portion) of the housing 192. The magnet 194 facilitates magnetic coupling (e.g., removable coupling, removable attachment) of the sensor 190 to a desired panel or other structural component of the enclosure 120 (e.g., a metallic panel that forms at least a portion of the enclosure 120). As such, the magnet 194 facilitates installation of the sensor 190 at various locations on or within the enclosure 120 without involving modification (e.g., physical alteration) of the enclosure 120. That is, to couple the sensor 190 to a particular portion of the enclosure 120, a service technician may magnetically engage the magnet 194 with a metallic component (e.g., a panel, a beam, a strut) of the enclosure 120 to retain the sensor 190 in a desired location within the enclosure 120 (e.g., adjacent to one or more of the electrical components 102). Indeed, it should be appreciated that the monitoring system 100 may be a retro-fit kit configured for installation in an enclosure (e.g., the enclosure 120) of an existing embodiment of the HVAC&R system 10 that did not previously include the monitoring system 100.

As set forth above, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide one or more technical effects useful for detecting occurrence of a thermal event within an enclosure of an HVAC&R system that may contain one or more electrical components. Specifically, present embodiments include a monitoring system having one or more sensors configured to monitor environmental parameters within an enclosure configured to house the electrical components. The monitoring system may facilitate detection of a thermal event within the enclosure based on the monitored environmental parameters and without usage of a dedicated temperature sensor. Moreover, the monitoring system may interrupt supply of electrical current to an electrical component to suppress occurrence or escalation of a thermal event. The technical effects and technical problems in the specification are examples and are not limiting. It should be noted that the embodiments described in the specification may have other technical effects and can solve other technical problems.

It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the monitoring system as shown in the various exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited in the claims. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present application. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. In the claims, any means-plus-function clause is intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present application.

The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

Claims

1. A monitoring system configured to monitor an environment within an enclosure of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and/or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system, comprising:

a sensor configured to acquire data indicative of an environmental parameter value within the enclosure; and

a controller configured to: receive the data from the sensor; determine occurrence of a thermal event within the enclosure based on the data; and instruct a circuit breaker of the HVAC&R system to transition to a fault configuration in response to determining the occurrence of the thermal event.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the data comprises a concentration of carbon monoxide within the enclosure.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the data comprises a concentration of particulate matter suspended in air within the enclosure.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, comprising the circuit breaker, wherein the circuit breaker is configured to monitor a magnitude of electric current directed through the circuit breaker to an electrical component of the HVAC&R system, and wherein the circuit breaker is configured to transition to an open circuit configuration to interrupt flow of electric current to the electrical component in response to the magnitude exceeding a threshold value.

5. The monitoring system of claim 4, wherein, in the open circuit configuration, the circuit breaker is configured to direct electric current from a power supply to the controller.

6. The monitoring system of claim 5, wherein, in the fault configuration, the circuit breaker is configured to interrupt flow of electric current from the power supply to the controller and to interrupt flow of electric current to the electrical component.

7. The monitoring system of claim 6, comprising an indicator configured to provide a visual indication indicative of the occurrence of the thermal event in response to interruption of the flow of electric current to the controller.

8. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the occurrence of the thermal event in response to a determination that the data from the sensor is indicative of the environmental parameter value exceeding a threshold value.

9. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the occurrence of the thermal event in response to a determination that the data from the sensor is indicative of the environmental parameter value exceeding a threshold value for a predetermined time interval.

10. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to transmit an alert message to an electronic device in response to determining the occurrence of the thermal event.

11. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises:

a housing; and

a magnet coupled to the housing, wherein the magnet is configured to enable removable mounting of the sensor to the enclosure.

12. A method, comprising:

acquiring, via one or more sensors, data indicative of an environmental parameter value within an enclosure of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and/or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system;

determining, via a controller, occurrence of a thermal event within the enclosure based on the data; and

instructing, via the controller, a circuit breaker of the HVAC&R system to transition to a fault configuration in response to determining the occurrence of the thermal event.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the occurrence of the thermal event comprises determining, via the controller, the occurrence of the thermal event based on the environmental parameter value exceeding a threshold value at an instance in time or based on the environmental parameter value exceeding the threshold value for a predetermined time interval.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein instructing the circuit breaker to transition to the fault configuration comprises causing, via the controller, the circuit breaker to interrupt a flow of electric current from a power supply to an electrical component disposed within the enclosure.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein acquiring the data comprises monitoring, via the one or more sensors, a first concentration of carbon monoxide within the enclosure, a second concentration of particulate matter suspended in air within the enclosure, or both.

16. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and/or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system, comprising:

a circuit breaker configured to direct an electric current from a power supply to an electrical component disposed within an enclosure of the HVAC&R system;

a sensor configured to acquire data indicative of an environmental parameter within the enclosure; and

a controller configured to: receive the data from the sensor; determine occurrence of a thermal event within the enclosure based on the data; and instruct the circuit breaker to transition to a fault configuration to interrupt flow of the electric current to the electrical component in response to determining the occurrence of the thermal event.

17. The HVAC&R system of claim 16, wherein the circuit breaker is configured to transition to an open circuit configuration to interrupt the flow of the electric current to the electrical component in response to a magnitude of the electric current exceeding a threshold value.

18. The HVAC&R system of claim 17, wherein the circuit breaker is configured to direct an additional electric current from the power supply to the controller in the open circuit configuration and to block flow of the additional electric current from the power supply to the controller in the fault configuration.

19. The HVAC&R system of claim 18, comprising an indicator configured to provide a visual indication indicative of the occurrence of the thermal event in response to interruption in the flow of the additional electric current to the controller.

20. The HVAC&R system of claim 16, comprising an additional sensor configured to acquire additional data indicative of the environmental parameter within the enclosure, wherein the controller is configured to determine the occurrence of the thermal event in response to:

the data from the sensor indicating that a value of the environmental parameter exceeds a threshold value; and

the additional data from the additional sensor indicating that the value of the environmental parameter exceeds the threshold value.