Energy saving apparatus, system and method

Abstract

A method for energy saving during the operation of an HVAC system comprising an energy saving unit, comprising: installing a temperature probe in the supply air that can send data to the energy saving unit; configuring the energy saving unit to perform a set of functions comprising: receiving a user's instructions for turning on the HVAC system and setting a target room temperature; shutting off the heater or compressor when the target temperature is reached; measuring the temperature of the air in the room that is being heated or cooled and comparing the temperature of the supply air with the temperature of the air in the room; and causing the blower to keep running after shutting off the heater or compressor for as long as the temperature of the air in the room is smaller or greater than the temperature of the supply air, respectively.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for energy saving during the heating cycle of an HVAC system comprising a heater, a compressor, a blower, a heat exchanger, an evaporator and an energy saving unit controlling the operation of the HVAC system, the method comprising:
 installing a temperature probe in the path of HVAC system's supply air that can send temperature data to the energy saving unit;   configuring the energy saving unit to perform an energy saving set of functions comprising:
 receiving a user's instructions for turning on the HVAC system and setting a target room temperature; 
 shutting off the heater when the target room temperature is reached; 
 receiving temperature data from the temperature probe; 
 measuring the temperature of the air in the room that is being heated by the HVAC system and comparing the temperature of the supply air received from the temperature probe with the temperature of the air in the room that is being heated; and 
 causing the blower to keep running after shutting off the heater for as long as the temperature of the air in the room that is being heated is smaller than the temperature of the supply air. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature probe is installed downwind from the heat exchanger, inside an air duct of the supply air, near the exit of an air handler unit of the HVAC system. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein comparing the temperature of the supply air received from the temperature probe with the temperature of the air in the room that is being heated is performed continuously after shutting off the heater. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein comparing the temperature of the supply air received from the temperature probe with the temperature of the air in the room that is being heated is performed periodically, at ten seconds intervals. 
     
     
         5 . A method for energy saving during the cooling cycle of an HVAC system comprising a heater, a compressor, a blower, a heat exchanger, an evaporator and an energy saving unit controlling the operation of the HVAC system, the method comprising:
 installing a temperature probe in the path of the HVAC system's supply air that can send temperature data to the energy saving unit;   configuring the energy saving unit to perform an energy saving set of functions comprising:
 receiving a user's instructions for turning on the HVAC system and setting a target room temperature; 
 shutting off the compressor when the target room temperature is reached; 
 receiving temperature data from the temperature probe; 
 measuring the temperature of the air in the room that is being cooled by the HVAC system and comparing the temperature of the supply air received from the temperature probe with the temperature of the air in the room that is being cooled; and 
 causing the blower to keep running after shutting off the compressor for as long as the temperature of the air in the room that is being cooled is greater than the temperature of the supply air. 
   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the energy saving set of functions performed by the energy saving unit further comprises:
 setting a target room humidity level;   setting a compressor run period;   setting a compressor stoppage period;   measuring the humidity level of the air in the room that is being cooled by the HVAC system and comparing it with the target humidity level;   before the target room temperature is reached, if the compressor run period was reached and the humidity level of the air in the room that is being cooled is lower than the target humidity level, shutting off the compressor for the stoppage period while causing the blower to keep running; and, restarting the compressor at the end of the stoppage period.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the setting of the target room humidity level, the compressor run period and the compressor stoppage period are all performed based on instructions received from the user. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the target room humidity level is forty-five percent, compressor run period is twenty minutes and the compressor stoppage period is four minutes. 
     
     
         9 . An energy saving apparatus comprising humidity and temperature sensors, circuitry and logic, the apparatus being configured to control the operation of an HVAC system comprising a heater, a compressor, a blower, a heat exchanger and an evaporator, by performing an energy saving set of functions comprising:
 receiving a user's instructions for turning on the HVAC system and setting a target room temperature;   during HVAC system's heating cycle, shutting off the heater when the target room temperature is reached, receiving data from a temperature probe installed in the path of HVAC system's supply air, measuring the temperature of the air in the room that is being heated by the HVAC system and comparing it with the data from the temperature probe, and causing the blower to keep running after shutting off the heater for as long as the temperature of the air in the room that is being heated is smaller than the temperature of the supply air derived from the data received from the temperature probe; and   during HVAC system's cooling cycle, shutting off the compressor when the target room temperature is reached, receiving data from the temperature probe, measuring the temperature of the air in the room that is being cooled by the HVAC system and comparing it with the data from the temperature probe, and causing the blower to keep running after shutting off the compressor for as long as the temperature of the air in the room that is being cooled is greater than the temperature of the supply air derived from the data received from the temperature probe.   
     
     
         10 . The energy saving apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the energy saving set of functions performed by the energy saving unit during the HVAC system's cooling cycle further comprises:
 setting a target room humidity level;   setting a compressor run period;   setting a compressor stoppage period;   measuring the humidity level of the air in the room that is being cooled by the HVAC system and comparing it with the target humidity level;   before the target room temperature is reached, if the compressor run period was reached and the humidity level of the air in the room that is being cooled is lower than the target humidity level, shutting off the compressor for the stoppage period while causing the blower to keep running; and, restarting the compressor at the end of the stoppage period.   
     
     
         11 . An energy saving apparatus comprising humidity and temperature sensors, circuitry and logic, the apparatus being configured to control the operation of an HVAC system comprising a heater, a compressor, a blower, a heat exchanger and an evaporator, by using an algorithm to estimate the amount of cool or heat energy left in the evaporator or heat exchanger, and thus, of the extended blower run time needed to transfer the cool or heat energy left to a conditioned room, the algorithm being based on a set of HVAC system's data. 
     
     
         12 . The energy saving apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the set of HVAC system's data comprises the time the compressor or heater has been running 
     
     
         13 . The energy saving apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the set of HVAC system's data comprises the humidity of the conditioned room.