US2019340319A1PendingUtilityA1
Computer-Implemented System and Method For Evaluating A Change In Fuel Requirements for Heating of a Building
Est. expiryFeb 25, 2035(~8.6 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Thomas E. Hoff
G06F 30/20F24F 11/62F24F 11/64G05B 15/02G05B 2219/2614F24F 2140/50G06F 17/10G06F 17/5009G06F 2111/10
68
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Claims
Abstract
A computer-implemented system and method to assist consumers with decisions affecting a change in fuel requirements is provided. Fuel consumption for heating can be considered by evaluating changes that would affect thermal conductivity, average indoor temperature, HVAC efficiency, and solar gain. In a further embodiment, a computer-implemented system and method to evaluate investment's in a building's shell is provided. Thermal conductivity and the surface area of a surface that is under consideration for improvement are obtained, after which revised thermal conductivity can be modeled based on the existing and proposed thermal performance of that building surface. In a still further embodiment, fuel consumption for heating modeling results can be comparatively evaluated, with one fuel consumption model operating over an annual (or periodic) scope and another fuel consumption model operating on an hourly (or interval) scope.
Claims
exact text as granted — not AI-modifiedWhat is claimed is:
1 . A system for evaluating fuel consumption optimization for heating of a building with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:
a computer comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the processor configured to execute code stored in the memory to:
obtain data for thermal conductivity, indoor temperature, HVAC efficiency, and solar gains recorded for a building over a period;
express fuel consumption for heating of the building over the period in parameterized terms associated with the thermal conductivity, the indoor temperature, the HVAC efficiency, and the solar gains;
model an effect of an optimization of the heating of the building on the fuel consumption, the optimization comprising one of an improvement of the shell of the building, a change in the effective window area of the building, a change in the operation of the HVAC system of the building, and an upgrade of the HVAC system, further comprising:
take a derivative of the fuel consumption expression with respect to one of the parameterized terms as taken as a variable of interest; and
find a change in the fuel consumption relative to the variable of interest by solving the derivative based on the data obtained.
2 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein the parameterized term associated with the indoor temperature comprises an average of the indoor temperature, the computer further configured to:
obtain data for an average outdoor temperature for the building over the heating season with the outdoor temperature averaged; find balance point thermal conductivity as a function of internal heating gains within the building over a temperature difference between the average indoor and the average outdoor temperatures, and duration of the period; and express the fuel consumption of the building as a function of the total thermal conductivity versus the balance point thermal conductivity multiplied by a difference in the average indoor and the average outdoor temperatures and the duration of the period, all over the HVAC efficiency.
3 . A system according to claim 2 , the computer further configured to:
find the fuel consumption for heating Q Fuel for the period in accordance with:
1
1111
=
111
11111
-
?
-
?
1111
1
1111
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
where H represents the duration of the heating season in hours, represents the total thermal conductivity of the building, represents the balance point thermal conductivity of the building, represents the average indoor temperature, represents average outdoor temperature, and represents the HVAC efficiency.
4 . A system according to claim 3 , the computer further configured to:
evaluate the balance point thermal conductivity of the building in accordance with:
?
=
11
1111111111
+
11
11111111
+
11
11111
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
where UA Occupants , UA Electric , and UA Solar represent the thermal conductivities of the internal heating gains respectively comprising occupant, electric, and solar sources of heating gain.
5 . A system according to claim 3 , the computer further configured to:
select the thermal conductivity of the building as the variable of interest; and evaluate the change in the fuel consumption
d
1
1111
111
11111
relative to a change in the thermal conductivity in accordance with:
d
1
1111
111
11111
=
?
-
?
1111
1
1111
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
where represents the average indoor temperature, represents the average outdoor temperature, H represents the heating season's duration in hours, and represents the HVAC efficiency.
6 . A system according to claim 3 , the computer further configured to:
select the average indoor temperature of the building as the variable of interest; and evaluate the change in the fuel consumption
11
1111
?
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
relative to a change in the average indoor temperature in accordance with:
11
1111
?
=
111
11111
11
1
1
1111
1
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
where represents the thermal conductivity, H represents the heating season's duration in hours, and represents the HVAC efficiency.
7 . A system according to claim 3 , the computer further configured to:
select the HVAC efficiency of the building as the variable of interest; and evaluate the change in the fuel consumption
d
1
1111
11
1111
relative to a change in the HVAC efficiency in accordance with:
d
1
1111
11
1111
=
-
1
1111
1
1
1
1111
1
where represents fuel consumption for heating for the heating season.
8 . A system according to claim 3 , the computer further configured to:
select the average solar gains of the building as the variable of interest, which are represented by an effective window area of the building; and evaluate the change in the fuel consumption
11
1111
?
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
relative to a change in the average solar gains Will in accordance with:
11
1111
1
?
=
-
1
?
1
1111
1111
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
where H represents the heating season's duration in hours, represents the HVAC efficiency, and C represents a conversion factor for non-HVAC electric heating gains.
9 . A system for evaluating a building shell improvement affecting a change in thermal conductivity with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:
a computer comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the processor configured to execute code stored in the memory to:
obtain existing thermal conductivity and finding the surface area of a surface for which an improvement to the building's shell is under consideration;
find existing and proposed thermal performances of the surface; and
evaluate revised thermal conductivity of the building based on the existing thermal conductivity and on the surface area and the existing and the proposed thermal performances of the surface in accordance with:
= +Δ
where represents the existing thermal conductivity, and
Δ
11
11111
=
1
1
1
1
-
1
1
1
1
,
where represents the existing thermal conductivity, A represents the surface area, and
1
1
and
1
?
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
respectively represent the reciprocals of the existing and the proposed thermal performances of the surface.
10 . A system according to claim 9 , the computer further configured to:
evaluate fuel savings Δ in accordance with:
Δ
1
1111
=
1
1
1
1
-
1
1
1
1
1
1
1111111
-
1
11111111
111
1
1
1111
where A represents the surface area,
1
1
and
1
?
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
respectively represent the reciprocals of the existing and the proposed thermal performances of the surface, represents the average indoor temperature, represents the average outdoor temperature, H represents the heating season's duration in hours, and represents the HVAC efficiency.
11 . A system according to claim 9 , the computer further configured to:
finding the fuel consumption Q Fuel in accordance with:
1
1111
=
11
1
11111
-
1
?
?
-
?
1111
1
1111
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
where represents the total thermal conductivity of the building and represents the balance point thermal conductivity of the building.
12 . A system according to claim 11 , the computer further configured to:
evaluate the balance point thermal conductivity of the building in accordance with:
?
=
11
111111111
+
11
11111111
+
11
11111
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
where UA Occupants , UA Electric , and UA Solar represent the thermal conductivities of the internal heating gains respectively comprising occupant, electric, and solar sources of heating gain.
13 . A system according to claim 9 , the computer further configured to:
evaluate economic value Annual Savings in accordance with:
Annual
S
•
avings
=
1
1
1
1
-
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
-
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1111
1
1
1
1
1
11
where A represents the surface area
1
1
and
1
?
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
respectively represent the reciprocals of the existing and the proposed thermal performances of the surface, represents the average indoor temperature, represents the average outdoor temperature, H represents the heating season's duration in hours, represents the HVAC efficiency, and Price represents the price per unit of fuel.
14 . A system for comparatively evaluating fuel consumption for heating with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:
a computer comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the processor configured to execute code stored in the memory to:
determine a periodic heating fuel consumption of a building over a time period based on balance point thermal conductivity, temperature difference between average indoor and average outdoor temperatures, and duration of the time period;
determine an interval heating fuel consumption of the building over the time period based on the temperature difference, an average occupancy, a non-HVAC electricity consumption and a solar resource; and
compare the periodic heating fuel consumption and the interval heating fuel consumption over the time period,
wherein heating of the building is optimized based on at least one of the periodic heating fuel consumption and the interval heating fuel consumption, the optimization comprising at least one of changing a shell of the building, changing a size of an HVAC system within the building, and performing one or more upgrades to the HVAC system.
15 . A system according to claim 14 , wherein the interval heating consumption is further determined based on a total thermal conductivity and the periodic heating consumption is determined further based on HVAC efficiency, the computer further configured to:
obtain the total thermal conductivity of the building and the HVAC system efficiency and find the temperature difference; identify internal heating gains over the time period; find the balance point thermal conductivity as a function of the internal heating gains over the temperature difference and the time period; and solve the periodic fuel consumption as a function of the difference between the total thermal and the balance point thermal conductivities, the temperature difference, and the time period, all over the HVAC system efficiency.
16 . A system according to claim 15 , further comprising the step of:
find the balance point thermal conductivity in accordance with:
?
=
1
1
1
1
1
1
-
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
?
-
?
1
1
1
1
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
where represents the internal heating gains, represents the average indoor temperature, represents the average outdoor temperature, and H represents the duration of the time period in hours.
17 . A system according to claim 16 , the computer further configured to:
find the periodic fuel consumption for heating Q Fuel in accordance with:
1
1
1
1
1
=
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
-
?
1
1
?
-
?
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
where represents the total thermal conductivity of the building and represents the HVAC system efficiency.
18 . A system according to claim 14 , the computer further configured to:
record the building's non-HVAC electricity consumption and the temperature difference over an empirical test conducted in the absence of solar gain with constant indoor temperature and no HVAC; find thermal conductivity of the building as a function of occupancy and the electricity consumption over the average temperature difference; record the building's non-HVAC electricity consumption, the temperature difference, and change in indoor temperature over another empirical test conducted in the absence of solar gain and no HVAC; find thermal mass of the building as a function of the thermal conductivity and the average temperature difference, occupancy, and the electricity consumption, all over the indoor temperature change; record the building's non-HVAC electricity consumption, the temperature difference, and change in indoor temperature over a further empirical test conducted in the presence of solar gain and no HVAC; and find effective window area of the building as a function of the thermal mass and the change in indoor temperature, the thermal conductivity and the average temperature difference, occupancy, the electricity consumption, all over the average solar energy produced during the empirical test; and determine the interval fuel consumption as a function of the thermal conductivity, the average temperature difference, the occupancy, the electricity consumption, the effective window area, the solar energy produced for the building, and the duration of the heating season.
19 . A method according to claim 18 , further comprising the step of:
finding the interval fuel consumption for heating in accordance with:
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
?
1
1
1
=
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
-
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
-
1
1
1
1
1
?
?
+
?
1
1
1
+
1
?
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
where represents the fuel consumption based on H hours in the heating season and an HVAC system for the building having an efficiency of and a furnace with a rating of , represents the thermal conductivity, represents the average indoor temperature throughout the heating season, represents the average outdoor temperature throughout the heating season, represents a conversion factor for occupant heating gains, represents the average number of occupants throughout the heating season, represents average indoor electricity consumption throughout the heating season, represents a conversion factor for non-HVAC electric heating gains, W represents the effective window area, and represents the average solar energy produced throughout the heating season.
20 . A method according to claim 18 , further comprising the step of:
remotely interface to a heating source and a thermometer inside the building, wherein the empirical test is conducted using the heating source and the thermometer.Join the waitlist — get patent alerts
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