Draft inducer motor control system

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a furnace that includes a blower configured to operate to force a fluid through the furnace, a motor having a rated speed, in which the motor is coupled to and configured to actuate the blower, and a controller configured to receive data indicative of an operating characteristic of the furnace and regulate operation of the motor to be at or below an operational speed limit. The controller is configured to set the operational speed limit based on the data indicative of the operating characteristic of the furnace, such that the operational speed limit is less than or equal to the rated speed of the motor.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 a blower configured to force a fluid through the HVAC system;   a motor having a rated speed, wherein the motor is coupled to and configured to actuate the blower, and the rated speed is indicative of a maximum speed of the motor based on a design specification of the motor; and   a controller configured to:
 receive data indicative of an operating characteristic of the HVAC system; 
 set an operational speed limit of the motor based on the operating characteristic and additional data correlating operational speed limit values and respective corresponding operating characteristics of the HVAC system, wherein the operational speed limit is less than or equal to the rated speed of the motor; 
 determine an operating speed of the motor based on an operating parameter of the HVAC system during operation of the HVAC system to condition an air flow; 
 determine whether the operating speed is at or below the operational speed limit during operation of the HVAC system to condition the air flow; and 
 operate the motor at the operating speed during operation of the HVAC system to condition the air flow in response to determining that the operating speed is at or below the operational speed limit. 
   
     
     
         22 . The HVAC system of  claim 21 , comprising a sensor configured to determine the operating parameter of the HVAC system, wherein the controller is configured to determine the operating speed of the motor based on sensor data received by the sensor and indicative of the operating parameter. 
     
     
         23 . The HVAC system of  claim 22 , wherein the operating parameter comprises a pressure differential in the HVAC system. 
     
     
         24 . The HVAC system of  claim 21 , wherein the data is indicative of a model of the HVAC system, and the model is associated with the operating characteristic. 
     
     
         25 . The HVAC system of  claim 21 , wherein the operating characteristic comprises a fuel input rating of the HVAC system, a heat output rating of the HVAC system, a combustion air flow rating of the HVAC system, an emissions component limit of the fluid directed through the HVAC system, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         26 . The HVAC system of  claim 21 , wherein the operating characteristic comprises an identifier of the HVAC system. 
     
     
         27 . The HVAC system of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is configured to block the operating speed of the motor from exceeding the operational speed limit. 
     
     
         28 . A controller for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to:
 determine an operational speed limit of a motor of the HVAC system based on an operating characteristic of the HVAC system and data correlating operational speed limit values and respective corresponding operating characteristics of the HVAC system, wherein the operational speed limit is less than or equal to a rated speed of the motor, and the rated speed is indicative of an upper speed threshold at which the motor is capable of being operated; 
 determine an operating speed of the motor based on an operating parameter of the HVAC system during operation of the HVAC system to condition an air flow; and 
 operate the motor at the operating speed during operation of the HVAC system to condition the air flow in response to determining that the operating speed is at or below the operational speed limit. 
   
     
     
         29 . The controller of  claim 28 , wherein the data comprises a lookup table correlating the operational speed limit values and the respective corresponding operating characteristics of the HVAC system. 
     
     
         30 . The controller of  claim 28 , wherein the operating parameter comprises a target rate at which a blower operated by the motor directs working fluid through the HVAC system. 
     
     
         31 . The controller of  claim 30 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to:
 increase the operating speed of the motor to increase a rate at which the blower removes the working fluid from the HVAC system; and   decrease the operating speed of the motor to decrease the rate at which the blower removes the working fluid from the HVAC system.   
     
     
         32 . The controller of  claim 28 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to change the operational speed limit via a user input. 
     
     
         33 . The controller of  claim 28 , wherein the HVAC system is one of a plurality of HVAC systems, a respective, separate operating characteristic of each HVAC system of the plurality of HVAC systems is different from one another, and the controller is configured to control each HVAC system of the plurality of HVAC systems based on the respective, separate operating characteristics. 
     
     
         34 . The controller of  claim 28 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to suspend operation of the HVAC system based on a signal requesting operation of the motor above the operational speed limit. 
     
     
         35 . A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 a motor having a rated speed indicative of a maximum speed at which the motor is capable of being operated;   a controller configured to:
 receive data indicative of an operating characteristic of the HVAC system; 
 set an operational speed limit of the motor based on the operating characteristic and additional data correlating operational speed limit values and respective corresponding operating characteristics of the HVAC system, wherein the operational speed limit is less than or equal to the rated speed of the motor; 
 determine an operating parameter of the HVAC system; 
 determine an operating speed of the motor based on the operating parameter; 
 determine the operating speed is at or below the operational speed limit; and 
 operate the motor at the operating speed in response to determining that the operating speed is at or below the operational speed limit. 
   
     
     
         36 . The HVAC system of  claim 35 , comprising a blower and a heat exchanger, wherein the blower is configured to direct a working fluid through the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger is configured to place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with an air flow. 
     
     
         37 . The HVAC system of  claim 36 , comprising a conduit configured to direct the working fluid out of the HVAC system, wherein the blower is configured to direct the working fluid through the heat exchanger, into the conduit, and out of the HVAC system. 
     
     
         38 . The HVAC system of  claim 37 , comprising a sensor configured to determine a pressure of the working fluid within the conduit and transmit data indicative of the pressure of the working fluid within the conduit to the controller, and the operating parameter comprises the pressure of the working fluid. 
     
     
         39 . The HVAC system of  claim 36 , wherein the motor is configured to operate the blower to direct the working fluid through the heat exchanger, and the controller is configured to regulate the operating speed of the motor based on a target rate at which the blower directs the working fluid through the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         40 . The HVAC system of  claim 35 , wherein the controller comprises an input connection, the motor is configured to communicatively couple to the controller via the input connection, and the motor is configured to communicate the data indicative of the operating characteristic of the HVAC system to the controller via the input connection.