Determining HVAC Cycle Type Through Remote Web-Connected Sensor Data

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for identifying and classifying airflow system types. The system may include: (1) an airflow system configured to receive air via a return air pathway and supply air via a supply air pathway; (2) a first sensor disposed proximate to the supply air pathway of the airflow system to collect supply airflow data; (3) a second sensor disposed proximate to the return air pathway of the airflow system to collect return airflow data; and (4) an electronic device including one or more processors communicatively coupled to a memory storing one or more instructions that cause the one or more processors to: (a) receive airflow system data; (b) analyze the airflow system data to generate airflow system cycle data; and (c) classify, based on the airflow system cycle data, an airflow cycle type of the airflow cycle facilitated by the airflow system.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A system for identifying and classifying airflow cycle types, the system comprising:
 an airflow system configured to receive air via a return air pathway and supply air via a supply air pathway;   a first sensor disposed proximate to the supply air pathway of the airflow system and configured to, in an airflow cycle facilitated by the airflow system, collect supply airflow data associated with the supply air pathway, wherein the supply airflow data includes at least a supply temperature of the air supplied via the supply air pathway;   a second sensor disposed proximate to the return air pathway of the airflow system and configured to, in the airflow cycle facilitated by the airflow system, collect return airflow data associated with the return air pathway, wherein the return airflow data includes at least a return temperature of the air received via the return air pathway; and   an electronic device including one or more processors communicatively coupled to a memory storing one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:
 receive airflow system data representative of at least the supply airflow data and the return airflow data; 
 analyze the airflow system data to generate airflow system cycle data associated with the airflow cycle and based at least on the supply temperature of the air supplied via the supply air pathway and the return temperature of the air received via the return air pathway; and 
 classify, based on the airflow system cycle data, an airflow cycle type of the airflow cycle facilitated by the airflow system. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the return airflow data further includes at least a static pressure of the air received via the return air pathway and the airflow system cycle data is further generated based on the static pressure of the air received via the return air pathway. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the supply airflow data further includes at least a relative humidity level of the air supplied via the supply air pathway and the airflow system cycle data is further generated based on the relative humidity level of the air supplied via the supply air pathway. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the system further comprises a third sensor disposed proximate to the airflow system and configured to collect moisture data associated with the airflow system, including at least a temperature of an area proximate to the airflow system; and   the airflow system cycle data is further generated based on the at least the temperature of the area proximate to the airflow system.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the system further comprises a space sensor configured to collect space data associated with an area in which the space sensor is disposed, including at least one of (i) an air temperature associated with the area or (ii) a relative humidity of the area; and   the airflow system cycle data is further generated based on the at least one of (i) the air temperature associated with the area or (ii) the relative humidity of the area.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the airflow system cycle data includes at least one of: (i) a rate of change of the supply temperature, (ii) a supply temperature of the air supplied via the supply air pathway relative to outside air conditions, (iii) a return temperature of the air received via the return air pathway relative to outside air conditions, (iv) an airflow pressure fluctuation, (v) a temperature difference between the supply temperature and an return temperature of the air received via the return air pathway, (vi) a trend of the temperature difference over time, or (vii) a relative value of the supply temperature against a predefined threshold. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the airflow cycle type is a first airflow cycle type of a plurality of airflow cycle types for a plurality of airflow cycles facilitated by the airflow system and the memory further stores instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:
 generate a cycle type table representative of the plurality of airflow cycle types; and   cause a user device to display the cycle type table to a user.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a hub data aggregation device configured to aggregate at least the supply airflow data and the return airflow data and transmit the airflow system data to the server. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hub data is configured to perform a preprocessing operation on the supply airflow data and the return airflow data to generate the airflow system data. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is a first wireless self-install sensor and the second sensor is a second wireless self-install sensor. 
     
     
         11 . A method for identifying and classifying an airflow cycle type, the method comprising:
 receiving, by one or more processors, airflow system data representative of at least supply airflow data collected by a first sensor disposed proximate to a supply air pathway of an airflow system and return airflow data collected by a second sensor disposed proximate to a return air pathway of the airflow system, wherein:
 the supply airflow data includes at least a supply temperature of the air supplied via the supply air pathway collected during an airflow cycle facilitated by the airflow system, and 
 the return airflow data includes at least a return temperature of the air received via the return air pathway collected during an airflow cycle facilitated by the airflow system; 
   analyzing, by the one or more processors and based at least on the supply temperature of the air supplied via the supply air pathway and the return temperature of the air received via the return air pathway, the airflow system data to generate system cycle data associated with the airflow cycle; and   classifying, by the one or more processors and based on the airflow system cycle data, an airflow cycle type of the airflow cycle facilitated by the airflow system.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the return airflow data further includes at least a static pressure of the air received via the return air pathway and the airflow system cycle data is further generated based on the static pressure of the air received via the return air pathway. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the supply airflow data further includes at least a relative humidity level of the air supplied via the supply air pathway and the airflow system cycle data is further generated based on the humidity level of the air supplied via the supply air pathway. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the system further comprises a third sensor disposed proximate to the airflow system and configured to collect moisture data associated with the airflow system, including at least a temperature associated with the airflow system; and   the airflow system cycle data is further generated based on the at least the temperature associated with the airflow system.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the system further comprises a space sensor configured to collect space data associated with an area in which the space sensor is disposed, including at least one of (i) an air temperature associated with the area or (ii) a relative humidity of the area; and   the airflow system cycle data is further generated based on the at least one of (i) the air temperature associated with the area or (ii) the relative humidity of the area.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the airflow system cycle data includes at least one of: (i) a rate of change of the supply temperature, (ii) a supply temperature of the air supplied via the supply air pathway relative to outside air conditions, (iii) a return temperature of the air received via the return air pathway relative to outside air conditions, (iv) an airflow pressure fluctuation, (v) a temperature difference between the supply temperature and an return temperature of the air received via the return air pathway, (vi) a trend of the temperature difference over time, or (vii) a relative value of the supply temperature against a predefined threshold. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the airflow cycle type is a first airflow cycle type of a plurality of airflow cycle types for a plurality of airflow cycles facilitated by the airflow system and the method further comprises:
 generating, by the one or more processors, a cycle type table representative of the plurality of airflow cycle types; and 
 causing, by the one or more processors, a user device to display the cycle type table to a user. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising a hub data aggregation device configured to aggregate at least the supply airflow data and the return airflow data and transmit the airflow system data to the server. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the hub data is configured to perform a preprocessing operation on the supply airflow data and the return airflow data to generate the airflow system data. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first sensor is a first wireless self-install sensor and the second sensor is a second wireless self-install sensor.