IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0684164
(2003-10-10)
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등록번호 |
US-7284382
(2007-10-23)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Wagner, Anderson & Bright, LLP
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
2 인용 특허 :
8 |
초록
▼
A fresh air controller interfaces directly with the electromechanical circuit of an air-conditioner to control its operating settings based upon detected Carbon Dioxide (CO2) level in Parts-Per-Million (PPM) using a "Capno-Switch" which is in essence a specially designed single-beam NDIR CO2 sensor
A fresh air controller interfaces directly with the electromechanical circuit of an air-conditioner to control its operating settings based upon detected Carbon Dioxide (CO2) level in Parts-Per-Million (PPM) using a "Capno-Switch" which is in essence a specially designed single-beam NDIR CO2 sensor enhanced with features and specifications to render it rugged, compact and very low-cost; unlike conventional single-beam NDIR CO2 sensors, the "Capno-Switch" is capable of providing long-term stability and accuracy in CO2 measurements. The operating settings it can control for the air-conditioner include 1) shutting off the fan, cooling unit and fresh air damper to save energy when the detected CO2 level in the cold air duct is less than 600 PPM; 2) turning on only the fan when the CO2 level is between 600-1,000 PPM; 3) turning on both the fan and the cooling unit when the CO2 level is between 1,000-2,000 PPM and 4) starting to open the fresh air damper to let fresh air in when the CO2 level is in excess of 2,000 PPM. With the incorporation of the "Capno-Switch" as a fresh air controller, air-conditioners can now provide good indoor air quality while at the same time save energy by effectively shutting itself down when nobody is detected to be present.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. An air conditioner with a cooling unit, a fan and a fresh air damper, further comprising: a CO2 concentration measurement device for obtaining a CO2 concentration measurement from an enclosed space serviced by the air conditioner; and a controller that uses measurements from
What is claimed is: 1. An air conditioner with a cooling unit, a fan and a fresh air damper, further comprising: a CO2 concentration measurement device for obtaining a CO2 concentration measurement from an enclosed space serviced by the air conditioner; and a controller that uses measurements from the CO2 concentration measurement device to control when the cooling unit, the fan and the fresh air damper are active or non-active according to a preselected set of rules; wherein the CO2 concentration measurement device is comprised of a single-beam NDIR CO2 detector capable of measuring CO2 concentration in parts per million units with a drift over five years of 500 ppm or less. 2. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the air conditioner is a window unit. 3. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the air conditioner is a mini-split unit. 4. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the preselected set of rules will cause the cooling unit, the fan and the air damper to be turned off when the CO2 concentration measurement is below a first threshold value. 5. The air conditioner as recited in claim 4, wherein the preselected set of rules will turn the cooling unit off when the CO2 concentration measurement is below a first threshold value and the temperature of air in the enclosed space is below a temperature threshold. 6. The air conditioner as recited in claim 1, wherein the preselected set of rules will turn the fan on when the CO2 concentration measurement is above the second threshold value. 7. The air conditioner as recited in claim 4, wherein the preselected set of rules will turn the fan on when the CO2 concentration measurement is above the second threshold value. 8. The air conditioner as recited in claim 7, wherein the fan can be turned on even when the CO2 concentration measurement is below the second threshold value when an override condition is selected. 9. The air conditioner as recited in claim 4, wherein the preselected set of rules will turn the fan on when the CO2 concentration measurement is above the second threshold value or when a comfort level trigger is triggered. 10. The air conditioner as recited in claim 1 wherein the preselected set of rules will turn the cooling unit on when the CO2 concentration measurement is above a third threshold value. 11. The air conditioner as recited in claim 7, wherein the preselected set of rules will turn the cooling unit on when the CO2 concentration measurement is above a third threshold value. 12. The air conditioner as recited in claim 1, wherein the preselected set of rules will partially open the fresh air damper when the CO2 concentration measurement is above a fourth threshold value but below a fifth threshold value. 13. The air conditioner as recited in claim 11, wherein the preselected set of rules will partially open the fresh air damper when the CO2 concentration measurement is above a fourth threshold value but below a fifth threshold value. 14. The air conditioner as recited in claim 1, wherein the preselected set of rules will fully open the fresh air damper when the CO2 concentration measurement is above the fifth threshold value. 15. The air conditioner as recited in claim 13, wherein the preselected set of rules will fully open the fresh air damper when the CO2 concentration measurement is above the fifth threshold value. 16. The air conditioner as recited in claim 1, wherein the preselected set of rules is subject to a user override. 17. The air conditioner as recited in claim 1, wherein the preselected set of rules can be varied by a user. 18. The air conditioner as recited in claim 1, wherein the preselected set of rules can be modified by a user. 19. The air conditioner as recited in claim 1, wherein the air conditioner is physically mounted in an opening between the enclosed space and an outside space. 20. A fresh air controller that directly interfaces with an electromechanical circuit of an air-conditioner for controlling operating settings of the air-conditioner, the air conditioner having a fan, a cooling unit and a fresh air damper, comprising: a short metal tubing of a small diameter with reflective inner walls having two small openings on its side; an infrared source secured at one end of the tube; an infrared detector secured at the opposite end of the tube; two small tubings secured and inserted partway into the two respective side openings for allowing gas to traverse the length of the metal tubing; an electronic driver for the infrared source; and an electronic and signal processor to receive signals from the infrared detector, generate a CO2 level and execute an appropriate control function according to the CO2 level so detected. 21. The fresh air controller of claim 20, wherein the infrared source is comprised of a tungsten filament vacuum incandescent lamp. 22. The fresh air controller of claim 21, wherein the electronic driver for the lamp is comprised of a quasi-constant power driver circuit for operating the lamp at a reduced recommended power capacity to increase the lamp's life and reduce its output. 23. The fresh air controller of claim 22, wherein the reduced recommended power capacity is approximately 80%. 24. The fresh air controller of claim 22, wherein the infrared detector is comprised of a single thermopile detector with a narrow bandpass filter and a themistor. 25. The fresh air controller of claim 24, wherein the infrared detector is a pyroelectric type. 26. The fresh air controller of claim 25, wherein the narrow bandpass filter has a specification of a center wavelength substantially equal to 2,332 cm-1, a Full Width at Half maximum substantially equal to 75 cm-1 and a transmittance of greater than 0.70. 27. The fresh air controller of claim 20, wherein the two small tubings are connected to a built-in Venturi-Bernoulli air sampling mechanism. 28. The fresh air controller of claim 20, wherein the two small tubings are connected to a built-in Pitot tube arrangement. 29. An air conditioner with a cooling unit, a fan and a fresh air damper, further comprising: a CO2 concentration measurement device for obtaining a CO2 concentration measurement from an enclosed space serviced by the air conditioner; and a controller that uses measurements from the CO2 concentration measurement device to control when the cooling unit, the fan and the fresh air damper are active or non-active according to a preselected set of rules; a short metal tubing of a small diameter with reflective inner walls having two small openings on its side; an infrared source secured at one end of the tube; an infrared detector secured at the opposite end of the tube; two small tubings secured and inserted partway into the two respective side openings for allowing gas to traverse the length of the metal tubing; an electronic driver for the infrared source; and an electronic and signal processor to receive signals from the infrared detector, generate a CO2 level and execute an appropriate control function for the controller according to the CO2 level so detected.
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