US 12,235,637 B2
HVAC system with equipment failure warning
Michael R. Brownie, Milwaukee, WI (US); Gary A. Romanowich, Slinger, WI (US); Robert K. Alexander, Jackson, WI (US); and Nathan J. Vandermause, Milwaukee, WI (US)
Assigned to Tyco Fire & Security GmbH, Neuhausen am Rheinfall (CH)
Filed by Johnson Controls Technology Company, Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed on May 20, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/879,397.
Application 16/879,397 is a continuation of application No. 15/483,667, filed on Apr. 10, 2017, granted, now 10,698,399.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/321,729, filed on Apr. 12, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2020/0278669 A1, Sep. 3, 2020
Int. Cl. G05B 23/02 (2006.01); F24F 11/32 (2018.01)
CPC G05B 23/0275 (2013.01) [G05B 23/0243 (2013.01); F24F 11/32 (2018.01); G05B 23/0283 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An HVAC system comprising:
an actuator coupled to HVAC equipment and configured to drive the HVAC equipment between multiple positions using a gearing arrangement coupled to a shaft of a motor, the actuator comprising:
a processing circuit configured to collect actuator data characterizing an operation of the actuator, the actuator data comprising a measured or calculated value of an operational variable; and
a communications circuit coupled to the processing circuit and configured to transmit the actuator data outside the actuator; and
a computer device configured to receive the actuator data from the communications circuit, the computer device comprising a failure predictor configured to determine a time at which the value of the operational variable reaches a threshold value, the threshold value corresponding to a time prior to a failure of the HVAC system;
wherein the measured or calculated value of the operational variable comprises;
a torque applied by the motor; and
wherein the processing circuit is configured to increase the torque applied by the motor to compensate for increased resistance to movement of the HVAC equipment due to degradation of the HVAC equipment, the actuator data used to determine the time at which the value of the operational variable reaches the threshold value including values of the increased torque and times at which the torque is increased.