US 11,954,713 B2
Variable refrigerant flow system with electricity consumption apportionment
Anupam Ajit Ingale, Maharashatra (IN); Ankur Thareja, Rajasthan (IN); Subrata Bhattacharya, Navi Mumbai (IN); Prasanna Bari, Maharashtra (IN); Braja Majumdar, West Bengal (IN); and Tousif H. Khan, Maharashtra (IN)
Assigned to JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP, Milwaukee, WI (US)
Filed by Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP, Milwaukee, WI (US)
Filed on Mar. 13, 2018, as Appl. No. 15/920,077.
Prior Publication US 2019/0287147 A1, Sep. 19, 2019
Int. Cl. G06Q 30/04 (2012.01); F24F 11/83 (2018.01); F24F 140/60 (2018.01); F25B 13/00 (2006.01); F25B 49/02 (2006.01); G05B 15/02 (2006.01); G06Q 50/06 (2012.01)
CPC G06Q 30/04 (2013.01) [F24F 11/83 (2018.01); F25B 49/022 (2013.01); G05B 15/02 (2013.01); G06Q 50/06 (2013.01); F24F 2140/60 (2018.01); F25B 13/00 (2013.01); F25B 2313/007 (2013.01); F25B 2313/0231 (2013.01); F25B 2313/0233 (2013.01); F25B 2400/06 (2013.01); F25B 2500/19 (2013.01); F25B 2600/0253 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A variable refrigerant flow system for a building, the variable refrigerant flow system comprising:
a plurality of indoor units for the building configured to generate activation requests;
a first outdoor unit configured to receive the activation requests and, in response to the activation requests, provide a refrigerant to the plurality of indoor units;
an outdoor meter configured to provide an outdoor unit electricity consumption measurement; and
a variable refrigerant flow management system configured to:
receive the outdoor unit electricity consumption measurement and activation data indicating the activation requests; and
apportion an outdoor share of the outdoor electricity consumption measurement to each of the plurality of indoor units based on the activation data
wherein the first outdoor unit comprises a compressor and the activation data comprises a compressor request frequency for each of the plurality of indoor units; and
wherein the variable refrigerant flow management system is configured to apportion each outdoor share of the outdoor electricity consumption by calculating an outdoor consumption factor for each indoor unit based on the compressor request frequency corresponding to the indoor unit.