Patent Application
20250164114
The present disclosure relates to a gas-fired heater of a swimming pool or spa. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for controlling a variable speed blower of a gas-fired heater associated with a swimming pool or spa.
Swimming pools and spas are equipped with several pieces of equipment such as a heater, a pump, and the like. Many of the existing heaters currently used in a swimming pools or spas run on gas. However, many existing gas heaters have a blower operated at a single speed only. Further, the gas heater may have difficulty igniting the air and fuel mixture when the temperature of the ambient air drops due to lower ambient air temperature resulting in denser air, which requires higher energy to ignite the gas heater. In such a situation, an additional amount of gas is needed for the heater to ignite.
Further, an optimal proportion of air-to-fuel, known as an Air-to-Fuel Ratio (AFR), required to lower ignition energy (for a spark or hot surface) is lower than an AFR used to obtain the required levels of carbon monoxide and other regulated emissions in the fuel gas under normal operating conditions.
A gas pool heater associated with a swimming pool or spa is provided. In some examples, the gas pool heater includes an air-fuel mixture chamber and a circuit. The circuit may be configured to receive a signal to initiate heating water of the swimming pool or spa. The circuit may also be configured to output a first control signal that operates a variable speed blower associated with the gas pool heater at a first rate of speed for a first time duration during ignition of the gas pool heater. The variable speed blower may draw ambient air into the air-fuel mixture chamber. The air drawn in by the variable speed blower is combined with gas fuel in the air-fuel mixture chamber to ignite the air and the gas fuel to heat the water of the swimming pool or spa. The circuit may be further configured to output a second control signal that operates the variable speed blower at a second rate of speed after the first time duration has expired and after the gas heater is ignited.
In some instances, the first rate of speed is less than the second rate of speed to increase an air-to-fuel ratio (AFR) of the air and fuel mixture, and to reduce an ignition energy required to ignite the air and fuel mixture. In some examples, the second rate of speed is less than the first rate of speed to reduce heat emitted by the gas heater. In some instances, the first rate of speed is about 1500 to about 3000 rotations per minute and the second rate of speed is about 3200 to about 3800 rotations per minute.
In some examples, the circuit is further configured to control a rotational speed of the variable speed blower, and wherein the circuit comprises a triode for alternating current (TRIAC) circuit, a Brushless direct current (DC) electric motor (BLDC), or a variable frequency drive (VFD) circuit. The circuit may be configured to reduce a voltage associated with the variable speed blower to zero near a zero-voltage crossing for a second time duration to reduce a root mean square (RMS) voltage. In some embodiments, the circuit is a TRIAC circuit, and the TRIAC circuit is configured reduce a duration of zero voltage near a zero-voltage crossing to ramp up the first rate of speed or the second rate of speed.
In other instances, the gas pool heater has at least one of a carbon monoxide (CO) sensor, a carbon dioxide (CO2) sensor, or an oxygen (O2) sensor. In some examples, the gas pool heater may further include an end-of-line (EOL) tester configured to set the rotational speed of the variable speed blower based on one or more readings received from the CO sensor, the CO2 sensor, or the O2 sensor.
In some examples, the air-fuel mixture chamber includes an air orifice. The circuit may be further configured to operate the air orifice to adjust an amount of ambient air drawn into the air-fuel mixture chamber.
A method for controlling a variable speed blower associated with a gas heater is provided. The method may include receiving a signal to initiate the gas heater associated with a swimming pool or spa, wherein the gas heater heats water of the swimming pool or spa. The method may further include operating the variable speed blower associated with the gas heater at a first rate of speed for a first time duration during ignition of the gas heater, wherein the variable speed blower draws ambient air into an air-fuel mixture chamber of the gas heater. The ambient air drawn by the variable speed blower is combined with gas fuel in the air-fuel mixture chamber to produce an air and fuel mixture, and the air and fuel mixture is ignited. The method may further include operating the variable speed blower at a second rate of speed after the first time duration has expired and after the gas heater is ignited.
In some examples, the first rate of speed of the method is less than the second rate of speed to increase an AFR of the air and fuel mixture and to reduce an ignition energy required to ignite the air and fuel mixture. The second rate of speed may be less than the first rate of speed to reduce heat emitted by the gas heater. In other examples, the first rate of speed is about 1,500 to about 3,000 rotations per minute and the second rate of speed is about 3,200 to about 3,800 rotations per minute.
The method may further include controlling the rotational speed of the variable speed blower using a circuit, whereby the circuit corresponds to a TRIAC circuit, a BLDC, or a VFD circuit. The circuit may reduce a voltage associated with the variable speed blower to zero near a zero-voltage crossing for a predefined duration of time to reduce an RMS voltage. In some embodiments the TRIAC circuit reduces a duration of zero voltage near a zero-voltage crossing to ramp up the first rate of speed or the second rate of speed.
The rotational speed of the variable speed blower may be set by an EOL tester. In some embodiments, the speed is set by the EOL based on one or more readings received from a CO sensor, a CO2 sensor, or an O2 sensor. An air orifice of the air-fuel mixture chamber may be adjusted to change an amount of ambient air drawn into the air-fuel mixture chamber.
A gas heater is provided. The gas heater may include a heater housing having a variable speed blower and an air-fuel mixture chamber. The gas heater may also include a controller designed to receive a signal to initiate heating water of a swimming pool or spa. The controller may also be designed to output a first control signal that operates the variable speed blower associated with the gas heater at a first speed for a first time duration during ignition of the gas heater, wherein the variable speed blower draws ambient air into the air-fuel mixture chamber of the gas heater device, and wherein air drawn by the variable speed blower is combined with gas fuel in the air-fuel mixture chamber to ignite the air and the gas fuel to heat the water of the swimming pool or spa. The controller may also be designed to output a second control signal that adjusts the first speed of the variable speed blower after the first time duration has expired and after the gas heater is ignited.
In some examples, the controller may be further designed to adjust the adjusts the first speed to a second speed higher than the first speed to increase an AFR of the air and fuel mixture and to reduce an ignition energy required to ignite the air-fuel mixture. The controller may be further designed to adjust the first speed to a third speed lower than the first speed to reduce heat emitted by the gas heater.
Before any embodiments of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the disclosure. Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent, and the generic principles herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of the disclosure. Thus, embodiments of the disclosure are not intended to be limited to embodiments shown but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The following detailed description is to be read with reference to the figures, in which like elements in different figures have like reference numerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of embodiments of the disclosure. It is to be recognized the examples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall within the scope of embodiments of the disclosure.
For example, a system that includes the gas heater 100 may be provided in the form of a swimming pool 150 and include pool equipment or devices designed for use with a swimming pool 150. In other examples, the system may be provided in the form of a spa and include pool equipment designed for use with a spa. In other instances, the system may be provided in the form of a pool and a spa and include components that may be used with a pool and spa system. In yet other instances, the system may be provided in the form of pool or spa devices designed for use with a pool or a spa in a residential setting or a commercial setting. More particularly, the system may be provided as a commercial or resident swimming pool, a hot tub, a spa, a plunge pool, and other recreational water venues not specifically discussed herein. When used throughout the disclosure, it will be understood that a “swimming pool” may refer to any of these alternatives.
A system including the gas heater 100 may also include other devices for supporting the functionality and/or operation of a swimming pool or spa. For example, the swimming pool and spa may also be associated with other components, including one or more of the following pool devices utilized for operating and maintaining a residential aquatic system like a pool or spa: a pump, a booster pump, one or more filters, a solar controller, one or more solar panels, one or more sanitizers, a water quality monitor, a pH regulator, a water feature, a pool cleaner, a pool skimmer, at least one pool drain, at least one pool light, a salt chlorine generator, and other devices. The other devices may also include a pool controller. At least some of the pool devices may be connected to one or more power sources and may be in communication with another of the one or more of the pool devices.
A user may manually turn the gas heater 100 on by pushing a button on the gas heater 100. The gas heater 100 may heat water of a swimming pool or spa by burning gas, such as natural gas, propane, kerosene, biofuels, diesel, wood, coal, pellets, oil, heating oil, waste oil, gasoline, fuel oils, or any other suitable fuel. The gas heater 100 (e.g., a controller) may define or set an air-to-fuel ratio based on a desired temperature of the water.
The gas heater 100 may include one or more sensors designed to detect: gas flow, power, voltage, current, temperature, pressure, or a combination thereof. A gas flow sensor may measure how much gas is being provided to the gas heater 100. A power sensor may measure when the gas heater 100 is connected to power, and whether it is activated. A voltage sensor may monitor the input voltage and detect any upstream electrical system faults. The voltage sensor may also measure voltage drop to determine the power consumption of the gas heater 100. A current sensor may detect potential shorts in the gas heater 100 by identifying abnormal power consumption or current spikes. A temperature sensor may be used to monitor the internal temperature of the gas heater 100 including the heating elements. The temperature sensor may also measure the temperature at an inlet and an outlet to verify the water temperature is being heated according to the controls and settings of the gas heater 100. A pressure sensor may measure differential pressure between different pool devices to identify scale accumulation or fouling of a water passage in the gas heater 100. In other examples, other sensors may be part of the gas heater 100.
A system incorporating the gas heater 100 may include a controller that may control one or more of the pool devices of the system, including the gas heater 100. The controller may control the pool equipment, including the gas heater 100, by providing signals that include instructions to the pool equipment that cause them to perform a variety of actions. For example, the controller may send a signal to the gas heater 100 to increase or decrease the temperature of the water.
The gas heater 100 is provided in the form of an inlet 102, an outlet 104, coils 106, an air-fuel mixture chamber 108, the variable speed blower 110, a heat exchanger 112, an air inlet 114 having an air orifice 114A, a fuel inlet means 116 having a fuel orifice 116A, a circuit 118, an exhaust outlet 120, and at least one sensor 122.
The inlet 102 may be connected to a swimming pool or spa 150 and water 140 of the swimming pool or spa 150 flows into the inlet 102 of the gas heater 100. The water 140 flows from the inlet 102 to pass through the coils 106. In some examples, the coils 106 may be defined by tubes. While the water 140 passes through the coils 106 or tubes while the gas heater 100 is running, the water 140 is heated. The heated water 140 is provided back to the swimming pool or spa 150 through the outlet 104. The flow rate of the water 140 through the inlet 102, the coils 106 or tubes, and the outlet 104 can be set using one or more valves. The flow rate may be set by the circuit 118 based on a current temperature of the water 140 compared with a desired temperature of the water 140.
To heat the water 140, the gas heater 100 may utilize the variable speed blower 110 to draw ambient air 130 from its surroundings through the air inlet 114. The ambient air 130 drawn in is provided to the air-fuel mixture chamber 108 of the gas heater 100 through the air inlet 114. The amount of ambient air 130 drawn in and provided to the air-fuel mixture chamber 108 may be controlled by operating the air orifice 114A or the variable speed blower 110. At the same time, the gas heater 100 may also receive the fuel 132 (for example, a gas fuel) through the fuel inlet means 116 and the fuel 132 may be provided to the air-fuel mixture chamber 108. The amount of fuel provided to the air-fuel mixture chamber 108 may be controlled by operating the fuel orifice 116A or the variable speed blower 110. The received fuel 132 and the air 130 get mixed in the air-fuel mixture chamber 108 of the gas heater 100 when the variable speed blower 110 is operated by the circuit 118 at variable speeds as described below. The mixed fuel 132 and air 130 combines to form an air and fuel mixture 134.
An appropriate amount of the fuel 132 with the air 130 in the air-fuel mixture chamber 108 may be mixed, and the gas heater 100 may ignite the air and fuel mixture 134, which in turn generates heat. The generated heat in the air-fuel mixture chamber 108 is transferred to the heat exchanger 112. In the heat exchanger 112, the generated heat distributes heat to the coils 106, which then heats the water passing around the coils 106. The heated water 140 is provided back to the swimming pool or spa through the outlet 104.
When a user of the swimming pool or spa starts or turns on the gas-fired heater 100, the gas heater 100 may receive a signal to initiate the gas heater 100 associated with the swimming pool or spa. For this, the user may turn on a switch or press a button of the gas heater 100 to turn it on. The gas heater 100 may be turned on based on the desire to heat the water of the swimming pool or spa 150. In some examples, the user may interact with a control device that may set the temperature for the swimming pool or spa, such as a thermostat that may be associated with the controller, or separate. In some examples, the control device may include a user interface that enables the user to set one or more temperature settings or other settings of the gas heater 100. In other examples, the circuit 118 may receive signals from an external control device for the swimming pool or spa, which may control one or more temperature settings or one or more settings of the gas heater 100. In some examples, the gas heater 100 may be controlled on a schedule.
The circuit 118 is connected to the variable speed blower 110 and may control the speed of the variable speed blower 110. For example, after a signal is received to initiate the gas heater 100, during ignition of the gas heater 100, the variable speed blower 110 may be operated at a first rate of speed for a first predefined interval of time. The circuit 118 may detect that the gas heater 100 is turned on and now the variable speed blower 110 may be operated at the first rate of speed.
When the variable speed blower 110 is operated at the first rate of speed, an amount of air blown by the variable speed blower 110 may be approximately about 10 to about 50 Cubic Feet Per Minute (“CFM”). In some examples, the first rate of speed corresponds to about 100 to about 3000 rotations per minute (RPM). In other examples, the variable speed blower 110 may operate at other rates of speed and the amount of air, or air and fuel mixture 134, blown may be provided at other rates. In some examples, the first interval of time corresponds to about 0000.001 to about 10 seconds. However, other time intervals may be used in other examples.
Once the air and the fuel are ignited in the air-fuel mixture chamber 108, the variable speed blower 110 is operated at a second rate of speed after the expiration of the first interval of time, which may be after the gas heater 100 is ignited. For this, the circuit 118 may increase the AC voltage supplied to the gas heater 100 and reduce a duration of zero voltage near the zero-voltage crossing 310, which may ramp up the speed of the variable speed blower 110 to the second rate of speed.
Referring back to
The amount of air 130 or air and fuel mixture 134 blown by the variable speed blower 110 during the ignition is less than the amount of air 130 or air and fuel mixture 134 blown by the variable speed blower 110 after the ignition due to an increase in the rate of speed.
Further, the amount of fuel 132 provided to the air-fuel mixture chamber 108 during the ignition and after the ignition may be the same. In some embodiments, the amount of fuel provided to the air-fuel mixture chamber 108 is about 10 to about 500 cubic feet per hour. In other examples, the amount of fuel 132 may be adjusted throughout operation of the gas heater 100.
In some examples, the first rate of speed may be less than the second rate of speed. The speed may be lowered to increase the air-to-fuel ratio and reduce the ignition energy required to ignite the air and fuel mixture 134. In other examples, the second rate of speed may be less than the first rate of speed so that the heat emitted by the gas heater 100 is reduced.
The one or more sensor 122 may sense emissions 136 from the exhaust outlet 120. Emissions 136 from the gas heater 100 may include carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and oxygen (O2). The one or more sensor 122 may provide measured readings of emissions 136 to the circuit 118. The one or more sensor 122 may correspond to a CO sensor, a CO2 sensor, or an O2 sensor. In other examples, other types of sensors 122 may be used.
If the sensed readings are above a threshold value or range, then the speed of the variable speed blow may be set by an end-of-line (EOL) tester. Accordingly, the circuit 118 may operate the variable speed blower 110 at the set speed. In some instances, an operator of the gas heater 100 or a manufacturer of the gas heater 100 may configure the threshold value or range.
By operating the variable speed blower 110 of the gas heater 100 at different variable speeds, the carbon emissions of the gas heater 100 may be effectively reduced. Also, faster and more efficient ignition of the gas heater 100 and improved AFR may be achieved by operating the variable speed blower 110 of the gas heater 100 at different speeds.
Although, the present disclosure discloses a limited number of components and parts of the gas heater 100, it is understood that the gas heater 100 may also include other components such as a control board, a fan board controller, an ignition control module, a transformer, a terminal board, a safety interlock, spark electrodes, a flame sensor, a multipin plug, a plug power converter and any such components or parts that may be provided in a gas heater 100.
The circuit 118 may correspond to a triode for alternative currents (TRIAC) circuit, a Brushless direct current electric motor (BLDC), or a variable frequency drive (VFD) circuit, or another type of circuit. As shown in
The receiver 404 may provide a means for receiving information such as packets, user data, control information, other signals, and any combination thereof associated with various information channels (for example, control channels, data channels, information channels, wired or wireless channels, and the like). Information may be passed on to other components of the controller 400. The receiver 404 may utilize a single antenna or a set of multiple antennas. The receiver 404 may be designed to receive information related the gas heater 100 of the swimming pool 150 from a user interface or from one or more mobile devices. The received information may include, for example, one or more signals related to instructions to change a temperature of the swimming pool, a schedule for running the gas heater 100, an instruction for the circuit 118, an instruction for the variable speed blower 110, one or more operation status signals for the variable speed blower 110 or the gas heater 100, or the like.
The transmitter 402 may provide a means for transmitting signals generated by other components of the controller 400. For example, the transmitter 402 may transmit information such as packets, user data, control information, other signals, or any combination thereof associated with various information channels (e. for example, control channels, data channels, information channels, wired or wireless channels, and the like). In some examples, the transmitter 402 may be co-located with a receiver 404 in a transceiver module. The transmitter 402 may utilize a single antenna or a set of multiple antennas. The transmitter 402 may be designed to transmit information related the gas heater 100 of the swimming pool 150 from a user interface or from one or more mobile devices. The transmitted information may include, for example, one or more signals related to instructions to change a temperature of the swimming pool, a schedule for running the gas heater 100, an instruction for the circuit 118, an instruction for the variable speed blower 110, or the like. The transmitter 402 may be configured to transmit any signal to the variable speed blower 110 for operating the variable speed blower 110 at the first rate of speed or the second rate of speed.
The one or more processors 406 may be configured to operate the variable speed blower 110 associated with the gas heater 100 at a first rate of speed for a first interval of time during ignition of the gas heater 100. The processor 406 may be configured to operate the variable speed blower at a second rate of speed after the first predefined interval has expired and after the gas heater 100 is ignited. Further, the variable speed blower 110 may draw the ambient air 130 to an air-fuel mixture chamber 108 of the gas heater 100. The air blown by the variable speed blower 110 is pre-mixed with gas fuel 132 in the air-fuel mixture chamber to ignite the air 130 and the fuel 132 for heating the water of the swimming pool or spa 150.
The transmitter 402, the receiver 404, the variable speed module 412, and the air-fuel mixture module 414, or various combinations or components thereof, may be examples of means for performing various aspects of a method to control a variable speed blower as described herein. For example, the transmitter 402, the receiver 404, the variable speed module 412, and the air-fuel mixture module 414, or various combinations or components thereof may be capable of performing one or more of the functions described herein.
In some examples, transmitter 402, the receiver 404, the variable speed module 412, and the air-fuel mixture module 414, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in hardware (for example, in communications management circuitry). The hardware may include at least one of a processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), a microcontroller, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof configured as or otherwise supporting, individually or collectively, a means for performing the functions described in the present disclosure. In some examples, at least one processor and at least one memory in communication with the at least one processor may be configured to perform one or more of the functions described herein (for example, by one or more processors, individually or collectively, executing instructions stored in the at least one memory 408). In some examples, the one or more processors 406 may be provided in the form of a single-core processor, a dual-core processor, a quad-core processor, a hexa-core processor, an octa-core processor, a deca-core processor, or any other type of processor.
Additionally, or alternatively, the transmitter 402, the receiver 404, the variable speed module 412, and the air-fuel mixture module 414, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in processor executable code 410 (for example, as communications management software or firmware) executed by the at least one processor 406 (for example, referred to as a processor-executable code). If implemented in code executed by at least one processor 406, the functions of the transmitter 402, the receiver 404, the variable speed module 412, and the air-fuel mixture module 414, or various combinations or components thereof may be performed by a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, an ASIC, an FPGA, a microcontroller, or any combination of these or other programmable logic devices (for example, configured as or otherwise supporting, individually or collectively, a means for performing the functions described in the present disclosure).
In some examples, the variable speed module 412 may be configured to perform various operations (for example, receiving, obtaining, monitoring, outputting, transmitting) using or otherwise in cooperation with the transmitter 402, the receiver 404, or both. For example, the variable speed module 412 may receive information from the receiver 404, send information to the transmitter 402, or be integrated in combination with the transmitter 402, the receiver 404, or both to obtain information, output information, or perform various other operations as described herein.
The variable speed module 412 may support the techniques for controlling the variable speed blower 110 in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. The variable speed module 412 is capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for receiving a signal to initiate the gas heater 100 associated with a swimming pool or spa, wherein the gas heater heats water of the swimming pool or spa. The variable speed module 412 is capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for operating the variable speed blower associated with the gas heater at a first rate of speed for a first time duration during ignition of the gas heater, wherein the variable speed blower draws ambient air into an air-fuel mixture chamber of the gas heater, the ambient air drawn by the variable speed blower is combined with gas fuel in the air-fuel mixture chamber to produce an air and fuel mixture, and the air and fuel mixture is ignited. The variable speed module 412 is capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for operating the variable speed blower at a second rate of speed after the first time duration has expired and after the gas heater is ignited.
The air-fuel mixture module 414 may support the techniques for controlling the variable speed blower 110 in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. The air-fuel mixture module 414 is capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for adjusting an air orifice of the air-fuel mixture chamber to change an amount of ambient air drawn into the air-fuel mixture chamber. The air-fuel mixture module 414 may further provide instructions to control the air-fuel mixture chamber 108 of the gas heater 100.
By including or configuring the variable speed module 412 and the air-fuel mixture module 414 in accordance with examples as described herein, the controller 400 (for example, at least one processor controlling or otherwise coupled with the transmitter 402, the receiver 404, the variable speed module 412, the air-fuel mixture module 414, or a combination thereof) may support techniques for controlling the pool devices using scheduling information of a user.
At 505, the method 500 may include receiving a signal to initiate the gas heater associated with a swimming pool or spa, such as the gas heater 100. The gas heater 100 may heat the water 140 of the swimming pool or spa 150. When the gas heater 10 is started or turned on, the circuit 118 of the gas heater 100 may receive a signal to initiate the gas heater 100. The user may turn on a switch or press a button of the gas heater 100 or a user interface to manually turn it on. In other instances, the gas heater 100 may be automatically started via the controller or other component. The gas heater 100 may be turned on to heat the water of the swimming pool or spa. The operations of 505 may be performed in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 505 may be one or more processors 406, the transmitter 402, the receiver 404, the memory 408, the circuit 118, the variable speed module 412, the air-fuel mixture module 414, or a combination thereof as described at least with reference to
At 510, the method 500 may include operating the variable speed blower 110 associated with the gas heater 100 at a first rate of speed for a first predefined interval of time during ignition of the gas heater 100. Further, the variable speed blower 110 may draw the ambient air to an air-fuel mixture chamber 108. The air blown by the variable speed blower 110 may be pre-mixed with gas fuel in the air-fuel mixture chamber 108 to ignite the air and the fuel for heating the water of the swimming pool or spa 150. For step 510, the circuit 118 may detect that the gas heater 100 is turned on and should be operated at a first rate of speed. The circuit 118 controls AC voltage to zero before and after the zero-volt crossing 310 of the AC sine wave, effectively reducing the RMS voltage 305, which operates the variable speed blower 110 at the first rate of speed. The operations of 510 may be performed in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 510 may be one or more processors 406, the transmitter 402, the receiver 404, the memory 408, the circuit 118, the variable speed module 412, the air-fuel mixture module 414, or a combination thereof as described at least with reference to
At step 515, the method 500 may include operating the variable speed blower 110 at a second rate of speed after the first predefined interval has expired and after the gas heater 100 is ignited. For this, the circuit 118 may increase AC voltage and reduce a duration of zero voltage near the zero-voltage crossing and thus ramps up the speed of the variable speed blower 110 to the second rate of speed. The operations of 515 may be performed in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 515 may be one or more processors 406, the transmitter 402, the receiver 404, the memory 408, the circuit 118, the variable speed module 412, the air-fuel mixture module 414, or a combination thereof as described at least with reference to
In some examples, the first rate of speed is less than the second rate of speed to increase an AFR of the air and fuel mixture and to reduce an ignition energy required to ignite the air and fuel mixture. The second rate of speed may be less than the first rate of speed to reduce heat emitted by the gas heater. In some instances, the first rate of speed is about 1500 to about 3000 rotations per minute and the second rate of speed is about 3200 to about 3800 rotations per minute. In some instances, a rotational speed of the variable speed blower is set by an end-of-line (EOL) tester based on one or more readings received from at least one of a CO sensor, a CO2 sensor, or an O2 sensor.
In other examples, a rotational speed of the variable speed blower may be controlled using a circuit, the circuit may be a TRIAC circuit, a BLDC, or a VFD circuit. The circuit may reduce a voltage associated with the variable speed blower to zero near a zero-voltage crossing for a predefined duration of time to reduce an RMS voltage. In instances where the circuit is a TRIAC circuit, the TRIAC circuit reduces a duration of zero voltage near a zero-voltage crossing to ramp up the first rate of speed or the second rate of speed.
At 605, the method 600 may include adjusting a speed of the gas heater 100 to a second speed higher than the original first speed using the variable speed blower 110. The operations of 605 may be performed in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 510 may be one or more processors 406, the transmitter 402, the receiver 404, the memory 408, the circuit 118, the variable speed module 412, the air-fuel mixture module 414, or a combination thereof as described at least with reference to
At 610, the method 600 may include increasing the AFR of the air and fuel mixture to reduce the amount of ignition energy required to ignite the air and the fuel mixture found in the air-fuel mixture chamber 108. The operations of 610 may be performed in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 510 may be one or more processors 406, the transmitter 402, the receiver 404, the memory 408, the circuit 118, the variable speed module 412, the air-fuel mixture module 414, or a combination thereof as described at least with reference to
At 615, the method 600 may include reducing the second speed of the gas heater 100 to a third speed with the variable speed blower 110, in order to reduce the amount of heat emitted by the gas heater 100. The operations of 615 may be performed in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 510 may be one or more processors 406, the transmitter 402, the receiver 404, the memory 408, the circuit 118, the variable speed module 412, the air-fuel mixture module 414, or a combination thereof as described at least with reference to
The present disclosure may reduce tuning one or more gas orifices or valve for varying temperatures throughout the operation of the heater in different seasons and climates, reduce the ignition energy required to ignite the air and fuel mixture in a gas heater, reduce carbon monoxide emissions and fuel consumption by adjusting the AFR, reduce fuel costs, improve longevity of one or more components of the gas heater, and improve user experience.
Information and signals described herein may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the description may be represented by electromagnetic waves, voltages, currents, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.
The various illustrative blocks and components described in connection with the disclosure herein may be implemented or performed using a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, a CPU, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), an FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor but, in the alternative, the processor may be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration). Any functions or operations described herein as being capable of being performed by a processor may be performed by multiple processors that, individually or collectively, are capable of performing the described functions or operations.
The functions described herein may be implemented using hardware, software executed by one or more processors, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented using software executed by one or more processors, the functions may be stored as or transmitted using one or more instructions or code of a computer-readable medium. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of the disclosure and appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, functions described herein may be implemented using software executed by one or more processors, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or combinations of any of these. Features implementing functions may also be physically located at various positions, including being distributed such that portions of functions are implemented at different physical locations.
Computer-readable media includes both non-transitory computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one location to another. A non-transitory storage medium may be any available medium that may be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, non-transitory computer-readable media may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disk (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that may be used to carry or store desired program code means in the form of instructions or data structures and that may be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. Also, any connection may be properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of computer-readable medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, include CD, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray disc. Disks may reproduce data magnetically, and discs may reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media. Any functions or operations described herein as being capable of being performed by a memory may be performed by multiple memories that, individually or collectively, are capable of performing the described functions or operations.
As used herein, including in the claims, “or” as used in a list of items (for example, a list of items prefaced by a phrase such as “at least one of” or “one or more of”) indicates an inclusive list such that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (that is, A and B and C). Also, as used herein, the phrase “based on” shall not be construed as a reference to a closed set of conditions. For example, an example step that is described as “based on condition A” may be based on both a condition A and a condition B. For example, as used herein, the phrase “based on” shall be construed in the same manner as the phrase “based at least in part on.”
As used herein, including in the claims, the article “a” before a noun is open-ended and understood to refer to “at least one” of those nouns or “one or more” of those nouns. Thus, the terms “a,” “at least one,” “one or more,” and “at least one of one or more” may be interchangeable. For example, if a claim recites “a component” that performs one or more functions, each of the individual functions may be performed by a single component or by any combination of multiple components. Thus, the term “a component” having characteristics or performing functions may refer to “at least one of one or more components” having a particular characteristic or performing a particular function. Subsequent reference to a component introduced with the article “a” using the terms “the” or “said” may refer to any or all of the one or more components. For example, a component introduced with the article “a” may be understood to mean “one or more components,” and referring to “the component” subsequently in the claims may be understood to be equivalent to referring to “at least one of the one or more components.” Similarly, subsequent reference to a component introduced as “one or more components” using the terms “the” may refer to any or all of the one or more components. For example, referring to “the one or more components” subsequently in the claims may be understood to be equivalent to referring to “at least one of the one or more components.”
The term “determine” or “determining” encompasses a variety of actions and, therefore, “determining” can include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (such as via looking up in a table, a database, or another data structure), identifying, ascertaining, and the like. Also, “determining” can include receiving (for example, receiving information), accessing (for example, accessing data stored in memory), retrieving, and the like. Also, “determining” can include resolving, obtaining, selecting, choosing, establishing, and other such similar actions.
In the appended figures, similar components or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If just the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label or other subsequent reference label.
The description set forth herein, in connection with the appended drawings, describes example configurations and does not represent all the examples that may be implemented or that are within the scope of the claims. The term “example” used herein means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration” and not “preferred” or “advantageous over other examples.” The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing an understanding of the described techniques. These techniques, however, may be practiced without these specific details. In some figures, known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples.
In other instances, other configurations of the systems and methods described herein are possible. For example, those of skill in the art will recognize, according to the principles and concepts disclosed herein, that various combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions of the components discussed above can provide appropriate control for a variety of different configurations of robotic platforms for a variety of applications.
It will be appreciated that while the system has been described above in connection with particular examples and examples, the system is not necessarily so limited and that numerous other examples, examples, uses, modifications, and departures from the examples, examples, and uses are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto. The entire disclosure of each patent and publication cited herein is incorporated by reference as if each such patent or publication were individually incorporated by reference herein. Various features and advantages of the system are outlined in the following claims.
The present Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/600,878 entitled “SYSTEM AND A METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VARIABLE SPEED BLOWER,” filed Nov. 20, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated by reference for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63600878 | Nov 2023 | US |
