Method to sense airflow by measuring torque on the damper shaft

Abstract

A damper assembly includes a damper frame, at least one damper blade, an actuator and a sensor module coupled to a first rotatable damper element. The one or more damper blades are movably attached to the damper frame to at least partially regulate air flow proximate the damper frame. The actuator is configured to control a position of the damper blade. The rotatable damper element is operably coupled between the actuator and the damper blade. The sensor module includes a sensor device operable to determine an air-flow induced force on the rotatable damper element.

1 . A damper assembly comprising: 
 a damper frame;    at least one damper blade movably attached to the damper frame to at least partially regulate air flow proximate the damper frame;    an actuator configured to control a position of the at least one damper blade;    at least one rotatable damper element operably coupled between the actuator and the at least one damper blade; and    a sensor module coupled to a first of the at least one rotatable damper element, the sensor module including a sensor device operable to determine an air-flow induced force on the first rotatable damper element.    
   
   
       2 . The damper assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor module further includes a first wireless communication circuit operable to communicate air-flow induced force information to a second wireless communication circuit disposed off of the first damper element.  
   
   
       3 . The damper assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the first wireless communication circuit includes an RF communication device.  
   
   
       4 . The damper assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor device comprises a strain gauge.  
   
   
       5 . The damper assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the sensor device comprises a microelectromechanical systems strain gauge.  
   
   
       6 . The damper assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor device comprises a microelectromechanical systems sensor.  
   
   
       7 . The damper assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the air-flow induced force information comprises air flow information derived from force measurements.  
   
   
       8 . The damper assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the actuator is configured to control a position of the at least one damper blade based at least in part on the air flow information.  
   
   
       9 . The damper assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the actuator is configured to control a position of the at least one damper blade based at least in part on the air-flow induced force information.  
   
   
       10 . The damper assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor module further comprises a processing circuit operable to generate air flow information based on the air flow induced force information.  
   
   
       11 . The damper assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the sensor module further comprises a processing circuit operable to generate air flow information further based on damper position information.  
   
   
       12 . A sensor module, comprising: 
 a MEMs sensor device operable to determine an air-flow induced mechanical force on a first damper element; and    a processing circuit operably coupled to receive air-flow induced mechanical force information based on the determined air-flow induced mechanical force, the processing circuit operable to generate an air flow measurement value based on the air-flow induced mechanical force information and position information representative of a position of a damper coupled to the first damper element.    
   
   
       13 . The sensor module of  claim 12 , wherein the processing circuit is operable to generate the air flow measurement value based on the air-flow induced mechanical force information and the position information representative of the position of the damper, the damper being mechanically coupled to the first damper element.  
   
   
       14 . The sensor module of  claim 12 , further comprising a first wireless communication circuit operable to communicate information representative of the air flow measurement to a second wireless communication circuit.  
   
   
       15 . The sensor module of  claim 14 , wherein the first wireless communication circuit includes an RF communication device.  
   
   
       16 . The sensor module of  claim 12 , wherein the sensor device comprises a strain gauge.  
   
   
       17 . A sensor module, comprising: 
 a MEMs sensor device operable to determine an air-flow induced mechanical force on a first damper element;    a processing circuit operably coupled to receive air-flow induced mechanical force information based on the determined air-flow induced mechanical force, the processing circuit operable to generate an air flow measurement value based on the air-flow induced mechanical force information; and    a first wireless communication circuit operable to communicate information representative of the air flow measurement to a second wireless communication circuit.    
   
   
       18 . The sensor module of  claim 17 , wherein the processing circuit is operable to generate the air flow measurement value based on the air-flow induced mechanical force information and position information representative of a position of a damper, the damper being mechanically coupled to the first damper element.  
   
   
       19 . The sensor module of  claim 17 , wherein the first wireless communication circuit includes an RF communication device.  
   
   
       20 . The sensor module of  claim 17 , wherein the sensor device comprises a strain gauge.