Noise abatement systems and methods for a furnace

Abstract

A furnace for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprises a burner configured to ignite a mixture of air and fuel and a sensor configured to detect a parameter indicative of an intensity of sound generated by the furnace and configured to transmit a signal indicative of a value of the parameter. The furnace further comprises a controller configured to receive the signal indicative of the value of the parameter, compare the value of the parameter to a threshold value, and in response to a determination that the value of the parameter meets or exceeds the threshold value, control operation of the furnace to adjust a flow rate of the air, a flow rate of the fuel, or both.

1 . A furnace for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 a burner configured to ignite a mixture of air and fuel;   a sensor configured to detect a parameter indicative of an intensity of sound generated by the furnace and configured to transmit a signal indicative of a value of the parameter; and   a controller configured to:
 receive the signal indicative of the value of the parameter; 
 compare the value of the parameter to a threshold value; and 
 in response to a determination that the value of the parameter meets or exceeds the threshold value, control operation of the furnace to adjust a flow rate of the air, a flow rate of the fuel, or both. 
   
     
     
         2 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the parameter comprises a sound volume, and the sensor comprises a microphone. 
     
     
         3 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the parameter comprises a vibration frequency, and the sensor comprises an accelerometer. 
     
     
         4 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the furnace comprises:
 a draft inducer fan configured to draw the air into the furnace; and   a fuel valve configured to regulate the flow rate of the fuel flow   wherein the controller is configured to adjust a speed of the draft inducer fan to adjust the flow rate of the air, and the controller is configured to adjust a position of the fuel valve to adjust the flow rate of the fuel.   
     
     
         5 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 operate the furnace to generate the mixture of air and fuel at a first air to fuel ratio in response to a determination that the value of the parameter does not meet or exceed the threshold value; and   in response to the determination that the value of the parameter meets or exceeds the threshold value:
 determine an adjustment to the first air to fuel ratio to provide a second air to fuel ratio; and 
 adjust operation of the furnace to provide the mixture of air and fuel to the burner at the second air to fuel ratio. 
   
     
     
         6 . The furnace of  claim 5 , a draft inducer fan configured to draw the air into the furnace, wherein, to adjust operation of the furnace to provide the mixture of air and fuel to the burner at the second air to fuel ratio, the controller is configured to increase a speed of the draft inducer. 
     
     
         7 . The furnace of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 during operation of the furnace to provide the mixture of air and fuel to the burner at the second air to fuel ratio:
 receive at least one additional signal indicative of at least one additional value of the parameter from the sensor; and 
 in response to a determination that the at least one additional value of the parameter from the sensor is below the threshold value for a threshold time period, operate the furnace to generate the mixture of air and fuel at the first air to fuel ratio. 
   
     
     
         8 . The furnace of  claim 1 , comprising a premixing chamber configured to receive the air and the fuel, to mix the air and the fuel to produce the mixture of air and fuel, and to direct the mixture of air and fuel to the burner. 
     
     
         9 . The furnace of  claim 8 , wherein the sensor is disposed within the premixing chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The furnace of  claim 1 , comprising a combustion chamber, wherein the burner and the sensor are disposed within the combustion chamber. 
     
     
         11 . A controller for a furnace, wherein the controller comprises a non-transitory, computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by processing circuitry of the controller, are configured to cause the controller to:
 receive a call for heating;   in response to receipt of the call for heating, initiate operation of a burner of the furnace to ignite an air and fuel mixture;   operate the furnace to generate the air and fuel mixture at a first air to fuel ratio;   receive, via a sensor disposed within the furnace, a signal indicative of a value of a parameter, wherein the parameter is associated with a level of sound generated by the furnace; and
 in response to a determination that the value of the parameter exceeds a threshold value: 
 determine an adjustment to operation of the furnace; and 
 adjust operation of the furnace to generate the air and fuel mixture at a second air to fuel ratio different from the first air to fuel ratio. 
   
     
     
         12 . The controller of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the controller to adjust a speed of a draft inducer fan of the furnace to adjust operation of the furnace to generate the air and fuel mixture at the second air to fuel ratio. 
     
     
         13 . The controller of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the controller to increase the speed of the draft inducer fan of the furnace to adjust operation of the furnace to generate the air and fuel mixture at the second air to fuel ratio. 
     
     
         14 . The controller of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the controller to:
 determine the second air to fuel ratio based on the adjustment to operation of the furnace;   compare the second air to fuel ratio to a reference range of air to fuel ratios; and   in response to a determination that the second air to fuel ratio is not within the reference range of air to fuel ratios, select an alternative air to fuel ratio within the reference range of air to fuel ratios; and   adjust operation of the furnace to generate the air and fuel mixture at the alternative air to fuel ratio.   
     
     
         15 . The controller of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the controller to:
 during operation of the furnace to generate the air and fuel mixture at the second air to fuel ratio:
 receive, via the sensor, at least one additional signal indicative of at least one additional value of the parameter; and 
 in response to a determination that the at least one additional value of the parameter from the sensor is below the threshold value for a threshold time period, operate the furnace to generate the mixture of air and fuel at the first air to fuel ratio. 
   
     
     
         16 . The controller of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the controller to:
 operate the furnace to generate the air and fuel mixture at a third air to fuel ratio for a predetermined time period in response receipt of the call for heating and prior to operation of the furnace to generate the air and fuel mixture at the first air to fuel ratio; and   operate the furnace to generate the air and fuel mixture at the first air to fuel ratio in response to lapse of the predetermined time period,   wherein the second air to fuel ratio is greater than the first air to fuel ratio, and the first air to fuel ratio is greater than the third air to fuel ratio.   
     
     
         17 . The controller of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the controller to receive the signal indicative of the value of the parameter from a microphone or an accelerometer. 
     
     
         18 . A furnace for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 a housing;   a burner disposed within the housing, wherein the burner is configured to ignite a mixture of air and fuel to produce combustion products;   a draft inducer fan configured to draw the combustion products through a heat exchanger of the furnace;   a sensor disposed within the housing, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a parameter indicative of a level of sound generated by the furnace; and   a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, wherein the controller is configured to:
 receive a signal indicative of a value of the parameter from the sensor; 
 compare the value of the parameter to a threshold value; and 
 in response to a determination that the value exceeds the threshold value, adjust operation of the draft inducer fan to adjust an air to fuel ratio of the mixture of air and fuel. 
   
     
     
         19 . The furnace of  claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to increase a speed of the draft inducer fan in response to the determination that the value exceeds the threshold value. 
     
     
         20 . The furnace of  claim 18 , wherein the sensor comprises a microphone or an accelerometer.