HVAC and/or refrigeration using power factor correction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10084372-B1
Application number	US-201715624844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 16, 2017
Priority date	Jun 16, 2017
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

A system includes an alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) voltage convertor, a power factor correction (PFC) subsystem, and one or more motor drives. The AC to DC voltage converter receives alternating current from an AC voltage source. The PFC subsystem receives DC voltage from the AC to DC voltage convertor. The PFC subsystem also outputs a corrected DC voltage corresponding to an output voltage setpoint. The PFC subsystem includes a controller operable to dynamically adjust the output voltage setpoint. The one or more motor drives receive voltage via the PFC subsystem. The output voltage setpoint is determined based at least in part on estimating a load associated with the one or more motor drives configured to receive voltage via the PFC subsystem.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A controller for a HVAC and/or refrigeration system, the controller comprising:
one or more interfaces operable to communicate with components of the HVAC and/or refrigeration system, the components comprising a power factor correction (PFC) subsystem and one or more motor drives;
memory operable to store instructions; and
processing circuitry operable to execute the instructions, whereby the controller is operable to dynamically adjust an output voltage setpoint for the PFC subsystem, the output voltage setpoint determined based at least in part on estimating a load associated with one or more components of the HVAC and/or refrigeration system that receive voltage via the PFC subsystem.

2. The controller of claim 1 , wherein to determine the output voltage setpoint based at least in part on estimating the load, the controller is further operable to:
determine a target efficiency value for the HVAC and/or refrigeration system based on the load; and
determine the output voltage setpoint based on the target efficiency value.

3. The controller of claim 2 , wherein to determine the target efficiency value for the HVAC and/or refrigeration system, the controller is further operable to:
determine individual efficiency values for each of the PFC subsystem and the one or more motor drives based on the load; and
calculate the target efficiency value for the HVAC and/or refrigeration system based on the individual efficiency values.

4. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the output voltage setpoint is determined based on a load of a single component of the HVAC and/or refrigeration system that receives voltage via the PFC subsystem.

5. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the output voltage set is determined based on a total load of the one or more components of the HVAC and/or refrigeration system that receive voltage via the PFC subsystem.

6. The controller of claim 1 , wherein to dynamically adjust the output voltage setpoint for the PFC subsystem, the controller is further operable to maintain the output voltage setpoint for the PFC subsystem at or above a peak input voltage to the PFC subsystem.

7. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the controller is operable to dynamically adjust the output voltage setpoint for the PFC subsystem during operation of the one or more motor drives.

8. A system, comprising:
an alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) voltage convertor receiving alternating current from an AC voltage source;
a PFC subsystem configured to receive DC voltage from the AC to DC voltage convertor and output a corrected DC voltage corresponding to an output voltage setpoint, the PFC subsystem comprising a controller operable to dynamically adjust the output voltage setpoint;
one or more motor drives configured to receive voltage via the PFC subsystem;
wherein the output voltage setpoint is determined based at least in part on estimating a load associated with the one or more motor drives configured to receive voltage via the PFC subsystem.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein to determine the output voltage setpoint based at least in part on estimating the load, the controller is further operable to:
determine a target efficiency value for the PFC subsystem and the one or more motor drives based on the load; and
determine the output voltage setpoint based on the target efficiency value.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein to determine the target efficiency value for the PFC subsystem and the one or more motor drives, the system is further operable to:
determine individual efficiency values for each of the one or more motor drives and the PFC subsystem based on the load; and
calculate the target efficiency value for the PFC subsystem and the one or more motor drives based on the individual efficiency values.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein to dynamically adjust the output voltage setpoint for the PFC subsystem, the system is further operable to maintain the output voltage setpoint for the PFC subsystem at or above a peak input voltage from an AC/DC voltage converter to the PFC subsystem irrespective of the estimated load.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the PFC subsystem comprises a three-channel interleaved PFC.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the system is operable to dynamically adjust the output voltage setpoint for the PFC subsystem during operation of the one or more motor drives.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more motor drives are connected in series.

15. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more motor drives are connected in parallel.

16. The system of claim 8 , wherein the target efficiency value is further based on a configuration of the one or more motor drives of the HVAC and/or refrigeration system.

17. A method, comprising:
estimating a load of a HVAC and/or refrigeration system, the HVAC and/or refrigeration system comprising a PFC subsystem and one or more motor drives; and
adjusting an output voltage setpoint for the PFC subsystem, the output voltage setpoint determined based at least in part on estimating a load associated with the one or more motor drives of the HVAC and/or refrigeration system that receive voltage via the PFC subsystem.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein adjusting the output voltage of the PFC subsystem comprises:
determining a target efficiency value for the HVAC and/or refrigeration system based on the estimated load; and
determining the output voltage setpoint of the PFC subsystem based on the target efficiency value.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein determining the target efficiency value for the HVAC and/or refrigeration system comprises:
determining individual efficiency values for each of the one or more motor drives and the PFC subsystem based on the estimated load; and
calculating the target efficiency value for the HVAC and/or refrigeration system based on the individual efficiency values.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the output voltage setpoint is determined to be at or above a peak input voltage to the PFC subsystem irrespective of the estimated load.

Assignees

• Lennox Ind Inc

Inventors

• Subramaniam Palanivel
• Styer Austin Clay

Classifications

• H02M1/4208 Primary

  Arrangements for improving power factor of AC input · CPC title

• F24F11/77

  by controlling the speed of ventilators · CPC title

• F25B2600/024

  by controlling the electric parameters, e.g. current or voltage · CPC title

• F24F2011/0046

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F24F11/46

  Improving electric energy efficiency or saving · CPC title