Operational status checking system of alternative compressor valve and method for checking operational status of alternative compressor valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10094374-B2
Application number	US-201414768003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2014
Priority date	Feb 15, 2013
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

The present invention refers to a system and method for checking the operational status of alternative compressor valve and more particularly for checking operational status of electrically commanded valves, provided in alternative compressors used in refrigeration systems. In accordance with the present invention, said operational checking system of alternative compressor valve comprises a data processing core ( 5 ) capable of estimating one among two possible operations statuses of said metal valve ( 1 ) by varying at least one electric parameter provided by said sensor ( 4 ), wherein said step of estimating one among two possible operational statuses of said metal valve ( 1 ) is effected on the basis of the results from the comparison between said signal of electric parameter from sensor ( 4 ) and the predetermined range of data analogous to the electric parameter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for checking an operational status of an alternative compressor valve included in an operational status checking system, the operational status checking system comprising at least one metal valve disposed in at least one compression cylinder of an alternative compressor, at least one inductive component, at least one sensor, and at least one data processing core, wherein the at least one metal valve is configured to switch between at least two operational statuses, wherein the at least one inductive component is fed by a continuous current signal having an amplitude, the method comprising:
obtaining an electric parameter signal from the at least one sensor;
measuring a voltage value of the at least one inductive component from the electric parameter signal received from the at least one sensor;
comparing the voltage value of the at least one inductive component to an experimentally obtained predefined value;
determining a valve opened operational status of the at least one metal valve if the voltage value is lower than the experimentally obtained predefined value; and
stopping feeding of a valve coil associated with the at least one metal valve if the valve opened operational status is determined to be open due to an elevated pressure differential when the valve opened operational status should be closed.

2. A method for checking an operational status of an alternative compressor valve included in an operational status checking system, the operational status checking system comprising at least one metal valve disposed in at least one compression cylinder of an alternative compressor, at least one inductive component, at least one sensor, and at least one data processing core, wherein the at least one metal valve is configured to switch between at least two operational statuses, wherein the at least one inductive component is fed by a continuous current signal having an amplitude, a switching period, and a switching time, the method comprising:
obtaining an electric parameter signal from the at least one sensor;
measuring an electric current value of the at least one inductive component from the electric parameter signal received from the at least one sensor;
comparing the electric current value of the at least one inductive component to an experimentally obtained predefined value;
determining a valve opened operational status of the at least one metal valve if the electric current value is greater than the experimentally obtained predefined value; and
stopping feeding of a valve coil associated with the at least one metal valve if the valve opened operational status is determined to be open due to an elevated pressure differential when the valve opened operational status should be closed.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Sa

Inventors

• Andrich Roberto
• Maass Günter Johann

Classifications

• F04B51/00 Primary

  Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations · CPC title

• G01D5/12

  using electric or magnetic means (G01D5/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04B49/06

  Control using electricity (regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04) · CPC title

• F04B53/1082

  magnetic · CPC title

• F04B7/0076

  the members being actuated by electro-magnetic means · CPC title