Compressor Crankcase Heating Control Systems And Methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018112902-A1
Application number	US-201715848924-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 20, 2017
Priority date	Nov 16, 2012
Publication date	Apr 26, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A crankcase heating control system for a heat pump system includes a data receiving module and a power control module. The data receiving module is configured to receive: data indicative of a temperature of a compressor of the heat pump system; and data indicative of an ambient temperature. The power control module is configured to: selectively apply power to a heater of a crankcase of the compressor; and disable the heater when all of: a period since the compressor was last turned is greater than a predetermined period; the ambient temperature is less than a predetermined temperature; and the temperature of the compressor is less than the predetermined temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A crankcase heating control system for a heat pump system, the crankcase heating control system comprising:
a data receiving module is configured to receive:
data indicative of a temperature of a compressor of the heat pump system; and
data indicative of an ambient temperature; and
a power control module configured to:
selectively apply power to a heater of a crankcase of the compressor; and
disable the heater when all of:
a period since the compressor was last turned is greater than a predetermined period;
the ambient temperature is less than a predetermined temperature; and
the temperature of the compressor is less than the predetermined temperature.

2 . The crankcase heating control system of claim 1 wherein the power control module is configured to disable the heater of the crankcase further when a current date is within a predetermined date range.

3 . The crankcase heating control system of claim 1 wherein the power control module is configured to disable the heater of the crankcase further a current time is within a predetermined daily time range.

4 . The crankcase heating control system of claim 1 wherein the power control module is configured to disable the heater of the crankcase further when a current date and time is within a second predetermined period input from a user.

5 . The crankcase heating control system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined period is at least three hours.

6 . The crankcase heating control system of claim 1 wherein the power control module is configured to disable the heater of the crankcase further when the ambient temperature is greater than a second predetermined temperature.

7 . The crankcase heating control system of claim 1 wherein the power control module is configured to apply power to the heater of the crankcase when a temperature difference between the temperature of the compressor and the ambient temperature is less than a second predetermined temperature.

8 . The crankcase heating control system of claim 7 wherein the power control module is configured to disable the heater of the crankcase further when the temperature difference between the temperature of the compressor and the ambient temperature is greater than a third predetermined temperature.

9 . The crankcase heating control system of claim 8 wherein the third predetermined temperature is greater than the second predetermined temperature.

10 . The crankcase heating control system of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the compressor is one of a discharge line temperature of the compressor, a temperature of a motor of the compressor, a temperature of lubricant within the compressor, an upper shell temperature, and a lower shell temperature.

11 . A crankcase heating control method for a heat pump system, the crankcase heating control method comprising:
receiving data indicative of a temperature of a compressor of the heat pump system; receiving data indicative of an ambient temperature; selectively applying power to a heater of a crankcase of the compressor; and disabling the heater when all of:
a period since the compressor was last turned is greater than a predetermined period;
the ambient temperature is less than a predetermined temperature; and
the temperature of the compressor is less than the predetermined temperature.

12 . The crankcase heating control method of claim 11 further comprising disabling the heater of the crankcase further when a current date is within a predetermined date range.

13 . The crankcase heating control method of claim 11 further comprising disabling the heater of the crankcase further a current time is within a predetermined daily time range.

14 . The crankcase heating control method of claim 11 further comprising disabling the heater of the crankcase further when a current date and time is within a second predetermined period input from a user.

15 . The crankcase heating control method of claim 11 wherein the predetermined period is at least three hours.

16 . The crankcase heating control method of claim 11 further comprising disabling the heater of the crankcase further when the ambient temperature is greater than a second predetermined temperature.

17 . The crankcase heating control method of claim 11 wherein selectively applying power includes applying power to the heater of the crankcase when a temperature difference between the temperature of the compressor and the ambient temperature is less than a second predetermined temperature.

18 . The crankcase heating control method of claim 17 further comprising disabling the heater of the crankcase further when the temperature difference between the temperature of the compressor and the ambient temperature is greater than a third predetermined temperature.

19 . The crankcase heating control method of claim 18 wherein the third predetermined temperature is greater than the second predetermined temperature.

20 . The crankcase heating control method of claim 11 wherein the temperature of the compressor is one of a discharge line temperature of the compressor, a temperature of a motor of the compressor, a temperature of lubricant within the compressor, an upper shell temperature, and a lower shell temperature.

Assignees

• Emerson Climate Technologies

Inventors

• Pham Hung

Classifications

• F04B35/04 Primary

  the means being electric · CPC title

• F04B39/128

  Crankcases · CPC title

• F04B39/06

  Cooling; Heating; Prevention of freezing · CPC title

• F04C2270/701

  Cold start · CPC title

• F04C29/045

  of the electric motor in hermetic pumps · CPC title