Using weather data in heat pump defrost control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9719715-B2
Application number	US-201314040069-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2013
Priority date	Sep 27, 2013
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A method of operating a heat pump system is provided, the heat pump system having at least a controller and configured to operate at least two defrost cycles. The method comprises receiving, at the controller, weather data for a defined geographic area proximate to an installed location of the heat pump system; and selecting, based on said weather data, one of the at least two defrost cycles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A controller for a heat pump system, the heat pump system configured to operate at least two defrost cycles, the controller configured to:
receive weather data for a defined geographic area proximate to an installed location of the heat pump system, the weather data comprising a humidity level;
determine whether the heat pump system is operating in a freezing precipitation condition based at least in part upon the humidity level;
determine whether to operate a de-icing cycle based at least in part upon the weather data, wherein the de-icing cycle comprises operating a heating strip on an orifice ring comprising an outdoor fan system of the heat pump system;
select, based at least in part upon determining whether the heat pump system is operating in the freezing precipitation condition, one of the at least two defrost cycles; and
operate the de-icing cycle prior to operating the one of the at least two defrost cycles, based at least in part upon determining whether to operate the de-icing cycle based at least in part upon the weather data.

2. The controller according to claim 1 , further configured to communicate with data sources external to the heat pump system.

3. The controller according to claim 1 , further configured to communicate with components of the heat pump system via a data bus.

4. The controller according to claim 1 , further configured to communicate with sources external to the heat pump system via a wireless network protocol.

5. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the defrost cycle selected is a primary defrost cycle, said primary defrost cycle comprising initiating a cooling cycle wherein an evaporating heat exchanger operates as a condenser thereby increasing a temperature proximate the heat exchanger, the primary defrost cycle terminating upon achieving a first predetermined threshold temperature of the heat exchanger.

6. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the selected defrost cycle comprises a secondary defrost cycle, said secondary defrost cycle comprising initiating a cooling cycle wherein an evaporating heat exchanger operates as a condenser thereby increasing a temperature proximate the heat exchanger, the secondary defrost terminating upon achieving a second threshold temperature of the heat exchanger.

7. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the selected defrost cycle comprises a secondary defrost cycle, said secondary defrost cycle comprising initiating a cooling cycle wherein an evaporating heat exchanger operates as a condenser thereby increasing a temperature proximate the heat exchanger, the secondary defrost terminating after a predetermined period of time has passed.

8. A method of operating a heat pump system, the heat pump system having at least a controller and configured to operate at least two defrost cycles, the method comprising:
receiving, at said controller, weather data for a defined geographic area proximate to an installed location of the heat pump system, the weather data comprising a humidity level;
determining, at said controller, whether the heat pump system is operating in a freezing precipitation condition based at least in part upon the humidity level;
determining, at said controller, whether to operate a de-icing cycle based at least in part upon the weather data, wherein the de-icing cycle comprises operating a heating strip on an orifice ring comprising an outdoor fan system of the heat pump system;
selecting, based at least in part upon determining whether the heat pump system is operating in the freezing precipitation condition data, one of the at least two defrost cycles; and
operating the de-icing cycle prior to operating the one of the at least two defrost cycles, based at least in part upon determining whether to operate the de-icing cycle based at least in part upon the weather data.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said method is performed during manufacturing or testing of said heat pump system.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said controller is further configured to communicate with data sources external to the heat pump system.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the defrost cycle selected is a primary defrost cycle, said primary defrost cycle comprising initiating a cooling cycle wherein an evaporating heat exchanger operates as a condenser thereby increasing a temperature proximate the heat exchanger, the primary defrost cycle terminating upon achieving a first predetermined threshold temperature of the heat exchanger.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the selected defrost cycle comprises a secondary defrost cycle, said secondary defrost cycle comprising initiating a cooling cycle wherein an evaporating heat exchanger operates as a condenser thereby increasing a temperature proximate the heat exchanger, the secondary defrost terminating upon achieving a second threshold temperature of the heat exchanger.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the selected defrost cycle comprises a secondary defrost cycle, said secondary defrost cycle comprising initiating a cooling cycle wherein an evaporating heat exchanger operates as a condenser thereby increasing a temperature proximate the heat exchanger, the secondary defrost terminating after a predetermined period of time has passed.

Assignees

• Lennox Ind Inc

Inventors

• Qu Yi
• Hrejsa Pete

Classifications

• F25D21/006 Primary

  with electronic control circuits · CPC title

• F25B2700/172

  of the condenser fan · CPC title

• F25B2313/0315

  Temperature sensors near the outdoor heat exchanger · CPC title

• F25B47/025

  by reversing the cycle · CPC title

• F25B2700/173

  of the evaporator fan · CPC title