System for calibration of a compressor unit in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9726412-B2
Application number	US-201715454507-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2017
Priority date	Oct 28, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

The present invention provides for a system for calibrating operation of a compressor unit in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. A measuring device measures an operating parameter of the HVAC system at a position where the measuring device is mounted on a refrigerant line of the HVAC system. The measuring device switches states when the value of the measured operating parameter reaches a switching value. A controller estimates a value of the first operating parameter at the position where the first measuring device is mounted on the refrigerant line, and the controller determines whether the estimated first operating parameter is within a threshold percentage of the switching value.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system for calibrating operation of a compressor in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit, the system comprising:
a compressor unit;
a pressure switch positioned on a discharge line of the compressor unit and configured to measure refrigerant pressure in the discharge line and switch operation of the HVAC unit from a first operating state to a second operating state when a value of the measured refrigerant pressure reaches a first switching value; and
a controller configured to estimate a first estimated value of the refrigerant pressure and determine whether the first estimated value is within a first threshold percentage of the first switching value.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
an indoor unit;
an outdoor unit operatively connected to the indoor unit; and
wherein the outdoor unit comprises the compressor unit, the compressor unit comprising a suction line and the discharge line.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compressor unit operates at an outside ambient temperature.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the discharge line comprises a channel for refrigerant flow.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate a first communication based on a determination of whether the first estimated value is within the first threshold percentage of the first switching value.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to send the first communication using a wireless connection with an external device.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the pressure switch has switched states from the first operating state to the second operating state.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein:
the controller is configured to change demand on the compressor unit from a first load to a second load if the pressure switch has not switched states from the first operating state to the second operating state; and
wherein changing the demand comprises changing a speed of the compressor unit.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the controller is configured to initiate a first mode of operation for calibrating operation of the compressor unit, wherein the initiation of the first mode of operation is based on outside ambient temperature; and
the controller is configured to operate the compressor unit under the second load for a first time period to change the measured refrigerant pressure of the HVAC system to cause the pressure switch to switch states.

10. A system for calibrating operation of a compressor in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit, the system comprising:
a compressor unit;
a temperature switch positioned on a discharge line of the compressor unit and configured to measure refrigerant temperature in the discharge line and switch operation of the HVAC unit from a first operating state to a second operating state when a value of the measured refrigerant temperature reaches a first switching value; and
a controller configured to estimate a first estimated value of the refrigerant pressure and determine whether the first estimated value is within a first threshold percentage of the first switching value.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising:
an indoor unit;
an outdoor unit operatively connected to the indoor unit; and
wherein the outdoor unit comprises the compressor unit, the compressor unit comprising a suction line and the discharge line.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the temperature switch is configured to measure refrigerant temperature at a position where the temperature switch is positioned on the discharge line.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to generate a first communication based on a determination of whether the first estimated value is within the first threshold percentage of the first switching value.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the temperature switch has switched states from the first operating state to the second operating state.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the controller is configured to change demand on the compressor unit from a first load to a second load if the temperature switch has not switched states from the first operating state to the second operating state; and
wherein changing the demand comprises changing a speed of the compressor unit.

16. A method for calibrating operation of a compressor unit in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the method comprising:
mounting a measuring device on a discharge line of the compressor unit, wherein the measuring device is configured to measure at least a first operating parameter of the HVAC system and switch states from a first state to a second state when a value of the measured first operating parameter reaches a first switching value;
determining whether the measuring device has switched states from the first state to the second state;
responsive to a determination that the measuring device has not switched states from the first state to the second state, changing demand on the compressor unit from a first load to a second load;
switching from the first state to the second state when a value of the measured first operating parameter reaches the first switching value;
estimating a first estimated value of the first operating parameter; and
determining whether the first estimated value is within a first threshold percentage of the first switching value.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein changing the demand comprises changing a speed of the compressor unit.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
responsive to a determination that the first estimated value is within the first threshold percentage of the first switching value, generating a first communication; and
sending the first communication to an external device using a wireless connection.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the measuring device comprises a pressure switch, and the first operating parameter comprises a pressure of a refrigerant in the discharge line at a position where the measuring device is mounted; and
the pressure switch is configured to measure the pressure of the refrigerant at the position where the pressure switch is mounted on the discharge line.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the measuring device comprises a temperature switch, and the first operating parameter comprises a temperature of a refrigerant in the discharge line at a position where the measuring device is mounted; and
the temperature switch is configured to measure the temperature of the refrigerant at the position where the temperature switch is mounted on the discharge line.

Assignees

• Lennox Ind Inc

Inventors

• Berg Eric
• Goel Rakesh

Classifications

• Y02B30/70

  Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating · CPC title

• F25B2700/21152

  at the discharge side of the compressor · CPC title

• F25B49/022 Primary

  Compressor control arrangements · CPC title

• G01L19/086

  for remote indication · CPC title

• G01K1/024

  for remote indication · CPC title