Controller, method of operating a water source heat pump and a water source heat pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9869419-B2
Application number	US-201615162813-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2016
Priority date	Sep 26, 2011
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

In one embodiment, a water system includes a compressor, a condenser fluidly coupled to the compressor by refrigerant tubing, a modulating motor-controlled valve configured to alter a flow of water through the condenser, an accelerometer mechanically coupled to the water system, and a water system controller. The water system controller may be configured to perform an automated anti-water hammer procedure. During the automated anti-water hammer procedure, the water system controller may be configured to activate an operating procedure for the water system, transmit a control signal to the modulating motor-controlled valve, receive vibrational measurements received from the accelerometer, compare the vibrational measurements measured by the accelerometer to a predetermined vibration level associated with the operating procedure, and adjust the opening position and opening speed of the modulating motor-controlled valve for the operating procedure if the vibrational measurements exceed the predetermined vibration level associated with the operating procedure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water system, comprising:
a compressor;
a condenser fluidly coupled to the compressor by refrigerant tubing;
a modulating motor-controlled valve configured to alter a flow of water through the condenser;
an accelerometer mechanically coupled to the water system, the accelerometer configured to monitor vibrational measurements; and
a water system controller configured to perform an automated anti-water hammer procedure wherein, during the automated anti-water hammer procedure, the water system controller is configured to:
activate an operating procedure for the water system, wherein the operating procedure comprises an opening position and an opening speed of the modulating motor-controlled valve;
transmit a control signal to the modulating motor-controlled valve, the control signal configured to open the modulating motor-controlled valve to the opening position at the opening speed;
receive, from the accelerometer, vibrational measurements measured by the accelerometer in response to opening the modulating motor-controlled valve to the opening position at the opening speed;
compare the vibrational measurements measured by the accelerometer to a predetermined vibration level associated with the operating procedure; and
adjust the opening position and opening speed of the modulating motor-controlled valve for the operating procedure if the vibrational measurements measured by the accelerometer exceed the predetermined vibration level associated with the operating procedure.

2. The water system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the operating procedure is selected from the group consisting of a start-up cycle, a cooling cycle, a heating cycle, and a flushing cycle.

3. The water system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the operating procedure for the water system further comprises a closing speed of the modulating motor-controlled valve and the water system controller is further configured to:
transmit a second control signal to the modulating motor controlled valve, the second control signal configured to close the modulating motor-controlled valve at the closing speed;
receive, from the accelerometer, additional vibrational measurements measured by the accelerometer in response to closing the modulating motor-controlled valve at the closing speed;
compare the additional vibrational measurements measured by the accelerometer to the predetermined vibration level associated with the operating procedure; and
adjust the closing speed of the modulating motor-controlled valve for the operating procedure if the additional vibrational measurements measured by the accelerometer exceed the predetermined vibration level associated with the operating procedure.

4. The water system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the water system controller is configured to perform the automated anti-water hammer procedure once during an initial setup of the water system.

5. The water system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the water system controller is configured to perform the automated anti-hammer procedure throughout operation of the water system.

6. The water system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the water system controller is configured to prevent high head pressure at the start of a cooling cycle by adjusting the operating procedure.

7. The water system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a second modulating motor-controlled valve configured to be controlled by the water system controller.

8. A controller for a water system, comprising:
a memory configured to store an operating procedure for the water system;
a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the processor configured to perform an automated anti-water hammer procedure wherein, during the automated anti-water hammer procedure, the water system controller is configured to:
activate the operating procedure for the water system, wherein the operating procedure comprises an opening position and an opening speed of a modulating motor-controlled valve;

an interface communicatively coupled to the processor, the interface configured to:
transmit a control signal to the modulating motor-controlled valve, the control signal configured to open the modulating motor-controlled valve to the opening position at the opening speed;
receive, from an accelerometer mechanically coupled to the water system, vibrational measurements measured by the accelerometer in response to opening the modulating motor-controlled valve to the opening position at the opening speed; and

the processor further configured to:
compare the vibrational measurements received from the accelerometer, to a predetermined vibration level associated with the operating procedure; and
adjust the opening position and opening speed of the modulating motor-controlled valve for the operating procedure if the vibrational measurements received from the accelerometer exceed the predetermined vibration level associated with the operating procedure.

9. The controller as recited in claim 8 , wherein the operating procedure is selected from the group consisting of a start-up cycle, a cooling cycle, a heating cycle, and a flushing cycle.

10. The controller as recited in claim 8 , wherein the operating procedure for the water system further comprises a closing speed of the modulating motor-controlled valve and the interface is further configured to:
transmit a second control signal to the modulating motor controlled valve, the second control signal configured to close the modulating motor-controlled valve at the closing speed;
receive, from the accelerometer, additional vibrational measurements measured by the accelerometer in response to closing the modulating motor-controlled valve at the closing speed; and
the processor is further configured to:
compare the additional vibrational measurements received from the accelerometer to a predetermined vibration level associated with the operating procedure; and
adjust the closing speed of the modulating motor-controlled valve for the operating procedure if the additional vibrational measurements measured by the accelerometer exceed the predetermined vibration level associated with the operating procedure.

11. The controller as recited in claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to perform the automated anti-water hammer procedure once during an initial setup of the water system.

12. The controller as recited in claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to perform the automated anti-water hammer procedure throughout operation of the water system.

13. The controller as recited in claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to prevent high head pressure at the start of a cooling cycle by adjusting the operating procedure.

14. The controller as recited in claim 8 further comprising a second modulating motor-controlled valve configured to be operated by the controller.

15. A computer-usable medium having non-transitory computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform an automated anti-hammer procedure, the automated anti-hammer procedure comprising:
activating an operating procedure for a water system, wherein the operating procedure comprises an opening position and an opening speed of a modulating motor-controlled valve of the water system;
transmitting a control signal to the modulating motor-controlled valve, the control signal configured to open the modulating motor-controlled valve to the opening position at the opening speed;
receiving, from an accelerometer mechanically coupled to the water system, vibrational measurements measured by the accelerometer in response to opening the

Assignees

• Lennox Ind Inc

Inventors

• Perez Eric
• Schneider Steve
• Havard Jr Harold Gene

Classifications

• F25B30/02 Primary

  of the compression type · CPC title

• Y02B10/70

  Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies · CPC title

• Y02B30/12

  Hot water central heating systems using heat pumps · CPC title

• F24F2140/30

  Condensation of water from cooled air · CPC title

• F25B49/027

  Condenser control arrangements · CPC title