Tandem compressor refrigeration system and a method of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9951984-B2
Application number	US-201414264696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2014
Priority date	May 21, 2013
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A refrigeration system including a first compressor and a second compressor, operating in tandem, wherein the first compressor includes a compression capacity different than the compression capacity of the second compressor. A method for operating a refrigeration system including a first compressor and a second compressor operating in tandem; wherein the first compressor comprises a first compression capacity and the second compressor comprises a second compression capacity larger than the first compression capacity the method comprising the steps of: determining a cooling demand; operating the first compressor in a first stage of cooling; operating the second compressor in a second stage of cooling; and operating the first compressor and the second compressor in a third stage of cooling.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigeration system comprising:
a first compressor having a first compression capacity;
a second compressor having a second compression capacity, the second compression capacity being different from the first compression capacity, wherein the second compressor is operably coupled to the first compressor such that the first compressor and the second compressor are configured to operate either independently or in tandem;
a first heat exchanger operably coupled to the first compressor, the first heat exchanger not operably coupled to the second compressor;
a second heat exchanger operably coupled to the second compressor, the second heat exchanger not operably coupled to the first compressor;
an outdoor fan configured to circulate air across the first and second heat exchangers; and
a control operably coupled to the first compressor, the second compressor, the outdoor fan and an indoor fan;
the refrigeration system having an operating compression capacity, the operating compression capacity being the sum of compression capacities of operating compressors including the first compressor and the second compressor; and
wherein the control is configured to vary the operating compression capacity by operating the first and second compressors either independently or in tandem, and wherein when the first compressor is operating and the second compressor is not operating, the control is configured to operate the outdoor fan and the indoor fan at a first speed, when the second compressor is operating and the first compressor is not operating, the control is configured to operate the outdoor fan and the indoor fan at a second speed greater than the first speed, and when the first compressor and the second compressor are operating in tandem, the control is configured to operate the outdoor fan and the indoor fan at a third speed greater than the first speed and greater than the second speed.

2. The refrigeration system of claim 1 further comprising: a third heat exchanger operably coupled to the first and second heat exchangers; a fourth heat exchanger operably coupled to the third heat exchanger;
the indoor fan configured to circulate air across the fourth heat exchanger.

3. The refrigeration system of claim 2 , wherein the indoor fan comprises a first plurality of fan speeds and the outdoor fan comprises a second plurality of fan speeds.

4. The refrigeration system of claim 3 , wherein each of the first plurality of fan speeds and the second plurality of fan speeds includes three distinct fan speeds.

5. The refrigeration system of claim 2 , wherein the control is configured to communicate electrically with the first compressor, the second compressor, the outdoor fan and the indoor fan.

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Del Toro James J
• Harris James E
• Quiroz Marco A
• Baker Benjamen D
• Ramser Andrew M

Classifications

• Y02B30/743

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F25B49/02 Primary

  for compression type machines, plants or systems · CPC title

• F25B6/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with several condenser circuits · CPC title

• F25B2400/0751

  the compressors having different capacities · CPC title

• F25B2600/112

  of evaporator fans · CPC title