Apparatus and method of sound attenuation in a system employing a VSD and a quarter-wave resonator

• US 20050194207A1
• Filed: 03/04/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: York International Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: York International Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Comstock, Angela Marie, Rizer, James Brian, Nemit, Paul Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/793,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20050194207A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 181/250
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/1222 by using adjustable or movable elements, e.g. valves, membranes, bellows, expanding or shrinking elements
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/1255 using resonance
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 1/04 with compressor of rotary type F25B1/005, F25B1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/12 Sound
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices

Abstract

A resonator in a closed fluid system includes a body having a passageway in communication with a closed fluid system wherein a piston is movable within the passageway. Each position of the piston within the passageway defines a noise attenuation frequency corresponding to a noise frequency generated by the closed fluid system. A device providing a pressurized fluid from the closed fluid system selectively moves the piston within the passageway to vary the noise attenuation frequency.

Claims

1. A resonator arrangement for a closed fluid system comprising:

a body having a passageway in fluid communication with a closed fluid system;

a piston movable within the passageway wherein a position of the piston within the passageway defines a noise attenuation frequency for the closed fluid system;

a control arrangement to selectively position the piston within the passageway to generate a noise attenuation frequency corresponding to a noise frequency generated by the closed fluid system.

2. The resonator of claim 1 wherein the control arrangement includes a pressurized fluid to selectively position the piston.

3. The resonator of claim 2 wherein the pressurized fluid to selectively position the piston is taken from a pressurized fluid source that is independent of the closed fluid system.

4. The resonator of claim 3 wherein the pressurized fluid to selectively position the piston is separated from the fluid in the closed fluid system.

5. The resonator of claim 3 wherein the pressurized fluid to selectively position the piston is the same as the fluid in the closed fluid system.

6. The resonator of claim 2 wherein the pressurized fluid to selectively position the piston is taken from the closed fluid system.

7. The resonator of claim 3 wherein the pressurized fluid provided to selectively position the piston within the passageway in a direction to generate a decreased noise attenuation frequency corresponding to the noise frequency generated by the closed fluid system is taken from a pressurized fluid source that is independent of the closed fluid system;

and

wherein the pressurized fluid provided to selectively position the piston within the passageway in a direction to generate an increased noise attenuation frequency corresponding to the noise frequency generated by the closed fluid system is taken from the closed fluid system.

8. The resonator of claim 7 wherein the pressurized fluid taken from the pressurized fluid source that is independent of the closed fluid system is separated from the fluid in the closed fluid system.

9. The resonator of claim 3 wherein the pressurized fluid provided to selectively move the piston within the passageway in a direction to generate an increased noise attenuation frequency corresponding to the noise frequency generated by the closed fluid system is taken from a pressurized fluid source that is independent of the closed fluid system;

and

wherein the pressurized fluid provided to selectively move the piston within the passageway in a direction to generate a decreased noise attenuation frequency corresponding to the noise frequency generated by the closed fluid system is taken from the closed fluid system.

10. The resonator of claim 9 wherein the pressurized fluid taken from the pressurized fluid source that is independent of the closed fluid system is separated from the fluid in the closed fluid system.

11. The resonator of claim 1 wherein the closed fluid system is an HVAC&

R system.

12. The resonator of claim 11 wherein the HVAC&

R system includes a variable speed drive.

13. The resonator of claim 1 wherein the control arrangement includes a valve.

14. The resonator of claim 1 wherein the control arrangement includes a proportional valve.

15. The resonator of claim 1 further comprising a resilient device within the passageway to urge the piston to move in a direction within the passageway.

16. The resonator of claim 15 wherein the resilient device is a spring.

17. The resonator of claim 15 further comprising a resilient device within the passageway to urge the piston to move in a direction within the passageway toward the closed fluid system.

18. The resonator of claim 15 further comprising a resilient device within the passageway to urge the piston to move in a direction within the passageway away from the closed fluid system.

19. A variable noise attenuation device for use with an HVAC&

R fluid system comprising;

a body having a passageway in fluid communication with an HVAC&

R fluid system;

a piston movable within the passageway wherein a position of the piston within the passageway defining a noise attenuation frequency for the HFAC&

R fluid system;

a proportional valve selectively providing a pressurized fluid from the HVAC&

R fluid system to the piston to selectively position the piston within the passageway to generate a noise attenuation frequency corresponding to a noise frequency generated by the HFAC&

R fluid system.

20. The variable noise attenuation device of claim 19 wherein the proportional valve is in fluid communication with a positive displacement compressor.

21. The variable noise attenuation device of claim 20 wherein the positive displacement compressor is a screw compressor or a reciprocating compressor.

22. The variable noise attenuation device of claim 19 wherein the HVAC&

R fluid system is a closed HVAC&

R fluid system.

23. The variable noise attenuation device of claim 19 wherein the HVAC&

R fluid system includes a variable speed drive.

24. A method for attenuating noise in a closed fluid system, the steps comprising:

providing a body having a passageway in fluid communication with a closed fluid system;

providing a piston movable within the passageway wherein a position of the piston within the passageway defines a noise attenuation frequency for the closed fluid system;

providing a control arrangement for providing a pressurized fluid to the piston; and

positioning selectively the piston within the passageway to generate a noise attenuation frequency corresponding to a noise frequency generated by the closed fluid system.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of providing the control arrangement for providing the pressurized fluid to the piston includes providing the pressurized fluid from a pressurized fluid source that is independent of the closed fluid system.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the step of providing the control arrangement for providing the pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source that is independent of the closed fluid system further includes the step of separating the pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source that is independent of the closed fluid system from the fluid in the closed fluid system.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source that is independent of the closed fluid system is the same as the fluid in the closed fluid system.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of providing the control arrangement for providing the pressurized fluid to the piston includes providing the pressurized fluid taken from the closed fluid system.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the step of providing the control arrangement for providing the pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source that is independent of the closed fluid system to the piston includes providing the pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source that is independent of the closed fluid system to selectively position the piston within the passageway in a direction to generate a decreased noise attenuation frequency corresponding to the noise frequency generated by the closed fluid system;

and

providing the control arrangement for providing the pressurized fluid from the closed fluid system to selectively position the piston within the passageway in a direction to generate an increased noise attenuation frequency corresponding to the noise frequency generated by the closed fluid system.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source that is independent of the closed fluid system to selectively position the piston within the passageway in a direction to generate the decreased noise attenuation frequency corresponding to the noise frequency generated by the closed fluid system is separated from the fluid in the closed fluid system.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein the step of providing the control arrangement for providing the pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source that is independent of the closed fluid system to the piston includes providing the pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source that is independent of the closed fluid system to selectively position the piston within the passageway in a direction to generate an increased noise attenuation frequency corresponding to the noise frequency generated by the closed fluid system;

and

providing the pressurized fluid from the closed fluid system to selectively position the piston within the passageway in a direction to generate a decreased noise attenuation frequency corresponding to the noise frequency generated by the closed fluid system.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source that is independent of the closed fluid system to selectively position the piston within the passageway in a direction to generate an increased noise attenuation frequency corresponding to the noise frequency generated by the closed fluid system is separated from the fluid in the closed fluid system.

33. The method of claim 24 wherein the closed fluid system is an HVAC&

R system.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the HVAC&

R system includes a variable speed drive.

35. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of providing the control arrangement includes a step of providing a valve.

36. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of providing the control arrangement includes providing a proportional valve.

37. The method of claim 24 further including an additional step, before the step of providing a control arrangement for providing a pressurized fluid from the closed fluid system to the piston, of providing an algorithm, the step of providing an algorithm further including the steps of

reading a variable speed drive frequency output;

and

comparing the variable speed drive frequency output to the position of the piston in the passageway; and

wherein the step of positioning selectively the piston within the passageway to generate the noise attenuation frequency corresponding to the noise frequency generated by the closed fluid system includes positioning selectively the piston within the passageway to generate the noise attenuation frequency corresponding to the noise frequency generated by the closed fluid system in response to the algorithm.

38. The method of claim 24 further including an additional step, before the step of providing a control arrangement for providing pressurized fluid, of providing a resilient device within the passageway to urge the piston into movement within the passageway toward the closed fluid system.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the resilient device is a spring.