Compressor diagnostic system

• US 20060080978A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Jayanth, Nagaraj, Pham, Hung
• Granted Patent: US 7,222,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/129
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1687 Assembly, peg and hole, palletising, straight line, weaving pattern movement
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 51/00 Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 18/0215 where only one member is moving
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/07 Electric current
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/784 Light
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/86 Detection
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/90 Remote control, e.g. wireless, via LAN, by radio, or by a wired connection from a central computer
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 23/008 Hermetic pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 28/28 Safety arrangements; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 29/0085 Prime movers
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/151 of the compressor motor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1931 Discharge pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2106 of fresh outdoor air
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2116 of a condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/005 of safety devices F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/025 Motor control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/08 for dynamo-electric motors

Abstract

A system and method for diagnosing and protecting a compressor includes a sensor, logic circuitry, a motor protector and an intelligent device. The logic circuitry is associated with the sensor and the motor protector and operable to determine a trip frequency of the motor protector and identify a specific fault cause. The intelligent device communicates with the logic circuitry and indicates the fault cause.

Claims

1. A diagnostic system for a compressor system including a compressor and a motor protector, the system comprising:

at least one sensor monitoring operating conditions of the compressor;

logic circuitry associated with said at least one sensor and the motor protector, said logic circuitry operable to determine a trip frequency of the motor protector and identify a specific fault cause; and

an intelligent device in communication with said logic circuitry and operable to indicate said fault cause.

2. The diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein said logic circuitry analyzes said condition and said intelligent device indicates a specific fault cause.

3. The diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein said logic circuitry determines the trip frequency of the motor protector.

4. The diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein said logic circuitry determines the average ON time of the compressor.

5. The diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein said intelligent device is operable to visually communicate said specific fault cause.

6. The diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein said logic circuitry is operable to output to said intelligent device a coded sequence of electrical pulses to identify said specific fault cause.

7. The diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor includes a demand signal sensor associated with said logic circuitry.

8. The diagnostic system according to claim 7, wherein said demand signal sensor monitors a supply voltage.

9. The diagnostic system according to claim 7, wherein said demand signal sensor is in communication with a system controller supplying a signal indicating demand.

10. The diagnostic system according to claim 7, wherein said at least one sensor includes a current sensor associated with said logic circuitry.

11. The diagnostic system according to claim 10, wherein said logic circuitry receives an output of said current sensor, an output of said demand sensor and derives a motor protector trip frequency from said received current and demand signal.

12. The diagnostic system according to claim 10, wherein said current sensor includes a main winding current sensor and an auxiliary winding current sensor, said logic circuitry communicating said condition based on input received from said demand signal sensor, main winding current sensor and auxiliary winding current sensor.

13. The diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein said logic circuitry is operable in a normal run condition, said logic circuitry moving the protector to a tripped condition in the absence of a signal from both said main winding current sensor and said auxiliary winding current sensor.

14. The diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein said logic circuitry is operable in a protector trip condition, said logic circuitry outputting a normal run condition signal when receiving output from at least one of said main winding current sensor and said auxiliary winding current sensor and output from said demand sensor is acceptable.

15. The diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein said logic circuitry derives a motor protector trip frequency from said input received from said demand signal sensor and at least one of said main and auxiliary winding current sensors.

16. The diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein said intelligent device is operable to indicate a fault based on input received by said logic circuitry from at least one of said demand signal sensor, main winding current sensor, and auxiliary winding current sensor.

17. A method comprising:

sensing at least one operating condition of a compressor;

analyzing said operating condition;

determining a trip frequency of a motor protector;

identifying a compressor fault cause based on said operating condition and said trip frequency; and

communicating said fault cause to an intelligent device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said determining includes determining an average ON time of said compressor.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said sensing at least one operating condition includes sensing a demand signal and a current.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising deriving said motor protector trip frequency from said sensed current and demand signal.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein said identifying a compressor fault cause includes indicating a specific fault cause based on said sensed operating condition.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said communicating includes outputting a coded sequence of electrical pulses to identify a specific fault cause.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying said fault cause.