COMPRESSOR DATA MODULE

• US 20080216494A1
• Filed: 09/06/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Pham, Hung M., Jayanth, Nagaraj
• Application Number:
  US11/850,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20080216494A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/127
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 18/0215 where only one member is moving
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/07 Electric current
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/19 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/70 Safety, emergency conditions or requirements
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 23/008 Hermetic pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 27/005 Axial sealings for working fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 28/06 specially adapted for stopping, starting, idling or no-load operation
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/005 of safety devices F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A compressor includes a shell, a compression mechanism, a motor, a data module, and a compressor controller. The data module includes a processor and a memory. The compressor controller includes a processor and a memory. The data module receives sensed data, stores sensed data in the memory, and communicates sensed data to the compressor controller. The compressor controller controls a capacity of the compressor based on the sensed data and is operable to communicate with a system controller of a refrigeration system.

Claims

1. A compressor comprising a shell, a compression mechanism, a motor, a data module, and a compressor controller, said data module including a processor and a memory, said compressor controller including a processor and a memory, said data module receiving sensed data, storing sensed data in said memory, and communicating sensed data to said compressor controller, said compressor controller controlling a capacity of the compressor based on said sensed data and operable to communicate with a system controller of a refrigeration system.

2. The compressor of claim 1, wherein said data module processor determines non-measured operating parameters of at least one of the compressor and said refrigeration system based on said sensed data.

3. The compressor of claim 2, wherein said non-measured operating parameters include subcooling, condenser temperature, condenser temperature difference, suction superheat, discharge superheat, and evaporator temperature.

4. The compressor of claim 2, wherein said data module communicates said non-measured operating parameters to at least one of said system controller and said compressor controller.

5. The compressor of claim 2, wherein said data module diagnoses at least one of the compressor and said refrigeration system based on at least one of said sensed data and said non-measured operating parameters.

6. The compressor of claim 5, wherein said data module communicates said diagnosis to at least one of said system controller and said compressor controller.

7. The compressor of claim 1, wherein said data module diagnoses at least one of the compressor and said refrigeration system based on said sensed data.

8. The compressor of claim 7, wherein said data module communicates said diagnosis to at least one of said system controller and said compressor controller.

9. The compressor of claim 1, wherein said compressor controller diagnoses at least one of the compressor and said refrigeration system based on said sensed data from said data module.

10. The compressor of claim 9, wherein said compressor controller communicates said diagnosis to said system controller.

11. The compressor of claim 1, wherein said data module and said compressor controller are attached to the compressor.

12. For a refrigeration system including a system controller in communication with a compressor controller associated with a compressor, a data module comprising a housing, a processor and a memory, said housing mountable on the compressor, said processor receiving sensed data, storing sensed data in said memory, and operable to communicate sensed data to the compressor controller.

13. The data module of claim 12, wherein said data module processor determines non-measured operating parameters of at least one of said compressor and said refrigeration system based on said sensed data.

15. The data module of claim 13, wherein said data module processor communicates said non-measured operating parameters to at least one of said system controller and said compressor controller.

16. The data module of claim 13, wherein said data module processor diagnoses at least one of said compressor and said refrigeration system based on at least one of said sensed data and said non-measured operating parameters.

17. The data module of claim 13, wherein said data module processor communicates said diagnosis to at least one of said system controller and said compressor controller.

18. The data module of claim 12, wherein said data module processor diagnoses at least one of said compressor and said refrigeration system based on said sensed data.

19. The data module of claim 18, wherein said data module processor communicates said diagnosis to at least one of said system controller and said compressor controller.

20. The data module of claim 12, wherein said compressor controller diagnoses at least one of said compressor and said refrigeration system based on said sensed data from said data module processor.

21. The data module of claim 20, wherein said compressor controller communicates said diagnosis to said system controller.

14. The compressor of claim 14, wherein said non-measured operating parameters include subcooling, condenser temperature, condenser temperature difference, suction superheat, discharge superheat, and evaporator temperature.

22. A compressor control system comprising:

a compressor;

a compressor controller operable to diagnose and/or control said compressor; and

a data module associated with said compressor and in communication with said compressor controller, said data module receiving sensor data indicative of compressor performance, determining non-measured system operating parameters, and diagnosing said compressor based on at least one of said sensor data and said non-measured system operating parameters, said data module communicating said sensor data, said non-measured system operating parameters, and said diagnosis to said compressor controller.

23. The compressor of claim 22, wherein said compressor controller determines said non-measured system operating parameters based on said received sensor data and diagnoses said compressor based on at least one of said received sensor data and said determined non-measured system operating parameters, said compressor controller comparing said determined non-measured system operating parameters to said non-measured system operating parameters received from said data module and comparing said determined diagnosis to said diagnosis received from said data module.

24. A method comprising:

communicating sensor data to a data module;

processing said sensor data at said data module to determine non-measured operating parameters of at least one of a compressor and a refrigeration system;

processing at least one of said sensor data and said determined non-measured operating parameters at said data module to diagnose said at least one compressor and refrigeration system;

communicating said sensor data, said non-measured operating parameters, and said diagnosis to a system controller;

determining said non-measured operating parameters at said system controller based on said received sensor data;

determining said diagnosis at said system controller based on said received sensor data and said determined non-measured operating parameters;

comparing said received non-measured operating parameters to said determined non-measured operating parameters at said system controller; and

comparing said received diagnosis to said determined diagnosis at said system controller.

25. A method comprising:

communicating sensor data to a data module;

processing said sensor data at said data module to determine non-measured operating parameters of at least one of a compressor and a refrigeration system;

processing at least one of said sensor data and said non-measured operating parameters at said data module to diagnose said at least one compressor and refrigeration system;

storing at least one of said sensor data, said non-measured operating parameters, and said diagnosis in a memory of said data module;

communicating at least one of said sensor data, said non-measured operating parameters, and said diagnosis to a first system controller;

replacing said first system controller with a second system controller; and

communicating at least one of said stored sensor data, said stored non-measured operating parameters, and said stored diagnosis to said second controller.