COMPRESSOR HAVING A POWER FACTOR CORRECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090092502A1
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Marcinkiewicz, Joseph G.
• Application Number:
  US12/246,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20090092502A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/63
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2203/0202 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2203/0209 Rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/06 Control using electricity regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0048 Circuits or arrangements for reducing losses using snubbers H02M1/34
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4208 Arrangements for improving power factor of AC input
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A power factor correction (PFC) device may be connected with a power source and a compressor. A control module may receive a measured operating parameter of the compressor, compare the measured operating parameter with a predetermined threshold, and control a switch to selectively bypass the PFC device based on the measured operating parameter of the compressor.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

measuring an operating parameter of a compressor motor connected to a power factor correction device;

comparing the operating parameter of the compressor to a predetermined compressor threshold; and

selectively bypassing the power factor correction device based on the comparing.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

measuring an input voltage from a power source connected to the compressor motor;

comparing the input voltage to a predetermined input voltage range;

selectively bypassing the power factor correction device when the input voltage is within the predetermined input voltage range.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the predetermined input voltage range is from 80% to 120% of normal power source voltage.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the selectively bypassing includes operating an electrical switch to selectively remove the power factor device from a current path between a power source and the compressor.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating parameter includes at least one of a sensed output power of the compressor motor and an estimated output power of the compressor motor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined compressor threshold is 50% of a rated motor output power of the compressor motor.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating parameter includes a commanded speed of the compressor motor.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the predetermined compressor threshold is 50% of a normal operating speed of the compressor motor.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating parameter includes an actual speed of the compressor motor.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the predetermined compressor threshold is 50% of a normal operating speed of the compressor motor.

11. A system comprising:

a power factor correction device having a power factor device input and a power factor device output;

a compressor electrically connected to the power factor device output;

a selection device for selectively connecting a power source with one of the power factor device input and an input of the compressor;

a first measurement device measuring an operating parameter of the compressor;

a second measurement device measuring an input voltage from the power source; and

a control module comparing the operating parameter with a predetermined compressor threshold and the input voltage with a predetermined input voltage range and controlling the selection device based on the comparing.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the operating parameter includes an output power of the motor.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the control module determines whether the output power of the motor exceeds a predetermined percentage of a rated motor output power of the compressor motor.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the operating parameter includes a commanded speed of the compressor motor.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the control module determines whether the commanded speed of the compressor motor exceeds a predetermined percentage of a normal operating speed of the compressor motor.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the operating parameter includes an actual speed of the compressor motor.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the control module determines whether the actual speed of the compressor motor exceeds a predetermined percentage of a normal operating speed of the compressor motor.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein predetermined input voltage range is from 80% to 120% of normal power source voltage.