VARIABLE SPEED MOTOR CONTROL METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20100298983A1
• Filed: 01/27/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Beste, Mark G., Hundt, Roger C., Omlor, David, Hudson, Brian, Walter, Stephen A., Wynnick, David M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,310,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/50 characterised by user interfaces or communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/00 Tariff metering apparatus in taximeters G07B13/00; apparatus actuated by coins, cards or the like with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas, or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/00 Arrangements for measuring electric power or power factor G01R7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/127 by using pulse modulation G01R21/133 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/1335 Tariff switching circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/00 Adaptive control systems, i.e. systems automatically adjusting themselves to have a performance which is optimum according to some preassigned criterion G05B19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1393 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/00 Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures printed connections to, or between, printed circuits H05K1/11
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6456 comprising keying elements at different positions along the periphery of the connector
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 : The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 : The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/04 : Single phase motors, e.g. capacitor motors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 : the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 : Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/221 : General power management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 : Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/244 : the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 : Method of mechanical manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49147 : Assembling terminal to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4935 : Heat exchanger or boiler making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49359 : Cooling apparatus making, e.g., air conditioner, refrigerator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

An HVAC unit includes an HVAC motor and a system controller. The HVAC motor is coupled to a motor controller. The motor controller is configured to receive a command signal bearing a digitally encoded operating level of the HVAC motor. The system controller is coupled to the motor controller, and is configured to transmit the command signal to the motor controller. The system controller modulates the command signal with the digitally encoded operating level in response to a service demand.

Claims

1. An HVAC system, comprising:

an HVAC motor coupled to a motor controller that is configured to receive a command signal bearing a digitally encoded operating level of said HVAC motor; and

a system controller coupled to said motor controller and that is configured to transmit said command signal to said motor controller, and to modulate said command signal with said digitally encoded operating level in response to a service demand.

2. The HVAC system as recited in claim 1, wherein said HVAC motor drives an HVAC component selected from the group consisting of:

a blower;

a fan; and

a compressor.

3. The HVAC unit as recited in claim 1, wherein said operating level is encoded on said digital command signal with pulse-width modulation.

4. The HVAC unit as recited in claim 1, wherein said operating level is encoded on said digital command signal with pulse-frequency modulation.

5. The HVAC unit as recited in claim 1, wherein said HVAC motor is configured to send a feedback signal to said system controller indicating an actual speed of said HVAC motor.

6. The HVAC unit as recited in claim 5, wherein said operating level is a torque, and said controller is configured to control said HVAC motor to operate at a constant speed in response to said feedback signal.

7. The HVAC unit as recited in claim 1, wherein said HVAC motor drives a blower, and said controller controls said HVAC motor in response to a signal reported by a sensor configured to determine a temperature of a refrigerant coil associated with said blower.

8. A method of manufacturing an HVAC system, comprising:

configuring a system controller to transmit a command signal bearing a digitally encoded operating level of an HVAC motor in response to a service demand; and

coupling to said command signal an HVAC motor controller that is configured to decode said operating level therefrom and to control an operation of an HVAC motor in response to said operating level.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said HVAC motor drives an HVAC component selected from the group consisting of:

a blower;

a fan; and

a compressor.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said operating level is encoded on said digital command signal with pulse-width modulation.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said operating level is encoded on said digital command signal with pulse-frequency modulation.

12. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising configuring said HVAC motor controller to send a feedback signal to said system controller indicating an actual speed of said HVAC motor.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising configuring said system controller to control said HVAC motor to operate at a constant speed in response to said feedback signal.

14. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said HVAC motor drives a blower, and further comprising configuring said system controller to control said HVAC motor to maintain a temperature of a refrigerant coil associated with said HVAC motor.

15. An HVAC system controller, comprising:

a memory configured to store program instructions;

a microcontroller configured to read said instructions and in response thereto to encode an operating level on a digital control signal in response to a service demand; and

a signal driver configured to transmit said digital control signal to an HVAC motor controller

16. The controller as recited in claim 15, wherein said operating level is encoded on said digital command signal with pulse-width modulation.

17. The controller as recited in claim 15, wherein said operating level is encoded on said digital command signal with pulse-frequency modulation.

18. The controller as recited in claim 15, further comprising a receiver configured to receive a feedback signal indicating an actual speed of an HVAC motor controlled by said motor controller.

19. The controller as recited in claim 18, wherein said operating level is a torque, and said controller is configured to control said HVAC motor to operate at a constant speed in response to said feedback signal.

20. The controller as recited in claim 15, wherein said HVAC motor drives a blower, and said controller controls said HVAC motor in response to a signal reported by a sensor configured to determine a temperature of a refrigerant coil associated with said blower.

21. An HVAC system, comprising:

a multispeed HVAC motor having a first winding configured to produce a first number of magnetic poles when energized, and having a second winding configured to produce a second number of magnetic poles when energized, and being configured to provide a number of blower capacities in response to control signals supplied by an HVAC system controller, said number being at least 2; and

a variable capacity compressor configured to compress a refrigerant with a number of compression capacities, said number of compression capacities being equal to said number of blower capacities.

22. The HVAC system as recited in claim 21, wherein:

said blower capacities include a first blower capacity and a second blower capacity; and

said compression capacities include a first compression capacity and a second compression capacity,

and a ratio of said first blower capacity to said second blower capacity is about equal to a ratio of said first compression capacity to said second compression capacity.

23. The HVAC system as recited in claim 22, wherein said ratio of said first blower capacity to said second blower capacity is about 1.5:

1.

24. The HVAC system as recited in claim 21, wherein said variable capacity compressor has a first and a second compression zone, and a first compression capacity is provided by utilizing both said first and said second compression zones, and a second compression capacity is provided by utilizing only said first compression zone.

25. The HVAC system as recited in claim 21, wherein said variable capacity compressor is a scroll compressor.

26. A method of manufacturing an HVAC system, comprising:

configuring a multispeed HVAC motor, having a first winding configured to produce a first number of poles when energized, and having a second winding configured to produce a second number of poles when energized, to provide a number of blower capacities in response to control signals supplied by an HVAC system controller, said number being at least 2; and

configuring a variable capacity compressor to compress a refrigerant with a number of compression capacities, said number of compression capacities being equal to said number of blower capacities.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein:

said blower capacities include a first blower capacity and a second blower capacity; and

said compression capacities include a first compression capacity and a second compression capacity,

and further comprising configuring a ratio of said first blower capacity to said second blower capacity to be about equal to a ratio of said first compression capacity to said second compression capacity.

28. The method as recited in claim 27, wherein said ratio of said first blower capacity to said second blower capacity is about 1.5:

1.

29. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein said variable capacity compressor has a first and a second compression zone, and further configuring said variable capacity compressor to provide a first compression capacity by utilizing both said first and said second compression zones, and to provide a second compression capacity by utilizing only said first compression zone.

30. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein said variable capacity compressor is a scroll compressor.