COMPRESSOR DIAGNOSTIC AND PROTECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110144944A1
• Filed: 02/18/2011
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Corporation LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Pham, Hung M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,474,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/26 heat exchangers or the like making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/18 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/19 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 28/00 Control of, monitoring of, or safety arrangements for, pumps or pumping installations specially adapted for elastic fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 1/04 with compressor of rotary type F25B1/005, F25B1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/06 Damage
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/19 Calculation of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/151 of the compressor motor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1931 Discharge pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1933 Suction pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2106 of fresh outdoor air
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21151 at the suction side of the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21152 at the discharge side of the compressor
• 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: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49353 Heat pipe device making

Abstract

A method is provided and may include generating a high-side signal indicative of an operating condition of a high-pressure side of a refrigeration circuit and generating a low-side signal indicative of an operating condition of a low-pressure side of the refrigeration circuit. The method may further include processing by a processor the high-side signal and the low-side signal to determine a non-measured system condition and determining by the processor an efficiency of the refrigeration circuit based on the non-measured system condition.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a high-side signal indicative of an operating condition of a high-pressure side of a refrigeration circuit;

generating a low-side signal indicative of an operating condition of a low-pressure side of said refrigeration circuit;

processing by a processor said high-side signal and said low-side signal to determine a non-measured system condition; and

determining by said processor an efficiency of said refrigeration circuit based on said non-measured system condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating a high-side signal includes detecting current.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating a low-side signal includes detecting a discharge line temperature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining said non-measured system condition includes determining at least one of condenser temperature, an evaporator temperature, a suction superheat, and a discharge superheat.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining said condenser temperature as a function of said high-side signal and a first compressor map.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said first compressor map includes compressor-specific parameters.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining said evaporator temperature as a function of said low-side signal, said condenser temperature, and a second compressor map.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising using an iterative process to derive said evaporator temperature.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining a compressor capacity as a function of said condenser temperature, said evaporator temperature, and a third compressor map.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a capacity of an evaporator coil as a function of said compressor capacity and a measured blower current.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said determining said capacity of said evaporator coil includes adjusting for at least one of blower heat and said suction superheat.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining said efficiency includes determining said efficiency as a function of said evaporator coil capacity, said high-side signal, and said measured blower current.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining a compressor power, a blower power, and a fan power.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining said efficiency includes dividing said evaporator coil capacity by the sum of said compressor power, said blower power, and said fan power.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating said non-measured system condition to a system controller.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying by said system controller said non-measured system condition.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising reporting said high-side signal and said low-side signal to said system controller and verifying by said system controller said non-measured system condition based on said reported high-side signal and said reported low-side signal.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising detecting by said system controller said high-side operating condition and said low-side operating condition and verifying by said system controller said non-measured system condition based on said detected high-side operating condition and said detected low-side operating condition.

19. A method comprising:

generating a high-side signal indicative of an operating condition of a high-pressure side of a refrigeration circuit;

generating a low-side signal indicative of an operating condition of a low-pressure side of said refrigeration circuit;

processing by a processor said high-side signal and said low-side signal to determine a non-measured system condition; and

determining by said processor an efficiency of a compressor within said refrigeration circuit based on said non-measured system condition.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said generating a high-side signal includes detecting current.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said detecting current includes detecting current drawn by a motor of said compressor.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said generating a low-side signal includes detecting a discharge line temperature of said compressor.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said determining said non-measured system condition includes determining at least one of a condenser temperature, an evaporator temperature, a suction superheat, and a discharge superheat.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining said condenser temperature as a function of said high-side signal and a first compressor map.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said first compressor map includes compressor-specific parameters.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining said evaporator temperature as a function of said low-side signal, said condenser temperature, and a second compressor map.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising using an iterative process to derive said evaporator temperature.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining a compressor capacity as a function of said condenser temperature, said evaporator temperature, and a third compressor map.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said determining said compressor efficiency includes determining said compressor efficiency as a function of said compressor capacity and a power drawn by said compressor.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising receiving information regarding current drawn by a motor of said compressor and voltage drawn by said motor of said compressor, said compressor power determined based on a product of said compressor current and said compressor voltage.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein determining said compressor efficiency includes dividing said compressor capacity by said compressor power.