REFRIGERATION DEMAND RESPONSE RECOVERY

• US 20120023987A1
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Besore, John K., Worthington, Timothy Dale, Finch, Michael F., Franks, Darin, Newton, William, Drake, Jeff Donald
• Granted Patent: US 8,869,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/157
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/04 Preventing the formation of frost or condensate
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/005 combined with control means
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/12 Sensors measuring the inside temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/122 of freezer compartments
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/32 with provision for adjustment of the effect of the auxiliary heating device, e.g. a function of time
• 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: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• 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: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/244 the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A refrigerator comprises a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment and one or more power consuming features/functions including a refrigeration system for cooling the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment. A controller is operatively connected to the one or more power consuming features/functions. The controller is configured to receive and process a signal indicative of current state of an associated energy supplying utility. The controller adjusts the temperature of the refrigerator and/or freezer from a normal setting to a higher point during an energy saving mode and then back to a normal temperature. The transition between low and high is controlled to reduce energy consumption.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a fresh food compartment;

a freezer compartment;

one or more power consuming features/functions including a refrigeration system for cooling the fresh food compartment and freezer compartment;

a controller operatively connected to the one or more power consuming features/functions, the controller being configured to receive and process a signal indicative of current state of an associated energy supplying utility, the controller operating the refrigerator in one of plurality of operating modes, including at least a normal operating mode and an energy savings mode;

in response to the received signal, the controller being configured to cool at least one of the fresh food and freezer compartments to a first targeted setpoint temperature below the user selected setpoint temperature prior to the rate increase time period;

the controller being configured to establish a second targeted setpoint temperature of at least one of the fresh food and freezer compartments above the user selected setpoint temperature during the rate increase time period;

the controller being configured to reduce the second targeted setpoint temperature of at least one of the fresh food and freezer compartments back to the user selected setpoint temperature after the rate increase time period; and

,

wherein the controller adjusts at a first controlled rate the change in setpoint temperature from the user selected setpoint temperature to the first targeted setpoint temperature, and wherein the controller adjusts at a second controlled rate the change in setpoint temperature from the second targeted setpoint temperature back to the user selected setpoint temperature to reduce power consumption of the refrigerator in the normal operating mode and the energy savings mode.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the first controlled rate includes a time period from about 40 minutes to about 60 minutes and comprises a rate of temperature setpoint change having a fixed number of degrees per minute from the user selected setpoint temperature to the first targeted setpoint temperature.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the second controlled rate includes a time period from about 40 minutes to about 60 minutes and comprises a rate of second temperature setpoint change having a fixed number of degrees per minute from the second targeted setpoint temperature back to the user selected setpoint temperature.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the first controlled rate of change of setpoint temperature is selected to limit the differential between the setpoint temperature and the sensed temperature to a range that utilizes less than maximum compressor output as the setpoint temperature changes from the user selected setpoint temperature to the first targeted setpoint temperature.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the second controlled rate of change of setpoint temperature is selected to limit the differential between the setpoint temperature and the sensed temperature to a range that utilizes less than maximum compressor output as the temperature setpoint changes from the second target setpoint temperature back to the user selected setpoint temperature.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the first controlled rate includes a first temperature setpoint change having a number of gradient steps between the user selected setpoint temperature and the first targeted setpoint temperature.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the second controlled rate includes a second temperature setpoint change having a number of gradient steps between the second targeted setpoint temperature back to the user selected setpoint temperature.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7, wherein the one or more power consuming features/functions includes an activation mode wherein the activation of the feature/function occurs over a period of time to include a minimization of the energy consumed after the rate increase time period.

9. A refrigerator comprising:

a fresh food compartment having a user selected setpoint temperature;

a freezer compartment having a user selected setpoint temperature;

a refrigeration system including temperature sensors for sensing the temperature in the fresh food compartment and freezer compartment and a compressor for cooling each of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment to operational setpoint temperatures;

a controller configured to receive and process an energy signal, the signal having a first state indicative of a utility peak demand period and a second state indicative of a utility off-peak demand period, the controller operating the refrigerator in one of an energy savings mode and a normal operating mode based on the received signal being in the first and second states respectively;

wherein the controller is configured to reduce at a first controlled rate, before peak demand period, the operational setpoint temperature from the user selected setpoint temperature of at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment to a first targeted setpoint temperature lower than the user selected setpoint temperature to prechill the at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment;

wherein the controller is configured to increase the operational setpoint temperature to a second targeted setpoint temperature higher than the user selected setpoint temperature of at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment in the energy savings mode during peak demand period; and

,

wherein the controller adjusts at a second controlled rate the operational setpoint temperature from the second targeted setpoint temperature back to the user selected setpoint temperature of at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment to reduce power consumption of the refrigerator in the normal operating mode and the energy savings mode.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the first controlled rate includes a time period from about 40 minutes to about 60 minutes and comprises a first temperature change having a fixed number of degrees every minute from the user selected setpoint temperature to the first targeted setpoint temperature.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the second controlled rate includes a time period from about 40 minutes to about 60 minutes and comprises a second temperature change having a fixed number of degrees every minute from the second targeted setpoint temperature back to the user selected setpoint temperature.

12. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the first controlled rate limits the differential between the compartment temperature and the operational setpoint temperature to a range that enables the cooling system to utilize less than maximum compressor output as the operational setpoint changes from the user selected setpoint temperature to the first targeted setpoint temperature.

13. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the second controlled rate limits the differential between the compartment temperature and the operational setpoint temperature to a range that enables the cooling system to utilizes less than maximum compressor output as the operational setpoint changes from the second targeted setpoint temperature back to the user selected setpoint temperature.

14. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the first controlled rate includes a first temperature change having a stepped number of degrees adjusted as a variable as the first temperature change goes from the user selected setpoint temperature to the first targeted setpoint temperature.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the variable comprises a series of steps based on a range in temperature between the user selected setpoint temperature and the first targeted setpoint temperature.