Fan control arrangement for a two stage furnace

• US 5,027,789 A
• Filed: 02/09/1990
• Issued: 07/02/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Comfort Products Corp. (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Inter-City Products Corporation
• Inventors: Lynch, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dority, Carroll B.
• Application Number:
  US07/477,613
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 126/116 R, 126/116 A, 431/20, 431/62, 431/90, 431/19, 236/15 C, 236/45
• US Class Current: 126/116.00A
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 1/022 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2223/08 Microprocessor; Microcomputer
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2227/38 Electrical resistance ignition
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2229/00 Flame sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2233/08 with variable speed
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2233/10 forcing air through heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2237/10 High or low fire
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/20 with a time programme acting through electrical means, e.g. using time-delay relays
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/176 Improving or maintaining comfort of users
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/208 Temperature of the air after heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/235 Temperature of exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/31 of valves having only one inlet port and one outlet port, e.g. flow rate regulating valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/35 Control of the speed of fans
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/36 of burners
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/395 Information to users, e.g. alarms
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/414 using electronic processing, e.g. computer-based
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/486 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2085 using fluid fuel

Abstract

The present invention involves a two stage furnace and a method of controlling the fans. In the furnace, a high pressure switch indicates whether sufficient air is present to support high combustion. Normally the furnace operates at one of the combustion settings. The circulator fan operates at the high speed setting when the high pressure switch indicates that sufficient air is present for high combustion, and operates at the low speed setting when the high pressure switch indicates that insufficient air is present for high combustion.

Claims

1. In a two stage furnace capable of low and high combustion settings, the furnace including a combustion chamber, a thermostat, an inducer fan, and a circular fan, each of said fans having a low and high operating speed, a method of operating the circular fan comprising the steps of:

providing a high pressure switch having first and second states for indicating whether sufficient air is present to support high combustion;

operating, under the control of said thermostat, the furnace at one of the said combustion settings;

operating the circulator fan at the high operating speed when said high pressure switch is in the first state, which indicates that sufficient air is present for high combustion;

operating the circulator fan at the low operating speed when said high pressure switch is in the second state, which indicates that insufficient air is present for high combustion; and

determining whether a restricted vent condition exists, and when a restricted vent condition is determined to exist, operating the inducer fan at the high operating speed to support low combustion, and operating the circulator fan at an operating speed determined by said thermostat and said one combustion setting regardless of the inducer fan operating speed, whereby if the inducer fan is operated at high speed and said thermostat has selected a low combustion setting, said circulator fan is operated at low speed.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of initially operating the circulator fan at one of the low and high speed settings according to the combustion level, and further comprising the step of determining the state of said high pressure switch and switching the setting of the circulator fan only after said high pressure switch has been changed for a predetermined time period.

3. A two stage furnace comprising:

a plenum having a combustion chamber and a heat exchanger, an inducer fan in communication with the combustion chamber, a circulator fan in communication with the heat exchanger, each of said inducer fan and said circulator fan having low and high operating speeds;

a gas burner located inside said combustion chamber;

a gas valve fluidly connected to said gas burner, said gas valve having low and high combustion operating settings;

an ignitor located adjacent to said gas burner;

a high pressure switch operatively connected to said combustion chamber and having first and second states for indicating whether sufficient air is present to support high combustion;

a thermostat for determining the operating speed of said circulation fan and the combustion setting of said gas valve;

means for operating said circulator fan at said high operating speed when said high pressure switch is in the first state which indicates that sufficient air is present to support high combustion and for operating said circulator fan at said low operating speed when said high pressure switch is in the second state which indicates that insufficient air is present to support high combustion; and

means responsive to said high pressure switch for determining the existence of a restricted vent condition and operating said inducer fan at said high operating speed while operating said gas valve at said low combustion setting in response to said restricted vent condition, and for operating said circulator fan during said restricted vent condition in accordance with the determination of said thermostat regardless of said inducer fan operating speed.