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Humidity control for variable speed air conditioner

  • US 5,062,276 A
  • Filed: 09/20/1990
  • Issued: 11/05/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A process for controlling an air conditioning system to control temperature and humidity wherein the air conditioner system comprises a variable speed compressor whose operating speed is varied as a function of cooling demand between a normal minimum compressor speed for low cooling demand and full compressor speed for high cooling demand;

  • outdoor heat exchanger means coupled to a discharge outlet of the compressor for receiving compressed refrigerant therefrom and transferring heat to outdoor air; and

    indoor heat exchanger means for cooling and dehumidifying air in an indoor comfort space including an evaporator coil to receive condensed refrigerant from the outdoor heat exchanger means and having an outlet coupled to a return port of said compressor; and

    a variable speed fan for blowing the air of the comfort space at a controlled flow rate over said evaporator coil to reduce its temperature and to remove water vapor therefrom, the fan speed being varied with said cooling demand to vary with said compressor speed and with relative humidity in the comfort space from a minimum fan speed at a low cooling demand to a maximum speed at high cooling demand;

    the method comprising;

    sensing the cooling demand in said comfort space,sensing the relative humidity in said comfort space,controlling the fan speed so that the air flow varies as a function of the cooling demand and relative humidity between said minimum fan speed and said maximum fan speed;

    if the relative humidity is below a predetermined level, controlling the compressor speed as a function of said cooling demand between said normal minimum compressor speed and said full compressor speed;

    butif the relative humidity is above said predetermined level, controlling the compressor speed as a function of said cooling demand that is substantially linear between a dehumidification minimum compressor speed, higher than said normal minimum speed, and said full compressor speed; and

    controlling the fan speed to have a speed in the range between said minimum fan speed and said maximum fan speed, with a first linear relation relative to the compressor speed between said normal minimum compressor speed and said full compressor speed when the relative humidity is below said predetermined level, and with second linear relation relative to the compressor speed between said dehumidification minimum compressor speed and said full compressor speed when the relative humidity is above said predetermined level.

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