Refrigeration expansion control
First Claim
1. A refrigeration system disposed within a refrigerator having a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment, said refrigeration system comprising:
- an evaporator having an inlet and an outlet;
a damper provided so as to direct air flow to said freezer compartment or said fresh food compartment and correspondingly block air flow to the other;
a compressor coupled to said evaporator via a conduit;
a control valve coupled to said inlet of said evaporator so as to control refrigerant flow therethrough;
a condenser coupled to said control valve by a liquid line;
a first temperature sensor positioned so as to detect refrigerant temperature within said evaporator;
a second temperature sensor positioned so as to detect refrigerant temperature at said outlet of said evaporator;
a first controller coupled to said control valve to provide respective control signals thereto and to said first and second temperature sensors to receive temperature signals therefrom; and
a second controller coupled to said compressor to provide compressor signals thereto and to said damper to send damper signals thereto;
wherein said first controller receives a first temperature signal from said first temperature sensor and a second temperature signal from said second temperature sensor and in response to said signals said first controller sends said control signal to said control valve so as to cause said control valve to oscillate between a fully open condition and a fully closed position such that the duty cycle of the open-to-closed conditions determines the average flow rate of refrigerant through said control valvewherein said oscillation of said control valve is adjusted so as to maintain the temperature difference between said first temperature signal and said second temperature signal in the range between about 1°
C. to about 4°
C. so as to maintain the exit state of refrigerant at said outlet of said evaporator as a substantially saturated vapor to obtain optimal system performance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A refrigeration system is disposed within a refrigerator having a freezer compartment and a refrigeration compartment. The refrigeration system includes an evaporator having an inlet and an outlet. A damper is positioned so as to direct air flow into the freezer compartment or the refrigeration compartment and correspondingly block air flow to the other. A compressor is coupled to the evaporator via a conduit and a control valve is coupled to the inlet of the evaporator to control flow of refrigerant. A condenser is coupled to the control valve by a liquid line. A first temperature sensor is positioned so as to detect refrigerant temperature within the evaporator and a second temperature sensor is positioned so as to detect refrigerant temperature at the outlet of the evaporator. A first controller is coupled to the control valve and to the first and second temperature sensors to receive temperature signals therefrom. A second controller is coupled to the compressor to provide compressor signals thereto and to the damper to send damper signals thereto. The first controller controls the duty cycle of the control valve.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A refrigeration system disposed within a refrigerator having a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment, said refrigeration system comprising:
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an evaporator having an inlet and an outlet; a damper provided so as to direct air flow to said freezer compartment or said fresh food compartment and correspondingly block air flow to the other; a compressor coupled to said evaporator via a conduit; a control valve coupled to said inlet of said evaporator so as to control refrigerant flow therethrough; a condenser coupled to said control valve by a liquid line; a first temperature sensor positioned so as to detect refrigerant temperature within said evaporator; a second temperature sensor positioned so as to detect refrigerant temperature at said outlet of said evaporator; a first controller coupled to said control valve to provide respective control signals thereto and to said first and second temperature sensors to receive temperature signals therefrom; and a second controller coupled to said compressor to provide compressor signals thereto and to said damper to send damper signals thereto; wherein said first controller receives a first temperature signal from said first temperature sensor and a second temperature signal from said second temperature sensor and in response to said signals said first controller sends said control signal to said control valve so as to cause said control valve to oscillate between a fully open condition and a fully closed position such that the duty cycle of the open-to-closed conditions determines the average flow rate of refrigerant through said control valve wherein said oscillation of said control valve is adjusted so as to maintain the temperature difference between said first temperature signal and said second temperature signal in the range between about 1°
C. to about 4°
C. so as to maintain the exit state of refrigerant at said outlet of said evaporator as a substantially saturated vapor to obtain optimal system performance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A refrigerator comprising:
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a fresh food compartment; a freezer compartment; an evaporator having an inlet and an outlet, said evaporator disposed between said fresh food compartment and said freezer compartment between a first baffle having a first intake gate and a first inlet and a second baffle having an second intake gate and a second inlet; a damper positioned between said first and second baffles so as to direct air flow to said freezer compartment through said first inlet or to said fresh food compartment through said second inlet and correspondingly block air flow to the other; a compressor coupled to said evaporator via a conduit; a control valve coupled to said inlet of said evaporator so as to control refrigerant flow therethrough; a condenser coupled to said control valve by a liquid line; a first temperature sensor positioned so as to detect refrigerant temperature within said evaporator; a second temperature sensor positioned so as to detect refrigerant temperature at said outlet of said evaporator; a first controller coupled to said control valve to provide respective control signals thereto and to said first and second temperature sensors to receive temperature signals therefrom; and a second controller coupled to said compressor to provide compressor signals thereto and to said damper to send damper signals thereto; wherein said first controller receives a first temperature signal from said first temperature sensor and a second temperature signal from said second temperature sensor and in response to said signals said first controller sends said control signal to said control valve so as to cause control valve to oscillate between a fully open condition and a fully closed position such that the duty cycle of the open-to-closed conditions determines the average flow rate of refrigerant through said control valve wherein said oscillation of said control valve is adjusted so as to maintain the temperature difference between said first temperature signal and said second temperature signal in the range between about 1°
C. to about 4°
C. so as to maintain the exit state of refrigerant at said outlet of said evaporator as a substantially saturated vapor to obtain optimal system performance. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A refrigeration system disposed within a refrigerator having a freezer compartment and a refrigeration compartment, said refrigeration system comprising:
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an evaporator; a damper positioned so as to direct air flow to said freezer compartment or said refrigeration compartment and correspondingly block air flow to the other; a compressor having an inlet and an outlet coupled to said evaporator via a conduit; a control valve coupled to said evaporator so as to control refrigerant flow therethrough; a condenser coupled to said control valve by a liquid line; a first temperature sensor positioned so as to detect refrigerant temperature within said condenser; a second temperature sensor positioned so as to detect refrigerant temperature at said outlet of said condenser; a first controller coupled to said control valve to provide respective control signals thereto and to said first and second temperature sensors to receive temperature signals therefrom; and a second controller coupled to said compressor to provide compressor signals thereto and to said damper to send damper signals thereto; wherein said first controller receives a first temperature signal from said first temperature sensor and a second temperature signal from said second temperature sensor and in response to said signals said first controller sends said control signal to said control valve so as to cause control valve to oscillate between a fully open condition and a fully closed position such that the duty cycle of the open-to-closed conditions determines the average flow rate of refrigerant through said control valve wherein said oscillation of said control valve is adjusted so as to maintain the temperature difference between said first temperature signal and said second temperature signal in the range between about 1°
C. to about 4°
C. so as to maintain the exit state of refrigerant at said outlet of said evaporator as a substantially saturated vapor to obtain optimal system performance. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification