Scroll machine with continuous capacity modulation
First Claim
1. An air conditioning system comprising:
- a scroll compressor including two scroll members having intermeshing wraps, said compressor being selectively operable between a minimum capacity and a high capacity, said minimum capacity being smaller than said high capacity and greater than zero capacity; and
a controller in communication with said compressor, said controller being operable to cycle said compressor between said minimum capacity and said high capacity in response to an external utility load-shedding control signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved continuous capacity modulation system for scroll-type compressors is disclosed in which a valve body of a solenoid valve assembly is secured to the inner wall of the hermetic shell and the actuating coil is mounted on the outer surface thereof. The actuating coil includes a plunger/valve member which cooperates with passages provided in the valve body to selectively actuate the capacity modulation arrangement utilizing compressed fluid. The construction offers the advantage that all fluid pressure lines are located within the hermetic shell and thus protected from potential damage, the solenoid coil may be easily changed/replaced to accommodate different available operating voltages and/or malfunction thereof and the system can be easily tested prior to final welding of the outer shell. The actuating coil is controlled by Pulse Width Modulation to reduce the load demand of the compressor during times when load shedding is required.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. An air conditioning system comprising:
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a scroll compressor including two scroll members having intermeshing wraps, said compressor being selectively operable between a minimum capacity and a high capacity, said minimum capacity being smaller than said high capacity and greater than zero capacity; and
a controller in communication with said compressor, said controller being operable to cycle said compressor between said minimum capacity and said high capacity in response to an external utility load-shedding control signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An air conditioning system comprising:
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a scroll compressor including two scroll members having intermeshing wraps to define at least two moving fluid pockets, said compressor being selectively operable between a low capacity and a high capacity;
a first fluid passage communicating between one of said at least two moving fluid pockets and an area at substantially suction pressure;
a second fluid passage communicating between a second of said at least two moving fluid pockets and an area at substantially suction pressure;
a solenoid valve operative to substantially simultaneously open and close said first and second fluid passages for cycling said compressor between said low capacity and said high capacity; and
a controller in communication with said solenoid valve, said controller being operable to control said solenoid valve using pulse width modulation to continuously cycle said compressor between said low capacity and said high capacity in response to a control signal. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An air conditioning system comprising:
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a scroll compressor including two scroll members having intermeshing wraps, said compressor being selectively operable between a low capacity and a high capacity;
a solenoid valve in communication with said compressor for cycling said compressor between said low capacity and said high capacity; and
a controller in communication with said solenoid valve, said controller being operable to control said solenoid valve using pulse width modulation to continuously cycle said compressor between said low capacity and said high capacity in response to a control signal; and
a temperature sensor connected to said controller to sense a temperature of refrigerant in the air conditioning system. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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38. An air conditioning system comprising:
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a scroll compressor including a motor and two scroll members, said motor including motor windings and said scroll members having intermeshing wraps, said compressor being selectively operable between a low capacity and a high capacity;
a solenoid valve in communication with said compressor for cycling said compressor between said low capacity and said high capacity; and
a controller in communication with said solenoid valve, said controller being operable to control said solenoid valve using pulse width modulation to continuously cycle said compressor between said low capacity and said high capacity in response to a control signal; and
a temperature sensor connected to said controller to sense a temperature of said motor windings.
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39. An air conditioning system comprising:
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a scroll compressor including two scroll members having intermeshing wraps, said compressor being selectively operable between a low capacity and a high capacity;
a solenoid valve in communication with said compressor for cycling said compressor between said low capacity and said high capacity; and
a controller in communication with said solenoid valve, said controller being operable to control said solenoid valve using pulse width modulation to continuously cycle said compressor between said low capacity and said high capacity in response to an external utility load-shedding control signal. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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42. An air conditioning system comprising:
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a scroll compressor including two scroll members having intermeshing wraps, said compressor being selectively operable between a low capacity and a high capacity;
a solenoid valve in communication with said compressor for cycling said compressor between said low capacity and said high capacity on a variable cycle time; and
a controller in communication with said solenoid valve, said controller being operable to control said solenoid valve using pulse width modulation to continuously cycle said compressor between said low capacity and said high capacity in response to a control signal. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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44. An air conditioning system comprising:
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a scroll compressor including two scroll members having intermeshing wraps, said compressor being selectively operable between a low capacity and a high capacity;
a solenoid valve in communication with said compressor for cycling said compressor between said low capacity and said high capacity;
a controller in communication with said solenoid valve, said controller being operable to control said solenoid valve using pulse width modulation to continuously cycle said compressor between said low capacity and said high capacity in response to a control signal; and
a blower motor, said controller reducing the speed of said blower motor simultaneously with said cycling of said compressor. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46)
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47. An air conditioning system comprising:
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a scroll compressor including two scroll members having intermeshing wraps, said compressor being selectively operable between a low capacity and a high capacity;
a solenoid valve in communication with said compressor for cycling said compressor between said low capacity and said high capacity;
a controller in communication with said solenoid valve, said controller being operable to control said solenoid valve using pulse width modulation to continuously cycle said compressor between said low capacity and said high capacity in response to a control signal; and
a first blower motor associated with an evaporator and a second blower motor associated with a condenser, said controller reducing the speed of said first and second blower motors simultaneous with said cycling of said compressor.
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48. A capacity modulation system for a scroll compressor comprising:
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a first scroll member having a first end plate and a first spiral wrap upstanding therefrom;
a second scroll member having a second end plate and a second spiral wrap upstanding therefrom, said first and second spiral wraps being interleaved to define at least two moving fluid pockets which decrease in size as they move from a radially outer position to a radially inner position;
a first fluid passage communicating between one of said at least two moving fluid pockets and an area at substantially suction pressure;
a second fluid passage communicating between a second of said at least two moving fluid pockets and an area at substantially suction pressure;
a single valve member operative to substantially simultaneously open and close said first and second fluid passages to thereby modulate the capacity of said scroll compressor; and
a controller in communication with said valve, said controller being operable to control said valve using pulse width modulation to continuously cycle said compressor between a low capacity and a high capacity in response to a control signal. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification