Compressor diagnostic and protection system and method

• US 7,878,006 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Corporation LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Pham, Hung M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jules; Frantz F
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDUR RAHIM, AZIM
• Application Number:
  US11/098,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20050235663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,129 Days
• Field of Search: 236/51, 622/08, 622/09, 622/24, 622/25, 622/26, 622281-2285, 621/27, 621/29, 622/30, 374141-145
• US Class Current: 62/127
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/26 heat exchangers or the like making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/18 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/19 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 28/00 Control of, monitoring of, or safety arrangements for, pumps or pumping installations specially adapted for elastic fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 1/04 with compressor of rotary type F25B1/005, F25B1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/06 Damage
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/19 Calculation of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/151 of the compressor motor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1931 Discharge pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1933 Suction pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2106 of fresh outdoor air
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21151 at the suction side of the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21152 at the discharge side of the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2116 of a condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/005 of safety devices F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49353 Heat pipe device making

Abstract

A system and method includes a compressor operable in a refrigeration circuit and including a motor, a current sensor detecting current supplied to the motor, a discharge line temperature sensor detecting discharge line temperature of the compressor, and processing circuitry receiving current data from the current sensor and discharge line temperature data from the discharge line temperature sensor and processing the current data and the discharge line temperature data to determine a capacity of the refrigeration circuit.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a compressor operable in a refrigeration circuit and including a motor;

a first sensor detecting current supplied to said motor; and

processing circuitry storing a first relationship between a current variable and a condenser temperature variable and a second relationship between a compressor capacity variable and said condenser temperature variable, said processing circuitry using current data from said first sensor to determine a condenser temperature value based on said first relationship and using said condenser temperature value determined based on said first relationship to determine a capacity value of said compressor based on said second relationship.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said processing circuitry stores a third relationship between said condenser temperature variable and an evaporator temperature variable, said processing circuitry using said condenser temperature value determined based on said first relationship to determine an evaporator temperature value based on said third relationship.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said processing circuitry determines said capacity value by using said evaporator temperature value and said third relationship.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of said first relationship and said second relationship includes compressor-specific parameters.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said capacity value is a function of said condenser temperature value and said evaporator temperature value.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising a system controller in communication with said processing circuitry.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a second sensor detecting a discharge temperature of said compressor, wherein said system controller receives said current data and discharge temperature data from said second sensor and is operable to verify said capacity value determined by said processing circuitry.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said system controller includes at least one hand-held computer.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said system controller is at least one of a personal data assistant and a cellular telephone.