Control and protection system for a variable capacity compressor

• US 8,156,751 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Corporation LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Jayanth, Nagaraj
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Chen Wen
• Application Number:
  US11/439,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20060280627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,156 Days
• Field of Search: 622/285, 621/57, 622/281, 417/44.1, 417/45
• US Class Current: 62/228.5
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 18/0215 where only one member is moving
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 27/005 Axial sealings for working fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 28/265 being obtained by displacing a lateral sealing face
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 28/28 Safety arrangements; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/26 characterised by the startup of the refrigeration cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/0261 external to the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/23 Time delays
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/005 of safety devices F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/022 Compressor control arrangements

Abstract

A system includes a power source, a compressor that operates in a reduced-capacity mode and a full-capacity mode, and an actuation assembly that modulates the compressor between the reduced-capacity mode and the full-capacity mode. A controller reduces the power source to a predetermined level prior to the power source being supplied to the actuation assembly for use by the actuation assembly in controlling the compressor between the reduced-capacity mode and the full-capacity mode.

Claims

1. A system comprising a controller operable to reduce power from a power source to a reduced-power level supplied to a solenoid operable between a first position modulating a compressor in a reduced-capacity mode and a second position modulating said compressor in a full-capacity mode, said controller monitoring a voltage supplied by said power source and adjusting the phase-angle of said voltage by referencing said voltage on a relationship of phase-angle and voltage.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a DC power source as the power source.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an AC power source as the power source.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said controller includes a rectifier operable to convert the power source from said AC power source to a DC power source.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a triac, said controller controlling said triac to reduce said power source to said reduced-power level.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a thermostat in communication with said controller.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said thermostat is a single-stage thermostat operable to supply said controller with a signal indicative of a demand for cooling.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said controller is operable to control said compressor based on a run time of said compressor in said reduced-capacity mode and said signal from said thermostat.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said thermostat is a dual-stage thermostat operable to supply said controller with a signal indicative of a demand for cooling.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said signal includes a first signal and a second signal, said dual-stage thermostat is operable to supply said first signal to said controller to indicate demand for said reduced-capacity mode and operable to supply said second signal to said controller to indicate demand for a said full-capacity mode.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller is operable to control said compressor based on a run time of said compressor in said reduced-capacity mode.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said compressor operates in said reduced-capacity mode at start up.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said relationship is a graph of phase-angle versus voltage.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said voltage is supplied to a triac after the phase-angle of said voltage is adjusted and prior to being supplied to said solenoid.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said controller controls said triac based on information received from a thermostat.

16. A system comprising a controller operable to reduce power from a power source to a reduced-power level supplied to an actuation assembly operable between a first position modulating a compressor in a reduced-capacity mode and a second position modulating said compressor in a full-capacity mode, said controller selectively controlling said actuation assembly to maintain operation of said compressor in said reduced-capacity mode if said compressor experiences a predetermined fault condition.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said predetermined fault condition includes at least one of a locked rotor condition, a loss of suction pressure, a loss of power to the compressor, a faulty fan capacitor, an opening winding circuit, a loss of charge, and a dirty condenser.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said controller is operable to control said compressor based on a run time of said compressor in said reduced-capacity mode.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said actuation assembly includes a solenoid operable to modulate said compressor between said reduced-capacity mode and said full-capacity mode.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said controller reduces said power based on at least one of a supplied voltage and a phase control angle graph.

21. The system of claim 16, further comprising a triac, said controller controlling said triac to reduce said power source to said reduced-power level.

22. The system of claim 16, further comprising a DC power source as the power source.

23. The system of claim 16, further comprising an AC power source as the power source.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said controller includes a rectifier operable to convert said power source from said AC power source to a DC power source.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said compressor is modulated into one of said reduced-capacity mode and said full-capacity mode a predetermined time following start up.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein said compressor operates in said reduced-capacity mode at start up.