Compressor assembly having electronics cooling system and method

• US 9,021,823 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2014
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Corporation LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Caillat, Jean-Luc M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradford, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US14/480,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20140377102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 239 Days
• Field of Search: 622/24, 622/25, 622/592, 625/13, 417/366, 361/679.46, 361/679.47, 361/679.53, 361/679.54
• US Class Current: 62/222
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/10 Inlet temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 39/06 Cooling; Heating; Prevention of freezing
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/10 Other safety measures
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/08 Cooling; Heating; Preventing freezing
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 13/06 the pump being electrically driven
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/5813 Cooling the control unit
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 13/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle defrosting cycles F25B47/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/021 Inverters therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/0253 with variable speed
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/21 Refrigerant outlet evaporator temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/2513 Expansion valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21151 at the suction side of the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 31/006 Cooling of compressor or motor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/34 with the valve member being actuated by electric means, e.g. by piezoelectric actuators
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/022 Compressor control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A system, compressor, and method that cools an electronics module with a low-pressure refrigerant. The system, compressor, and method utilize a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the low pressure refrigerant and communicates with the electronics module. Based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, the electronics module controls a liquid dry out point of the refrigerant that is used to cool the electronics module.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a compressor having a suction side for receiving low-pressure refrigerant and a discharge side for dispensing high-pressure refrigerant;

a pair of heat exchangers in communication with said compressor;

an electronics module associated with the compressor;

a cooling apparatus mounted to the electronics module that receives said low-pressure refrigerant to cool said electronic module;

a temperature sensor located at an inlet of said cooling apparatus, said temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of said low-pressure refrigerant entering said cooling apparatus,

wherein control of an expansion valve is based on said temperature of said low-pressure refrigerant to minimize an amount of said low-pressure refrigerant in a liquid phase passing through said cooling apparatus.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein control of said expansion valve controls a liquid dry out point of said low-pressure refrigerant.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein control of said expansion valve controls superheating of said low-pressure refrigerant.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein if said sensor detects a decrease in temperature of said low-pressure refrigerant, said expansion valve is controlled to decrease an amount of refrigerant allowed to reach one of said heat exchangers.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein if said sensor detects an increase in temperature of said refrigerant, said expansion valve is controlled to increase an amount of refrigerant allowed to reach one of said heat exchangers.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a first of said pair of heat exchangers receives said high-pressure refrigerant and a second of said pair of heat exchangers receives said low-pressure refrigerant, said cooling apparatus is located in series between said second heat exchanger and said compressor.

7. A compressor for an air conditioning system or a heat pump system carrying a refrigerant, comprising:

a shell including a suction line for receiving low-pressure refrigerant and a discharge line for dispensing high-pressure refrigerant;

an electronics module associated with the compressor;

a cooling apparatus mounted to said electronics module that utilizes said low-pressure refrigerant to cool said electronics module;

an expansion valve for controlling an amount of said low-pressure refrigerant entering the cooling apparatus; and

a temperature sensor at an inlet of said cooling apparatus for detecting a temperature of said low-pressure refrigerant entering said cooling apparatus,

wherein control of said expansion valve is based on said temperature of said low-pressure refrigerant to minimize an amount of said low-pressure refrigerant in a liquid phase passing through the cooling apparatus.

8. The compressor of claim 7, wherein if said sensor detects a decrease in temperature of said low-pressure refrigerant, said expansion valve decreases an amount of low-pressure refrigerant passing through said cooling apparatus.

9. The compressor of claim 7, wherein if said sensor detects an increase in temperature of said low-pressure refrigerant, said expansion valve increases an amount of low-pressure refrigerant passing through said cooling apparatus.

10. The compressor of claim 7, wherein said expansion valve controls a liquid dry out point of the refrigerant.

11. A method comprising cooling an electronics module that is associated with a compressor using a cooling apparatus mounted to said electronics module with a low-pressure refrigerant that passes through said cooling apparatus, said step of cooling including monitoring a temperature of said low-pressure refrigerant with a temperature sensor located at an inlet of said cooling apparatus, and controlling an expansion valve based on said temperature to minimize an amount of said low-pressure refrigerant in a liquid phase passing through said cooling apparatus.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling said expansion valve controls a liquid dry out point of said low-pressure refrigerant.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling said liquid dry out point controls superheating of said low-pressure refrigerant.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein if said sensor detects a decrease in temperature of said low-pressure refrigerant, said expansion valve decreases said flow of low-pressure refrigerant.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein if said sensor detects an increase in temperature of said low-pressure refrigerant, said expansion valve increases said flow of low-pressure refrigerant.

16. A system comprising:

a compressor that discharges a high-pressure refrigerant;

a pair of heat exchangers in communication with said compressor;

an expansion valve disposed between said heat exchangers that converts said high-pressure refrigerant to a low-pressure refrigerant;

an electronics module associated with said compressor;

a cooling apparatus mounted to said electronics module for cooling said electronics module with said low-pressure refrigerant; and

a temperature sensor located at an inlet of said cooling apparatus for detecting a temperature of said low-pressure refrigerant entering said cooling apparatus to cool said electronics module,

wherein if said sensor detects a decrease in temperature of said low-pressure refrigerant entering said cooling apparatus, said expansion valve is controlled to decrease an amount of low-pressure refrigerant allowed to pass therethrough;

wherein if said sensor detects an increase in temperature of said low-pressure refrigerant entering said cooling apparatus, said expansion valve is controlled to increase an amount of low-pressure refrigerant allowed to pass therethrough; and

control of said expansion valve minimizes said low-pressure refrigerant in a liquid phase passing through said cooling apparatus.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein increasing and decreasing said refrigerant with said expansion valve controls a liquid dry out point of said refrigerant.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein controlling said liquid dryout point controls superheating of said low-pressure refrigerant.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said compressor is a variable speed compressor.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said electronics module includes an inverter.