Enclosure cooling using early compressor turn-off with extended fan operation
First Claim
1. A method for cooling an enclosure comprising:
- initiating a first phase of a first cooling cycle in the enclosure using an air conditioning system having a compressor, an evaporator coil and a fan adapted to pass air over the evaporator coil, the first phase including activation of the compressor and the fan;
subsequent to the first phase, initiating a second phase of the first cooling cycle wherein the fan is activated and the compressor is not activated;
measuring of one or more parameters during at least the second phase of the first cooling cycle; and
altering a duration of a second phase of a subsequent cooling cycle based at least in part on the measurements during the first cooling cycle, wherein the duration of the second phase of the subsequent cooling cycle depends on an expected temperature drop that is based at least in part on a measured temperature drop during the second phase of the first cooling cycle.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are described for controlling fan-only cooling duration following normal air conditioning operation. Following normal AC cooling, economical fan cooling is used. The duration of the fan cooling period is adjusted based on temperature measurements made during the previous cooling cycle that ended with fan cooling. An expected temperature drop to be provided by fan cooling as well as an expected time to achieve that drop is calculated based on prior measurements. The expected values are then used improve fan cooling for subsequent cooling cycles. In some cases, fan cooling is not initiated unless: (1) a time limit has an elapsed, such that sufficient condensation is allowed to form on the evaporator coil during the first phase, and (2) indoor relative humidity is below a predetermined threshold.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A method for cooling an enclosure comprising:
-
initiating a first phase of a first cooling cycle in the enclosure using an air conditioning system having a compressor, an evaporator coil and a fan adapted to pass air over the evaporator coil, the first phase including activation of the compressor and the fan; subsequent to the first phase, initiating a second phase of the first cooling cycle wherein the fan is activated and the compressor is not activated; measuring of one or more parameters during at least the second phase of the first cooling cycle; and altering a duration of a second phase of a subsequent cooling cycle based at least in part on the measurements during the first cooling cycle, wherein the duration of the second phase of the subsequent cooling cycle depends on an expected temperature drop that is based at least in part on a measured temperature drop during the second phase of the first cooling cycle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A thermostat for controlling cooling of an enclosure, the thermostat comprising:
-
one or more temperature sensors; and one or more processors in communication with the one or more temperature sensors, the one or more processors configured to; initiate a first phase of a first cooling cycle in the enclosure using an air conditioning system having a compressor, an evaporator coil and a fan adapted to pass air over the evaporator coil, the first phase including activation of the compressor and the fan; initiate a second phase of the first cooling cycle subsequent to the first phase wherein the fan is activated and the compressor is not activated; measure, using the one or more temperature sensors, of one or more parameters during at least the second phase of the first cooling cycle; and alter a duration of a second phase of a subsequent cooling cycle based at least in part on the measurements during the first cooling cycle, wherein the duration of the second phase of the subsequent cooling cycle depends on an expected temperature drop that is based at least in part on a measured temperature drop during the second phase of the first cooling cycle. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
-
Specification