Method of operating a cooling system having one or more cooling units

• US 9,115,916 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Tutunoglu, Ozan, Bean, John H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Comings, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US13/679,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20130139530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 62/80, 62/81, 621/55, 621/961, 621/964, 622/30, 622/77, 622/78
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 1/00 Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle F25B3/00, F25B5/00, F25B6/00, F25B7/00, F25B9/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/0403 for the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/18 Optimization, e.g. high integration of refrigeration components
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/19 Calculation of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/111 of condenser fans
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/112 of evaporator fans
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/2501 Bypass valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/13 Mass flow of refrigerants
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1931 Discharge pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1933 Suction pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/005 of safety devices F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/02 for compression type machines, plants or systems
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20827 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. air conditioning devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A method of calculating net sensible cooling capacity of a cooling unit includes measuring a discharge pressure from of fluid from a compressor and a suction pressure from an evaporator, calculating a condensing temperature of fluid flowing from the compressor and an evaporating temperature of fluid flowing from the evaporator, calculating a mass flow rate of fluid flowing from the compressor, calculating enthalpy of fluid flowing from the compressor, of fluid flowing from the thermal expansion valve, and of fluid flowing from the evaporator, calculating a mass flow rate of fluid flowing through the hot gas bypass valve, and calculating net sensible cooling capacity. Embodiments of cooling units and other methods are further disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of operating a cooling system having one or more cooling units, the method comprising:

transitioning the operation of a cooling unit of the cooling system in a main operational state between one or more operational conditions, including an off/standby condition,

wherein after a predetermined time period and a synchronization of a stepper motor of the cooling unit to a closed position of a hot gas bypass valve, the cooling unit transitions to the off/standby condition in which the hot gas bypass valve of the cooling unit is fully opened,

wherein temperature and discharge pressure threshold alarms of the cooling unit are disabled and fan speeds of an evaporator and a condenser of the cooling unit are set to idle, and

wherein the cooling unit is ready for operation in the off/standby condition.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the condition of operation transitions from either the off/standby condition or an idle operation condition to a pre-run operation condition provided the following conditions are met (1) a delay timer is not running, (2) the cooling unit has been commanded upon by a controller of the cooling system, (3) suction and discharge pressures of the cooling unit are equalized, (4) there is no idle requested due to a leak, and (5) an inlet temperature of the cooling unit, when employing in-row or air containment configurations, or return air temperature, when employing a spot cooling configuration, exceeds a predetermined cool set point and a dead band.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the transition to the pre-run operation condition also occurs when the conditions are not, and the cooling unit has been commanded upon the controller.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein, during pre-run condition, the hot gas bypass valve is fully closed to clear any events that are no longer active.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein temperature and discharge pressure threshold alarms are enabled and evaporator and condenser fans are operated at full speed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, when in an idle operation condition, the transition may also occur when (1) a delay timer of the cooling unit is not running, (2) a suction pressure of the cooling unit is above a predetermined threshold, (3) a condensate pan of the cooling unit is not full, (4) there is no idle requested due to a leak, (5) a line pressure of the cooling unit has equalized, and (6) an inlet temperature of the cooling unit or return air temperature of the cooling unit exceeds a predetermined cool set point and dead band.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, when warming up, the cooling unit provides environmental control functionality in which a compressor of the cooling unit is running.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein evaporator and condenser fans of the cooling unit are run at full speed and the bypass valve is closed to allow the cooling system to warm up and stabilize.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, once warmed up, the cooling unit is operated to provide the cooling operation described above, and if failure occurs, a pre-run routine is initiated.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the cooling unit is further configured to conduct firmware download operations and manufacturing testing, either during operation, or while powering up.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein transition to an idle operating condition occurs when upon one of the following events (1) the condensate pan is full, (2) if there is an idle requested due to leak, (3) when employing a spot cooling configuration, the return air temperature is less than or equal to the cool set point, (4) when employing an in-row or containment system configurations, an inlet temperature of a cooling unit of the cooling system is below a cool set point, (5) if high head pressure input is asserted, or (6) suction pressure is below a predetermined threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein transition from either a warm-up condition or a running condition to a failed operation condition occurs when the cooling unit is commanded upon by a controller of the cooling system and an analog sensor has failed, or when a predetermined number of high head pressure events occur within a predetermined amount of time.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein transition from a failure condition to a pre-run condition occurs when all of the following conditions are met (1) the cooling unit is commanded upon by a controller of the cooling system, (2) a delay timer of the cooling unit is not running, (3) a condensate pan cooling unit is not full, (4) no analog sensors of the cooling unit have failed, (5) a high head pressure event is cleared, and (6) a low suction pressure event is clear.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein transition from a warm-up condition to an idle condition occurs upon one of the following events (1) if a condensate pan of the cooling unit is full, (2) there is an idle requested due to leak, (3) when in discrete condition, a return air temperature of the cooling unit is less than or equal to the cool set point, or, when in proportional condition, a rack inlet temperature of the cooling unit is below a cool set point, or (4) if a high head pressure input is asserted and has not exceeded a number of predetermined events with a predetermined amount of time.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein transitioning the operation of the cooling unit includes transitioning between one or more of the following operational conditions—

(a) an un-powered condition,

(b) a start-up delay condition,

(c) the off/standby condition,

(d) an idle operation condition,

(e) a failed operation condition,

(f) a warm-up operation condition,

(g) a running operation condition,

(h) a firmware download condition, and

(i) a test condition.