HVAC electrical system power supply packaging system

• US 9,568,208 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2013
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Foye, David Marshall, West, Nathan Thomas, Walters, William James
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradford, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US14/681,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20150330659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 622/284
• 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 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/0253 with variable speed
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/025 Motor control arrangements

Abstract

Embodiments of a HVAC electrical system power supply packaging system within an ultimate enclosure are provided. The HVAC electrical system power supply packaging system provides serviceability, safety, manufacturability, and system management failure diagnostic reporting enhancements over conventional packaging systems while conforming to agency safety requirements. The embodiments disclosed herein also reduce equipment and service costs for HVAC electrical system power supply components provided within the HVAC electrical system power supply packaging system by reducing delays in servicing these components. Thus, customer uptime of the HVAC system can be increased.

Claims

1. A heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) electrical system power supply packaging system comprising:

an ultimate enclosure cabinet housing including;

a low voltage compartment including a low voltage component configured to use non-hazardous low voltage power;

a high voltage compartment including a high voltage component configured to use hazardous high voltage power;

a partition configured to physically separate the low voltage component from the high voltage component;

a transparent barrier provided in front of at least one of the low voltage compartment and the high voltage compartment, wherein the transparent barrier is configured to allow a visible indicator for monitoring at least one of the low voltage component and the high voltage component to be viewed external to the ultimate enclosure cabinet housing;

a motor provided in the high voltage compartment as the high voltage component; and

a variable frequency drive (VFD) configured to drive the motor, the VFD provided in a VFD enclosure,

wherein the low voltage compartment includes low voltage circuitry and the high voltage compartment includes high voltage circuitry that is electrically isolated from the low voltage circuitry,

wherein the VFD includes a first portion located on a low voltage side of the VFD that includes VFD low voltage circuitry and a second portion located on a high voltage side of the VFD that includes VFD high voltage circuitry, and

wherein the ultimate enclosure cabinet housing is configured to allow service personnel to access the low voltage component in the low voltage compartment without being exposed to hazardous high voltage power;

a utility power supply that supplies hazardous high voltage power to the high voltage compartment; and

an external low voltage supply external to the ultimate enclosure cabinet housing and separate from the utility power supply, wherein the external low voltage supply supplies low voltage power to only the low voltage circuitry when hazardous high voltage power is not present for supplying power to the high voltage compartment.

2. The HVAC electrical system power supply packaging system of claim 1, further comprising:

the VFD enclosure including a status indicator circuit board on an external surface of the VFD enclosure,

a visible indicator provided on the status indicator circuit board, the visible indicator configured to provide VFD operation and diagnostic information.

3. The HVAC electrical system power supply packaging system of claim 1, further comprising:

a VFD control processor and communications unit provided in the low voltage compartment and configured to provide diagnostic information of the VFD to an external computer.

4. The HVAC electrical system power supply packaging system of claim 1, further comprising:

a non-hazardous low voltage control circuit power supply configured to operate the VFD without the hazardous high power voltage.

5. The HVAC electrical system power supply packaging system of claim 1, further comprising:

a low voltage power supply configured to operate the low voltage component when a hazardous high voltage is not present.

6. The HVAC electrical system power supply packaging system of claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit configured to provide VFD operation and diagnostic information to an external control unit external to the VFD.

7. The HVAC electrical system power supply packaging system of claim 1, further comprising:

a non-hazardous low voltage power supply included in the first portion; and

a control unit configured to direct non-hazardous low voltage from the non-hazardous low voltage power supply to the VFD to drive the VFD high voltage circuitry.

8. The HVAC electrical system power supply packaging system of claim 1, wherein the VFD high voltage circuitry in the VFD is electrically isolated from the VFD low voltage circuitry in the VFD.

9. The HVAC electrical system power supply packaging system of claim 1, wherein the low voltage compartment includes one or more of a transformer and an external power supply.

10. The HVAC electrical system power supply packaging system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of metal oxide varistors provided outside of the VFD.

11. A heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) electrical system power supply packaging system comprising:

an ultimate enclosure cabinet housing including;

a low voltage compartment including a low voltage component configured to use non-hazardous low voltage power;

a high voltage compartment including a high voltage component configured to use hazardous high voltage power;

a partition configured to physically separate the low voltage component from the high voltage component, and

a transparent barrier provided in front of at least one of the low voltage compartment and the high voltage compartment, wherein the transparent barrier is configured to allow a visible indicator for monitoring at least one of the low voltage component and the high voltage component to be viewed external to the ultimate enclosure cabinet housing,

wherein the low voltage compartment includes low voltage circuitry and the high voltage compartment includes high voltage circuitry that is electrically isolated from the low voltage circuitry; and

a control unit configured to provide diagnostic information to an external control unit external to the HVAC electrical system power supply packaging system, and

wherein the ultimate enclosure cabinet housing is configured to allow service personnel to access the low voltage component in the low voltage compartment without being exposed to hazardous high voltage power;

a utility power supply that supplies hazardous high voltage power to the high voltage compartment and

an external low voltage supply external to the ultimate enclosure cabinet housing and separate from the utility power supply, wherein the external low voltage supply supplies low voltage power to only the low voltage circuitry when hazardous high voltage power is not present for supplying power to the high voltage compartment.

12. A variable frequency drive (VFD) enclosure for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) electrical system power supply packaging system housed within an ultimate enclosure cabinet housing, the VFD enclosure comprising:

a VFD, the VFD including;

a low voltage section located on a low voltage side of the VFD that includes VFD low voltage circuitry;

a high voltage section located on a high voltage side of the VFD that includes VFD high voltage circuitry;

a VFD control processor and communications unit configured to provide diagnostic information of the VFD, the VFD control processor and communications unit including a portion of the VFD low voltage circuitry and a portion of the VFD high voltage circuitry, wherein the portion of the VFD low voltage circuitry is electrically isolated from the portion of the VFD high voltage circuitry; and

a status indicator circuit board provided on an external surface of the VFD, the status indicator circuit board including a status indicator light configured to allow service personnel to obtain VFD operation and diagnostic information without being exposed to hazardous voltage levels,

wherein a utility power supply supplies hazardous high voltage power to the VFD high voltage circuitry, and

wherein an external low voltage supply external to the ultimate enclosure cabinet housing supplies low voltage power to only the VFD low voltage circuitry when hazardous high voltage power is not present for supplying power to the VFD high voltage circuitry.

13. The VFD enclosure of claim 12, wherein the VFD includes a low voltage power supply configured to operate the VFD low voltage circuitry when a hazardous high voltage is not present.

14. The VFD enclosure of claim 12, wherein the high voltage section is configured to drive a motor.

15. The VFD enclosure of claim 12, wherein the VFD low voltage circuitry includes one or more of an input/output module, a digital signal processer module, a gate drive module, and an identification module and a bus indicator module configured to operate at a non-hazardous low voltage level.

16. The VFD enclosure of claim 15, wherein the bus indicator module is connected to a DC bus and includes an indicator configured to indicate to a service personnel when a voltage level of the VFD high voltage circuitry is at or below a low voltage level to allow the service personnel to safely operate and work with the VFD.

17. The VFD enclosure of claim 12, wherein the VFD high voltage circuitry includes one or more of a rectifier section, a DC bus and an inverter section configured to operate at a hazardous high voltage level.