Startup control systems and methods for high ambient conditions

• US 10,532,632 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2017
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Corporation LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Vehr, Shawn W., Rozsnaki, Joseph James, Marcinkiewicz, Joseph G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Landrum, Edward F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park, Chang H.
• Application Number:
  US15/635,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20180001740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/005 Regenerative cooling means, e.g. cold accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3205 Control means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3272 to control the revolving speed of a compressor
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3292 Compressor drive is electric only
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/26 characterised by the startup of the refrigeration cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/29 High ambient temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/0252 with two speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/022 Compressor control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/003 for movable devices

Abstract

A refrigeration system includes a startup mode control module that receives at least one parameter associated with operation of a compressor of the refrigeration system, determines whether the at least one parameter indicates that the compressor is in a high ambient temperature startup condition, and selects, based on the determination, between a normal startup mode and a high ambient temperature startup mode. A compressor control module operates the compressor in the normal startup mode in response to the startup mode control module selecting the normal startup mode, operates the compressor in the high ambient temperature startup mode in response to the startup mode control module selecting the high ambient temperature startup mode, and transitions from the high ambient temperature startup mode to the normal startup mode after a predetermined period associated with operating in the high ambient temperature startup mode.

Claims

1. A refrigeration system, comprising:

a startup mode control module that

receives (i) an off time of a compressor of the refrigeration system and (ii) an indication of an ambient temperature during the off time,

determines whether the off time of the compressor and the indication of the ambient temperature indicate that the compressor is in a high ambient temperature startup condition based on an amount of time that the ambient temperature is greater than a temperature threshold within the off time, and

selects, based on the determination, between a normal startup mode and a high ambient temperature startup mode; and

a compressor control module that

operates the compressor in the normal startup mode in response to the startup mode control module selecting the normal startup mode,

operates the compressor in the high ambient temperature startup mode in response to the startup mode control module selecting the high ambient temperature startup mode, and

transitions from the high ambient temperature startup mode to the normal startup mode after a predetermined period associated with operating in the high ambient temperature startup mode.

2. The refrigeration system of claim 1, wherein the compressor control module operates the compressor at a first speed in the normal startup mode and operates the compressor at a second speed less than the first speed in the high ambient temperature startup mode.

3. The refrigeration system of claim 2,

wherein the compressor control module determines a temperature of an electronic drive of the compressor and, in the high ambient temperature startup mode, varies the second speed according to the temperature of the electronic drive of the compressor.

4. The refrigeration system of claim 1, wherein the startup mode control module selects the high ambient temperature startup mode when the off time is greater than an off time threshold and the ambient temperature is greater than the temperature threshold for at least a predetermined period within the off time.

5. The refrigeration system of claim 1, wherein the startup mode control module selects the high ambient temperature startup mode further based on a comparison between the compressor off time and an off time threshold, and wherein at least one of the temperature threshold and the off time threshold is variable.

6. A vehicle comprising the refrigeration system of claim 1.

7. A method of operating a refrigeration system, the method comprising:

using a startup mode control module,

receiving (i) an off time of a compressor of the refrigeration system and (ii) an indication of an ambient temperature during the off time,

determining whether the off time of the compressor and the indication of the ambient temperature indicate that the compressor is in a high ambient temperature startup condition based on an amount of time that the ambient temperature is greater than a temperature threshold within the off time, and

selecting, based on the determination, between a normal startup mode and a high ambient temperature startup mode; and

using a compressor control module,

operating the compressor in the normal startup mode in response to selecting the normal startup mode,

operating the compressor in the high ambient temperature startup mode in response to selecting the high ambient temperature startup mode, and

transitioning from the high ambient temperature startup mode to the normal startup mode after a predetermined period associated with operating in the high ambient temperature startup mode.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising operating the compressor at a first speed in the normal startup mode and operating the compressor at a second speed less than the first speed in the high ambient temperature startup mode.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising controlling the second speed according to a temperature associated with a drive of the compressor.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising selecting the high ambient temperature startup mode when the off time is greater than an off time threshold and the ambient temperature is greater than the temperature threshold for at least a predetermined period within the off time.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising selecting the high ambient temperature startup mode further based on a comparison between the compressor off time and an off time threshold, and wherein at least one of the temperature threshold and the off time threshold is variable.