Interactive control system for an HVAC system

• US 20060185373A1
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Comfort Control LP (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Butler, William P., Carey, Steven L., Jayanth, Nagaraj, Pham, Hung
• Granted Patent: US 7,296,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/181
• 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 11/42 of outdoor units
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/86 by controlling compressors within refrigeration or heat pump circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/871 by controlling outdoor fans
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/00 Control inputs relating to system states
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/025 by controlling speed
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/111 of condenser fans
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/151 of the compressor motor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2104 of an indoor room or compartment
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2106 of fresh outdoor air
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21152 at the discharge side of the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/02 for compression type machines, plants or systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

An interactive system for controlling the operation of an HVAC system is provide that comprises a thermostat for initiating the operation of the HVAC system in either a full capacity mode of operation or at least one reduced capacity mode of operation, and a controller for an outside condenser unit having a condenser fan motor and a compressor motor, the controller being capable of operating the compressor in a full capacity mode and at least one reduced capacity mode. The system also comprises a controller for an indoor blower unit having a blower fan motor, the controller being capable of operating the blower fan motor in a full capacity mode an at least one reduced capacity mode. The system further includes a communication means for transmitting information between the outside condenser unit controller and at least the indoor blower controller, where the information relates to the operation of the indoor blower and the outdoor condenser unit. The indoor blower controller responsively controls the operation of the blower fan motor in a full capacity mode or a reduced capacity mode based on the information received from the outdoor unit controller, and the outdoor unit controller responsively controls the operation of the compressor in a full capacity mode or a reduced capacity mode based on the information received from the indoor blower controller.

Claims

1. A controller for an outside condenser unit of an air conditioner capable of operating in a full capacity mode and at least one reduced capacity mode, the controller comprising:

a communication means for receiving information relating to the operation of other air conditioning components separate from the outside condenser unit;

a processor for controlling the operation of a condenser fan and a compressor in a full capacity mode of operation and in at least one reduced capacity mode of operation, wherein the processor receives operating condition information relating to the operation of the other air conditioning system components and responsively operates the compressor in a full capacity mode or a reduced capacity mode based on the received information.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the communication means comprises a peer-to-peer network connection that enables receiving information from at least an indoor blower controller and sending information to at least an indoor blower controller.

3. The controller of claim 2 where in response to receiving information that the indoor blower is only able to operate at a reduced blower speed, the processor controls the operation of the compressor in at least one reduced capacity mode of operation.

4. The controller of claim 2 where in response to receiving information that the indoor blower is not able to operate, the processor shuts down the operation of the compressor.

5. The controller of claim 2 wherein the processor switches the operation of the compressor to at least one reduced capacity mode of operation when the line voltage level is below a predetermined level.

6. The controller of claim 5 wherein the controller communicates a low voltage fault at the compressor motor via the communication means to at least one of a thermostat or an indoor blower controller.

7. The controller of claim 5 wherein the controller communicates a reduced capacity mode of operation of the compressor via the communication means to at least one of a thermostat or an indoor blower controller.

8. The controller of claim 2 further comprising a sensor for sensing the current in the condenser fan motor.

9. The controller of claim 2 further comprising a sensor for sensing the current in the compressor motor.

10. The controller of claim 9 further comprising a sensor for sensing the compressor discharge temperature.

11. The controller of claim 10 where in response to the controller sensing a high discharge temperature and a low compressor motor current, the controller communicates a signal indicating a low refrigerant charge to at least one of the thermostat or the indoor blower controller.

12. The controller of claim 2 further comprising an outside temperature sensor, wherein the controller communicates the sensed outside temperature value to at least one of a thermostat or an indoor blower controller.

13. The controller of claim 9, wherein the processor responsively switches the operation of the compressor to at least one reduced capacity mode of operation when the current sensed in the compressor motor remains above a predetermined level for at least a predetermined time.

14. The controller of claim 13, wherein the at least one reduced capacity mode of operation comprises cycling the compressor on at full capacity for a predetermined minimum time period and off for a predetermined time period.

15. The controller of claim 2, wherein the controller communicates at least one of a compressor motor winding open circuit fault, a compressor motor locked rotor fault, a compressor excessive run time fault, a compressor motor protector trip cycle fault, a condenser fan motor open circuit fault, or a condenser fan motor locked rotor circuit fault to a thermostat.

16. A controller for an indoor blower unit of an HVAC system capable of operating in a full capacity mode and at least one reduced capacity mode, the controller comprising:

a communication means for receiving information relating to the operation of at least one other HVAC system component separate from the indoor blower unit;

a processor for controlling the operation of an indoor blower fan motor in a full capacity mode of operation and in at lest one reduced capacity mode of operation, wherein the processor receives information relating to the operation of the other HVAC system components and responsively operates the blower fan motor in a full capacity mode or a reduced capacity mode based on the received information.

17. The controller of claim 16, wherein the communication means comprises a peer-to-peer network connection that enables receiving information from at least an outdoor condenser unit controller and sending information to at least an outdoor unit controller.

18. The controller of claim 17 where in response to receiving information that the compressor is only able to operate at a reduced capacity, the processor responsively controls the operation of the blower motor in at least one reduced capacity mode.

19. The controller of claim 17 where in response to receiving information that the compressor is only able to operate at full capacity, the processor responsively controls the operation of the blower motor in a full capacity mode.

20. The controller of claim 17 further comprising a current sensor for sensing the current draw of the indoor blower motor, wherein the controller operates the blower at a reduced capacity mode of operation when the sensed current is more than a predetermined amount.

21. The controller of claim 17 further comprising a temperature sensor for sensing the evaporator inlet temperature.

22. The controller of claim 17 further comprising a first temperature sensor for sensing the return air temperature for the blower, a second temperature sensor for sensing the supply air temperature leaving the blower, wherein the controller responsively communicates a signal indicating a low refrigerant charge condition when the controller senses a difference between the sensed return air temperature and the sensed supply air temperature that is less than a predetermined amount.

23. The controller of claim 19 wherein the controller communicates information relating to the operating condition of the indoor blower to one of a thermostat or an outdoor unit controller.

24. An interactive system for controlling the operation of an HVAC system, the interactive system comprising:

a thermostat for initiating the operation of the HVAC system in either a full capacity mode or at least one reduced capacity mode of operation;

a controller for an outside condenser unit having a condenser fan motor and a compressor motor, the controller being capable of operating the compressor in a full capacity mode and at least one reduced capacity mode;

a controller for an indoor blower unit having a blower fan motor, the controller being capable of operating the blower fan motor in a full capacity mode and at least one reduced capacity mode;

a communication means for transmitting information between the outside condenser unit controller and the indoor blower controller relating to the operation of the indoor blower and the outdoor condenser unit, wherein the indoor blower controller responsively controls the operation of the blower fan motor in a full capacity mode or a reduced capacity mode based on the information received from the outdoor unit controller.

25. The interactive system of claim 24, wherein the outdoor unit controller responsively controls the operation of the compressor in a full capacity mode or a reduced capacity mode based on the information received from the indoor blower controller.

26. The interactive system of claim 25 where in response to the indoor blower controller communicating operating information of a reduced blower speed, the outdoor unit controller responsively controls the operation of the compressor in at least one reduced capacity mode of operation corresponding to the reduced indoor blower speed.

27. The interactive system of claim 24 where in response to the outdoor unit controller communicating operating information of a reduced capacity operation of the compressor, the indoor blower controller responsively controls the operation of the blower motor in at least one reduced capacity mode of operation corresponding to the reduced capacity mode of operating the compressor.

28. The interactive system of claim 24 where in response to the outdoor unit controller communicating operating information that the compressor is only operating in full capacity mode, the indoor blower controller responsively controls the operation of the blower motor in a full capacity mode of operation corresponding to the full capacity mode of compressor operation.

29. The interactive system of claim 24, where in response to the outdoor unit controller communicating operating information of a either a compressor motor failure or a condenser fan motor failure, the indoor blower controller responsively discontinues operation of the blower motor.

30. The interactive system of claim 24, further comprising a controller for a furnace unit having a high stage and at least one low stage of heating operation, where in response to the indoor blower controller communicating operating information of a reduced blower speed, the furnace controller responsively controls the operation of the furnace in at least one low stage of heating operation.

31. An interactive system for controlling the operation of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system having a plurality of components, the interactive system comprising at least one controller for operating a first component of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, the controller modifying the operation of the first component in response to information received about the operation of a second component of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system.

32. An interactive system for controlling the operation of a cooling system having at least a controller for an indoor blower and at least a controller for an outdoor condenser unit, where the controllers are in communication with each other through a network, the system comprising:

an outdoor condenser unit controller capable of sending information relating to the operation of the condenser unit and also receiving information through the network;

an indoor blower controller capable of sending information relating to the operation of the indoor blower and also receiving information through the network;

wherein the outdoor condenser unit controller and the indoor blower controller are each capable of receiving operating diagnostic information from each other and responsively confirming received diagnostic information with internal information to provide notification of a cooling system condition or fault that requires service.