Variable fan speed control in HVAC systems and methods
AssigneeTrane International Inc.
InventorMichael Carl Boehde
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Generally, a variable fan speed control in an HVAC system is described. Such methods and systems to control fan speed can in turn improve efficiency of the HVAC system by minimizing power consumption, for example of the compressor. The control scheme is based on various operating conditions of compressor load and ambient air temperature, which are used to determine an optimum fan speed.
Claims16
A method of controlling one or more condenser fans in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
- detecting, with a sensor to detect ambient air temperature, ambient air temperature;
- separately obtaining, with a sensor to obtain compressor present load, a present load on a variable load compressor;
- directly determining, with a controller, a desired condenser fan capacity suitable to control one or more condenser fans based on each of the ambient air temperature detected and the present load on the variable load compressor obtained;
- outputting, with the controller, the desired condenser fan capacity suitable to control the one or more condenser fans;
- and
- controlling the one or more fans based on the output of the desired condenser fan capacity, such that power of the HVAC system is managed through power consumed by the variable load compressor and the one or more condenser fans.
A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
- a variable load compressor;
- an evaporator fluidly connected to the variable load compressor;
- a condenser fluidly connected to the variable load compressor;
- the condenser including one or more condenser fans;
- a sensor to detect ambient air temperature;
- a sensor to separately obtain present load on the variable load compressor;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the sensor to detect ambient air temperature, to the sensor to obtain present load on the variable load compressor, and to the condenser including the one or more condenser fans;
- the controller configured to directly determine a desired condenser fan capacity suitable to control the one or more condenser fans based on each of the ambient air temperature detected and the present load on the variable load compressor obtained;
- and
- the controller configured to operate the one or more condenser fans based on the desired condenser fan capacity, such that power of the HVAC system is managed through power consumed by the variable load compressor and the one or more condenser fans.
A method of controlling one or more condenser fans in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
- detecting, with a sensor to detect ambient air temperature, ambient air temperature;
- separately obtaining, with a sensor to obtain compressor present load, a present load on a variable load compressor;
- directly determining, with a controller, a desired condenser fan capacity suitable to control one or more condenser fans from correlations between the ambient air temperature detected, the present load on the variable load compressor obtained, and the desired condenser fan capacity;
- outputting, with the controller, the desired condenser fan capacity suitable to control the one or more condenser fans;
- and
- controlling the one or more fans based on the output of the desired condenser fan capacity, such that power of the HVAC system is managed through power consumed by the variable load compressor and the one or more condenser fans.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.