Air conditioning systems and methods for operating the same

An apparatus comprising:

• a compressor arranged and constructed to compress a cooling medium,
• a motor coupled to the compressor for driving the compressor, the motor having a stator and a rotor, the stator producing a magnetic force to rotate the rotor when current is supplied to the stator,
• a temperature sensor arranged and constructed to detect a temperature that represents the temperature of the rotor, and
• a controller arranged and constructed to control the supply of current to the stator based upon output signals from the temperature sensor, wherein the rotor rotates without being demagnetized, the controller storing a chart or function for correlating the detected rotor temperature to a demagnetization limit current, which correlation chart or function determines an upper limit for the current supplied to the stator and the controller being further arranged and constructed to supply an initial stator current that is less than or equal to the demagnetization limit current, but greater than or equal to a minimum current required to rotate the rotor.

An apparatus comprising:

• a compressor arranged and constructed to compress a cooling medium,
• a motor coupled to the compressor for driving the compressor, the motor having a stator and a rotor, the stator producing a magnetic force to rotate the rotor when current is supplied to the stator,
• a temperature sensor arranged and constructed to detect a temperature that represents the temperature of the rotor, and
• a processor arranged and constructed to control the supply of current to the stator based upon output signals from the temperature sensor, wherein the rotor rotates without being demagnetized,
• the processor comprising instructions to:
• calculate a demagnetization limit current based upon the detected rotor temperature when the motor is started;
• calculate a demagnetization limit temperature for a normal stator current;
• and
• calculate a time period of time that is necessary to supply a current to the stator, wherein the current supplied to the stator is less than or equal to the calculated demagnetization limit current.

An apparatus comprising:

• a compressor arranged and constructed to compress a cooling medium,
• a motor coupled to the compressor for driving the compressor, the motor having a stator and a rotor, the stator producing a magnetic force to rotate the rotor when current is supplied to the stator,
• a temperature sensor arranged and constructed to detect a temperature that represents the temperature of the rotor, and
• a processor arranged and constructed to control the supply of current to the stator based upon output signals from the temperature sensor, wherein the rotor rotates without being demagnetized,
• the processor comprising instructions to:
• calculate a demagnetization limit current based upon the rotor temperature detected by the temperature sensor,
• calculate a demagnetization limit temperature for a normal stator current, and
• supply current to the stator during an initial period until the detected rotor temperature reaches the calculated demagnetization limit temperature.

An apparatus comprising:

• a compressor having a motor that includes a rotor and a stator, the rotor being rotated by a magnetic force generated by supplying current the stator, whereby a cooling medium is circulated within an air conditioning circuit,
• means for detecting the temperature of the rotor or an ambient temperature when the rotor starts to rotate,
• means for calculating a demagnetization limit current of the rotor at the detected temperature, and
• means for supplying current to the stator for a predetermined time period, the current being less than or equal to the demagnetization limit current and greater than or equal to a minimum current that is required to rotate the rotor.

An apparatus comprising:

• a compressor having a motor that comprises a rotor and a stator, the rotor being rotated by magnetic force generated by supplying current to the stator, whereby a cooling medium is circulated within an air conditioning circuit,
• means for detecting the temperature of the rotor,
• means for calculating a demagnetization limit temperature for normal operation,
• means for calculating a demagnetization limit current from the detected temperature, and
• means for supplying current to the stator at least until the temperature of the rotor reaches the demagnetization limit temperature, the current being less than or equal to the demagnetization limit current and being greater than or equal to a minimum current that is required to rotate the rotor.

An air conditioning system comprising:

• a compressor having a motor, the motor including a rotor and a stator, the rotor being rotated by a magnetic force generated by supplying current to the stator, whereby a cooling medium is circulated within an air conditioning circuit,
• a temperature sensor arranged and constructed to detect either the rotor temperature or an ambient temperature,
• a current calculator arranged and constructed to calculate a demagnetization limit current for the rotor at a temperature detected when current is initially supplied to the stator, and
• means for supplying current to the stator for a predetermined period, which current is less than or equal to the calculated demagnetization limit current and is greater than or equal to a minimum current that is required to rotate the rotor.

An air conditioning system comprising:

• a compressor having a motor, the motor including a rotor and a stator, the rotor being rotated by a magnetic force generated by supplying current the stator, whereby a cooling medium is circulated within a air conditioning circuit,
• a temperature sensor arranged and constructed to detect the temperature of the rotor;
• and
• a temperature calculator arranged and constructed to calculate a demagnetization limit temperature of the rotor during normal operation;
• a current calculator arranged and constructed to calculate a demagnetization limit current from the temperature detected by the temperature sensor;
• and
• means for supplying current to the stator at least until the detected temperature of the rotor reaches the demagnetization limit temperature, wherein the supplied current is less than or equal to the demagnetization limit current and is greater than or equal to a minimum current that is required to rotate the rotor.