US 2020/0049393 A1Published application

Adaptive control method for refrigeration systems

AssigneesUniversitat De Lleida, Ako Electromecanica S.A.L.

InventorsXavier Albets Chico, Pere Moreno Argiles, Miguel Angel González Sánchez, Luisa Fernanda Cabeza Fabra, Gabriel Zsembinszki, Jose Miguel Maldonado Jimenez, Alvaro de Gracia Cuesta

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

ADAPTIVE CONTROL PROCEDURE FOR REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS which comprises the detection of the frost level in the evaporator by means of a calculation method of NTU rate, allowing to define: the most suitable defrosting time, the energization of the drainage resistors and the adaptive management of the evaporator fan combining different operating modes. An ice-free mode which uses only the cooling capacity of the refrigerant, and different modes with ice which benefits from the latent heat stored in the ice to produce energy savings, depending on the level of frost in the evaporator. For calculating the NTU rate, it uses the evaporator as a reference when it is dry at the beginning, and when the cooling system is in operation, it calculates the NTU rate with a variable frequency operating mode depending on the evaporator performance or level of ice and its comparison with the cited reference.

Claims9

Dependent claims

An adaptive control method for refrigeration systems which, being of the type which manages the fans according to the level of frost in the evaporator, comprising the detection of the level of frost in the evaporator using an NTU rate calculation method, and the adaptive management of the evaporator fan combining different operating modes, comprising an ice-free mode, where solely the refrigeration capacity of the coolant is employed, and different iced modes where the latent heat stored in the ice is employed to provide energy savings, depending on the level of frost in the evaporator;

and wherein the method comprises the performance of said detection of the level of frost by by obtaining a dimensionless coefficient fc of the relative level of frost in the evaporator and the monitoring of the temporal evolution of the same, where the method comprises the obtaining of said dimensionless coefficient fc of the relative level of frost in the evaporator:
from the calculation of a first value or reference value of the NTU rate, performed when the evaporator is dry at the commencement, with no frost, and
from the calculation of second values of the NTU rate, when the refrigeration system is in operation during one of said iced modes of fan management, performing said calculation repeatedly over time, with a non-constant frequency of repetitions which varies depending on the performance of the evaporator or on the level of ice in the same;
where said dimensionless coefficient fc of the relative level of frost in the evaporator relates, in a comparative manner, the second values with the first value of the NTU rate.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.