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US 2020/0300520 A1Published application
Controlling metering devices
AssigneeLennox Industries Inc.
InventorsEric Perez, Shawn Niemann, Colin Clara, Der-Kai Hung
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A metering device may automatically control fluid flow through a valve. A control system may alter the automatic control of a metering device. In some implementations, a predetermined event may occur to alter the automatic control of the metering device.
Claims13
A method of operating an air conditioner, the method comprising:
- allowing an air conditioner to operate in response to an operation request;
- automatically adjusting an amount of refrigerant allowed to flow through a thermal expansion valve based at least partially on a temperature of a bulb of the thermal expansion valve;
- determining if a predetermined event has occurred;
- and
- altering the automatic adjustment of the thermal expansion valve, if the predetermined event has occurred, by:
- delivering a signal to one or more heat transfer elements, wherein the signal controls heat transfer by one or more of the heat transfer elements;
- allowing heat transfer between at least one of the heat transfer elements and the bulb to alter a temperature of the bulb;
- and
- adjusting an amount of refrigerant allowed to flow through the thermal expansion valve based at least partially on the altered temperature of the bulb.
6 more elements
A control system for a valve controller, the control system comprising:
- one or more heat transfer elements configured to alter a temperature of a bulb of a valve controller, wherein the bulb is configured to automatically control a valve, and wherein altering the temperature of the bulb alters a degree of openness of the valve;
- and
- a controller coupled to one or more of the heat transfer elements, wherein the controller is configured to deliver a signal to at least one of the heat transfer elements in response to a predetermined event, and wherein the signal controls heat transfer by one or more of the heat transfer elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.