Control systems and methods for preventing evaporator coil freeze
AssigneeLennox Industries Inc.
InventorsRakesh GOEL, Siddarth Rajan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of preventing evaporator coil freeze in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system is performed by a controller in the HVAC system. The method includes determining a reference saturated suction temperature (SST) via a sensor disposed in relation to an evaporator coil in the HVAC system. The method also includes determining whether the reference SST is below a minimum SST threshold. The method also includes, responsive to a determination that the reference SST is below the minimum SST threshold, increasing a discharge air temperature (DAT) setpoint.
Claims20
A method of preventing evaporator coil freeze in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the method comprising, by a controller in the HVAC system, the controller configured for wireless communication and comprising a processor and a memory:
- determining, via at least one sensor disposed in the HVAC system, a reference saturated suction temperature (SST), wherein determining the reference SST comprises determining a plurality of SSTs via a plurality of sensors disposed on an evaporator coil and determining a minimum SST of the plurality of SSTs, wherein the minimum SST is the reference SST;
- determining, by the controller, whether the reference SST is below a minimum SST threshold;
- and
- responsive to a determination that the reference SST is not below the minimum SST threshold, setting, by the controller, a discharge air temperature (DAT) setpoint to a previously established setpoint value.
A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
- an evaporator coil;
- at least one sensor;
- a compressor fluidly coupled to a condenser coil and the evaporator coil;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to the compressor, wherein the controller is operable to perform a method comprising:
- determining a reference saturated suction temperature (SST) via the at least one sensor, wherein determining the reference SST comprises determining a plurality of SSTs via a plurality of sensors disposed on the evaporator coil and determining a minimum SST of the plurality of SSTs, wherein the minimum SST is the reference SST;
- determining whether the reference SST is below a minimum SST threshold;
- and
- responsive to a determination that the reference SST is not below the minimum SST threshold, setting a discharge air temperature (DAT) setpoint to a previously established setpoint value.
A computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method utilizing a controller in an HVAC system, the controller configured for wireless communication and comprising a processor and a memory, the method comprising:
- determining, via at least one sensor disposed on an evaporator coil in the HVAC system, a reference saturated suction temperature (SST)), wherein determining the reference SST comprises determining a plurality of SSTs via a plurality of sensors disposed on the evaporator coil and determining a minimum SST of the plurality of SSTs, wherein the minimum SST is the reference SST;
- determining, by the controller, whether the reference SST is below a minimum SST threshold;
- and
- responsive to a determination that the reference SST is not below the minimum SST threshold, setting, by the controller, a discharge air temperature (DAT) setpoint to a previously established setpoint value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.