Control of discharge dewpoint for packaged terminal air conditioner
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsBryan Isaac D’Souza, Timothy Scott Shaffer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A packaged terminal air conditioner unit includes discharge air temperature and humidity sensors in the discharge air stream. Input from the sensors is used to determine the dewpoint temperature of a mixture of outside air and recirculated room air prior to discharge to the conditioned space. The air conditioner unit modifies one or more of indoor fan speed, compressor speed, and an electronically controlled expansion device to adjust the discharge air dewpoint temperature to a predetermined target value.
Claims20
An air conditioner unit comprising:
- a refrigeration loop comprising an evaporator and a condenser;
- a compressor operably coupled to the refrigeration loop and being configured to urge refrigerant through the refrigeration loop;
- an expansion device fluidly coupled to the refrigeration loop;
- an indoor fan operable to urge a flow of indoor air through the evaporator;
- an auxiliary fan operable to urge a flow of outdoor air to combine with the flow of indoor air to produce a mixed airflow;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to the compressor, the expansion device, the indoor fan, and the auxiliary fan, the controller being configured to:
- operate the compressor at a first compressor speed;
- operate the indoor fan at a first fan speed;
- operate the auxiliary fan at a first auxiliary fan speed;
- determine a dewpoint temperature of the mixed airflow;
- determine that the dewpoint temperature of the mixed airflow is greater than a predetermined limit;
- and
- implement a responsive action in response to determining that the dewpoint temperature of the mixed airflow exceeded the predetermined limit.
A method of operating an air conditioner unit comprising a refrigeration loop comprising an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor configured to urge refrigerant through the refrigeration loop, an expansion device, an indoor fan operable to urge a flow of indoor air over the evaporator, and an auxiliary fan operable to urge a flow of outdoor air to combine with the flow of indoor air to produce a mixed airflow, the method comprising:
- operating the compressor at a first compressor speed;
- operating the indoor fan at a first fan speed;
- operating the auxiliary fan at a first auxiliary fan speed;
- determining a dewpoint temperature of the mixed airflow;
- determining that the dewpoint temperature of the mixed airflow is greater than a predetermined limit;
- and
- implementing a responsive action in response to determining that the dewpoint temperature of the mixed airflow exceeded the predetermined limit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.