Method and control system for limiting compressor capacity in a refrigeration system upon a recycle start

In a control system for a vapor compression refrigeration system including a compressor which is part of the refrigeration system, comprising:

• sensor means for monitoring a load to be satisfied by operation of the refrigeration system and for providing a signal indicative of the magnitude of the montiored load;
• switch means for turning the refrigeration system, including the refrigeration system compressor, on and off in response to control signals received by said switch means;
• capacity control means for controlling the capacity of the refrigeration system in response to control signals received by said capacity control means;
• and
• control means for receiving and for processing the signal provided by the sensor means and for generating and providing control signals to the switch means and to the capacity control means to turn on the refrigeration system, including the refrigeration system compressor, when the sensor means detects a load to be satisfied by operation of the refrigeration system, to adjust the capacity of the refrigeration system to match the load on the refrigeration system when the refrigeration system is turned on, to turn off the refrigeration system compressor when, to match a low load, the refrigeration system is adjusted to its minimum capacity level by the capacity control means and the refrigeration system is still providing excess capacity for satisfying this low load even through the refrigeration system is operating at its minimum capacity level.
• the improvement comprising a recycle start means for the control means for greatly reducing the rate of increase in the capacity of the compressor upon a recycle start,
• the recycle start means being able to turn the refrigeration system compressor back on when a new, relatively small increased load is detected by the sensor means and, when the refrigeration system is turned back on in response to the new, relatively small increased load, to increase the capacity of the refrigeration system, at a preselected, relatively slow rate which is less than the rate required to immediately match the load on the refrigeration system, from the minimum capacity level of the compressor to a level which approximately matches the new load on the refrigeration system.