Compressor with flooded start control
AssigneeEmerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
InventorHung M. Pham
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for flooded start control of a compressor for a refrigeration system is provided. A temperature sensor generates temperature data corresponding to at least one of a compressor temperature and an ambient temperature. A control module receives the temperature data, determines an off-time period since the compressor was last on, determines an amount of liquid present in the compressor based on the temperature data and the off-time period, compares the amount of liquid with a predetermined threshold, and, when the amount of liquid is greater than the predetermined threshold, operates the compressor according to at least one cycle including a first time period during which the compressor is on and a second time period during which the compressor is off.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a compressor for a refrigeration system;
- a temperature sensor that generates temperature data corresponding to at least one of a compressor temperature and an ambient temperature;
- a control module that receives the temperature data, determines an off-time period since the compressor was last on, determines an amount of liquid present in the compressor based on the temperature data and the off-time period, compares the amount of liquid with a predetermined threshold, and, when the amount of liquid is greater than the predetermined threshold, operates the compressor according to at least one cycle including a first time period during which the compressor is on and a second time period during which the compressor is off;
- wherein the control module determines a pumping capacity of the compressor and determines the first time period of the at least one cycle based on the amount of liquid and the pumping capacity, such that the amount of liquid is not pumped out of the compressor during the at least one cycle.
A method comprising:
- generating temperature data with a temperature sensor, the temperature data corresponding to at least one of a compressor temperature and an ambient temperature;
- receiving the temperature data with a control module;
- determining, with the control module, an off-time period since the compressor was last on;
- determining, with the control module, an amount of liquid present in the compressor based on the temperature data and the off-time period;
- comparing, with the control module, the amount of liquid with a predetermined threshold;
- operating, with the control module, the compressor according to at least one cycle including a first time period during which the compressor is on and a second time period during which the compressor is off when the amount of liquid is greater than the predetermined threshold;
- wherein the control module determines a pumping capacity of the compressor and determines the first time period of the at least one cycle based on the amount of liquid and the pumping capacity, such that the amount of liquid is not pumped out of the compressor during the at least one cycle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.