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US 9,803,911 B2Granted
Defrost control using fan data
AssigneeLennox Industries Inc.
InventorsYi Qu, H. Gene Havard, Jon Douglas, Jeff Mangum
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In various implementations, frost in a vapor compression system may be controlled. A property of a fan may be determined. A determination may be made whether a frost event and/or a nonfrost event has occurred based at least partially on the determined fan property.
Claims17
A method of distinguishing between a frost condition and a nonfrost condition in a vapor compression system, the method comprising:
- determining one or more system properties of the vapor compression system, the one or more system properties comprising at least an inlet temperature and a change in a fan property;
- determining if an event has occurred based at least partially on at least the inlet temperature and the change in the fan property;
- determining that the event is a frost condition if the inlet temperature is below a predetermined temperature and the change in the fan property is above a first predetermined value and below a second predetermined value;
- determining that the event is a nonfrost condition if:
- the inlet temperature is below the predetermined temperature and the change in the fan property is below the first predetermined value;
- or
- the inlet temperature is below the predetermined temperature and the change in the fan property is above the second predetermined value;
- and
- initiating a defrost cycle if the event is a frost condition.
6 more elements
A vapor compression system comprising:
- a fan;
- sensors that measure one or more system properties, the one or more system properties comprising at least an inlet temperature and a change in a fan property;
- and
- a management module that determines if an event has occurred and whether the event is a frost condition or a nonfrost condition based at least in part upon the inlet temperature and the change in the fan property, wherein the management module is configured to:
- determine that the event is a frost condition if the inlet temperature is below a predetermined temperature and the change in the fan property is above a first predetermined value and below a second predetermined value;
- and
- determine that the event is a nonfrost condition if:
- the inlet temperature is below the predetermined temperature and the change in the fan property is below the first predetermined value;
- or
- the inlet temperature is below the predetermined temperature and the change in the fan property is above the second predetermined value.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.