Patents Examined by Alexis K Cox
  • Patent number: 10429102
    Abstract: An HVAC&R system including a pumping device configured to circulate a first two-phase medium, a plurality of secondary HVAC&R units, wherein at least one of the plurality of secondary HVAC&R units is operably coupled to the pumping device, and a primary HVAC&R unit operably coupled to at least one of the plurality of secondary HVAC&R units, wherein the pumping device, a portion of the plurality of secondary HVAC&R units, and a portion of the primary HVAC&R unit form a primary loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas D. Radcliff, Parmesh Verma, Dong Luo, Richard G. Lord, Michel Grabon
  • Patent number: 10429112
    Abstract: A control method for a refrigerator includes driving a refrigerator compartment compressor that is configured to cool a refrigerator compartment; determining whether a temperature in the refrigerator compartment satisfies a first temperature; driving, based on the determination that a temperature in the refrigerator compartment satisfies the first temperature, a freezer compartment compressor that is configured to cool a freezer compartment; stopping the refrigerator compartment compressor; maintaining, after stopping the refrigerator compartment compressor, operation of the freezer compartment compressor; restarting the refrigerator compartment compressor; and varying a driving frequency of the refrigerator compartment compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Namhun Kim, Buhwan Ahn
  • Patent number: 10415863
    Abstract: A compressor control apparatus for a vehicle includes: a compressor configured to compress coolant of an air conditioner; a coolant temperature measurement unit configured to measure a coolant temperature; a data detector configured to detect state data for controlling the compressor; and a controller configured to determine an operation rate of the compressor based on the coolant temperature and the state data, and operate the compressor based on the operation rate of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Yeong Jun Kim, Yangbo Kang, Jeongbin Park
  • Patent number: 10398153
    Abstract: A liquid nitrogen dispenser for frozen treats comprises an anodized mount, an anodized cover attached onto the anodized mount, an inlet integrated into the anodized cover, an outlet integrated into the anodized cover, a dispensing tube, a primary flow valve mounted in between the anodized cover and the anodized mount and in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet, a phase separator externally mounted to the anodized cover and in fluid communication with the outlet by the dispensing tube, an access hole traversing through the anodized cover, an annular gasket penetrating the access hole and peripherally pressed against the anodized cover and an insulating layer positioned around the primary flow valve, mounted across the anodized cover and pressed in between the anodized cover and the annular gasket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Inventor: Miguel Angel Fernandez
  • Patent number: 10352603
    Abstract: A cooling system includes a cooling tower, a refrigeration device, a cooling fan provided in the cooling tower, a cooling water pump which circulates cooling water between the cooling tower and the refrigeration device, an inlet temperature sensor which detects the cooling water temperature at an inlet of the cooling tower, an outlet temperature sensor which detects the cooling water temperature at an outlet of the cooling tower, and an inverter apparatus which variably controls the speed of the cooling fan or the cooling water pump. The output frequency of the inverter apparatus is reduced after the output frequency reaches an upper limit frequency. The inverter apparatus controls the cooling device based on a temperature differential between a temperature of the cooling water at the inlet and a temperature of the cooling water at the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kono
  • Patent number: 10330349
    Abstract: Thermal energy system, coupled to a building energy system, which selectively provides heating and/or cooling to a building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: ERDA MASTER IPCO LIMITED
    Inventors: Dmitriy Zaynulin, Kevin Stickney
  • Patent number: 10323870
    Abstract: A refrigeration system includes a valve and a controller. The valve is configured to control the flow of refrigerant into an evaporator, the refrigerant having an associated liquid setting comprising a temperature and a pressure at which the refrigerant flows through the valve. The controller is operable to adjust the liquid setting, the adjusted liquid setting comprising a temperature and a pressure selected to improve energy efficiency under conditions currently being experienced by the refrigeration system, wherein the controller is operable to adjust the temperature and the pressure simultaneously such that the adjustment does not interfere with operation of the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Heatcraft Refrigeration Products LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Douglas, Umesh Gokhale
  • Patent number: 10309405
    Abstract: A circulator blower controller for a circulator blower of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a building includes an interface configured to receive a demand signal with an operating mode from a thermostat. A switching circuit selectively connects power to a tap of a motor of the circulator blower. A data store configured to store a mapping from a speed to the tap. For each tap, a processor observes power consumed by the circulator blower while power is connected to the tap by the switching circuit. The processor determines the mapping by sorting the taps based on observed power consumption. The processor selects a first speed based on the demand signal from the thermostat. The processor identifies a first tap from the mapping based on the first speed and generates the tap selection signal to control the switching circuit to connect power to the first tap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: EMERSON ELECTRIC CO.
    Inventors: Jeffrey N. Arensmeier, Paul Layton, Jacob Nielson
  • Patent number: 10309672
    Abstract: A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system includes wiring terminals adapted and configured to make an electrical connection with an HVAC system wires such as common, heating and cooling control and return wires. The making of the connection with a common wire actuates switching open a loop of an electrical circuit used for power harvesting. The wiring terminal includes actuation of a moveable part of the terminal so as to accommodate the common wire that in turn actuates the switching open the power harvesting loop. More than one other loop can be switched. The wiring terminal can be used to automatically connect and/or disconnect Rc and Rh circuits when one or both Rc and Rh wires are present. The wiring terminal can be used for electronically sensing the presence of the HVAC system wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: John Benjamin Filson, Daniel Adam Warren, Anthony Michael Fadell, Sheng-Nan Yu
  • Patent number: 10309700
    Abstract: A high pressure compressor may include a casing in which a refrigerant discharged from a compression device is filled into an inner space provided with a drive motor, a suction pipe directly connected to a suction port of the compression device, a discharge pipe in communication with the inner space of the casing, a first valve provided at the discharge pipe or the suction pipe to control a flow of the discharged refrigerant from a high pressure side to a low pressure side when the drive motor is stopped, a bypass pipe connected between a discharge side and a suction side based on the compression device, and a second valve provided at the bypass pipe to move the refrigerant at the high pressure side to the low pressure side through the bypass pipe, thereby allowing a differential pressure operation to continue when the compressor is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jingyu Lee, Jeonghyeon Park, Yeongcheol Ko
  • Patent number: 10302363
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a cooling system includes a thermosyphon cooler that cools a cooling fluid through dry cooling and a cooling tower that cools a cooling fluid through evaporative cooling. The thermosyphon cooler uses natural convection to circulate a refrigerant between a shell and tube evaporator and an air cooled condenser. The thermosyphon cooler is located in the cooling system upstream of, and in series with, the cooling tower, and is operated when the thermosyphon cooler is more economically and/or resource efficient to operate than the cooling tower. According to certain embodiments, factors, such as the ambient temperature, the cost of electricity, and the cost of water, among others, are used to determine whether to operate the thermosyphon cooler, the cooling tower, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: James W. Furlong, Joseph W. Pillis, Delmar E. Lehman
  • Patent number: 10295262
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a cooling system includes a thermosyphon cooler that cools a cooling fluid through dry cooling and a cooling tower that cools a cooling fluid through evaporative cooling. The thermosyphon cooler uses natural convection to circulate a refrigerant between a shell and tube evaporator and an air cooled condenser. The thermosyphon cooler is located in the cooling system upstream of, and in series with, the cooling tower, and is operated when the thermosyphon cooler is more economically and/or resource efficient to operate than the cooling tower. According to certain embodiments, factors, such as the ambient temperature, the cost of electricity, and the cost of water, among others, are used to determine whether to operate the thermosyphon cooler, the cooling tower, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: James W. Furlong, Joseph W. Pillis, Delmar E. Lehman
  • Patent number: 10295239
    Abstract: A system includes a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, a condenser, an expander, an electric motor configured to drive the compressor, and a controller configured to control a motor drive to drive the electric motor. The controller is configured to first evaluate whether the compressor is idle based upon a control state of the controller being configured not to operate the motor drive to drive the motor, second, in response to an affirmative evaluation that the compressor is idle, evaluate a risk of undesired or un-commanded compressor rotation based upon a combination of two or more system conditions, each of the two or more system conditions indicating the risk of undesired or un-commanded compressor rotation, and third, in response to an affirmative evaluation of the risk of undesired or un-commanded compressor rotation, control the motor drive to oppose rotation of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Trane International Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Thomas West, Benjamin James Sykora, David Marshall Foye, Dennis Myron Beekman, Korwin Jay Anderson, Robert Bakkestuen
  • Patent number: 10268219
    Abstract: An adapter to connect an industry standard low-voltage thermostat to a central HVAC system with a mains-voltage fan coil unit. The adapter detects the operating conditions of the thermostat, and only switches a power connection to the fan coil unit on if it is capable of heating while in heating mode or cooling while in cooling mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Inventor: Oliver Markus Haynold
  • Patent number: 10260792
    Abstract: The dry ice bag for use with a cooler is a device that receives a piece of dry ice, and which is placed inside of a cooler in order to cool said cooler. The dry ice bag includes a mesh opening along a bottom surface that is selectively exposed via a flap member in order to regulate the amount of cold that escapes from the dry ice bag. The dry ice bag also includes a securing member on a top surface such that the entire device is suspended from underneath a top surface of the cooler thereby enabling cold air to descend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Inventor: Andrew Kyle Frank
  • Patent number: 10240839
    Abstract: An exemplary system includes a compressor, a condenser, an expander, and an evaporator fluidly coupled to form a vapor-compression circuit, and an electric motor configured to drive the compressor. An inverter having a plurality of switching elements is configured to provide an output voltage to the electric motor through operation of the switching elements. A waste heat recovery circuit is configured to transfer waste heat from the inverter to a load. A controller is configured provide switching commands to the switching elements of the inverter. The controller is further configured to sense a condition of the system, determine a heat production requirement based at least in part upon the system condition, and to vary the number of switching commands per unit time based at least in part upon the heat production requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Trane International LLC.
    Inventors: Benjamin James Sykora, Nathan Thomas West, Pavak Mehta
  • Patent number: 10174977
    Abstract: A system including a setpoint module, a summer, a control module, and an expansion valve module. The setpoint module is configured to indirectly control sub-cooling of a condenser by adjusting a superheat setpoint based on (i) a return air temperature setpoint or a supply air temperature setpoint, and (ii) an outdoor ambient temperature. The summer is configured to determine an error between the superheat setpoint and a superheat level of a compressor. The control module is configured to generate a control signal based on the error. The expansion valve module is configured to electronically control a state of an expansion valve based on the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Vertiv Corporation
    Inventors: Zhiyong Lin, Benedict J. Dolcich, John F. Judge
  • Patent number: 8056355
    Abstract: The invention relates to a HVAC drainage system. There is a need for an HVAC drainage system which operates well in a vehicle which moves over rough terrain. An HVAC unit is mounted at a central portion of an inner roof panel over an air inlet opening. A collection recess is formed by the panel and surrounds the air inlet opening. Concentric walls formed by the inner roof panel in the collection recess surrounding the HVAC unit. Each wall has one or more gaps formed therein. The gaps in adjacent walls are mis-aligned with respect to each other so that fluid is prevented from flowing in a straight line through gaps in adjacent walls. Drainage ports are formed in the inner roof panel. Drainage grooves formed in the inner roof panel communicate the collection recess with corresponding drainage ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Paul Thomas Bruss, Kyle D. Seibold
  • Patent number: 7992396
    Abstract: A method of analyzing a refrigeration system (1) comprising at least one compressor (4), at least one condenser (5) and at least two refrigeration entities (2), each comprising at least one evaporator (9). Based on information relating to the gas production by the evaporators (9) it is determined whether or not two or more evaporators (9) are running in a synchronized manner, i.e. are switching between an active and an inactive state at least substantially simultaneously. In case two or more evaporators (9) are running in a synchronized manner, the refrigeration system (1) may be controlled in order to desynchronize the evaporators (9). This may, e.g., be done by changing a cut-in temperature and/or a cut-out temperature for one of the corresponding refrigeration entities (2). Synchronization causes undesired variations in the suction pressure, and preventing synchronization therefore results in a more appropriate control of the refrigeration system (1). Reduces wear on the compressors (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Danfoss A/S
    Inventors: Claus Thybo, Lars Finn Sloth Larsen
  • Patent number: 7984617
    Abstract: A method of controlling compressor for refrigerator and apparatus thereof are disclosed to control an operation of the compressor by optimum efficiency by changing freezing capacity of the compressor. The apparatus controls a rotation direction of the compressor installed in the refrigerator and changes the freezing capacity of the compressor in accordance with the rotation direction of the compressor, thereby effectively controlling the operation of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Do-Hyung Kim, Young-Kwon Kim