Refrigerator energy and temperature control
US8826679B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 1, 2010 |
| Grant date | Sep 9, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 26, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02B30/70
- WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
Apparatus and methodologies are provided to improve the refrigeration system by precisely controlling refrigerator compartment and heat exchanger temperatures through continuous modulation of device speeds or positions to match capacity with instantaneous load. A controller in a refrigerator is configured to provide a plurality of control loops to control various operational aspects of selected components in the refrigerator. A first loop controls the operating speed of a compressor based on temperature of the evaporator or based on the desired speed of an evaporator fan. A second control loop controls speed of an evaporator fan to maintain a prescribed freezer compartment temperature. A third control loop maintains a prescribed temperature in a fresh food compartment. In certain embodiments selected of the control loops may be thermodynamically coupled by way of thermal interaction between the various cooled compartments rather than being electrically coupled. The control loops may be individually configured as one of a proportional, proportional-integral, or proportional-integral-derivative control loop.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.