EP0221618A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Refrigeration plant
Assignee: Grassos Koniklijke Machinefabrieken NV
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Filing: 1986-11-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-11-05
Abstract
Abstract Refrigeration plant intended for maintaining the temperature in one or more rooms comprising at least one or more compressors, the outputs of which are connected to one or more condensers whose outputs are connected to one or more coolers which are connected in their turn to the inputs of the said compressors. A control circuit controls all the components such that the temperature in the said room or rooms is maintained within predetermined limits. Said control circuit is provided with a number of local stations, each as signed to a group of components of the plant, in order to control said group on the basis of the operating points applying to said group, which local stations receive status data from sensors in the plant and deliver control signals to switching means with which the operation of the coaponents in the associated group of components can be controlled. A central station which is in contact via a bus line with each of the local stations, via which bus line status data are transmitted from the local stations to the central station and operating point change instructions are transmitted from the central station to each of the local stations, which operating point change instructions are generated in the central station by pro cessing the status data received in an algorithm which strives for a state with minimum energy consumption for the whole refrigeration plant.
Inventors
- 👤 Franciscus Lambertus Hubertus Van Mol
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 22:54
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25D; F25D29/00; G; G05; G05D; G05D23/00; G05D23/19; G05D23/1902; G05D23/1905; G05D23/1917; F25B; F25B2400/00; F25B2400/07; F25B2400/075
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
250 words
Refrigeration plant intended or maintaining temperature in one or more rooms comprising at least one or more compressors, the outputs of which are connected to one or more condensers whose outputs are connected to one or more coolers which are connected in their turn to the inputs of the said compressors, and also optional additional energy-consuming components (for example, pumps, fans), and provided with a control circuit for controlling all the components in a manner such that the temperature in the said room or rooms is maintained within predetermined limits, characterized in that the control circuit is provided with a number of local stations, each assigned to a group of components of the plant, in order to control said group on the basis of the operating points applying to said group, which local stations receive status data from sensors in the plant and deliver control signals to switching means with which the operation of the components in the associated group of components can be controlled, and a central station which is in contact via a bus line with each of the local stations, via which bus line status data are transmitted from the local stations to the central station and operating point change instructions are transmitted from the central station to each of the local stations, which operating point change instructions are generated in the central station by processing the status data received in an algorithm which strives for a state with minimum energy consumption for the whole refrigeration plant.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
250 words
Refrigeration plant intended or maintaining temperature in one or more rooms comprising at least one or more compressors, the outputs of which are connected to one or more condensers whose outputs are connected to one or more coolers which are connected in their turn to the inputs of the said compressors, and also optional additional energy-consuming components (for example, pumps, fans), and provided with a control circuit for controlling all the components in a manner such that the temperature in the said room or rooms is maintained within predetermined limits, characterized in that the control circuit is provided with a number of local stations, each assigned to a group of components of the plant, in order to control said group on the basis of the operating points applying to said group, which local stations receive status data from sensors in the plant and deliver control signals to switching means with which the operation of the components in the associated group of components can be controlled, and a central station which is in contact via a bus line with each of the local stations, via which bus line status data are transmitted from the local stations to the central station and operating point change instructions are transmitted from the central station to each of the local stations, which operating point change instructions are generated in the central station by processing the status data received in an algorithm which strives for a state with minimum energy consumption for the whole refrigeration plant.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
Refrigeration plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the hardware structure of the central station and that of the local stations are identical to each other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
Refrigeration plant according to claim 2, characterized in that the entire hardware structure of a station is accommodated on a processor board.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
Refrigeration plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each local station may be provided with one or more analog input/output circuits by means of which analog signals originating from sensors in the group of components concerned are converted into digital signals, and digital control signals from the local station are converted into analog control signals.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
Refrigeration plant according to claim 4, characterized in that each of the said input circuits may be provided with a conditioning unit by means of which the analog signal received which, depending on the quantity measured, varies within a range related thereto, is converted into a signal which varies within a standard range.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
Refrigeration plant according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that in each case, for a group of input/output circuits, an analog/digital converter is present to which incoming signals within the group are fed via a multiplexer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
Refrigeration plant according to claim 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that each local station may be provided with a separate analog board on which the analog/digital converter and multiplexer are accommodated along with the input/output circuits, while for each input/output circuit a connecting facility is present for connecting a selected conditioning unit.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
Refrigeration plant according to claim 7, characterized in that the structure of the analog boards is identical in each local station.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
55 words
Refrigeration plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each local station may be provided with one or more digital input/output circuits with which incoming digital signals are conditioned as an adjustment to the conditions which apply to processing of digital signals in the local station, and digital control signals are emitted.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
Refrigeration plant according to claim 10, characterized in that the control section of the digital input/output circuits is accommodated on each processor board.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
Refrigeration plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the software, which is necessary in a station, is stored in an interchangeable memory.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
95 words
Refrigeration plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of the local stations is provided with means with which it can be established whether communication is possible with the central station via the bus line, which means, on detecting a condition in which communication is no longer possible, change, or produce a change in, the operating points of the associated group of components in a manner such that the performances of said group of components are always adequate to be able to maintain the desired temperature in the room or rooms.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
Processor board for use in a refrigeration plant according to one of the preceding claims.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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