Control system for airconditioning equipment

Claim 1

In combination with a refrigeration machine operable to provide heat transfer media for use in an air-conditioning system serving a plurality of areas in an enclosure, each of said areas having heat transfer means located therein to permit the heat transfer media to be passed therethrough in heat transfer relation with the air in the area, said system including at least two fluid flow circuits for the circulation of heat transfer media, said machine including a compressor; a condenser for rejecting the heat of compression to at least the first fluid flow circuit; an evaporator through which chilled water flows in the second circuit; and expansion means, said air-conditioning system having a normal operating characteristic such that the temperature of the relatively warm heat exchange medium exiting from the condenser varies inversely in a predetermined relationship to the temperature of the air outside the enclosure, a control system for operating said refrigeration equipment comprising: A. means for sensing the temperature of the air outside the enclosure and for transmitting a first signal related thereto; B. means for receiving the first signal and for transmitting a second signal related to said first signal; said second signal being of a first magnitude when the areas in the enclosure are substantially occupied and being of a second magnitude when the areas in the enclosure are substantially unoccupied; C. means for receiving said second signal including means operable to sense the temperature of the relatively warm heat exchange medium flowing to said heat transfer means in said areas, said second signal receiving means being operable to maintain the relatively warm heat exchange medium exiting from the condenser of the system at a temperature related to said second signal, said second signal receiving means being additionally operable to increase the temperature of said relatively warm heat exchange medium a predetermined amount from said normal operating characteristic when said areas are substantially occupied and being operable to decrease the temperature of said relatively warm heat exchange medium from said normal operating characteristic when said areas are substantially unoccupied; D. heat storage means; E. means for supplying heat to said heat storage means via said relatively warm heat exchange medium when the areas of the enclosure are substantially occupied; and F. means operable to transfer the heat from said heat storage means to said areas in the enclosure when said areas are substantially unoccupied.

Claim 7

A method of controlling the operation of a refrigeration machine of the kind wherein heat rejected in the condenser is employed to satisfy a demand for heat within a plurality of areas in an enclosure, said refrigeration machine having a normal operating characteristic such that the temperature of a relatively warm heat exchange medium passing from the condenser varies inversely in a predetermined relationship to the temperature of the air outside the enclosure, comprising the steps of: A. sensing the temperature of the air outside the enclosure; B. transmitting a first signal related to the outside temperature; C. receiving the first signal; D. transmitting a second signal related to said first signal, said second signal being of a first magnitude when the areas in the enclosure are substantially occupied and being of a second magnitude when the areas in the enclosure are substantially unoccupied; E. receiving said second signal; F. controlling the temperature of the relatively warm heat exchange medium flowing to said heat transfer coils in said areas, depending upon the magnitude of said second signal; G. selectively increasing and decreasing the temperature of said relatively warm heat exchange medium a predetermined amount from said normal operating characteristic when said areas are respectively substantially occupied and unoccupied; H. storing excess heat available from the refrigeration machine when the areas in the enclosure are substantially occupied; and I. transferring the stored heat to the areas in the enclosure when said areas are substantially unoccupied.

Claim 8

A method of controlling the operation of a refrigeration machine of the kind wherein heat rejected in the condenser is employed to satisfy a demand for heat within a plurality of areas in an enclosure, said refrigeration machine having a normal operating characteristic such that the temperature of a relatively warm heat exchange medium passing from the condenser varies inversely in a predetermined relationship to the temperature of the air outside the enclosure, comprising the steps of: A. sensing the temperature of the air outside the enclosure; B. transmitting a first signal related to the outside temperature; C. receiving the first signal; D. transmitting a second signal related to said first signal, said second signal being of a first magnitude when the areas in the enclosure are substantially occupied and being of a second magnitude when the areas in the enclosure are substantially unoccupied; E. receiving said second signal; F. controlling the temperature of the relatively warm heat exchange medium flowing to said heat transfer coils in said areas, depending upon the magnitude of said second signal; G. selectively increasing and decreasing the temperature of said relatively warm heat exchange medium a predetermined amount from said normal operating characteristic when said areas are respectively substantially occupied and unoccupied; H. storing excess heat available from the refrigeration machine when the areas in the enclosure are substantially occupied; and I. transferring the stored heat to the areas in the enclosure when said areas are substantially unoccupied.

Claim 9

A method of controlling the operation of an air-conditioning system including refrigeration machinery of the kind wherein heat rejected in the condenser is employed to satisfy a demand for heat within one or more areas in an enclosure, said air-conditioning system including heat storage means, said refrigeration machinery having a normal operating characteristic such that the temperature of a relatively warm heat exchange medium passing from the condenser and employed for heating purposes varies inversely in a predetermined relationship to the temperature of the air outside the enclosure, comprising the steps of: A. sensing the temperature of the air outside the enclosure; B. operating the refrigeration machinery to provide the heat exchange medium to be employed for heating purposes at a temperature a predetermined amount greater than the temperature indicated by the normal operating characteristic of the machinery when the heat available to the machinery exceeds that necessary to satisfy the heating demands; C. raising the temperature of the heat storage means to a predetermined point when the heat exchange medium is being supplied at the greater temperature; D. lowering the temperature of the heat exchange medium being supplied to its normal level as related to the temperature of the air outside the enclosure when the temperature of the heat storage means has been raised to the predetermined point; E. interrupting the operation of the refrigeration machinery in the absence of the excess heat; and F. circulating the heat exchange medium employed for heating at a temperature a predetermined amount below the temperature indicated by the normal operating characteristic of the refrigeration machinery while the machinery is inoperative, the heat storage means being employed to maintain the desired temperature.

Claim 10

A method of controlling the operation of an air-conditioning system including refrigeration machinery of the kind wherein heat rejected in the condenser is employed to satisfy a demand for heat within one or more areas in an enclosure, said air-conditioning system including heat storage means, said refrigeration machinery having a normal operating characteristic such that the temperature of a relatively warm heat exchange medium passing from the condenser and employed for heating purposes varies inversely in a predetermined relationship to the temperature of the air outside the enclosure, comprising the steps of: A. sensing the temperature of the air outside the enclosure; B. operating the refrigeration machinery to provide the heat exchange medium to be employed for heating purposes at a temperature a predetermined amount greater than the temperature indicated by the normal operating characteristic of the machinery when the heat available to the machinery exceeds that necessary to satisfy the heating demands; C. raising the temperature of the heat storage means to a predetermined point when the heat exchange medium is being supplied at the greater temperature; D. lowering the temperature of the heat exchange medium being supplied to its normal level as related to the temperature of the air outside the enclosure when the temperature of the heat storage means has been raised to the predetermined point; E. interrupting the operation of the refrigeration machinery in the absence of the excess heat; and F. circulating the heat exchange medium employed for heating at a temperature a predetermined amount below the temperature indicated by the normal operating characteristic of the refrigeration machinery while the machinery is inoperative, the heat storage means being employed to maintain the desired temperature.