Control system for air conditioning systems

Claim 2

In a control system for an air conditioning system of the type including a compressor variable in capacity, blower means variable in air quantity to be supplied therefrom, an evaporator for cooling and dehumidifying air supplied from said blower means, said evaporator having a boiling pressure thereof variable in response to the capacity of said compressor and an air quantity supplied from said blower means, said control system being adapted to control the boiling pressure of said evaporator and having sensor means for detecting the boiling pressure of said evaporator, setting means for setting an upper limit and a lower limit defining a predetermined range of the boiling pressure of said evaporator, and determining means for determining whether or not the boiling pressure of said evaporator has reached either said upper limit of said predetermined range or said lower limit thereof; the improvement comprising: control means operable to control the capacity of said compressor over a maximum variable range thereof and simultanteously control the air quantity supplied from said blower means so that the boiling pressure of said evaporator is maintained at one of said upper limit of said predetermined range and said lower limit thereof, when it is determined by said determining means that a value of the boiling pressure of said evaporator detected by said sensor means has reached said one of said upper limit of said predetermined range and said lower limit thereof.

Claim 3

A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper limit of said predetermined range of the boiling pressure of said evaporator is set at a value below which said evaporator provides a required dehumidifying capacity.

Claim 4

A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lower limit of said predetermined range of the boiling pressure of said evaporator is set at a value above which said evaporator is free from freeze-up.

Claim 5

A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said determining means is also adapted to determine whether or not a detected value of the boiling pressure of said evaporator lies between said upper limit of said predetermined range and said lower limit thereof, said control means being operable to control the air quantity supplied from said blower means to a predetermined value and simultaneously control the capacity of said compressor so that said air conditioning system provides a desired discharge air temperature, when it is determined by said determining means that said detected value of the boiling pressure lies between said upper limit of said predetermined range and said lower limit thereof.

Claim 6

A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vaporator has cooling fins, said sensor means being adapted to detect the temperature of one of said cooling fins as a parameter indicative of the boiling pressure of said evaporator.

Claim 7

A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air conditioning system has a discharge passage connected to an outlet of said compressor, a suction passage connected to an inlet of said compresor, a bypass connecting between said discharge passage and said suction passage, and a solenoid-operated control valve disposed across said bypass and having a variable valve opening, said control means being adapted to vary the valve opening of said solenoid-operated control valve to thereby control the capacity of said compressor.

Claim 8

A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said blower means comprises a motor, and a fan rotatively driven by said motor, said blower means being adapted to supply air in a quantity corresponding to the rotational speed of said motor, said control means being adapted to control the rotational speed of said motor.

Claim 9

A control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said lower limit of said predetermined range of the boiling pressure of said evaporator is set at a value above which said evaporator is free from freeze-up.

Claim 10

A control method of controlling an air conditioning system of the type including a compressor variable in capacity, blower means variable in air quantity to be supplied therefrom, an evaporator for cooling and dehumidifying air supplied from said blower means, said evaporator having a boiling pressure thereof variable in response to the capacity of said compressor and an air quantity supplied from said blower means, said control method being adapted to control the boiling pressure of said evaporator by means of electronic computing means in synchronism with generation of a control pulse signal, and comprising the steps of: (1) detecting the boiling pressure of said evaporator; (2) setting an upper limit and a lower limit defining a predetermined range of the boiling pressure of said evaporator; (3) setting a first predetermined value of the boiling pressure of said evaporator which is slightly smaller than said upper limit, and a second predetermined value thereof which is slightly larger than said lower limit; (4) determining whether or not a detected value of the boiling pressure of said evaporator obtained in said step (1) has reached either said upper limit of said predetermined range or said lower limit thereof; (5) determining whether or not the detected value lies between said upper limit and said lower limit; (6) determining whether or not the detected value lies between said upper limit and said first predetermined value or between said lower limit and said second predetermined value; (7) providing a first control mode comprising controlling the air quantity supplied from said blower means to a predetermined value and simultaneously controlling the capacity of said compressor so that said air conditioning system provides a desired discharge air temperature, and a second control mode comprising controlling the capacity of said compressor over a maximum variable range thereof and simultaneously controlling the air quantity supplied from said blower means so that the boiling pressure of said evaporator is maintained at one of said upper limit of said predetermined range and said lower limit thereof which is determined to have been reached in said step (4); (8) determining which of said first and second control modes has been selected in a preceding loop; (9) when it is determined in said step (5) that the detected value of evaporator boiling pressure lies between said upper limit and said lower limit and simulateneously it is determined in said step (6) that the detected value of evaporator boiling pressure does not lie either between said upper limit and said first predetermined value or between said lower limit and said second predetermined value, effecting control under said first control mode, irrespective of the control mode selected in the preceding loop; (10) when it is determined in said step (6) that the detected value of evaporator boiling pressure lies between said upper limit and said first predetermined value or between said lower limit and said second predetermined value and simultaneously it is determined in said step (8) that said first control mode was selected in the preceding loop, effecting control under said first control mode; (11) when it is determined in said step (6) that the detected value of evaporator boiling pressure lies between said upper limit and said first predetermined value or between said lower limit and said second predetermined value and simultaneously it is determined in said step (8) that said second control mode was selected in the preceding loop, effecting control under said second control mode; and (12) when it is determined in said step (4) that the detected value of evaporator boiling pressure has reached either said upper limit or said lower limit, effecting control under said second control mode.

Claim 11

A control method of controlling an air conditioning system of the type including a compressor variable in capacity, blower means variable in air quantity to be supplied therefrom, an evaporator for cooling and dehumidifying air supplied from said blower means, said evaporator having a boiling pressure thereof variable in response to the capacity of said compressor and an air quantity supplied from said blower means, said control method being adapted to control the boiling pressure of said evaporator by means of electronic computing means in synchronism with generation of a control pulse signal, and comprising the steps of: (1) detecting the boiling pressure of said evaporator; (2) setting an upper limit and a lower limit defining a predetermined range of the boiling pressure of said evaporator; (3) setting a first predetermined value of the boiling pressure of said evaporator which is slightly smaller than said upper limit, and a second predetermined value thereof which is slightly larger than said lower limit; (4) determining whether or not a detected value of the boiling pressure of said evaporator obtained in said step (1) has reached either said upper limit of said predetermined range or said lower limit thereof; (5) determining whether or not the detected value lies between said upper limit and said lower limit; (6) determining whether or not the detected value lies between said upper limit and said first predetermined value or between said lower limit and said second predetermined value; (7) providing a first control mode comprising controlling the air quantity supplied from said blower means to a predetermined value and simultaneously controlling the capacity of said compressor so that said air conditioning system provides a desired discharge air temperature, and a second control mode comprising controlling the capacity of said compressor over a maximum variable range thereof and simultaneously controlling the air quantity supplied from said blower means so that the boiling pressure of said evaporator is maintained at one of said upper limit of said predetermined range and said lower limit thereof which is determined to have been reached in said step (4); (8) determining which of said first and second control modes has been selected in a preceding loop; (9) when it is determined in said step (5) that the detected value of evaporator boiling pressure lies between said upper limit and said lower limit and simulateneously it is determined in said step (6) that the detected value of evaporator boiling pressure does not lie either between said upper limit and said first predetermined value or between said lower limit and said second predetermined value, effecting control under said first control mode, irrespective of the control mode selected in the preceding loop; (10) when it is determined in said step (6) that the detected value of evaporator boiling pressure lies between said upper limit and said first predetermined value or between said lower limit and said second predetermined value and simultaneously it is determined in said step (8) that said first control mode was selected in the preceding loop, effecting control under said first control mode; (11) when it is determined in said step (6) that the detected value of evaporator boiling pressure lies between said upper limit and said first predetermined value or between said lower limit and said second predetermined value and simultaneously it is determined in said step (8) that said second control mode was selected in the preceding loop, effecting control under said second control mode; and (12) when it is determined in said step (4) that the detected value of evaporator boiling pressure has reached either said upper limit or said lower limit, effecting control under said second control mode.