Evaporator Fan Voltage Control for Lower Refrigeration Energy Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing evaporator assemblies in refrigeration units consume excessive energy as fans operate at a constant speed regardless of the compressor's activation status, leading to wasteful energy usage.
Innovation Solution
The evaporator assembly includes a fan control circuit with a third wire and a fan controller that adjusts the drive voltage to the fan motor based on the solenoid control circuit's status, allowing fans to operate at reduced speed when the compressor is de-activated, thereby reducing energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If fans operate at constant speed regardless of compressor activation, then air circulation is maintained continuously, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fan speed is made dynamic rather than constant. The controller adjusts fan motor speed based on compressor operation status: high speed when compressor is running, low speed when compressor is off. This resolves the contradiction by adapting fan operation to actual cooling needs, reducing energy consumption while maintaining adequate air circulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The operational parameters of the fan motor are changed based on system conditions. The controller varies the drive voltage and speed parameters of the fan motor according to whether the compressor is activated, optimizing energy usage while preserving necessary air movement for temperature uniformity and frost prevention.
2Use of energy by moving object
If fans operate at reduced speed when compressor is de-activated, then energy consumption decreases, but air circulation efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
When the compressor is de-activated, the fan operates at a reduced but non-zero speed. This partial action is sufficient to maintain basic air circulation for temperature uniformity and frost prevention, while consuming significantly less energy than full-speed operation. The solution avoids excessive fan operation during periods when full cooling capacity is not needed.
3Loss of energy
If fan speed is variable based on compressor status, then energy consumption is optimized, but control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system uses feedback from the compressor operation status to automatically adjust fan speed. The controller receives signals indicating whether the compressor is running and相应ly adjusts the fan motor speed, creating a closed-loop control system that optimizes energy consumption without requiring complex manual intervention or sophisticated algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
An electronic controller acts as an intermediary between the compressor operation and fan motor. This intermediary component receives signals from the compressor control circuit and translates them into appropriate fan speed commands, simplifying the overall control architecture while enabling intelligent speed adjustment based on system needs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution significantly reduces energy consumption by optimizing fan speed according to the refrigeration unit's operational mode, achieving lower power usage while maintaining air circulation and temperature control.
Implementation Method 1
one or more fans for circulating the air in the housing
Implementation Method 2
an evaporator in fluid communication with a compressor for compressing the refrigerant
Implementation Method 3
a solenoid valve subassembly for controlling circulation of the refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
An evaporator assembly through which a refrigerant is circulated to transfer heat out of a volume of air in a housing in which the evaporator assembly is at least partially disposed. The evaporator assembly includes an evaporator in fluid communication with a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a solenoid valve subassembly for controlling circulation of the refrigerant, a thermostat electrically connectable to the solenoid valve subassembly via a solenoid control circuit, one or more fans for circulating the air in the housing, and one or more fan motors for rotating the fans. Drive voltage supplied to the fan motors is controlled by a fan controller. The fan controller provides a first predetermined drive voltage to the motor drive when refrigerant is circulatable and a second predetermined drive voltage to the motor drive when refrigerant is non-circulatable.