A control system for operating a refrigerator appliance is provided. The refrigerator has a variable damper, a variable speed fan, and a variable speed compressor. The damper position, evaporator fan speed, and compressor speed are determined through interacting feedback control loops based on the s
A control system for operating a refrigerator appliance is provided. The refrigerator has a variable damper, a variable speed fan, and a variable speed compressor. The damper position, evaporator fan speed, and compressor speed are determined through interacting feedback control loops based on the set point temperatures for the fresh food and freezer compartments as well as the measured temperatures in such compartments. The adjustment of these actuators can eliminate large temperature fluctuations and discontinuities in the air flow and improve the thermal performance and energy efficiency of the refrigerator.
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1. A method of operating a refrigerator appliance that includes a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, an evaporator, a variable speed evaporator fan for moving air over the evaporator, a variable damper for controlling the flow of air from the freezer compartment to the fresh food compart
1. A method of operating a refrigerator appliance that includes a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, an evaporator, a variable speed evaporator fan for moving air over the evaporator, a variable damper for controlling the flow of air from the freezer compartment to the fresh food compartment, and a variable speed compressor, the method comprising the steps of: providing a set point temperature, FF SP, for the fresh food compartment;providing a set point temperature, FZ SP, for the freezer compartment;measuring FF THERM, the temperature of the fresh food compartment;measuring FZ THERM, the temperature of the freezer compartment;determining FF ERR, the fresh food compartment temperature error, using FF SP and FF THERM;determining FZ ERR, the freezer food compartment temperature error, using FZ SP and FZ THERM;using FF ERR to determine the fresh food compartment demand for cold air, qFF;using FZ ERR to determine the freezer compartment demand for cold air, qFZ;setting the speed of the evaporator fan based on qFF+qFZ, the sum of the fresh food compartment demand for cold air and the freezer compartment demand for cold air;setting the position of the damper based on qFF/(qFF+qFZ), the fraction of the total demand for cold air of the fresh food compartment;setting the speed of the compressor based on a combination of FF ERR and FZ ERR, and a logarithmic correction factor calculated using qFZ; andlowering the energy consumption of the refrigerator appliance. 2. The method of operating a refrigerator appliance as in claim 1, wherein the refrigerator appliance further includes a compressor controller, and wherein said step of setting the speed of the compressor comprises the step of: calculating an input to the compressor controller using a combination of FF ERR and FZ ERR. 3. The method of operating a refrigerator appliance as in claim 2, wherein the combination of FF ERR and FZ ERR for said step of calculating an input to the compressor controller is determined using the following relationship: ((FF ERR+FZ ERR)/2)+((FF ERR++FZ ERR+)/2)where:FF ERR is the fresh food compartment error;FZ ERR is the freezer compartment error;FF ERR+ is positive portion of the fresh food compartment error; andFZ ERR+ is positive portion of the freezer compartment error. 4. The method of operating a refrigerator appliance as in claim 1, further comprising the step of calculating FF ERR as FF SP−FF THERM. 5. The method of operating a refrigerator appliance as in claim 1, further comprising the step of calculating FZ ERR as FZ SP−FZ THERM. 6. The method of operating a refrigerator appliance as in claim 1, further comprising the step of calculating the speed of the compressor. 7. The method of operating a refrigerator appliance as in claim 1, further comprising the step of calculating the speed of the compressor, Co, using the following said logarithmic correction factor calculated using qFZ: Co=Comin+exp [b(qFZ−qmin)]where Comin=a minimum compressor speedb=(100−qmin)−1*ln(Cocontroller−Comin)Cocontroller=compressor controller outputqmin=a value of qFZ below which the compressor will shut off until qFZ exceeds qmin. 8. A refrigerator appliance, comprising: a fresh food compartment;a freezer compartment;an evaporator,a variable speed evaporator fan for moving air over the evaporator, the evaporator fan adjustable between a minimum speed and multiple non-zero speeds;a variable damper for controlling the flow of air from the freezer compartment to the fresh food compartment, the variable damper selectively adjustable between a closed position and multiple open positions;a variable speed compressor; anda control system comprising a first control loop configured for controlling the speed of the evaporator fan in response to FZ ERR, an error term based on a set point temperature, FZ SP, for the freezer compartment and FZ THERM, the temperature of the freezer compartment;a second microcontrol circuit configured for controlling the position of the variable damper in response to FF ERR, an error term based on a set point temperature, FF SP, for the fresh food compartment and FF THERM, the temperature of the fresh food compartment; anda third control loop configured for controlling the speed of the compressor as a function of both the first microcontroller circuit and the second microcontroller circuit, and said third microcontroller circuit further comprising a logarithmic correction factor calculated using the freezer compartment demand for cold air, qFZ. 9. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, wherein FZ ERR is related to the difference between FZ SP and FZ THERM. 10. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, wherein FF ERR is related to the difference between FF SP and FF THERM. 11. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, wherein the first microcontroller circuit is further configured for controlling the speed of the evaporator fan based on demand for cold air by the freezer compartment and the fresh food compartment. 12. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, wherein the second microcontroller circuit is further configured for controlling the position of the damper based on a ratio of demand for cold air by the fresh food compartment to a sum of the demand for cold air by the fresh food compartment and demand for cold air by the freezer compartment. 13. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, wherein the third microcontroller circuit is further configured for calculating the speed of the compressor based on variables including a minimum compressor speed and demand for cold air by the freezer compartment. 14. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, further configured for calculating the speed of the compressor, Co, using the following said logarithmic correction factor calculated using qFZ: Co=Comin+exp [b(qFZ−qmin)]where Comin=a minimum compressor speedb=(100−qmin)−1*ln(Cocontroller−Comin)Co controller=compressor controller outputqmin=a value of qFZ below which the compressor will shut off until qFZ exceeds qmin. 15. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, wherein the minimum speed of the evaporator fan is about zero. 16. A refrigerator appliance, comprising: a fresh food compartment;a freezer compartment;an evaporator;a variable speed evaporator fan for moving air over the evaporator, the evaporator fan adjustable between a minimum speed and multiple non-zero speeds;a variable damper for controlling the flow of air from the freezer compartment to the fresh food compartment, the variable damper selectively adjustable between a closed position and multiple open positions;a variable speed compressor;one or more controllers configured for receiving measurements of FF THERM, the temperature of the fresh food compartment;receiving measurements of FZ THERM, the temperature of the freezer compartment;determining FF ERR, the fresh food compartment temperature error, using FF THERM and the fresh food compartment set point temperature, FF SP,determining FZ ERR, the freezer compartment temperature error, using FZ THERM and the freezer compartment set point temperature, FZ SP,using FF ERR to determine the fresh food compartment demand for cold air, qFF;using FZ ERR to determine the freezer compartment demand for cold air, qFZ;setting the speed of the evaporator fan based on qFF+qFZ, the sum of the fresh food compartment demand for cold air and the freezer compartment demand for cold air;setting the position of the damper based on qFF/(qFF+qFZ), the fraction of the total demand for cold air of the fresh food compartment;setting the speed of the compressor based on a combination of FF ERR FZ ERR, and a logarithmic correction factor calculated using qFZ, andlowering the energy consumption of the refrigerator appliance. 17. A refrigerator appliance as in claim 16, wherein the one or more controllers are further configured for calculating a signal to control the compressor that is based on a combination of FF ERR and FZ ERR. 18. A refrigerator appliance as in claim 17, wherein the combination of FF ERR and FZ ERR is determined using the following relationship: ((FF ERR+FZ ERR)/2)+((FF ERR++FZ ERR+)/2)where:FF ERR is the fresh food compartment error;FZ ERR is the freezer compartment error;FF ERR+ is positive portion of the fresh food compartment error; andFZ ERR+ is positive portion of the freezer compartment error. 19. A refrigerator appliance as in claim 16, wherein FF ERR is determined as FF SP−FF THERM. 20. A refrigerator appliance as in claim 19, wherein FZ ERR is determined as FZ SP−FZ THERM.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (13)
Tershak Andrew T. (Center Township ; Vanderburgh County IN) Thieneman Michael D. (Lincoln Township ; Berrien County MI), Adaptive defrost control system for a refrigerator.
Anell, Thomas Carl; Ferragut, II, Nelson J.; Franken, Carl J.; Miller, Alvin V.; Oliveira, Mauro M.; Pritts, Todd E.; Tarrant, Alan G.; Wetekamp, Robert L., Control for a refrigerator.
Schenk, Dennis G.; Wisnoski, John R.; Diekman, David A.; Kuehl, Steven J., Multi-compartment refrigerator control algorithm for variable speed evaporator fan motor.
Davis, Kenneth E.; Miller, Alvin V.; Myers, John P.; Ryner, Joseph H.; VanMeter, Kyle B.; Wetekamp, Robert L., Temperature control system for a refrigerated compartment.
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