Air conditioning condenser system for a vehicle
View Patent ↗Condenser systems for vehicle air conditioning systems and processes for controlling condenser systems are disclosed. The condenser systems include a plurality of fans that can be activated and/or deactivated based on a load indicating parameter of the heat transfer circuit of the air conditioning system.
1. A vehicle air conditioning condenser system for cooling a heat transfer medium flowing through a heat transfer circuit of a vehicle air conditioning system that includes one or more roof-mounted condenser coils, said condenser system comprising:
a condenser housing for housing said roof-mounted condenser coils on a roof of a vehicle, wherein said condenser housing includes a top surface in the form of a porous cover, with said porous cover being horizontal and substantially flush with the roof of the vehicle, wherein no portion of said air conditioning condenser system extends more than two inches above the roof of the vehicle;
a sensor operable to measure at least one load indicating parameter of said heat transfer circuit;
at least three roof-mounted fans operable to supply blowing air to said roof-mounted condenser coils; and
a fan controller coupled to said sensor and said plurality of fans and operable to receive said load indicating parameter from said sensor,
wherein said fan controller is operable to automatically activate or deactivate one fan of said at least three fans without simultaneously activating or deactivating another fan of said at least three fans,
wherein the automatic activation or deactivation of the one fan is based on a distinct value of said load indicating parameter,
wherein said fan controller is operable to assign a first of said at least three fans to be activated or deactivated at a first load indicating parameter value, wherein said fan controller is operable to assign a second of said at least three fans to be activated or deactivated at a second load indicating parameter, and wherein said fan controller is operable to assign a third of said at least three fans to be activated or deactivated at a third load indicating parameter,
wherein said fan controller is operable to re-assign each of said at least three fans to be activated or deactivated at a different load indicating parameter value than to which said fan was previously assigned.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said load indicating parameter comprises: the pressure of said heat transfer medium in said heat transfer circuit; the temperature of said heat transfer medium in said heat transfer circuit; or the flow rate of said heat transfer medium in said heat transfer circuit.
3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein said load indicating parameter comprises the pressure of said heat transfer medium in said heat transfer circuit, and wherein said sensor is a pressure sensor operable to measure the pressure of said heat transfer medium in said heat transfer circuit.
4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein said pressure sensor is operable to measure the pressure of the heat transfer medium on the discharge side of said one or more condenser coils.
5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said at least three fans includes the first fan, the second fan, the third fan, and a fourth fan, wherein said first fan is activated at the first load indicating parameter value, wherein said second fan is activated at the second load indicating parameter value, wherein said third fan is activated at the third load indicating parameter value, and wherein said fourth fan is activated at a fourth load indicating parameter value.
6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein said load indicating parameter comprises the pressure of said heat transfer medium in said heat transfer circuit, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth load indicating parameter values are first, second, third, and fourth threshold pressure values, respectively, of said heat transfer medium in said heat transfer circuit.
7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein said second threshold pressure value is at least 5 psi greater than said first threshold pressure value, wherein said third threshold pressure value is at least 5 psi greater than said second threshold pressure value, wherein said fourth threshold pressure value is at least 5 psi greater than said third threshold pressure value.
8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein said first threshold pressure value is at least 120 psi and not more than 200 psi.
9. The system according to claim 7 , wherein said process further comprises deactivating said first, second, third, and fourth fans at a pressure that is at least 10 psi less than said first, second, third, and fourth threshold pressure values, respectively.
10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said fan controller is operable to vary which fan of said at least three fans is activated or deactivated at said first load indicating parameter value so as to equalize wear on said at least three fans.
11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said condenser housing further comprises a bottom surface and at least one sidewall, wherein at least one of said condenser coils is positioned between said top and bottom surfaces.
12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein said at least three fans are positioned above at least a portion of said at least one of said one or more condenser coils and at least a portion of said at least three fans is positioned beneath said top surface of said condenser housing.
13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said condenser system has a capacity of at least 85,000 btu/hr.
14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said vehicle is an emergency vehicle comprising a patient compartment and a driver compartment, wherein said condenser system is configured for attachment to the top of said patient compartment.
15. A process for controlling a roof-mounted air conditioning condenser system that cools a heat transfer medium flowing through a heat transfer circuit of an air conditioning system of a vehicle, said process comprising:
(a) using at least three roof-mounted condenser fans to circulate air through one or more roof-mounted condenser coils, wherein said one or more roof-mounted condensing coils are housed in a condenser housing on a roof of the vehicle, wherein said condenser housing includes a top surface being horizontal and substantially flush with the roof of the vehicle;
(b) simultaneously with step (a), sensing a load indicating parameter of said heat transfer circuit;
(c) based on said load indicating parameter, automatically activating or deactivating at least one of said condenser fans without simultaneously activating or deactivating another of said condenser fans;
(d) assigning, via a fan controller, a first of said at least three fans to be activated or deactivated at a first load indicating parameter value, a second of said at least three fans to be activated or deactivated at a second load indicating parameter, and a third of said at least three fans to be activated or deactivated at a third load indicating parameter;
(e) re-assigning, via the fan controller, each of said at least three fans to be activated or deactivated at a different load indicating parameter value than said fan was initially assigned; and
(f) charging a vehicle battery via a roof-mounted solar panel associated with the roof-mounted air conditioning condenser system, wherein the solar panel is horizontal and substantially flush with the roof of the vehicle.
16. The process according to claim 15 , wherein said load indicating parameter comprises the pressure of said heat transfer medium in said heat transfer circuit.
17. The process according to claim 15 , wherein said process further comprises varying which fan of said at least three fans is activated or deactivated at said first load indicating parameter value so as to equalize the wear on said at least three fans.
18. The process according to claim 17 , wherein cycling power from said vehicle battery between on and off causes the fan controller to vary which fan of said at least three fans is activated or deactivated at said first load indicating parameter.
19. An emergency vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body comprising a patient compartment and a driver compartment;
an air conditioning system having a capacity of at least 85,000 btu/hr, wherein said air conditioning system comprises a heat transfer circuit, a heat transfer medium, and a condenser system,
wherein said heat transfer circuit is configured to circulate said heat transfer medium therethrough, wherein said heat transfer circuit comprises one or more condenser coils attached to the roof of said patient compartment; and
a condenser housing for housing said one or more condenser coils on the roof of said patient compartment, wherein said condenser housing comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, and sidewalls, wherein said sidewalls entirely surround said one or more condenser coils, wherein said condenser housing is positioned within an opening formed in the roof of said patient compartment, wherein said top surface of said condenser housing is horizontal and is flush with the roof of said patient compartment, and wherein said top surface of said condenser housing extends across the entire opening formed in the roof of said patient compartment,
wherein said condenser system comprises a pressure sensor, at least three fans, and a fan controller, wherein said pressure sensor is operable to measure a pressure of said heat transfer medium in said heat transfer circuit and generate a pressure signal based on the measured pressure, wherein said at least three fans are operable to supply blowing air to at least a portion of said condenser coils, wherein said fan controller is operable to receive said pressure signal and selectively activate and deactivate individual fans of said at least three fans based on said pressure signal,
wherein said fan controller is operable to assign a first of said at least three fans to be activated or deactivated at a first load indicating parameter value, wherein said fan controller is operable to assign a second of said at least three fans to be activated or deactivated at a second load indicating parameter, and wherein said fan controller is operable to assign a third of said at least three fans to be activated or deactivated at a third load indicating parameter,
wherein said fan controller is operable to re-assign each of said at least three fans to be activated or deactivated at a different load indicating parameter value than the fan was initially assigned.
20. The vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein at least one of said one or more condenser coils are positioned between said top and bottom surfaces of said condenser housing.
21. The vehicle according to claim 20 , wherein said condenser housing has a maximum thickness, measured between said top and bottom surfaces, of less than 6 inches.
22. The vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein said fan controller is operable to vary which fan of said at least three fans is activated or deactivated at said first load indicating parameter value so as to equalize wear on said at least three fans.