IP Library Granted Patent US 9,399,991
Granted Patent B2
US 9,399,991 · App. 14/540,669 · Granted Jul 26, 2016

Linear motor, a linear compressor, a method of controlling a linear compressor, a cooling system, and a linear compressor controlling a system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,399,991
App. No.
14/540,669
Granted
Jul 26, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A linear motor ( 10 ), a linear compressor ( 100 ), a method of controlling a linear compressor ( 100 ), a cooling system ( 20 ) and a system of controlling a linear compressor ( 100 ) to operate a linear compressor ( 100 ) in resonance in it's the greatest possible efficiency throughout its operation are described. One of the ways of achieving these objectives is by means of a linear compressor ( 100 ) applicable to a cooling system ( 20 ), the linear compressor ( 100 ) comprising a piston ( 1 ) driven by a linear motor ( 10 ), the piston ( 1 ) having displacement range controlled by means of a controlled voltage (V M ), the controlled voltage (V M ) having a voltage frequency (φ P ) applied to the linear motor ( 10 ) and adjusted by a processing unit ( 22 ), the range of piston ( 1 ) displacement being dynamically controlled in function of a variable demand of the cooling system ( 20 ), the linear compressor ( 100 ) having a resonance frequency, the processing unit ( 22 ) adjusting the range of piston ( 1 ) displacement, so that the linear compressor ( 100 ) will be dynamically kept on resonance throughout the variations in demand of the cooling system ( 20 ).

Claims (16)

1. A method of controlling a linear compressor ( 100 ), the linear compressor ( 100 ) having a resonance frequency and comprising a piston ( 1 ) driven by a linear motor ( 10 ), the linear motor ( 10 ) being fed by a controlled voltage (V M ), the controlled voltage (V M ) controlling a displacement range of the piston ( 1 ), the controlled voltage (V M ) having a voltage feed frequency (f VP ) of the linear motor ( 10 ) and generating a capacity of the linear compressor ( 100 ),

wherein the method comprises the following steps of:

measuring the feed frequency (f VP ) of the linear motor ( 10 ) and comparing the measurement of the feed frequency (fVP) with a reference frequency (FR); and

based on the comparison between the voltage feed frequency f VP and the reference frequency (FR), dynamically adjusting the displacement range of the piston ( 1 ) to:

increase the capacity of the linear compressor ( 100 ) if the voltage feed frequency (f VP ) is higher than the reference frequency (FR), or

decrease the capacity of the linear compressor ( 100 ) if the voltage feed frequency (f VP ) is lower than the reference frequency (FR),

the increasing and the decreasing of the capacity of the linear compressor ( 100 ) being performed to dynamically compensate a value of the voltage feed frequency (f VP ), the voltage feed frequency (f VP ) being adjusted such that the linear compressor ( 100 ) operates in the resonance frequency.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising, after the step of increasing or decreasing the capacity of the linear compressor ( 100 ), waiting for the passage of a stabilization time.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein, after the passage of the stabilization time, the voltage feed frequency (f VP ) of the linear motor ( 100 ) is measured again.

4. A method of controlling a linear compressor ( 100 ), the linear compressor ( 100 ) having a resonance frequency and comprising a piston ( 1 ) driven by a linear motor ( 10 ), the linear motor ( 10 ) being fed by a controlled voltage (V M ), the controlled voltage (V M ) controlling a displacement range of the piston ( 1 ), the controlled voltage (V M ) having a voltage feed frequency (f VP ), said method comprising:

(a) measuring the feed frequency (f VP ) of the linear motor ( 10 ) and comparing the measurement of the feed frequency (f VP ) with a reference frequency (FR);

(b) based on the comparison between the voltage feed frequency (f VP ) and the reference frequency (FR), dynamically adjusting the displacement range of the piston ( 1 ) to:

increase the capacity of the linear compressor ( 100 ) if the voltage feed frequency (f VP ) is higher than the reference frequency (FR), or

decrease the capacity of the linear compressor ( 100 ) if the voltage feed frequency (f VP ) is lower than the reference frequency (FR);

the increasing and the decreasing of the capacity of the linear compressor ( 100 ) being performed to dynamically adjust a value of the voltage feed frequency (f VP ) to dynamically keep the linear compressor ( 100 ) operating in the resonance frequency; and

(c) after increasing or decreasing the capacity of the linear compressor ( 100 ), waiting for the passage of a stabilization time before repeating steps (a) of measuring the feed frequency (f VP ) of the linear motor ( 10 ) and comparing the measurement of the feed frequency (f VP ) with the reference frequency (FR) and (b) of dynamically adjusting the displacement range of the piston ( 1 ) based on said comparison of the measurement of the feed frequency (f VP ) with the reference frequency (FR).

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2019
From: WHIRLPOOL S.A.
To: EMBRACO - INDÚSTRIA DE COMPRESSORES E SOLUÇÕES EM REFRIGERAÇÃO LTDA.
Reel/Frame 048453/0336 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 27, 2015
From: DAINEZ, PAULO SERGIO; BERNHARD LILIE, DIETMAR ERICH; THIESSEN, MARCIO ROBERTO
To: WHIRLPOOL S.A.
Reel/Frame 035272/0417 →