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Method and apparatus for removing ice from outdoor housing for an environmental conditioning unit

Method and apparatus for removing ice from outdoor housing for an environmental conditioning unit description/claims

The present invention is directed to environmental conditioning systems, and especially to environmental conditioning systems employing heat pump technology and operated in cold environments tending to ice up outdoor units of the systems.

Environmental conditioning systems, such as heat pump systems, typically include indoor components arranged within a space to be conditioned and outdoor components situated outside the space to be conditioned. Environmental conditioning in the context of this description includes air conditioning of an interior space, such as heating and cooling of the interior space.

In cold climate areas, housing structures, such as louvered housings, surrounding an outside coil of an environmental conditioning system may become iced over. Such icing over reduces air flow available for drawing over the outside coil and reduces efficiency and effectiveness of the environmental conditioning system.

There is a need for a method and apparatus for effecting removal of ice from a housing for an environmental conditioning unit.

In particular, there is a need for a method and apparatus for effecting removal of ice from a housing for an outdoor component for a heat pump system.

A method for removing ice from an outdoor housing for an environmental conditioning unit that includes the housing surrounding a coil and a fan for moving air past the coil includes the steps of: (a) operating the fan at a first speed in a first direction to move air in a first flow past the coil while the conditioning unit is in a heating mode; (b) disengaging the fan when the conditioning unit is in a defrost mode; (c) operating the fan at a second speed in a second direction to move air in a second flow past the coil when an operational parameter attains a first value; and (d) operating the fan in the first direction at the first speed to move air in the first flow when the operational parameter attains a second value.

An apparatus for effecting ice removal from an outdoor housing for an environmental conditioning unit that includes a coil structure substantially surrounded by the housing, a reversing valve and a fan configured for moving air past the coil structure operates in a heating mode when the reversing valve unit is in a first orientation and operates in a cooling mode when the reversing valve is in a second orientation includes: (a) a control unit coupled with the fan; (b) at least one sensor unit coupled with the control unit and coupled with the coil structure for sensing at least one predetermined operating parameter associated with the fluid. The control unit cooperates with the at least one sensor unit to effect operating the fan at a first speed in a first direction to move air in a first flow past the coil structure while the environmental conditioning unit is in the heating mode. The control unit cooperates with the at least one sensor unit to effect disengaging the fan and orienting the reversing valve in the second orientation when the environmental conditioning unit substantially attains a predetermined first operating condition to place the environmental conditioning unit in a defrost mode. The control unit cooperates with the at least one sensor unit to effect operating the fan at a second speed in a second direction to move air in a second flow past the coil structure when the environmental conditioning unit is in the defrost mode and the environmental conditioning unit substantially attains a predetermined second operating condition. The control unit cooperates with the at least one sensor unit to effect operating the fan in the first direction at the first speed to move air in the first flow when the environmental conditioning unit substantially attains a predetermined third operating condition.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for effecting removal of ice from a housing for an environmental conditioning unit.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for effecting removal of ice from a housing for an outdoor component for a heat pump system.

Further objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are labeled using like reference numerals in the various figures, illustrating the preferred embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a heat pump environmental conditioning system.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of air flow about an outdoor coil unit for a heat pump environmental conditioning system operating in a heating mode.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of air flow about an outdoor coil unit for a heat pump environmental conditioning system operating in an ice removing mode according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a graphic representation of operation of a heat pump environmental conditioning system employing the present invention for ice removal.

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