Anti-condensation control systems and methods

Abstract

The embodiments disclosed herein provide an electronic control system for adjusting power to a heater to prevent condensation from forming on, for example, one or more glass windows on the one or more doors of one or more refrigeration units. The control system can adjust the amount of heat applied to the one or more glass windows based on the ambient temperature outside the one or more refrigeration units, the ambient humidity outside the one or more refrigeration units, a target refrigeration temperature for the one or more refrigeration units, the structure of the one or more door windows, and/or a property of the one or more heaters, such as the maximum heating capacity of the one or more heaters.

1 . An anti-condensation control system, the system comprising:
 a first refrigeration unit comprising a first door window;   a first heater thermally coupled to the first door window;   a second refrigeration unit comprising a second door window;   a second heater thermally coupled to the second door window;   an ambient temperature sensor configured to sense an ambient temperature outside the first and second refrigeration units;   an ambient humidity sensor configured to sense an ambient humidity outside the first and second refrigeration units; and   a controller in communication with the ambient temperature sensor, the ambient humidity sensor, the first heater, and the second heater, wherein the controller is configured to:
 receive an ambient temperature input that is indicative of the ambient temperature; 
 receive an ambient humidity input that is indicative of the ambient humidity; 
 receive a target refrigeration temperature input indicative of a target internal temperature associated with the first refrigeration unit and the second refrigeration unit; and 
 receive a door window structure input indicative of a structural aspect of the first door window and the second door window; 
 receive a maximum heating power input indicative of a maximum heating power associated with the first heater and the second heater; and 
 adjust the first heater and the second heater based at least in part on the ambient temperature input, the ambient humidity input, the target refrigeration temperature input, the door window structure input, and the maximum heating power input. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the first heater and the second heater based at least in part on the ambient temperature input that is indicative of the ambient temperature measured by a single ambient temperature sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the first heater and the second heater based at least in part on the ambient humidity input that is indicative of the ambient humidity measured by a single ambient humidity sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive a heating buffer input, and wherein the controller is configured to adjust the first heater and the second heater based at least in part on the heating buffer input. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the heater control signal without any feedback information received from the first and second refrigeration units. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more user input elements configured to receive input from a user, wherein the controller is configured to receive the target refrigeration temperature input, the door window structure input, and the maximum heating power input via the one or more user input elements. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . An anti-condensation control system, the system comprising:
 an ambient temperature sensor configured to sense an ambient temperature outside one or more refrigeration units;   an ambient humidity sensor configured to sense an ambient humidity outside the one or more refrigeration units; and   a controller in communication with the ambient temperature sensor and the ambient humidity sensor, wherein the controller is configured to:
 receive an ambient temperature input indicative of the ambient temperature; 
 receive an ambient humidity input indicative of the ambient humidity; 
 receive a target refrigeration temperature input indicative of a target internal temperature associated with the one or more refrigeration units; and 
 determine a heater control signal for adjusting one or more heaters coupled to the one or more refrigeration units based at least in part on the ambient temperature input, the ambient humidity input, and the target refrigeration temperature input. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 receive a door window structure input indicative of a structural aspect of one or more door windows on the one or more refrigeration units; and   determine the heater control signal based at least on part on the door window structure input.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the door window structure input is indicative of whether the one or more door windows are double-paned or triple-paned. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 receive a heater property input indicative of a property associated with the one or more heaters; and   determine the heater control signal based at least in part on the heater property input.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the heater property input is indicative of a maximum heating power associated with the one or more heaters. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 receive a heating buffer input; and   determine the heater control signal based at least in part on the heating buffer input.   
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to output the heater control signal to a power distributor coupled to the one or more heaters. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the ambient humidity sensor is a relative humidity sensor and wherein ambient humidity input is indicative of a relative ambient humidity outside the one or more refrigeration units. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the ambient humidity sensor is an absolute humidity sensor and the ambient humidity input is indicative of an absolute ambient humidity outside the one or more refrigeration units. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising one or more user input elements configured to receive input from a user, wherein the controller is configured to receive the target refrigeration temperature input via the one or more user input elements. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the heater control signal without any feedback information received from the one or more refrigeration units. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the heater control signal is configured to adjust a power level of the one or more heaters. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the heater control signal is configured to adjust a target temperature of the one or more heaters. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the heater control signal is configured to adjust a duty cycle associated with the one or more heaters. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the heater control signal is associated with a pulse-width modulation of power delivered to the one or more heaters. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to identify a value in a look-up table based at least in part on the ambient temperature input, the ambient humidity input, and the target refrigeration temperature input, and wherein the heater control signal is based at least in part on the identified value. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to determine an estimated dew point, and wherein the heater control signal is based at least in part on the estimated dew point. 
     
     
         29 . The system or  claim 28 , wherein the controller is configured to determine an estimated surface temperature of one or more controlled surfaces on the one or more refrigeration units, and wherein the heater control signal is based at least in part on the estimated dew point and the estimated surface temperature. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the one or more controlled surfaces comprise one or more door windows on the one or more refrigeration units. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a heater control signal by utilizing a single formula or look-up table. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising the one or more refrigeration units. 
     
     
         33 . A method of reducing or preventing the formation of condensation on one or more controlled surfaces in one or more refrigeration units, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a controller comprising hardware that includes one or more computing devices, an ambient temperature input indicative of an ambient temperature outside the one or more refrigeration units,   receiving, by the controller, an ambient humidity input indicative of an ambient humidity outside the one or more refrigeration units,   receiving, by the controller, a target refrigeration temperature input indicative of a target internal temperature associated with the one or more refrigeration units; and   determining, by the controller, a heater control signal configured to adjust one or more heaters coupled to the one or more controlled surfaces in the one or more refrigeration units based at least in part on the ambient temperature input, the ambient humidity input, and the target refrigeration temperature input.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising receiving a controlled surface structure input indicative of a structural aspect of the one or more controlled surfaces, and wherein the heater control signal is based at least on part on the controlled surface structure input. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising receiving a maximum heating power input indicative of a maximum heating power of the one or more heaters, and wherein the heater control signal is based at least in part in part on the maximum heating power input. 
     
     
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