Automated sweat prevention for climate control systems

Abstract

Examples of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for monitoring the conditions that contribute to condensate formation along exterior surfaces of climate control systems and components thereof located in humid unconditioned spaces. Examples also relate to determining a likelihood of condensate formation and then providing measures to reduce or prevent condensate formation in the humid unconditioned space. Some examples for determining the conditions include utilizing temperature and humidity sensors with the climate control system and components thereof located in the humid unconditioned space. Some examples include monitoring conditions of the humid unconditioned space with sensors and then estimating conditions along the exterior component surfaces using calculations. Based on the conditions of the climate control system and of the unconditioned space the climate control system may operate with adjusted minimum settings to reduce the likelihood of condensate formation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A climate control system with improved sweat prevention, the climate control system comprising:
 an outdoor unit including a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger;   an air handler unit including an interior fan and an interior heat exchanger; and   a controller configured to:
 determine two or more conditions within an unconditioned space, each of the conditions being different; 
 compare the plurality of conditions; 
 determine if condensate will likely form on an exterior surface of the climate control system based on the comparison, the exterior surface being directly exposed to the unconditioned space; 
 cause the climate control system to enter a sweat prevention mode in response to a determination condensate will likely form, the sweat prevention mode including adjusting a minimum setting for the climate control system to an adjusted minimum setting; and 
 operate the climate control system according to the sweat prevention mode. 
   
     
     
         2 . The climate control system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of conditions is one of the following: a temperature, a dewpoint, a humidity level, and a surface temperature of the exterior surface, and wherein at least one of the plurality of conditions is a measure of ambient air within the unconditioned space. 
     
     
         3 . The climate control system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is coupled to a temperature sensor configured to detect an ambient air temperature of the unconditioned space and a humidity sensor configured to detect a humidity level of the unconditioned space, and
 wherein the controller is further configured to:
 determine a first condition of the plurality of conditions using both the ambient air temperature and the humidity level, the first condition being an ambient air dewpoint of the unconditioned space; 
 compare the plurality of conditions in a manner that includes determining a difference between the first condition and a second condition of the plurality of conditions, the second condition being a surface temperature of the exterior surface; and 
 determine if condensate will likely form in a manner that includes comparing the determined difference to a threshold value. 
   
     
     
         4 . The climate control system of  claim 3 , wherein the surface temperature of the exterior surface is estimated based on at least the ambient air temperature around the exterior surface, a capacity of the climate control system, or a classification of the climate control system. 
     
     
         5 . The climate control system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is coupled to a temperature sensor configured to detect an ambient air temperature of the unconditioned space and a humidity sensor configured to detect a humidity level of the unconditioned space, and
 wherein the controller is further configured to:
 determine a first condition of the plurality of conditions using the ambient air temperature, the first conditioning being a dry bulb temperature for the unconditioned space; 
 determine a second condition of the plurality of conditions using both the ambient air temperature and the humidity level, the second condition being a wet bulb temperature for the unconditioned space; 
 compare the plurality of conditions in a manner that includes determining a difference between the first condition and the second condition; and 
 determine if condensate will likely form in a manner that includes comparing the determined difference to a threshold value. 
   
     
     
         6 . The climate control system of  claim 1 , wherein the minimum setting is a minimum capacity setting for the climate control system. 
     
     
         7 . The climate control system of  claim 1 , wherein the minimum setting correlates with either a minimum speed setting or a minimum duty cycle setting of the compressor. 
     
     
         8 . The climate control system of  claim 1 , wherein the adjusted minimum setting includes a plurality of adjusted minimum settings for the climate control system, each of the plurality of adjusted minimum settings relating to the same setting of the climate control system and each being a different value for that setting, and
 the controller is further configured to:
 determine if condensate will likely form in a manner that includes determining an indication of the likelihood condensate will form on the exterior surface; and 
 operate the climate control system in the sweat prevention mode in a manner that further causes the controller to:
 select one of the plurality of adjusted minimum settings based on the indication of the likelihood condensate will form; 
 select different ones of the plurality of adjusted minimum settings based on different indications of the likelihood condensate will form; and 
 select adjusted minimum settings with higher values as the indication of the likelihood condensate will form increases. 
 
   
     
     
         9 . The climate control system of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of adjusted minimum settings includes a 50% minimum setting, a 75% minimum setting, and a 100% minimum setting for the operation of a component of the climate control system. 
     
     
         10 . The climate control system of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to operate the climate control system in the sweat prevention mode in a manner that further causes the controller to:
 select an initial adjusted minimum setting in response to an initial instruction to enter the sweat prevention mode, the initial adjusted minimum setting being a highest adjusted minimum setting of the plurality of adjusted minimum settings; and   select adjusted minimum settings with progressively lower values as the climate control system continues to operate in the sweat prevention mode.   
     
     
         11 . A controller for a climate control system, the controller comprising:
 a memory configured to store computer executable components; and   a processor configured to access the memory, and execute the computer executable components to cause the processor to at least:
 determine two or more conditions within an unconditioned space, each of the conditions being different, and the unconditioned space including an air handler unit of the climate control system; 
 compare the plurality of conditions; 
 determine if condensate will likely form on an exterior surface of the climate control system based on the comparison, the exterior surface being directly exposed to the unconditioned space; 
 cause the climate control system to enter a sweat prevention mode in response to a determination condensate will likely form, the sweat prevention mode including adjusting a minimum setting for the climate control system to an adjusted minimum setting; and 
 operate the climate control system according to the sweat prevention mode. 
   
     
     
         12 . The controller of  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of conditions is one of the following: a temperature, a dewpoint, a humidity level, and a surface temperature of the exterior surface, and wherein at least one of the plurality of conditions is a measure of ambient air within the unconditioned space. 
     
     
         13 . The controller of  claim 11 , wherein the processor configured to access the memory, and execute the computer executable components further causes the processor to:
 receive a first indication of an ambient air temperature of the unconditioned space;   receive a second indication of a humidity level of the unconditioned space;   determine a first condition of the plurality of conditions using both the ambient air temperature and the humidity level, the first condition being an ambient air dewpoint of the unconditioned space;   compare the plurality of conditions in a manner that includes determining a difference between the first condition and a second condition of the plurality of conditions, the second condition being a surface temperature of the exterior surface of the climate control system; and   determine if condensate will likely form in a manner that includes comparing the determined difference to a threshold value.   
     
     
         14 . The controller of  claim 13 , wherein the surface temperature of the exterior surface is estimated based on at least the ambient air temperature around the exterior surface, a capacity of the climate control system, or a classification of the climate control system. 
     
     
         15 . The controller of  claim 11 , wherein the processor configured to access the memory, and execute the computer executable components further causes the processor to:
 receive a first indication of an ambient air temperature of the unconditioned space;   receive a second indication of a humidity level of the unconditioned space;   determine a first condition of the plurality of conditions using the ambient air temperature, the first conditioning being a dry bulb temperature for the unconditioned space;   determine a second condition of the plurality of conditions using both the ambient air temperature and the humidity level, the second condition being a wet bulb temperature for the unconditioned space;   compare the plurality of conditions in a manner that includes determining a difference between the first condition and the second condition; and   determine if condensate will likely form in a manner that includes comparing the determined difference to a threshold value.   
     
     
         16 . The controller of  claim 11 , wherein the minimum setting is a minimum capacity setting for the climate control system. 
     
     
         17 . The controller of  claim 11 , wherein the minimum setting correlates with either a minimum speed setting or a minimum duty cycle setting of a compressor. 
     
     
         18 . The controller of  claim 11 , wherein the adjusted minimum setting includes a plurality of adjusted minimum settings for the climate control system, each of the plurality of adjusted minimum settings relating to the same setting of the climate control system and each being a different value for that setting, and
 the processor configured to access the memory, and execute the computer executable components further causes the processor to:
 determine if condensate will likely form in a manner that includes determining an indication of the likelihood condensate will form on the exterior surface; and 
 cause the climate control system to operate in the sweat prevention mode in a manner that further causes the controller to:
 select one of the plurality of adjusted minimum settings based on the indication of the likelihood condensate will form; 
 select different ones of the plurality of adjusted minimum settings based on different indication of the likelihood condensate will form; and 
 select adjusted minimum settings with higher values as the indication of the likelihood condensate will form increases. 
 
   
     
     
         19 . The controller of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of adjusted minimum settings includes a 50% minimum setting, a 75% minimum setting, and a 100% minimum setting for the operation of a component of the climate control system. 
     
     
         20 . The controller of  claim 18 , wherein the processor configured to access the memory, and execute the computer executable components further causes the processor to cause an indication to operate the climate control system in the sweat prevention mode in a manner that causes the processor to:
 select an initial adjusted minimum setting in response to an initial instruction to enter the sweat prevention mode, the initial adjusted minimum setting being a highest adjusted minimum setting of the plurality of adjusted minimum settings; and   select adjusted minimum settings with progressively lower values as the climate control system continues to operate in the sweat prevention mode.