Technology Available for Licensing

Case 6953

Set point optimization in vapor compression cycles

Keywords:

Vapor compression cycles, set point optimization

Applications:

This invention can be widely used in industrial and residential applications such as heat pumps and refrigeration and air conditioning systems.

Problem:

In prior systems, determination of the new set point and adjustment of the control input to new appropriate values are accomplished manually. During the time lag involved in resetting to the new set point, the system can suffer substantial inefficiency.

Technology:

The present invention is directed to a vapor compression system which provides optimization of the system set point based on real-time on-line system output measurements and thermal load and environmental requirements. In the system of the invention, signals indicative of the system output state variable is fed back to a set point optimization module which updates the system set point as required. By adjusting the set point based on actual system measurements in real time, the system can maintain optimum coefficient of performance (COP) and, therefore, can operate at maximum efficiency.

Advantages:

• Maximize efficiency for vapor compression cycles
• Monitor actual system properties in real-time and provides them as feedback to the set point computation module.

Inventors:

• Xiang-Dong He (Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT)
• Sheng Liu (Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT)

Intellectual Property:

U.S. Patent Number 5,735,134 issued on April 7, 1998

Publications:

• 3rd Progress Report to Daikin, Dec. 16, 1994
• ASME 1995 Winter Annual Meeting, Nov. 11, 1995

Please contact: Christopher R. Noble MIT Technology Licensing Officer 1 Cambridge Center, Kendall Square, NE18-501 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142-1601

Email: crn@mit.edu Tel: 617-253-6966 Fax: 617–258-6790 Website: http://tlo.mit.edu