Lennox Industries Inc.

Bruce Perkins

Mark W Olsen

Yi Qu

Robert B Uselton

Carl Travis Crawford

Jeff Mangum

Chris McHugh

Tim Brizendine

Chris Mchugh

A system and method are described that help in alleviating charge imbalance issues, especially in HVAC systems that are operable in both heating and cooling modes. In various embodiments a compensator is attached to the liquid line of an outdoor heat exchanger. A heater is attached to the compensator. During cooling operations the heater is turned on to help drive refrigerant out of the compensator. During heating operations the heater is turned off, allowing excess refrigerant to migrate to the compensator and alleviate high pressure in the system.

Method for solving charge imbalance in existing split heat pump

In various implementations, a heat pump may include heating operations and defrost operations. The heat pump may monitor cycle time(s) for one or more of the operations. Defrost operation(s) in the heat pump may be automatically adjusted based at least partially on cycle times.

Defrost operation management in heat pumps

One embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a method of managing defrost operations in HVAC systems. In one embodiment a primary defrost operation comprises allowing a cooling cycle of the heat pump and a secondary defrost operation comprises allowing fans of the heat pump to operate at a low speed.

Heat pump comprising primary defrost operation and secondary defrost operation and method of operating heat pump

A heat pump system includes a controller and a closed system that includes a condensing heat exchanger coil, an evaporating heat exchanger coil, a refrigerant and a compressor. The compressor is configured to compress the refrigerant, thereby causing the refrigerant to have a greater pressure in the condensing heat exchanger coil than in the evaporating heat exchanger coil. The controller is configured to perform a passive defrost of the evaporating heat exchanger coil. The passive defrost includes disabling the compressor and providing a bypass path between the condensing and evaporating heat exchanger coils that bypasses the compressor. The bypass path allows the refrigerant to flow from the condensing heat exchanger coil to the evaporating heat exchanger coil while the compressor is disabled.

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Carrollton, TX, United States of America

Bruce Perkins