Carrier Corporation

Gary D Wedlake

Don Alan Schuster

Michael A Roher

Larry J Burkhart

Larry E Wilson

Tim Comerford

Hongmei Liang

Jayashanger Goundiah Ramasamy

Thermostat

A flame sensor for sensing flame produced by the burner of a furnace. The sensor includes a closed end tube having a photosensitive element located therein. The photosensitive element is sealed off from any external light so as to only respond to infrared wavelengths of light emitted from the end of the tube when subjected to a flame produced by the burner of the furnace.

Optical flame sensor having opaque hollow tube

A method of controlling a current defrost cycle for an outdoor coil of a heat pump system, the heat pump system having a plurality of supplemental heating elements for heating an air stream passing from an indoor coil to an air supply duct during defrost operation, wherein an initial quantity of supplemental heating elements energized is a function of a most recent previous defrost cycle. The initial quantity of supplemental heating elements is energized upon initiation of a defrost cycle. Whether the initial quantity of supplemental heating elements provided is insufficient or excessive is determined. At least one of the supplemental heating elements is deactivated if the initial quantity of supplemental heating elements being provided is excessive. At least one of the supplemental heating elements is activated if the initial quantity of supplemental heating elements being provided is if the initial quantity of supplemental heating elements being provided is insufficient, and at least one additional supplemental heating element is available. Information as to an initial quantity of supplemental heating elements to be activated for a following defrost cycle is retained. The initial quantity of supplemental heating elements to be activated for a following defrost cycle is equal to a number of supplemental heating elements activated upon termination of the current defrost cycle. The heat pump is kept on to complete the defrost cycle during an overshoot condition.

Managing supplementary heat during defrost on heat pumps

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Huntington, IN, United States of America

Gary D Wedlake