System and method for operating an economizer cycle of an air conditioner

摘要

An air conditioning system for cooling an enclosure includes an air conditioner and a control system for triggering an economizer cycle of the air conditioner. The control system determines an electrical load of equipment in the enclosure, calculates a maximum acceptable outdoor temperature at which the economizer cycle may be operated based at least partially on the electrical load, receives data representative of an actual outdoor temperature, and initiates the economizer cycle if the actual outdoor temperature is equal to or below the maximum acceptable outdoor temperature.

主权项

1. An air conditioning system for cooling an enclosure, the air conditioning system comprising:
an air conditioner having a refrigeration system comprising an evaporator coil, a condenser coil, and a compressor, said air conditioner being operable in a refrigeration cycle in which the refrigeration system is turned on and in an economizer cycle in which the refrigeration system is turned off, wherein the air conditioner is operable to introduce outside air into the enclosure during the refrigeration cycle and the economizer cycle; and a controller for controlling operation of the air conditioner, the controller operable to— monitor an electrical load of equipment in the enclosure; calculate a maximum acceptable outdoor temperature at which the economizer cycle of the air conditioner may be operated to introduce outside air into the enclosure, with the maximum acceptable outdoor temperature being calculated as a function of the monitored electrical load; receive data representative of an actual outdoor temperature; initiate the economizer cycle of the air conditioner if the actual outdoor temperature is equal to or below the calculated maximum acceptable outdoor temperature; and initiate the refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner if the actual outdoor temperature is above the calculated maximum acceptable outdoor temperature.