A controller within a refrigeration application controls temperature and humidity within a compartment of the refrigeration application. The controller may begin cooling the compartment based on a measured temperature value for the compartment. The controller may delay a starting time of an evaporator fan within the compartment based at least in part on a measured humidity value for the compartment. The controller may also adjust an operating time of a condenser fan based at least in part on the measured humidity value.

The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator and a control method thereof in one embodiment. The refrigerator in one embodiment may include a storage part including a compressor and an evaporator and configured to store a food item at a low temperature using air cooled by the evaporator, an ice making compartment configured to make or store ice using air cooled by the evaporator, and a fan for making ice allowing air cooled by the evaporator to flow to the ice making compartment, wherein a rotation speed of the fan for making ice changes while the fan for making ice continues to operate during operation of the compressor.

In a field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit, a prefabricated refrigeration system module releasably and operatively connects to a separate cabinet module via mutual connection fittings to form a refrigerated merchandiser. The refrigerated merchandiser can have multiple refrigeration systems cooling a common refrigerated space inside the cabinet, each with an independent temperature controller. A refrigeration system can be disconnected from the cabinet only by separating releasable fasteners and disconnecting electrical plug-in connections. Each refrigeration system is prefabricated with integrated condensate removal. The refrigeration system mounts entirely above the top wall of the cabinet enabling deployment at zero offset from a backing structure. The refrigerated merchandiser can be deployed to occupy a footprint and have a ratio of shelf space volume to foot print greater than 3.25 ft.sup.3/ft.sup.2.

Method for optimizing the energy consumption of a refrigeration unit, comprising: a step A: activating a driving device (14) of the compressor (13) by modulating the operating voltage Vout of the compressor (13) to an optimized value designed to activate the compressor (13) at an optimized speed determined by a thermodynamic optimization algorithm; a step B: regulating the driving device (14) which drives the AC/DC converter (17) so that the bus voltage is equal to the greater between a first threshold and a second threshold; wherein the first threshold is equal to the product of √2 by the value of the supply voltage and the second threshold is equal to the product of √2 by the value of the driving voltage; a step C: modifying the speed of each fan in order to minimize the value of an overall electrical consumption.

The method for controlling the refrigerator includes operating a first cooling cycle for cooling the first storage compartment to operate the compressor and operating a first fan for the first storage compartment, and switching the first cooling cycle to a second cooling cycle for cooling the second storage compartment to operate the compressor and operating a second fan when a stop condition of the first cooling cycle is satisfied. A temperature of each storage compartment is sensed at sampling time intervals in each cooling cycle. Further, a cooling power of the compressor is determined for each sampling time based on a sensed current temperature of the storage compartment, and the compressor is operated at the determined cooling power.

A system for controlling a capacity of a compressor includes a motor of the compressor including a main winding connected at a connection point to an auxiliary winding and a drive configured to control a speed of the motor. The system includes a first switch configured to selectively connect the main winding to either a first line voltage or a first output of the drive, a second switch configured to selectively connect the connection point to either a second line voltage or a second output of the drive, and a third switch configured to selectively connect the auxiliary winding to either a capacitor or a third output of the drive. The system includes a solenoid valve configured to selectively either operate in a first capacity or a second capacity. The system includes a control module configured to control the drive, the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch.

Certain example embodiments provide a vapor compression refrigeration system, comprising: a compressor configured to suction refrigerant at a low pressure and temperature from a suction return, compress the refrigerant, and output refrigerant at a higher pressure and temperature; a condenser configured to cool refrigerant received from the compressor as the refrigerant passes though coils in the condenser; an expansion device configured to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant received from the condenser; and an evaporator configured to allow the refrigerant received from the expansion device to absorb heat surrounding the evaporator. The system may include a plurality of sensors configured to measure temperature of the system and a controller configured to control, based on the signals from one or more sensors, operation of the compressor and/or an evaporator fan motor configured to allow the refrigerant received from the expansion device to absorb heat surrounding the evaporator.

As a refrigerant, a refrigerant containing a fluorocarbon having a property of causing a disproportionation reaction is used. A refrigeration apparatus includes: a refrigerant temperature detector configured to detect a discharged refrigerant temperature which is a temperature of the refrigerant that is being discharged from the compression mechanism or immediately after the discharge; and a controller configured to control the discharged refrigerant temperature detected by the refrigerant temperature detector such that the discharged refrigerant temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature Ts.

A refrigerator control method of the present embodiment comprises the steps of: operating a compressor by operating a first cooling cycle for cooling a first storage chamber, and operating a first cold air supply means for the first storage chamber; and operating the compressor by switching into a second cooling cycle for cooling a second storage chamber, and operating a second cold air supply means, when a stop condition of the first cooling cycle is satisfied, wherein the cooling capacity of the compressor in the current second cooling cycle is determined on the basis of the representative temperature of the second storage chamber during one operating cycle which includes the previous first cooling cycle and the previous second cooling cycle, and a control unit performs control such that the compressor is operated in the current second cooling cycle with the determined cooling capacity.

A control method for controlling a refrigerator includes a first step for driving a compressor for compressing a refrigerant and a fan for moving air, a second step for driving the compressor and stopping the fan, a third step for stopping the compressor and driving the fan, and a fourth step for stopping the compressor and the fan.