INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 10, ISSUE 11, NOVEMBER 2021 ISSN 2277-8616

Control Of Inverter Compressors

Ahmed A. H. A. Al-Farhan, MAHMOUD A. A. HAMMOUDA

Abstract: The bill for the cost of electricity production in most countries is very high, and therefore these countries tend to develop ways to save
electricity consumption. Refrigeration and air-conditioning devices are among the highest devices that consume electricity, so the general trend is how to
reduce the consumption of these devices. The main component of electricity consumption is the compressor. This paper deals with the types of fixed-
speed and inverter-operated compressors, as well as the types of electric motors that operate on DC and those that work on variable current, and the
traditional control methods in air conditioning systems and those that use modern methods to save energy.

Index Terms: compressors, inverter compressors, dc motor, AC motors, PWM, inverter

————————————————————

1 INTRODUCTION
The phenomenon of high temperatures in most countries,
especially the Arab Gulf states, where the temperature in the
summer months exceeds fifty degrees Celsius, makes the use
of air conditioners very necessary in buildings and cars, so
that it prevents work at noon times due to the intense heat and
this leads to electricity consumption at record levels Where the
electricity consumption of air conditioners in homes represents
about ninety percent of the total electricity consumption. As a
result, most air conditioning companies tended to replace
traditional air conditioners with air conditioners using the
inverter to reduce electricity consumption, saving about fifty
percent of electricity consumption from traditional air
conditioning systems. The air conditioning system is a system
responsible for cooling the air in the specified place. The
compressor is the main element in the refrigeration circuit, Fig1: Refrigeration Circuit
which consumes the most energy. The refrigeration circuit
consists of the compressor, expansion valve, condenser and The electrical circuit of the air conditioner mainly controls the
evaporator. compressor, condenser fan and evaporator fan as shown in
• The compressor works to increase the pressure of the the figure_2 below
refrigerant from low pressure to high pressure, which results
in a high temperature of the refrigerant.
• The condenser is a heat exchanger whose purpose is to
transfer heat from the refrigerant to the atmospheric air to
convert the refrigerant from the vapor state to the liquid
state. The refrigerant is in a liquid state of high pressure and
high temperature.
• Expansion valve reduces the pressure of the condenser to
the evaporator pressure, as well as controls the flow rate of
the refrigerant to the evaporator, and then the refrigerant
turns into a refrigerant in a mixture of low pressure and low
temperature.
• The evaporator is a heat exchanger whose purpose is to
transfer heat from the space to be cooled to the refrigerant
passing through the evaporator tubes, and the refrigerant
after that is in the form of vapor with low pressure and low
temperature. The figure_1 below shows the components of FIG2: POWER CIRCUIT OF AIR CONDITIONER
the circuit.
The temperature of the place is controlled by the thermostat,
which turns on or off the air conditioner according to the
desired temperature. For example, if we want to cool the place
to a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, the thermostat is set
to this degree and the air conditioner works until this
__________________________ temperature is reached, then separates and when the
temperature rises above 20 degrees Celsius, the thermostat
• Ahmed A. H. A. Al-Farhan: (Public Authority for Applied Education turns the air conditioner on again and so on. The electrical
and Training) Email: aa.alfarhan@paaet.edu.kw circuit consists of two parts, the first is called the power circuit,
• MAHMOUD A. A. HAMMOUDA: (Public Authority for Applied which is concerned with connecting the high power of the
Education and Training) Email: ma.mohamed@paaet.edu.kw
compressor, fan and heater, and the other part is called the
control circuit, which is concerned with controlling the start or
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stop in the event of a fault in the mechanical or electrical

circuit using multiple protection devices for air conditioning and
refrigeration devices as shown in the figure3 below.

Fig4: Reciprocating Compressors

Reciprocating compressors are used in many refrigeration

Fig3: Control Circuit of air conditioner applications. These compressors are available in the market
with capacities ranging from 90 watts to more than 120
2 COMPRESSORS kilowatts.
Compressors in the refrigeration industry are divided in terms
of the method used for the compression process into positive 2.1.2 ROTARY COMPRESSORS
displacement compressors (where the compression process It is one of the divisions of positive displacement compressors,
takes place as a result of reducing the volume of gas or steam where this displacement is produced as a result of rotational
inside the compressor, which raises its pressure, such as movement instead of the reciprocating movement. Rotary
reciprocating, rotary and screw compressors) and dynamic compressors are divided into single-vane and multi-vane
compressors (in which the centrifugal compression process compressors, and are characterized by their small size, higher
takes place This type includes centrifugal compressors). The rotation speed, and better efficiency than reciprocating
focus will be on positive displacement compressors in this compressors. Rotary compressors consist of an external
research. cylinder, a piston ring, a shaft directly connected to a cam, a
sliding vane and an ejection valve. The external cylinder
2.1.1 Reciprocating Compressors represents the outer body of the compressor and contains
Reciprocating compressors are the most common within it the annular piston, drive shaft, cam, vane and sliding
compressors in the field of refrigeration, and these under the influence of a spring that makes the tip of this vane
compressors are used with both halocarbons and ammonia permanently centered on the surface of the annular piston.
systems. The reciprocating compressor, as shown in the Refrigerant in the drive of the parcel. The refrigerant vapor is
figure, consists of a piston that moves inside a closed-end drawn from the compartment towards the intake port, while the
cylinder. The end of the cylinder is known as the cylinder head vapor is compressed into the compartment toward the exhaust
and usually contains a coolant inlet and outlet valve to and port.
from the cylinder.

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Fig6: Scroll Compressor

The figure shows the method of withdrawing and compressing

the refrigerant. This compressor offers several advantages,
continues and constant pressure, no valves required due to
the flange-controlled pressure principle, only a small number
of moving components, suitable efficiencies at high rotational
speeds and low relative speed compared to piston
compressors.

2.1.4 Screw Compressors

These compressors are considered rotary compressors and
are characterized by ease of design and operation, durability,
long life, small size and high efficiency as shown in the figure
below. These compressors provide large cooling capacities
from 20 tons to 300 tons. This compressor consists of a male
and female screw rotor, a container cylinder for the two rotors,
a refrigerant intake connection and a refrigerant vapor ejection
connection to the exhaust line. In addition to safety and control
devices.

FIG5: ROTARY COMPRESSOR

Continuing the movement of the annular piston, the volume of

steam in the space towards the expulsion decreases as a
result of the positive displacement of the piston, which raises
the pressure value. The two types of rotary valve do not need
an intake valve, but the intake is continuous, and this is useful
in reducing the noise arising from the intermittent intake
process. A single-vane compressor needs an ejection valve,
but a multi-vane compressor does not need an ejection valve
because the ejection is done by passing the vane over the
ejection valve.

2.1.3 Scroll Compressors

scroll compressors mainly consist of two interlocking scrolls,
one of which is fixed and the other is moved by an eccentric
arm that moves along a circular boring to compress the Fig7: Screw Compressor
refrigerant. The intake steam is sucked from the evaporator
output and enters the compressor at the far end of the scroll The refrigerant vapor enters from the intake connection and
and the compressed vapor of the refrigerant media exits from fills the spaces between the two rotors and the outer cylinder
the screed via the open outlet at the center of the fixed scroll. by rotating the male rotor and then the female rotor. The
Between the two spirals there is always a point of contact at refrigerant between the two rotors and the cylinder is shifted
the entrance and at the exit, each of which is hermetically forward, where the volume decreases, causing the refrigerant
closed. The closed space is constantly decreasing, and thus to compress and move the refrigerant vapor gradually in the
intermediate vapor is compressed to cool, and this leads to its direction of the ejection junction where it is pushed out at the
exit from the exit hole in the center of the fixed scroll. ejection pressure.

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2.1.5 inverter Compressors noise levels due to shaft rotation during alternating current
Any compressor of refrigeration compressors consists of two operation especially at full load. But using the twin-rotary
basic parts, the first is the mechanical part, and there is no compressor design, two rotary compressors are operated with
change in this part, whether in fixed-speed compressors or a phase difference of 180 degrees in the timing of mutual
inverter compressors, and this does not negate the continuous compression, resulting in more stable operation. The torque
development of mechanical parts to obtain the highest boost makes it possible for the compressor to operate from
efficiency for these compressors. The second is the electric just 700 rpm to a frequency of 8000 rpm. Therefore, the 1.5
part, which is an electric motor that moves the mechanical part ton alternating current payload with double rotor inverter
to drive the coolant in the circuit. This motor can be a DC technology can be varied from 0.3 tons to 1.8 tons. Air-
motor, or an AC motor. it is controlled by an electronic circuit or conditioning manufacturers compete to develop compressors,
a micro-controller, which is called the inverter. It controls the so you find each company prefers its own compressor and
speed from 0% to 100% according to the cooling requirements uses it in its applications.
and according to the efficiency of the control circuits and the
quality and efficiency of the compressor. When the 3 SPEED CONTROL OF MOTORS
compressor needs more power, the inverter gives more power. The electric current is divided into two types, the first type is
When it needs less power, the inverter gives out less power. the constant current, which is denoted by DC, and it is
With inverter technology, the compressor is always on but characterized as being of constant intensity and uniform
consumes less or more power depending on the temperature direction, meaning that it flows in one direction only. The direct
of the inlet air and the level set in the thermostat. The speed current is generated from batteries, solar energy systems, or
and power of the compressor are adjusted appropriately. This rectifier circuits that convert alternating current into direct
allows for more accurate cooling and most importantly current. It is used in many applications that use electronic
significant energy savings. Most air conditioners that come systems. The other type is alternating current, which is
with inverter technology use rotary compressors instead of symbolized by AC, and it is defined as an electric current that
reciprocating compressors. Rotary inverter compressors have periodically reverses its direction and oscillates back and forth
a shaft with several blades attached to it. This shaft of blades 50 or 60 times per second, depending on the electrical system
rotates inside the cylinder housing to simultaneously push and used. Hence, it is variable in intensity and variable in direction.
compress refrigerant through the cylinder. Although the And alternating current has several types, including sinusoidal
concept of the variable speed compressor remains the same, alternating current, sawtooth alternating current, triangular
different manufacturers use some subtle differences in their alternating current, and square alternating current, and each
inverter. These types of compressors include but not limited to. type has its own characteristics and advantages. The most
The compressor is a Dual/Twin Rotary Inverter type shown used type is sinusoidal alternating current, which is generated
below. from power plants and transmitted through electrical networks
to residential areas and factories, its value is reduced by using
electrical transformers and connected to homes by electric
cables. The alternating current can also be divided into single
phase current used for lighting and electrical appliances with
low capacities such as household appliances. A three-phase
current is used for high-capacity devices such as central air
conditioners, elevators, or machines in factories.

3.1 Speed Control of DC Motor

A DC motor is mainly composed of two parts, the stator of the
motor and the rotor that rotates and produces the movement.
The stator consists of a pair of fixed permanent magnets that
produce a uniform and constant magnetic flux inside the
motor, and the rotor consists of individual electrical coils
connected to each other in a circular configuration around their
metal body producing a north pole, then a south pole, then a
north pole, and so on.

Fig8: Dual/Twin Rotary Inverter Compressor

Dual Inverter Air Conditioners often come with a BLDC motor

that helps achieve a wider range of operating frequency which
helps in faster and accurate cooling. Variable speed single-
cylinder rotary compressor which works on the principle of
single-rotating compression. It has been observed that this
design generates a lot of vibrations and therefore increases in
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Fig9: DC motor

he rotational speed of a DC motor depends on the interaction

between two magnetic fields, one of which is prepared by a
permanent magnet and the other by an electric magnetic
rotational and by controlling this interaction we can control the
speed of rotation. By controlling the current flowing through the
windings of the rotor magnetic flux will be produced resulting Fig11: PWM Control
in strength or weakness and therefore faster or slower speed.
The simplest control method is to use a variable resistance 3.2 Speed Control of AC Motor
connected to the rotor, but this method generates a lot of heat There are many types of AC motors, but we will focus on the
and energy losses. three-phase induction motor, which has gained wide popularity
as it is used in most industrial applications and is
characterized by simplicity of installation, cheap price and the
Fig10: Speed Control of DC motor least amount of maintenance. They are placed so that they are
at an angle of 120 degrees between them inside the ducts
One simple and easy way to control a motor's speed is to made of iron. And the rotor part is iron foil isolated from each
regulate the amount of voltage across its terminals and this other and the coils are copper, or aluminum rods planted
can be accomplished using "pulse width modulation" or PWM. inside the rotor part and compartment on both sides with two
, the PWM speed control works by turning the motor on in a thick rings. When the stator coils are fed with a three-phase
series of "ON-OFF" pulses and changing the duty cycle, the variable current, a rotating magnetic field will be generated
fraction of time the output voltage is "ON" compared to when it that induces a voltage in the rotor and a current will pass
is "OFF". , of the pulses while keeping the frequency constant. through the rotor and generate a magnetic field in it. The
The power applied to the motor can be controlled by changing magnetic poles of the rotor and the poles of the same rotating
the width of these applied pulses and thus changing the field of the stator repel and the different poles attract, and the
average DC voltage applied to the motor terminals. By rotor follows the same direction of rotation of the rotating field.
changing or adjusting the timing of these pulses, the speed of the motor speed is the speed of the rotating field. To control
the motor can be controlled. The figure_11 below illustrated the speed of the motor, it is necessary to control the voltage
PWM control. supplying the motor, changing the number of poles of the
stator, changing the frequency, or changing the resistance of
the stator. One of the best ways to control speed is frequency
converters, which are circuits that convert alternating current
to another alternating current, either with the same value or
other values. For the following variables, Phase Number (L1,
L2, L3), Phase Sequence, frequency, and Voltage. Frequency
converters consist of rectifier circuits to convert alternating
current into direct current, and then store the direct current in a
coil or Capacitor (intermediate circuits) and then converts DC
current to alternating current. At this stage, frequency, phase
sequence and phase number can be changed. The output
voltage can also be controlled. Frequency converters are used
to control the speed of AC motors. The block diagram of
inverter as in the figure_12 below.

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voltage and output current, we will get a better dynamic

performance of the motor. This method, using complex
models, enables the user to obtain the full torque at the few
frequencies and 150% of the torque at all speeds. Therefore,
the second and third method is more suitable for controlling
refrigeration compressors.

4 CONCLUSION
By comparing the inverter refrigeration and air conditioning
technology with conventional systems, we conclude the
Fig12: Block Diagram of inverter following:
1- The inverter unit gradually increases its capacity based on
The circuit diagram of inverter as in the figure_ 13 below. the required load, while conventional units start operating
with a full load.
2- Inverter technology uses highly intelligent control that
regulates compressor speed according to the required
cooling load. Conventional units meet the cooling need by
using two fixed speeds - zero or maximum speed.
3- The amount of cooling (heating) capacity required
depends on the outside temperature and the temperature
inside the room to be treated. Outside the temperature
varies throughout the year, but also throughout the day,
cooling requirements will also vary throughout the year.
Only an intelligent system - the inverter - is constantly
working to meet specific requirements.
4- Air conditioning units in the Middle East are designed at
an outside temperature of 46 degrees, in the winter
months the temperature is lower than the design
temperature of 46 degrees Celsius, so the cooling load
also decreases with the temperature. Inverter technology
reacts quickly to this change and reduces the speed of the
compressor to save energy. Annual bill with inverter is
Fig13: Circuit Diagram of inverter reduced by 50%.
5- The inverter uses a continuous change of current
One of the control methods used in frequency converters is frequency as the main control variable, allowing the
the Linear Voltage/Frequency method. This method depends acceleration to be adjusted gradually. This reduces the
on the ratio of voltage to frequency, which is a ratio present in effect of bad lubrication during the transition as well as
all motors, knowing that increasing the frequency without mechanical stresses caused by high starting torque.
increasing the voltage will lead to an increase in the 6- When the compressor is started, the starting current is
magnetizing current as well, leading to a decrease in the stator large for only a few milliseconds, which causes
current, which affects the ability of the motor to handle the complications in the electrical network, including voltage
load. The second method is to control the flux current (Flux drops and disruption of sensitive electronic components. It
Current Control). The constant current consists of an effective can also cause the motor to stop immediately, the inverter
capacity and a passive capacity. The passive power is changes the frequency of the voltage feeding into the
required to produce the magnetic field through the coils, and compressor, while all other methods operate exclusively
the effective power is required to produce the work needed for on the voltage value. The inverter makes the starting
the load. In this method, the nominal current of the motor is current zero and thus does not cause any complications to
entered. From the list of its information (Name Plate), the the electrical network.
processor in the inverter performs mathematical calculations 7- The power factor required by the Ministry of Electricity is
to estimate the magnetic field flux, through the measured set at 0.85 to 0.9, which requires a capacitor bank to
effective capacity and the information about the nominal protect the electrical network from the influence of electric
current that has been entered. Thus, through the internal motors. The installation of inverters ensures a power
calculations, an attempt is made to maintain the magnetic flux factor of 0.95 to 0.97. This feature is of greater importance
constant. If the information entered about the nominal current in installations where it is not possible to order increased
is correct and the inverter is set up well, then this method of power supply.
control will be appropriate, because the inverter senses the 8- Control units provide the ability to be easily integrated with
actual current of the load and thus the speed control is better communication units to provide end users with
stable even when the load changes. The third method is vector comprehensive control systems such as building control
control, to control the flux and torque, both the value of the and monitoring systems, which are currently used in most
constant current and its phase must be controlled, and that is large buildings or smart homes. These units provide a
why this method was called vector control. The processor can simple and easy-to-use set of controls that allow
imitate the encoder through mathematical calculations of the programming and monitoring of every aspect of the
circuit speed based on this model, and by calculating the system's operation.
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9- Inverter-controlled air conditioners often operate with high

efficiency at partial loads, which leads to lower energy
consumption than other systems because they only need
the energy needed to match the load. This results in lower
annual energy consumption. So, the energy consumption
is reduced to 50% compared to the traditional on/off
system.
10- Lower energy consumption leads to cost savings and can
also reduce the impact of higher energy prices.

5 REFERENCES
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U Hesse1, Implementation of scroll compressors into the
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President SLEMA). Comparison of Energy Consumption
between a Standard Air Conditioner and an Inverter-type
Air Conditioner Operating in an Office Building. National
Engineering Research and Development (NERD) Centre
of Sri Lanka Ekala, Jaela. SLEMA Journal, Volume 20,
No. 1 & 2, September 2017
[3]. Electric Motors and Drives Fundamentals, Types and
Applications, third edition. Austin Hughes Senior Fellow,
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of Leeds.
[4]. Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, 18th Edition.
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