A study on the operational stability of a refrigeration system having a variable speed compressor

The increased use of variable speed compressors (VSC) in refrigeration systems can potentially lead to the unstable operation when compressor speed is varied from time to time for capacity control. The causes of unstable operation may be classified into two groups, one relating to control algorithms and the other to the inherent characteristics of systems. This paper reports on a study on the operational stability of a VSC refrigeration system due to its inherent characteristics. Based on experimental results, a new modified minimal stable superheat (MSS) line having a maximum MSS value and a minimal MSS value has been proposed. Using the modified MSS line, and supported by a series of purposely designed experiments, a detailed analysis on the operational stability of a VSC refrigeration system due to its inherent characteristics when its compressor speed is changed for capacity control has been carried out and presented.