Back to results
US 11,131,471 B1Granted
Refrigeration leak detection
AssigneeEmerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
InventorsBrian R. Butler, Stuart K. Morgan, Hung Pham, Winfield S. Morter, Andrew M. Welch, David Alfano, Michael A. Saunders
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerant control system includes: a charge module configured to determine an amount of refrigerant that is present within a refrigeration system of a building; a leak module configured to diagnose that a leak is present in the refrigeration system based on the amount of refrigerant; and at least one module configured to take at least one remedial action in response to the diagnosis that the leak is present in the refrigeration system.
Claims12
A refrigerant control system, comprising:
- a charge module configured to determine an amount of refrigerant that is present within a refrigeration system of a building;
- a leak module configured to diagnose that a leak is present in the refrigeration system based on the amount of refrigerant;
- an isolation module configured to, in response to the diagnosis that the leak is present in the refrigeration system:
- close a first isolation valve located downstream of a first heat exchanger located outside of the building and between the first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger located within the building;
- and
- maintain open a second isolation valve located outside of the building downstream of the second heat exchanger and between the second heat exchanger and a compressor of the refrigeration system;
- and
- a compressor module configured to, in response to the diagnosis that the leak is present in the refrigeration system, operate the compressor of the refrigeration system for a predetermined period while the first isolation valve is closed and the second isolation valve is open,
- wherein the isolation module is further configured to, in response to a determination that the predetermined period has passed, close the second isolation valve,
- wherein the charge module is configured to determine the amount of refrigerant within the refrigeration system based on a volume of a first heat exchanger located outside of the building, a volume of a second heat exchanger located within the building, and a volume of refrigerant lines of the refrigeration system,
- wherein the charge module is configured to determine the volume of the first heat exchanger based on at least one temperature of the refrigerant within the refrigeration system, at least one pressure, and a volumetric flow rate of a compressor of the refrigeration system.
8 more elements
A refrigerant control method, comprising:
- determining an amount of refrigerant that is present within a refrigeration system of a building;
- diagnosing that a leak is present in the refrigeration system based on the amount of refrigerant;
- in response to the diagnosis that the leak is present in the refrigeration system:
- closing a first isolation valve located downstream of a first heat exchanger located outside of the building and between the first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger located within the building;
- maintaining open a second isolation valve located outside of the building downstream of the second heat exchanger and between the second heat exchanger and a compressor of the refrigeration system;
- and
- operating the compressor of the refrigeration system for a predetermined period while the first isolation valve is closed and the second isolation valve is open;
- and
- in response to a determination that the predetermined period has passed, closing the second isolation valve,
- wherein the determining the amount includes:
- determining the amount of refrigerant within the refrigeration system based on a volume of a first heat exchanger located outside of the building, a volume of a second heat exchanger located within the building, and a volume of refrigerant lines of the refrigeration system;
- and
- determining the volume of the first heat exchanger based on at least one temperature of the refrigerant within the refrigeration system, at least one pressure, and a volumetric flow rate of a compressor of the refrigeration system.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.