Ultraviolet (UV) light-based refrigerant leak detection system and method
AssigneeJohnson Controls Technology Company
InventorsWilliam F. McQuade, Neelkanth Gupte
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A leak detection system of a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a sensor configured to detect a UV tracer in a monitored gas volume of the HVAC system. The leak detection system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor. The controller is configured to modify operation of the HVAC system in response to the sensor detecting the UV tracer in the monitored gas volume.
Claims37
A leak detection system of a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
- a sensor configured to measure a concentration of an ultraviolet (UV) tracer in a monitored gas volume of the HVAC system;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, wherein the controller is configured to:
- determine a concentration of leaked refrigerant in the monitored gas volume based on the measured concentration of the UV tracer within the monitored gas volume;
- and
- modify operation of the HVAC system when the concentration of the leaked refrigerant in the monitored gas volume is greater than a predetermined threshold value.
A leak detection system of a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
- a vapor compression system configured to circulate a refrigerant that includes an ultraviolet (UV) tracer;
- a UV tracer sensor comprising a UV tracer detection unit having a light source and a light detector, wherein the light source is configured to irradiate a gas sample with emitted light, wherein the gas sample is in a monitored gas volume near the vapor compression system of the HVAC system, and wherein the light detector is configured to detect modified light from the gas sample;
- a controller configured to:
- output a control signal causing the light source to emit the emitted light;
- receive, from the light detector, a concentration of the UV tracer based on detection of the modified light;
- determine a concentration of refrigerant in the monitored gas volume based on the concentration of the UV tracer;
- and
- modify operation of the HVAC system when the concentration of refrigerant in the monitored gas volume is greater than a predetermined threshold value wherein modifying comprises at least preventing a compressor of the HVAC system from activating.
A method of operating a sensor to detect a refrigerant in a monitored gas volume associated with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the method comprising:
- collecting a sample from the monitored gas volume;
- measuring an amount of ultraviolet (UV) tracer in the sample;
- determining an amount of refrigerant present in the monitored gas volume based at least in part on the measured amount of UV tracer in the sample;
- and
- modifying operation of the HVAC system in response to determining that the amount of refrigerant present in the monitored gas volume is greater than a predetermined threshold value, wherein modifying the operation comprises at least preventing the compressor system from activating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.