Refrigerant detection and control of HVAC system
AssigneeTyco Fire & Security GmbH
InventorsShaun B. Atchison, Brian D. Rigg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between a refrigerant and an air flow, a blower configured to induce the air flow across the heat exchanger, and a control board configured to receive an input indicative of a presence of refrigerant external to the heat exchanger and adjust operation of the blower based on the input.
Claims20
A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system configured to provide temperature control to a conditioned space, the HVAC system comprising:
- a refrigerant circuit comprising a heat exchanger configured to receive a refrigerant;
- a blower;
- and
- a control system configured to:
- control the blower in a normal operating mode of the HVAC system to induce a first air flow across the heat exchanger to generate a heat exchange relationship between the first air flow and the refrigerant and to direct the first air flow to the conditioned space;
- receive an input indicative of a leaked portion of the refrigerant at a refrigerant leak location;
- and
- control, in response to the input, the blower in an alternate refrigerant leak response mode of the HVAC system to induce a second air flow comprising outside air and comprising the leaked portion of the refrigerant therein and to direct the second air flow to the conditioned space to disperse or vent the leaked portion of the refrigerant from the refrigerant leak location until:
- a concentration of the leaked portion of the refrigerant in air is equal to or less than a threshold concentration;
- and
- a pre-defined time period after the concentration is equal to or less than the threshold concentration lapses.
One or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media including instructions stored thereon that, when executed by processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to:
- control a blower of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system configured to provide temperature control to a conditioned space in a normal operating mode of the HVAC system to induce a first air flow across a heat exchanger of a refrigerant circuit of the HVAC system and to direct the first air flow to the conditioned space;
- receive an input indicative of a portion of a refrigerant leaked from the refrigerant circuit at a refrigerant leak location;
- and
- control, in response to the input, the blower in an alternate refrigerant leak response mode of the HVAC system to induce a second air flow comprising outside air and comprising the leaked portion of the refrigerant therein and to direct the second air flow to the conditioned space to disperse or vent the portion of the refrigerant leaked from the refrigerant leaked location until:
- a concentration of the portion of the refrigerant in air is equal to or less than a threshold concentration;
- and
- a pre-defined time period after the concentration is equal to or less than the threshold concentration lapses.
A method of operating a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system configured to provide temperature control to a conditioned space, the method comprising:
- controlling, via a control system, a blower of the HVAC system in a normal operating mode of the HVAC system to induce a first air flow across a heat exchanger of a refrigerant circuit of the HVAC system such that a heat exchange relationship is established between the first air flow and a refrigerant in the heat exchanger and to direct the first air flow to the conditioned space;
- receiving, via the control system, an input indicative of a leaked portion of the refrigerant at a refrigerant leak location;
- and
- controlling, via the control system and based on the input, the blower in an alternate refrigerant leak response mode of the HVAC system to induce a second air flow comprising outside air and comprising the leaked portion of the refrigerant therein and to direct the second air flow to the conditioned space to disperse or vent the leaked portion of the refrigerant from the refrigerant leak location until:
- a concentration of the leaked portion of the refrigerant in air is equal to or less than a threshold concentration;
- and
- a pre-defined time period after the concentration is equal to or less than the threshold concentration lapses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.