Refrigerant leak detection and mitigation system and method

A refrigerant leak detection (RLD) system comprising:

• (a) plurality of temperature/humidity sensors (THS);
• (b) refrigerant gas sensor (RGS);
• (c) digital control processor (DCP);
• and
• (d) alarm status indicator (ASI);
• wherein:
• said THS are individually positioned within a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and configured to measure refrigerant temperature and/or ambient temperature/humidity values (MTV) within said HVAC system;
• said THS communicates said measured MTV to said DCP;
• said DCP operates a closed control loop (CCL) that continuously monitors said measured MTV;
• said CCL determines continuous differential temperature values (DTV) between said measured MTV;
• said DCP stores said DTV in a differential temperature matrix (DTM);
• said DCP triggers a refrigerant leak alarm (RLA) and activates said ASI upon determination by said CCL that said measured MTV are outside a first predetermined range;
• said DCP triggers said refrigerant leak alarm (RLA) and activates said ASI upon determination by said CCL that said DTV are outside second predetermined range;
• said RGS is configured to indicate a refrigerant gas leak (RGL) status in said HVAC system to said DCP;
• said DCP operates a closed control loop (CCL) that continuously monitors said RGL status;
• said DCP triggers said refrigerant leak alarm (RLA) and activates said ASI upon determination by said CCL that said RGL is indicated by said RGS;
• and
• said DCP qualifies/validates a combination of said measured MTV, said DTV, and/or said RGL status in order to determine if said RLA is triggered and said ASI is activated.