Method of operating a directed relief valve in an air conditioning system

Abstract

A method of operating a directed relief valve (28) for an air conditioning system (10) preferably for a vehicle. The air conditioning system (10) includes a compressor (12), a condenser (16), an expansion device (20), and an evaporator connected to one another by refrigerant lines. The system (10) also includes the directed relief valve (28), which is disposed inline with at least one of the refrigerant lines to ventilate the refrigerant. The directed relief valve (28) includes a detonable squib (36) that explodes in response to a ventilation signal. A controller (40) generates the ventilation signal in response to a refrigerant leak being detected by a sensor (38). The sensor (38) is preferably located within an air space (27) and adjacent to the evaporator (22). If there is a malfunction of one of a plurality of sensors (38), a partial malfunction message is sent to the operator. If all of the sensors (38) malfunction, the controller (40) also generates the ventilation signal and sends a complete malfunction message to the operator. Predetermined amounts of time may be used between detection and leak signal, leak signal and ventilation signal, and leak signal and message to the operator.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.