US 2019/0056133 A1 · Distributed Climate-Control Systems and Methods with Distributed Protection against Refrigerant Loss

Abstract

Distributed Climate-Control Systems and Methods with Distributed Protection against Refrigerant Loss: the system includes a central condenser unit in combination with a distributed network of air handling units. Each air handler includes an evaporator, in which condensed refrigerant can undergo a phase change while absorbing heat of vaporization, plus a heat exchanger (e.g. a coil) which permits the heat absorption of the evaporator to be coupled to a forced airflow. Preferably the evaporator includes a metering device to provide variable refrigerant flow, and hence variable rates of heat transfer. The individual evaporators also include a sensor to detect ambient levels of the refrigerant, electrically operable cutoff valves which permit the evaporator to be isolated from both the liquid-phase and the gas-phase refrigerant flows. Local control logic is preferably connected to shut the cutoff valves whenever an ambient refrigerant concentration is found to exceed a tolerable level.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A multi-location climate control system comprising:

a condenser, which receives evaporated refrigerant from a refrigerant return connection, and condenses the evaporated refrigerant to a liquid flow of condensed refrigerant which is supplied to a refrigerant supply connection;
and
multiple air handler units in multiple locations, individually including
an evaporator which is connected, through respective cutoff valves, to be supplied with condensed refrigerant and to discharge evaporated refrigerant, and
a heat exchanger which thermally couples the heat absorption of the evaporator to a forced airflow path, and
a refrigerant leak sensor which detects escaped refrigerant in the ambient air, and which is local to that air handler unit;
and wherein the cutoff valves are also local to the same air handler unit;
and
control logic which, under at least some circumstances, automatically activates the cutoff valve to cut off flow of condensed refrigerant into the respective evaporator, in dependence on the output of the leak sensor.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Distributed Climate-Control Systems and Methods with Distributed Protection against Refrigerant Loss

Life of this patent

Distributed Climate-Control Systems and Methods with Distributed Protection against Refrigerant Loss

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23