Tank Temperature Probe with Positional Sensor
AssigneesBosch Automotive Service Solutions Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH
InventorGary Murray
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sensor device, system, and method for monitoring the internal pressure and temperature of a refrigerant tank during a recovery operation to control a purge operation of the tank based on the conditions thereof during the recovery operation. The sensor device, system, and method further utilize an external temperature sensor, the external temperature sensor operable to indicate that it is properly positioned on the surface of the tank.
Claims20
An air conditioner service system for controlling a purge operation of a storage tank containing refrigerant, the system comprising:
- a storage tank having a surface of ferrous construction, the storage tank operable to store refrigerant in an interior of the storage tank;
- a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the interior of the storage tank and configured to measure the interior pressure of the storage tank, the pressure sensor being operable to transmit the pressure measurements;
- a tank multi-sensor having a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the surface of the storage tank, a magnetic element operable to couple the tank multi-sensor to the surface of the storage tank, and a positional sensor operable to indicate if the temperature sensor is within operable range to measure the temperature of the surface of the tank, the tank multi-sensor further being operable to transmit temperature data measurements;
- and
- a control unit operable to receive measurements transmitted from the pressure sensor and the tank multi-sensor, the control unit being operable to compare the received measurements with known values indicating that the refrigerant has become saturated with non-condensable impurities, and wherein the control unit is further operable to initiate a purge operation when the received measurements match values indicating that the refrigerant has become saturated with non-condensable impurities.
An external sensor device configured to determine an interior temperature of a storage tank having a ferrous construction, the device comprising:
- a temperature sensor configured to measure a surface temperature of the storage tank when in an operable range of the surface of the storage tank;
- a magnetic element operable to magnetically couple the sensor device to the storage tank such that the temperature sensor is in the operable range of the surface of the storage tank;
- a positional sensor operable to indicate whether the temperature sensor is in the operable range of the surface of the storage tank;
- and
- an electrical signal connection operable to transmit the temperature measurements of the temperature sensor according to the indication of the positional sensor, wherein the electrical signal connection only transmits the temperature measurements when the positional sensor indicates that the temperature sensor is operable range of the surface of the storage tank.
A method of controlling a purge operation of non-condensable impurities from refrigerant inside a ferrous storage tank, the purge operation controlled by a control unit configured to receive pressure data from a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the interior of the tank, temperature data from a temperature sensor in communication with the interior of the tank, and positional data from a positional sensor to indicate whether the temperature sensor is coupled to the surface of the storage tank, comprising:
- measuring a pressure of the interior of the ferrous tank with the pressure sensor to generate corresponding pressure data;
- measuring temperature of the interior of the ferrous tank from the exterior of the ferrous tank with the temperature sensor to generate corresponding temperature data;
- generating positional data with the positional sensor corresponding to the placement of the temperature sensor;
- activating a purge operation based on the pressure data, temperature data, and positional data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.