Method and apparatus for detecting excessive pressure in a refrigerant fluid in the condenser of an air conditioning and heating installation
AssigneeValeo Climatisation
InventorStefan Karl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a heating and air conditioning installation for a motor vehicle, the refrigerant fluid circuit includes a cooling (air conditioning) loop including a condenser, and a heating loop. In order to detect excess pressure in the refrigerant fluid in the condenser, during corrective discharges of the fluid to the condenser from the heating loop, the frequency of occurrence of these discharges is monitored continuously, and an evaluation is made as to whether the measured frequency exceeds a threshold value. The outlet pressure of the compressor is also monitored continuously, an evaluation being made as to whether the measured pressure exceeds a predetermined demand pressure by an excess value over a given period of time.
Claims12
In a fluid circuit defining a cooling loop and a heating loop for use in an air conditioning mode and a heating mode, respectively, of the circuit, the circuit including a condenser in the cooling loop, a compressor for driving a refrigerant fluid through the circuit, and means for effecting momentarily discharges of fluid from the heating loop to the condenser, a method of detecting excessive pressure in said fluid in the condenser during said discharges, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) continuously measuring the frequency of occurrence of said discharges, and evaluating whether the said frequency is excessive in that it exceeds a threshold frequency;
- and
- (b) continuously measuring the pressure in said fluid at the outlet of the compressor, and evaluating whether the said pressure is excessive in that its measured value exceeds a predetermined demand pressure by an excess value during a given period of time,
- whereby the combination of said excessive frequency in operation (a) and said excessive pressure in operation (b) indicate that the pressure of the fluid in the condenser is excessive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.