Refrigerant leak detection by use of fluid additive

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11118822-B2
Application number	US-201916673061-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2019
Priority date	Dec 30, 2016
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

A detection system and method of detection directed towards the detection of refrigerant leaking from a refrigerant circuit in a heating, ventilation, air condition, and refrigeration (HVACR) system. The system including a refrigerant circuit utilizes a mixture of working fluid and an additive. The system also includes a detection device that can detect the additive when external to the refrigerant circuit. A method of detecting leaking refrigerant includes adding a detectable fluid to a refrigerant circuit.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A refrigerant detection system, comprising:
a refrigerant circuit;
a mixture of a working fluid and an additive that flows through the refrigerant circuit, the additive being from 0.05% to 1.5% by weight of the mixture of the working fluid and the additive, wherein the additive is detectable external to the refrigerant circuit and is one or more of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; and
a detection device to determine the working fluid is leaking from the refrigerant circuit based on detecting a sudden increase of a concentration of the additive external to the refrigerant circuit.

2. The refrigerant detection system of claim 1 , wherein the additive is the carbon monoxide.

3. The refrigerant detection system of claim 2 , wherein the carbon monoxide is from 0.05 to 0.5% by weight of the mixture of the working fluid and the additive.

4. The refrigerant detection system of claim 1 , wherein the additive is the carbon dioxide.

5. The refrigerant detection system of claim 4 , wherein the carbon dioxide is from 0.1% to 1.5% by weight of the mixture of the working fluid and the additive.

6. The refrigerant system of claim 1 , wherein
a duct directs air to and from a condenser or a evaporator of the refrigerant circuit, and
the detection device being positioned within the duct.

7. The refrigerant system of claim 6 , wherein the detection device is positioned downstream of the condenser or the evaporator.

8. The refrigerant system of claim 1 , wherein
the refrigeration circuit includes a condenser or a evaporator, and
the detection device being positioned in a room containing the condenser or the evaporator.

9. The refrigerant system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a HVACR controller configured to ventilate an area when the detection device detects a specific amount of the additive.

10. A method of detecting a leak in a refrigerant circuit, comprising:
operating a refrigerant circuit that utilizes a working fluid;
adding a detectable fluid into the refrigerant circuit such that the detectable fluid is from 0.05% to 1.5% by weight of a mixture of the detectable fluid and the working fluid, wherein the detectable fluid includes one or more of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide;
detecting an external concentration of the detectable fluid, when the detectable fluid is external to the refrigerant circuit; and
determining that the refrigerant circuit is not a physically closed system if the external concentration of the detectable fluid is different from a reference concentration.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the detectable fluid includes the carbon monoxide.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the carbon monoxide is from 0.05 to 0.5% by weight of the mixture of the detectable fluid and the working fluid mixture.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the detectable fluid is the carbon dioxide.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the carbon dioxide is from 0.1% to 1.5% by weight of the mixture of the detectable fluid and the working fluid mixture.

Assignees

• Trane Int Inc

Inventors

• Kujak Stephen A

Classifications

• F25B49/005 Primary

  of safety devices (F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence) · CPC title

• F24F11/36

  to leakage of heat-exchange fluid · CPC title

• F25B2500/222

  Detecting refrigerant leaks · CPC title

• F25B45/00

  Arrangements for charging or discharging refrigerant · CPC title

• F04B43/009

  leakage control; pump systems with two flexible members; between the actuating element and the pumped fluid · CPC title