Systems and methods for refrigerant leak management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023184618-A1
Application number	US-202318106367-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 6, 2023
Priority date	Dec 1, 2017
Publication date	Jun 15, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refrigerant leak management system for a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is disclosed. The system includes a controller communicatively coupled to one or more sensors disposed within the HVAC system. The controller measures a vibration pattern associated with a component of the HVAC system. The controller determines whether the vibration pattern is indicative of a refrigerant leak in the HVAC system. Additionally, the controller can modify operation of the HVAC system when the vibration pattern is indicative of the refrigerant leak in the HVAC system.

First claim

1 . A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a sensor assembly; memory circuitry storing instructions thereon; and processing circuitry configured to execute the instructions to:
receive, from the sensor assembly, sensor data corresponding to a characteristic indicative of a refrigerant leak in the HVAC system; and
determine, based on the sensor data, a location of the refrigerant leak in the HVAC system.

2 . The HVAC system of claim 1 , comprising:
a compressor; a condenser; an evaporator; and an expansion device, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to execute the instructions to determine, based on the sensor data, that the compressor, the condenser, the evaporator, or the expansion device corresponds to the location of the refrigerant leak in the HVAC system.

3 . The HVAC system of claim 1 , comprising:
a plurality of refrigerant conduits; and a joint between two or more refrigerant conduits of the plurality of refrigerant conduits, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to execute the instructions to determine, based on the sensor data, that the joint or a refrigerant conduit of the plurality of refrigerant conduits corresponds to the location of the refrigerant leak in the HVAC system.

4 . The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor assembly comprises a plurality of sensors distributed about a plurality of locations of the HVAC system, including a sensor disposed at the location.

5 . The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to execute the instructions to:
perform a first control action in response to the characteristic having a first pre-defined relationship with one or more reference characteristics; and perform a second control action in response to the characteristic having a second pre-defined relationship with the one or more reference characteristics, wherein the second control action is different than the first control action.

6 . The HVAC system of claim 5 , wherein the first control action or the second control action comprises at least one of:
disabling a compressor of the HVAC system; confining a refrigerant corresponding to the refrigerant leak in the HVAC system to a particular portion of the HVAC system; or deactiving a spark source in fluid communication with the HVAC system, an environment surrounding the HVAC system, or a space conditioned by the HVAC system.

7 . The HVAC system of claim 5 , wherein the first control action or the second control action comprises changing an operation of a fan associated with the HVAC system.

8 . The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor assembly comprises at least one vibration sensor configured to measure a vibration pattern corresponding to the characteristic of the refrigerant leak in the HVAC system, and the processing circuitry is configured to execute the instructions to:
locate, in a database and based on the vibration pattern, a reference vibration pattern of a plurality of reference vibration patterns, wherein the plurality of reference vibration patterns correspond to a plurality of locations in the HVAC system, and the plurality of locations in the HVAC system include the location of the refrigerant leak in the HVAC system; and determine, based on the reference vibration pattern, the location of the refrigerant leak in the HVAC system.

9 . A refrigerant leak detection assembly of a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the refrigerant leak detection assembly comprising:
a sensor assembly; memory circuitry storing instructions thereon; and processing circuitry configured to execute the instructions to:
receive, from the sensor assembly, sensor data corresponding to a characteristic indicative of a refrigerant leak in the HVAC system;
perform a first control action in response to the characteristic having a first pre-defined relationship with one or more reference characteristics; and
perform a second control action in response to the characteristic having a second pre-defined relationship with the one or more reference characteristics, wherein the second control action is different than the first control action.

10 . The refrigerant leak detection assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first control action or the second control action comprises at least one of:
disabling a compressor of the HVAC system; confining a refrigerant corresponding to the refrigerant leak in the HVAC system to a particular portion of the HVAC system; changing operation of a fan of the HVAC system; or deactiving a spark source in fluid communication with the HVAC system, an environment surrounding the HVAC system, or a space conditioned by the HVAC system.

11 . The refrigerant leak detection assembly of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to execute the instructions to determine, based on the sensor data, a location of the refrigerant leak in the HVAC system.

12 . The refrigerant leak detection assembly of claim 11 , wherein the sensor assembly comprises a plurality of sensors distributed about a plurality of locations of the HVAC system, including a sensor disposed at the location.

13 . The refrigerant leak detection assembly of claim 11 , comprising a database containing data indicative of a plurality of locations of the HVAC system, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to execute the instructions to search the database to determine, based on the sensor data, the location of the refrigerant leak in the HVAC system.

14 . The refrigerant leak detection assembly of claim 9 , wherein the sensor assembly comprises at least one vibration sensor configured to measure a vibration pattern corresponding to the characteristic of the refrigerant leak in the HVAC system.

15 . One or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media storing instructions thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to:
receive, from a sensor assembly of a refrigerant leak detection assembly corresponding to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, sensor data corresponding to a characteristic indicative of a refrigerant leak in the HVAC system; determine, based on the sensor data and location data indicative of a plurality of locations in the HVAC system, a location of a refrigerant leak in the HVAC system; and perform a control action in response to the characteristic having a pre-defined relationship with one or more reference characteristics.

16 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform an additional control action in response to the characteristic having an additional pre-defined relationship with the one or more reference characteristics.

17 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein the control action or the additional control action comprises at least one of:
disabling a compressor of the HVAC system; confining a refrigerant corresponding to the refrigerant leak in the HVAC system to a particular portion of the HVAC system; changing operation of a fan of the HVAC system; or deactiving a spark source in fluid communication with the HVAC system, an environment surrounding the HVAC system, or a space conditioned by the HVAC system.

18 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the instruct

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP

Inventors

• Gupte Neelkanth
• Walser Jay C
• Perkins James C

Classifications

• G01M3/24 Primary

  using infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic vibrations · CPC title

• F25B2500/222

  Detecting refrigerant leaks · CPC title

• F25B2700/00

  Sensing or detecting of parameters; Sensors therefor · CPC title

• F25B49/005

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

• G01M3/16

  using electric detection means ({G01M3/045,} G01M3/06, G01M3/12, G01M3/20, G01M3/24, G01M3/26 take precedence) · CPC title