Monitoring refrigerant in a refrigeration system
View Patent ↗A method for monitoring refrigerant in a refrigeration system includes calculating a saturation temperature of refrigerant in a refrigeration system based on at least one of a discharge pressure and a discharge temperature of the refrigeration system; calculating an expected refrigerant level based on the saturation temperature; comparing the refrigerant level with the refrigerant level threshold; and generating a leak notification when the receiver refrigerant level is less than the refrigerant level threshold. The method may be executed by a controller or stored in a computer-readable medium.
1. A method comprising:
receiving a refrigerant level signal that corresponds to a refrigerant level in a refrigeration system;
receiving at least one of a discharge pressure signal that corresponds to a discharge pressure of a compressor of the refrigeration system and a discharge temperature signal that corresponds to a discharge temperature of the compressor;
receiving an ambient temperature signal that corresponds to an ambient temperature;
calculating a saturation temperature of refrigerant in said refrigeration system based on at least one of said discharge pressure and said discharge temperature of said compressor;
calculating a temperature difference between said saturation temperature and said ambient temperature;
calculating an expected refrigerant level based on said temperature difference;
comparing said refrigerant level of said refrigeration system with said expected refrigerant level; and
generating a leak notification when said refrigerant level is less than said expected refrigerant level.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving said refrigerant level signal from a refrigerant level sensor that generates said refrigerant level signal.
3. A controller that executes the method of claim 2 .
4. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 2 .
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving said discharge pressure signal from a discharge pressure sensor that generates said discharge pressure signal.
6. A controller that executes the method of claim 5 .
7. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 5 .
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving said discharge temperature signal from a discharge temperature sensor that generates said discharge temperature signal.
9. A controller that executes the method of claim 8 .
10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 8 .
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving said ambient temperature signal from an ambient temperature sensor that generates said ambient temperature signal.
12. A controller that executes the method of claim 11 .
13. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 11 .
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving refrigerant type data, wherein said calculating said saturation temperature is based on said refrigerant type data.
15. A controller that executes the method of claim 14 .
16. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 14 .
17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring said refrigerant level for a predetermined initial period;
generating a refrigerant level model based on said monitoring;
calculating said expected refrigerant level based on said refrigerant level model;
calculating a refrigerant level average over a predetermined period;
comparing said refrigerant level average to said expected refrigerant level; and
generating said leak notification when a difference between said refrigerant level average and said expected refrigerant level is greater than a predetermined refrigerant level difference threshold.
18. A controller that executes the method of claim 17 .
19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
monitoring said difference between said refrigerant level average and said expected refrigerant level;
wherein said generating said leak notification occurs when said difference between said refrigerant level average and said expected refrigerant level increases over said predetermined period.
20. A controller that executes the method of claim 19 .
21. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 19 .
22. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 17 .
23. A controller that executes the method of claim 1 .
24. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1 .