Systems and methods for air temperature control including R-32 sensors

1. A system for detecting an amount of R-32 refrigerant in an air temperature controller using an R-32 refrigerant, the system comprising:

an R-32 control board;

a first R-32 sensor electrically coupled to the R-32 control board; and

a second R-32 sensor electrically coupled to the R-32 control board,

wherein each of the first R-32 sensor and the second R-32 sensor include:

sensing components configured to detect the amount of R-32 refrigerant;

a bus connector input;

a bus connector output;

a sensor relay electrically disposed between the bus connector input and the bus connector output; and

a sensor feedback port electrically disposed between the sensor relay and the bus connector output,

wherein the first R-32 sensor and the second R-32 sensor are coupled in series to the R-32 control board.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the R-32 control board includes a first sensor connector and a second sensor connector;

the bus connector input of the first R-32 sensor is electrically and communicatively coupled to the first sensor connector of the R-32 control board;

the bus connector output of the first R-32 sensor is electrically and communicatively coupled to the bus connector input of the second R-32 sensor; and

the sensor feedback port of the second R-32 sensor is electrically coupled to the second sensor connector of the R-32 control board.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:

the bus connector input of the first R-32 sensor is electrically and communicatively coupled to the first sensor connector of the R-32 control board by a first RS-485 connection;

the bus connector output of the first R-32 sensor is electrically and communicatively coupled to the bus connector input of the second R-32 sensor by a second RS-485 connection; and

the sensor feedback port of the second R-32 sensor is electrically coupled to the second sensor connector of the R-32 control board by a 24 volt alternating current connection.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the system further comprises:

an indoor unit disposed inside a building, the indoor unit having a heat exchanger that uses the R-32 refrigerant;

a blower disposed within and electrically coupled to the indoor unit; and

an outdoor unit disposed outside the building, wherein the outdoor unit is electrically coupled to the indoor unit,

wherein the R-32 control board is electrically coupled to the indoor unit and the blower.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

a first default status of the sensor relay of the first R-32 sensor is open; and

a second default status of the sensor relay of the second R-32 sensor is open.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein:

the first R-32 sensor is configured to close the sensor relay of the first R-32 sensor if the first R-32 sensor passes an internal self-diagnostic test; and

the second R-32 sensor is configured to close the sensor relay of the second R-32 sensor if the second R-32 sensor passes an internal self-diagnostic test.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second R-32 sensor does not receive power to turn on until the first R-32 sensor passes the internal self-diagnostic test and the sensor relay of the first R-32 sensor is closed.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein:

the R-32 control board is configured to turn on the air temperature controller when it receives a feedback signal from the sensor feedback port of the second R-32 sensor; and

the sensor feedback port of the second R-32 sensor does not receive power to send the feedback signal until the second R-32 sensor passes the internal self-diagnostic test and the sensor relay of the second R-32 sensor is closed.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first R-32 sensor is configured to communicate with the R-32 control board if the first R-32 sensor detects that the amount of R-32 refrigerant exceeds a leak threshold, and wherein the second R-32 sensor is configured to communicate with the R-32 control board if the second R-32 sensor detects that the amount of leaked R-32 refrigerant exceeds a leak threshold.

10. A method of installing a configuration of R-32 sensors in an air temperature controller using an R-32 refrigerant, the method comprising:

disposing an R-32 control board, a first R-32 sensor, and a second R-32 sensor into an air temperature controller;

electrically coupling the first R-32 sensor to the R-32 control board; and

electrically coupling the second R-32 sensor to the R-32 control board,

wherein the first R-32 sensor and the second R-32 sensor each include:

sensing components configured to detect an amount of R-32 refrigerant;

a bus connector input;

a bus connector output;

a sensor relay electrically disposed between the bus connector input and the bus connector output; and

a sensor feedback port electrically disposed between the sensor relay and the bus connector output,

wherein the first R-32 sensor and the second R-32 sensor are coupled in series to the R-32 control board.

11. The system method of claim 10 , further comprising:

electrically and communicatively coupling the bus connector input of the first R-32 sensor to a first sensor connector of the R-32 control board;

electrically and communicatively coupling the bus connector output of the first R-32 sensor to the bus connector input of the second R-32 sensor; and

electrically coupling the sensor feedback port of the second R-32 sensor to a second sensor connector of the R-32 control board.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

electrically and communicatively coupling the bus connector input of the first R-32 sensor to the first sensor connector of the R-32 control board by a first RS-485 connection;

electrically and communicatively coupling the bus connector output of the first R-32 sensor to the bus connector input of the second R-32 sensor by a second RS-485 connection; and

electrically coupling the sensor feedback port of the second R-32 sensor to the second sensor connector of the R-32 control board by a 24 volt alternating current connection.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

disposing an indoor unit inside a building, the indoor unit having a heat exchanger that uses the R-32 refrigerant;

disposing a blower within the indoor unit and electrically coupling the blower to the indoor unit;

disposing an outdoor unit outside the building and electrically coupling the outdoor unit to the indoor unit; and

electrically coupling the R-32 control board to the indoor unit and to the blower.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

a first default status of the sensor relay of the first R-32 sensor is open; and

a second default status the sensor relay of the second R-32 sensor is open.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

running a first internal self-diagnostic test on the first R-32 sensor;

closing the sensor relay of the first R-32 sensor if the first R-32 sensor passes the first internal self-diagnostic test;

running a second internal self-diagnostic test on the second R-32 sensor; and

closing the sensor relay of the second R-32 sensor if the second R-32 sensor passes the second internal self-diagnostic test.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second R-32 sensor does not receive power to turn on until the first R-32 sensor passes the first internal self-diagnostic test and the sensor relay of the first R-32 sensor is closed.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

Turning on the air temperature controller by the R-32 control board when the R-32 control board receives a feedback signal from the sensor feedback port of the second R-32 sensor, wherein the R-32 control board does not receive the feedback signal from the sensor feedback port of the second R-32 sensor until the second R-32 sensor passes the second internal self-diagnostic test and the sensor relay of the second R-32 sensor is closed.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first R-32 sensor is configured to communicate with the R-32 control board if the first R-32 sensor detects the amount of R-32 refrigerant exceeds a leak threshold, and wherein the second R-32 sensor is configured to communicate with the R-32 control board if the second R-32 sensor detects the amount of R-32 refrigerant exceeds a leak threshold.