Systems and methods for refrigerant leak management

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.

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 instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to search, based on the sensor data, a database containing the location data indicative of the plurality of locations in the HVAC system to determine the location of the refrigerant leak in the HVAC system 
     
     
         19 . 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:
 receive, from the sensor assembly, additional sensor data corresponding to an additional characteristic indicative of an additional refrigerant leak in the HVAC system; and   determine, based on the additional sensor data and the location data, an additional location of the additional refrigerant leak in the HVAC system.   
     
     
         20 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 19 , 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 additional characteristic having an additional pre-defined relationship with the one or more reference characteristics.