Method and apparatus for detecting an amount of cooling medium charged in a refrigeration circulation system
US5359862A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 8, 1993 |
| Grant date | Nov 1, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 8, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF25B41/39
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A cooling medium charge amount detector capable of detecting whether or not an actual amount of a cooling medium is a desired amount in comparison with the amount of the cooling medium necessary for a desired degree of supercooling on an inlet side of an expansion valve in a refrigeration circulation system, without using a sensor or computation means. A cooling medium on the inlet side of an expansion valve 23 in a refrigeration circulation system 20 is allowed to flow into a cooling medium charge amount detector 40. Throttles 41, 42, 43 are disposed in this cooling medium charge amount detector 40, and sight glasses 44, 45, 46 are disposed at both ends of the throttles 41, 42, 43 to detect a gas-liquid condition of the cooling medium. When the cooling medium flows into this cooling medium charge amount detector, the shift of the cooling medium from a liquid condition to a two-phase gas-liquid condition is checked upstream or downstream of any throttle to match the load condition at that time. In this way, a pressure difference proportional to the degree of supercooling can be detected and eventually, whether or not the charge amount of the cooling medium is suitable in the refrig…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.