Methods and systems for reducing refrigerant loss during air purge
US9194620B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 11, 2012 |
| Grant date | Nov 24, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 7, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T137/0318
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method of purging air from a tank includes opening, with a controller, a purging orifice on the tank to release a gas mixture contained within the tank, operating a timer to track multiple time intervals during which the purging orifice is open, each time interval having a beginning time and an ending time, determining an initial value of a system variable at each beginning time and a subsequent value of the system variable at each ending time, deriving a characteristic value of the gas mixture based on a change in the system variable from the initial value to the subsequent value measured over each time interval, and closing, with the controller, the purging orifice if a rate of change of the characteristic value over sequential time intervals is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold rate of change value.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.