System and method for venting refrigerant from an air conditioning system
US9890979B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 28, 2015 |
| Grant date | Feb 13, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 31, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF25B2345/007
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An air conditioning service system includes an inlet port configured to connect to an air conditioning system to receive refrigerant, a discharge circuit, a pressure transducer, and a controller. The discharge circuit includes a plurality of discharge lines arranged in parallel with one another, each of the plurality of discharge lines fluidly connecting the inlet port to the atmosphere through an associated orifice to vent the refrigerant to atmosphere, and a plurality of discharge valves, each of which is configured to open and close an associated one of the plurality of discharge lines. The controller is configured to obtain the pressure at the inlet port and determine a theoretical mass flow rate through each of the plurality of discharge lines based upon the pressure and the cross-sectional area of the associated orifice, and to operate selected ones of the discharge valves based upon the determined theoretical mass flow rates.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.