Patent Application
20230417463
The present disclosure relates to maintenance or commissioning of HVAC-R systems, in particular apparatus for connection to an HVAC-R system during maintenance or commissioning, and to methods of maintenance or commissioning for an HVAC-R system.
Heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R) systems typically use a refrigerant fluid to transfer heat from one area to another in order to cool and/or heat specific areas.
During maintenance of an HVAC-R system a technician will use various tools that connect to the HVAC-R system to perform a maintenance procedure. For example, such a procedure might be recovering refrigerant from the HVAC-R system, vacuum testing the HVAC-R system, or charging the HVAC-R system with refrigerant. These tools include a recovery unit that has a pump for removing refrigerant from the HVAC-R system, a refrigerant tank for storing refrigerant, and a vacuum pump. Other examples of tools used in HVAC-R maintenance or commissioning procedures include vacuum gauges, temperature sensors, and pressure gauges.
It is known to provide analog or digital vacuum gauges, pressure gauges and temperature sensors. It is also known for digital gauges to include Bluetooth connectivity for communication with an application on a mobile device.
In accordance with the present disclosure there is provided apparatus for connection to an HVAC-R system during maintenance or commissioning, the apparatus comprising:
The control unit may further comprise a communications unit configured to communicate with a remote device. The communications unit may comprise a Bluetooth communications unit. In other examples, the communications unit may be configured to communicate with a remote device over a mobile communications network. In preferred examples, the communications unit includes a receiver for receiving data, for example instructions, from the remote device. The communications unit may comprise a transceiver for receiving data, for example instructions, from the remote device, and for transmitting data to the remote device. In some examples, the communications unit may further comprise an additional transmitter and/or receiver, for example a Bluetooth transmitter and/or receiver. In examples, the remote device may be a mobile phone or a tablet computer, or any device that can connect to a mobile communications network.
In preferred examples, the communications unit comprises a transceiver configured to communicate on a mobile communications network, for example a GSM, LTE, UMTS, WiMax, LTE-A, and/or 5G mobile communications network, a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) radio technology, for example a Narrowband IoT network. The communications unit may be configured to communicate with a remote device via the communications unit using the mobile communications network. The communications unit communicates data to the remote device, for example using SMS format.
Advantageously, communicating with the remote device over a mobile communications network removes the need for the remote device to be proximate to the apparatus. For example, Bluetooth connectivity is limited in range, whereas using a mobile communications network allows the operator to be further removed from the apparatus, which may be advantageous during long maintenance procedures or when the operator needs to investigate parts of the HVAC-R system that are removed from the position of the apparatus.
In examples, the plurality of ports may comprise a first port for connection to a high pressure service port of the HVAC-R system and a second port for connection to a low pressure service port of the HVAC-R system. In further examples, the plurality of ports further comprises a maintenance port for connection to the maintenance apparatus.
In examples, the plurality of ports may comprise a first maintenance port and a second maintenance port, and wherein the plurality of ports optionally further comprises a third maintenance port. In examples, the apparatus may comprise a fluid connection between the first maintenance port and the second maintenance port, and the fluid connection may comprise an electrically actuatable valve to open and close the fluid connection.
Preferably, the or each maintenance port is connectable to both of the first port and the second port via fluid connections, and each of the fluid connections may comprise an electrically actuatable valve to open and close the fluid connection.
In examples, the apparatus further comprises a pressure sensor arranged to detect a pressure of fluid in at least one fluid connection.
In examples, the apparatus further comprises a temperature sensor arranged to detect a temperature of fluid in at least one fluid connection.
Preferably, at least one of, and preferably all of, the electrically actuatable valves are biased to a closed position.
The control unit may be configured to receive an input for configuring the electrically actuatable valves. Additionally or alternatively, the control unit may comprise a memory configured to store pre-set configurations of the electrically actuatable valves, and the control unit may be configured to retrieve a pre-set configuration from the memory.
In some examples, the control unit comprises an input device, and the control unit may be configured to configure the electrically actuatable valves in accordance with a user instruction provided to the control unit via the input device.
In some examples, the apparatus further comprises a pump for pumping refrigerant fluid. Additionally or alternatively, the apparatus may further comprise a vacuum pump. Additionally or alternatively, the apparatus may comprise a housing to which the ports, fluid connections and electrically actuatable valves are attached. Preferably, the housing is portable.
In accordance with the present disclosure, there is also provided a method of performing maintenance or commissioning on an HVAC-R system, the method comprising:
In accordance with the present disclosure, there is also provided a method of performing maintenance or commissioning on an HVAC-R system, the method comprising:
In some examples, for example for performing a refrigerant recovery operation, the method may comprise:
In some examples, for example for performing a refrigerant recovery operation, the method may comprise:
In some examples, for example for performing a vacuum test, the method may comprise:
In some examples, for example for performing a vacuum test, the method may comprise:
In one example, for example for charging the HVAC-R system with refrigerant, the method may further comprise:
It will be understood that any data processing, can be performed by a device having one or more processors and a memory including instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform the data processing, such as to process the scan data to generate the control data. The memory is typically a non-transient computer-readable storage medium.
Embodiments of the invention are further described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
As shown in
The compressor 2 may be any compressor of an HVAC-R system, for example one of a reciprocating compressor, a rotary compressor, a scroll compressor, a screw compressor or a centrifugal compressor. The compressor 2 has an intake 9 and an outlet and drives refrigerant through the HVAC-R system 1 as described hereinafter.
During operation, the compressor intake 9 receives refrigerant fluid as a low pressure gas, and compresses the low pressure gas into a high pressure gas. Compressing the gas to increase the pressure will also increase the temperature of the refrigerant. Therefore, at the compressor outlet 10 the refrigerant fluid is a high pressure, high temperature gas.
After outlet from the compressor 2, the high pressure, high temperature gas enters the condenser 3, which is a heat exchanger located in an area with a lower temperature than the refrigerant entering the condenser 3. In air conditioning or refrigeration examples, the condenser 3 is located externally of the conditioned area, for example outside of a building or outside of a refrigerated area. As the refrigerant flows through the condenser 3, heat is lost from the high pressure, high temperature gas within the condenser 3 to a surrounding area, and the refrigerant fluid exits the condenser 3 as a high pressure liquid having a lower temperature than upstream of the condenser 3. At this stage, the refrigerant fluid is warm, but not as hot as upstream of the condenser 3 because some heat has been lost in the condenser 3, and the refrigerant fluid has condensed into a liquid.
Optionally, a receiver drier 11 is positioned downstream of the condenser 3. The high pressure liquid passes through the receiver drier 11. The receiver drier 11 contains extra refrigerant fluid for the HVAC-R system 1, to account for changes due to small leaks or temperature fluctuations. The receiver drier 11 may also include a drying agent and a filter to remove contaminants from the refrigerant fluid.
The high pressure liquid next passes through the expansion valve 4. The expansion valve 4 typically includes a metered orifice through which the refrigerant fluid must pass. The metered orifice limits the rate at which the refrigerant fluid flows. As a result of this, a large pressure drop is created across the metered orifice. Therefore, as the refrigerant fluid passes through the metered orifice the high pressure liquid quickly loses pressure. The loss of pressure also cools the refrigerant fluid. Therefore, after the expansion valve 4 the refrigerant fluid is at a cold temperature and at a lower pressure, and is starting to evaporate into a gas.
Immediately after the expansion valve 4 the cold refrigerant fluid enters the evaporator 5. In air conditioning or refrigeration examples, the evaporator 5 is typically disposed in an area to be cooled or refrigerated, for example inside a building or a refrigeration unit. Within the evaporator 5 the low temperature refrigerant fluid is heated by absorbing heat from the surroundings of the evaporator 5. On exit from the evaporator 5 the refrigerant fluid has been evaporated and is a low pressure gas, which is still cool but at a higher temperature than immediately upstream of the evaporator 5 because it has absorbed heat from the surroundings of the evaporator 5.
This low pressure gas is fed back to the compressor intake 9. In this way, the refrigerant fluid transfers heat from the evaporator 5 to the condenser 3, and therefore from one area to another, to cool the area where the evaporator 5 is located and/or to heat the area where the condenser 3 is located.
It will be appreciated that the boiling point of the refrigerant fluid is not the same as water or air. For example, the boiling point of Ammonia (R717), a typical refrigerant, is −33.3 degrees Celsius. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the high and low temperatures referred to in the description are relative, and the refrigerant fluid can be used in the described manner to efficiently transfer heat from the evaporator 5 to the condenser 3.
As shown in
To improve heat exchange at the evaporator 5 and/or at the condenser 3, a fan may be provided to create a flow of air over the coiled pipes 7, 8 of the evaporator 5 and/or the condenser 3.
As explained above, the pressure of the refrigerant fluid is higher between the compressor outlet 10 and the expansion valve 4, and lower between the expansion valve 4 and the compressor intake 9. Therefore, the HVAC-R system has a high pressure side and a low pressure side.
Also shown in
It will be appreciated that various HVAC-R systems may include additional or alternative components or arrangements for different applications. The apparatus described hereinafter, for maintenance or commissioning of HVAC-R systems, can be used on any HVAC-R system that includes a high pressure side and a low pressure side, and includes at least one service port (high pressure side and/or low pressure side) for removal or addition of refrigerant fluid to the HVAC-R system. As described above, a typical HVAC-R system 1 will include a high pressure service port 14 and a low pressure service port 13.
During maintenance and commissioning of an HVAC-R system 1 various procedures are carried out, and the main procedures are described briefly hereinafter. The procedures are typically carried about by trained technicians, who make use of various tools, as also described further hereinafter.
In preferred embodiments, the hub 15 comprises a housing in which the ports, fluid connections and electrically actuatable valves are housed. The hub is thereby portable for moving to the site of the HVAC-R system 1 for maintenance or commissioning. The hub 15 is therefore a tool for an HVAC-R technician.
The hub 15 also comprises a control unit that controls the electrically actuatable valves in order to configure the fluid connections between the different ports in the hub. The control unit also has a communications unit for communicating with a remote device, for example an application on a tablet computer or mobile phone. This advantageously allows the technician to control all fluid connections between their tools and the HVAC-R system 1 via the communications unit and the hub 15.
Additionally, the communications unit of the hub 15 may communicate with tools that have no fluid connection to the hub 15 and/or to the HVAC-R system 1 but do include a data connection. For example, the communications unit may communicate with scales or temperature sensors having Bluetooth connectivity.
In preferred examples, the communications unit of the hub 15 is configured to communicate with a remote device over a mobile communications network. The control unit is in data communication with the communications unit. In preferred examples, the communications unit includes a receiver for receiving data, for example instructions, from the remote device. The communications unit may comprise a transceiver for receiving data, for example instructions, from the remote device, and for transmitting data to the remote device. In some examples, the communications unit may further comprise an additional transmitter and/or receiver, for example a Bluetooth transmitter and/or receiver. In examples, the remote device may be a mobile phone or a tablet computer, or any device that can connect to a mobile communications network.
In preferred examples, the communications unit comprises a transceiver configured to communicate on a mobile communications network, for example a GSM, LTE, UMTS, WiMax, LTE-A, and/or 5G mobile communications network, a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) radio technology, for example a Narrowband IoT network. The communications unit may be configured to communicate with a remote device via the communications unit using the mobile communications network. The communications unit communicates data to the remote device, for example using SMS format.
In some examples, as explained further hereinafter, the control unit may be configured to control the fluid connections within the hub 15 to perform a maintenance or commissioning procedure, for example refrigerant fluid recovery, a vacuum test, and/or charging refrigerant fluid. Furthermore, the control unit may be configured to control the maintenance tools to perform a maintenance or commissioning procedure. In some examples, the control unit may be configured to control the fluid connections within the hub and the maintenance tools to perform a maintenance or commissioning procedure.
As shown in
The hub 15 also comprises at least one maintenance port 18. In the example of
In some examples, the first port 16 and the second port 17 include a manual valve for manual closing of the first port 16 and the second port 17. In some examples, each of the maintenance ports 18 include a manual valve for manual closing of the maintenance ports 18.
A fluid connection is provided between each of the first and second ports 16, 17 and each of the maintenance ports 18. In preferred examples, the fluid connections are formed by pipes 20. In other examples, the fluid connections may be formed by hoses. In the example illustrated in
The first port branch pipe 20a has an electrically actuatable valve 21a, and each of the first to third maintenance port pipes 20b, 20c, 20d has an electrically actuatable valve 21b, 21c, 21d. The second port branch pipe 20e has an electrically actuatable valve 21e, and each of the fourth to sixth maintenance port pipes 20f, 20g, 20h has an electrically actuatable valve 21f, 21g, 21h.
As described above, the hub includes a control unit configured to control each of the electrically actuatable valves 21a-21h.
The arrangement of pipes 20a-20h and valves 21a-21h in the hub 15 allows the control unit to open or close a fluid connection between different ports 16, 17, 18 of the hub 15, including between the first port 16 and any one or more of the maintenance ports 18a-18c, between the second port 17 and any one or more of the maintenance ports 18a-18c, or between any two of the maintenance ports 18a-18c.
In preferred examples, the electrically actuatable valves 21a-21h are solenoid valves. Preferably, the electrically actuatable valves 21a-21h comprise a biasing member, for example a spring, arranged to bias the valves into a closed position in the absence of power and/or a control signal. In this way, the default position of each electrically actuatable valve 21a-21h is closed, thus safeguarding against accidental leak or mixing of gas and liquid refrigerant if an electrically actuatable valve 21a-21h were open at a wrong time.
In some examples, the hub 15 further comprises one or more pressure sensors arranged to detect the pressure of fluid in a pipe 20a-20h. For example, a pressure sensor may be arranged on each of the first port branch pipe 20a and the second port branch pipe to detect the refrigerant fluid pressure at the first and second ports 16, 17.
Additionally or alternatively, a pressure detector may be arranged on each of the first to sixth maintenance port pipes 20b, 20c, 20d, 20f, 20g, 20h to detect refrigerant fluid pressure in each of the maintenance port pipes 20b, 20c, 20d, 20f, 20g, 20h.
The one or more pressure detectors are preferably digital pressure sensors, and preferably comprise a communication unit to communicate with the control unit and/or with a remote device. Additionally or alternatively, the one or more pressure detectors may comprise an analog pressure gauge for displaying the detected pressure.
In some examples, the hub 15 further comprises one or more temperature sensors arranged to detect the temperature of refrigerant fluid in a pipe 20a-20h. For example, a temperature sensor may be arranged on each of the first port branch pipe 20a and the second port branch pipe 20e to detect the refrigerant fluid temperature at the first and second ports 16, 17.
Additionally or alternatively, a temperature detector may be arranged on each of the first to sixth maintenance port pipes 20b, 20c, 20d, 20f, 20g, 20h to detect refrigerant fluid temperature in each of the maintenance port pipes 20b, 20c, 20d, 20f, 20g, 20h.
The one or more temperature detectors are preferably digital temperature sensors, and preferably comprise a communication unit to communicate with the control unit and/or with a remote device. Additionally or alternatively, the one or more temperature detectors may comprise a display for displaying the detected temperature.
The hub 15 preferably comprises a power supply, for example a mains power connection, for powering the control unit and/or the electrically actuatable valves 21a-21h and/or other electronic components of the hub 15. In other examples, the hub 15 may comprise a battery power source, preferably a rechargeable battery power source.
In some examples, the hub 15 may comprise one or more maintenance ports for each specific maintenance tool. For example, the hub may comprise first and second maintenance ports for a recovery unit, a third maintenance port for a vacuum pump, and a fourth maintenance port for a refrigerant tank. These maintenance ports may comprise connectors that only permit connection to the correct maintenance tool.
In other examples, the hub 15 may comprise a plurality of maintenance ports that are each adapted for connection to various maintenance tools. For example, as described further hereinafter, each of the maintenance ports 18 may comprise the same connector that can be connected to any of the maintenance tools.
In other examples, the hub 15 may comprise at least one specific maintenance port, having a connector for a specific maintenance tool, and at least one generic maintenance port, having a connector adapted for connection to various maintenance tools.
In a first configuration, illustrated in
Within the hub 15, the electrically actuatable valves 21 are configured to provide a fluid connection from the first port 16 to the first maintenance port 18a and therefore between the high pressure service port 14 of the HVAC-R system 1 and the intake 24 of the recovery unit 22. Also, the electrically actuatable valves 21 are configured to provide a fluid connection between the second maintenance port 18b and the third maintenance port 18c to provide a fluid connection from the outlet 25 of the recovery unit 22 and the refrigerant tank 23.
To provide this configuration, electrically actuatable valves 21a, 21b, 21g, and 21h are open, and valves 21e, 21c, and 21d are closed.
In this configuration, the recovery unit 22 can be used to extract liquid refrigerant from the HVAC-R system 1 through the high pressure service port 14 of the HVAC-R system 1, and pump it into the refrigerant tank 23.
In an alternative configuration for refrigerant recovery, illustrated in
As illustrated in
Within the hub 15, the electrically actuatable valves 21 are configured to provide a fluid connection between the second port 17 and the second maintenance port 18b, thereby providing a fluid connection between the low pressure service port 13 of the HVAC-R system 1 and the outlet 25 of the recovery unit 22. The electrically actuatable valves 21 are also configured to provide a fluid connection between the first maintenance port 18a and the third maintenance port 18c, thereby providing a fluid connection between the intake of the recovery unit 22 and the refrigerant tank 23.
During the push-and-pull procedure, the recovery unit 22 draws refrigerant gas from the refrigerant tank 23, compresses it, and pumps the compressed refrigerant gas into the low pressure service port 13 of the HVAC-R system 1 via the hub 15. This pushes liquid refrigerant out of the HVAC-R system 1 via the high pressure service port 14 and into the refrigerant tank 23 via the hose 26 and sight glass 27. The technician watches the sight glass 27 for signs of gas, rather than liquid, which indicates that all of the liquid refrigerant has been recovered into the refrigerant tank 23. Once the liquid refrigerant has been removed, the gas recovery procedure described with reference to
It is noted that because of the arrangement of pipes 20 and electrically actuatable valves 21 within the hub 15, each piece of maintenance apparatus could be connected to any of the maintenance ports 18a, 18b, 18c, and the HVAC-R system 1 can be connected to the first and second ports 16, 17 in either configuration.
As shown in
The scales 28 may be in communication with the control unit of the hub 15, so that the control unit receives the detected weight of the refrigerant tank 23. The control unit may be configured to monitor the detected weight of the refrigerant tank 23 to determine when all of the refrigerant has been recovered (e.g. the weight of the refrigerant tank 23 stops rising).
The control unit may be configured to communicate the detected weight of the refrigerant tank 23 to a remote device, for example a tablet computer or mobile phone. Optionally, the control unit may be configured to control operation of the recovery unit 22 to turn off the recovery unit 22, or change an operating characteristic of the recovery unit 22, once the weight of the refrigerant tank 23 stops rising, indicating that all of the refrigerant has been recovered. At this stage, the control unit may additionally close the fluid connections to the HVAC-R system 1, for example by closing electrically actuatable valves 21a and 21e.
In some examples, more than one refrigerant tank 23 is required to receive the refrigerant from the HVAC-R system 1, and in this case the control unit of the hub 15 can be configured to pause operation of the hub and close one or more electrically actuatable valves while the full refrigerant tank 23 is replaced with an empty refrigerant tank 23.
As illustrated, for this procedure the first port 16 of the hub 15 is connected to the high pressure service port 14 of the HVAC-R system 1, the second port 17 of the hub 15 is connected to the low pressure service port 13 of the HVAC-R system 1, and the vacuum pump 29 is attached to the third maintenance port 18c. Within the hub 15, the electrically actuatable valves 21 are configured to provide a fluid connection between the first port 16 and the third maintenance port 18c, and between the second port 17 and the third maintenance port 18c. In this way, the vacuum pump 29 is fluidly connected to both of the high pressure and low pressure service ports 14, 13 of the HVAC-R system 1.
To provide this configuration, electrically actuatable valves 21a, 21d, 21e, and 21h are open, and electrically actuatable valves 21b, 21c, 21f, and 21g are closed.
In this configuration, the vacuum pump 29 draws a vacuum on the HVAC-R system 1 via both the high pressure service port 14 and the low pressure service port 13 in order to remove residual fluid in the HVAC-R system, including, for example, air that has entered the system during maintenance or installation. It will be appreciated that in other configurations, the vacuum pump 29 may draw a vacuum on the HVAC-R system 1 via only the high pressure service port 14 or via only the low pressure service port 13. The electrically actuatable valves 21 can be configured to provide the relevant connections.
In the example shown in
To provide the configuration shown in
The vacuum gauge 30 may be in communication with the control unit of the hub 15, so that the control unit receives the detected vacuum level. The control unit may be configured to monitor the detected vacuum level for a period of time to determine the seal integrity of the HVAC-R system 1. For example, the control unit may compare the detected vacuum level to a predetermined threshold vacuum level, and determine a time that the detected vacuum level has been more than or less than the threshold vacuum level to determine if the seal integrity meets a predetermined test.
The control unit may be configured to communicate the detected vacuum level and/or the time, or a result of the vacuum test, to a remote device, for example a tablet computer or mobile phone. Optionally, the control unit may be configured to control operation of the vacuum pump 29 to turn off the vacuum pump 29 once the test is complete. At this stage, the control unit may additionally close the fluid connections to the HVAC-R system 1 to maintain a vacuum within the HVAC-R system 1, for example by closing electrically actuatable valves 21a and 21e.
As illustrated, for this procedure the first port 16 of the hub 15 is connected to the high pressure service port 14 of the HVAC-R system 1, the second port 17 of the hub 15 is connected to the low pressure service port 13 of the HVAC-R system 1, the vacuum pump 29 is attached to the first maintenance port 18a, and the refrigerant tank 23 is connected to the third maintenance port 18c. Within the hub 15, the electrically actuatable valves 21 are configured to provide a fluid connection between the first port 16 and the first maintenance port 18a to provide a fluid connection between the vacuum pump and the high pressure service port 14. The electrically actuatable valves 21 are also configured to provide a fluid connection between the second port 17 and the third maintenance port 18c to provide a fluid connection between the low pressure service port 13 and the refrigerant tank 23.
To provide this configuration, electrically actuatable valves 21a, 21b, 21e, and 21h are open, and electrically actuatable valves 21c, 21d, 21f, and 21g are closed.
In this configuration, the vacuum pump 29 can be used to draw a vacuum on the high pressure service port 14 of the HVAC-R system 1. The vacuum can then be used to pull refrigerant from the refrigerant tank 23 into the HVAC-R system 1 from the low pressure service port 13. In some examples, this arrangement may be reversed, where the vacuum pump 29 is connected to the low pressure service port 13, and the refrigerant tank 23 is connected to the high pressure service port 14 by configuring the electrically actuatable valves 21 in the hub 15 accordingly.
In other examples, the vacuum pump 29 is not used. In this example, the refrigerant tank 23 is connected to the low pressure service port 13 via the hub 15, and gas phase refrigerant is thereby fed into the low pressure service port 13. The compressor (2, see
During charging, as shown in
In some examples, more than one refrigerant tank 23 is required to fill an HVAC-R system 1, and in this case the control unit of the hub 15 can be configured to pause charging and close one or more electrically actuatable valves while the empty refrigerant tank 23 is replaced with a full refrigerant tank 23.
In preferred examples, the hub further comprises an auto-purge capability for purging the hub of refrigerant after use of the hub in any of the above-described operations. The auto-purge capability may comprise closing one or more of the electrically actuatable valves and utilising a recovery unit to ensure that all of the refrigerant has left the hub, either into the HVAC-R system 1 or into the refrigerant tank 23.
Optionally, the control unit 31 may communicate with a remote detector 36, such as the scales 28 described with reference to
The control unit 31 preferably comprises a processor for processing data, such as instructions and data received from one or more of the remote device 32, the remote detector, and/or the integrated sensor 36. The control unit 31 preferably comprises a memory for storing data, for example data for pre-set instructions on different configurations of the electrically actuatable valves 21. For example, the memory may store data for configurations of the electrically actuatable valves 21 for the procedures described with reference to
The control system 34 may optionally further comprise an input device 37. For example, the control system 34 may comprise one or more buttons or switches, or a graphical user interface, such as a touchscreen, for a user to provide information and/or commands to the control unit 31. In one example, a user provides an instruction to the control unit 31 via the input device 37, for example a ‘refrigerant recovery—gas’ instruction. In response, the control unit 31 retrieves from the memory data for the relevant pre-set configuration of the electrically actuatable valves 21, which is shown in
The input device 37 may be further configured to allow a user to input information about what connections are provided to the first port 16, the second port 17 and the maintenance ports 18a, 18b, 18c, in particular if these ports 16, 17, 18a, 18b, 18c are connected to the HVAC-R system and/or maintenance equipment. For example, the user may input that the first port 16 is connected to the high pressure service port 14 of the HVAC-R system, the second port 17 is connected to the low pressure service port 13 of the HVAC-R system, and a vacuum pump 29 is connected to the third maintenance port 18c, as shown in
In some examples, each of the first port 16, second port 17 and maintenance ports 18a, 18b, 18c may comprise a sensor to detect a connection. For example, each port 16, 17, 18a, 18b, 18c may comprise a proximity sensor to detect whether or not a hose is connected to the port 16, 17, 18a, 18b, 18c. These sensors may be in communication with the control unit 31, the control unit 31 is preferably configured only to open electrically actuatable valves 21 associated with a port 16, 17, 18a, 18b, 18c if such a connection is detected by the sensor.
In some examples, the hub 15 may be integrated with other maintenance equipment. For example, the hub 15 may be integrated into the recovery unit described with reference to
Similarly, the hub 15 may be integrated to a vacuum pump, such as the vacuum pump 29 described with reference to
In summary, there is provided apparatus for connection to an HVAC-R system during maintenance or commissioning. The apparatus comprises a plurality of ports for fluid connection to the HVAC-R system and to maintenance apparatus, for example a refrigerant tank, a refrigerant recovery unit and/or a vacuum pump. The apparatus also includes a plurality of fluid connections between the plurality of ports, and each of the fluid connections has an electrically actuatable valve to open and close the fluid connection. The apparatus also has a control unit that is configured to control each of the electrically actuatable valves to configure the plurality of fluid connections. There are also provided method of performing maintenance and/or commissioning on an HVAC-R system using the apparatus.
Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words “comprise” and “contain” and variations of them mean “including but not limited to”, and they are not intended to (and do not) exclude other components, integers or steps. Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite article is used, the specification is to be understood as contemplating plurality as well as singularity, unless the context requires otherwise.
Features, integers, characteristics or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The invention is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1907684.3 | May 2019 | GB | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17614803 | Nov 2021 | US |
| Child | 18243787 | US |
