Patent ID: 11933530
Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 7:
8. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) system, comprising:
a compressor;
a refrigerant line operably coupled to the compressor;
a compressor controller operable to control operation of the compressor; and
a protection system operably coupled to the refrigerant line and the compressor controller to prevent operation of the compressor until successful completion of a vacuum test of at least the refrigerant line, the protection system comprising:
a pressure sensor operable to sense a pressure within the refrigerant line,
a timer, and
a protection system controller in communication with the pressure sensor, the timer, and the compressor controller, the protection system controller actively disabling the compressor controller from operating the compressor until successful completion of the vacuum test, the protection system controller comprising:
one or more memories storing instructions;
one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories for executing the instructions to cause the one or more processors to:
receive pressure sensor output data generated by the pressure sensor,
determine whether the pressure sensor sensed the pressure of the refrigerant line less than or equal to a vacuum test pressure, wherein upon the pressure of the refrigerant line being less than or equal to the vacuum test pressure, the vacuum test is initiated and the timer begins timing for a vacuum test time period, and wherein the vacuum test is successfully completed upon expiration of the vacuum test time period and the pressure of the refrigerant line remaining less than or equal to the vacuum test pressure for the duration of the vacuum test time period, and
enable operation of the compressor controller to operate the compressor upon successful completion of the vacuum test.