Patent ID: 8109104
Filing Date: 2012-02-07
Classification: F25B

Abstract:
1. A method of detecting performance degradation in a refrigeration system, the method comprising: initializing the refrigeration system by operating the refrigeration system with a full refrigerant charge at specific operating conditions, the specific operating conditions including a plurality of loads and a plurality of ambient conditions; measuring initialization data relating to a plurality of operational parameters of the refrigeration system during the initialization of the refrigeration system; storing the measured initialization data at the specific operating conditions; operating the refrigeration system after initialization of the refrigeration system; measuring operational data relating to at least one of the plurality of operational parameters at a particular operating condition of the operating refrigeration system; comparing the measured operational data to the corresponding stored initialization data for the particular operating condition of the refrigeration system; generating a low refrigerant charge alert upon the measured operational data being outside a predetermined range of the corresponding stored initialization data; comparing currently measured operational data to previously measured operational data for the particular operating condition of the refrigeration system; and generating a low refrigerant charge alert upon the currently measured operational data showing a decreasing trend over time relative to the previously measured operational data.