A refrigerant control system includes: a charge module configured to determine an amount of refrigerant that is present within a refrigeration system of a building; a leak module configured to diagnose that a leak is present in the refrigeration system based on the amount of refrigerant; and at least one module configured to take at least one remedial action in response to the diagnosis that the leak is present in the refrigeration system.

A refrigerant amount inference apparatus infers a refrigerant amount in an air conditioner in which a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger, a supercooling heat exchanger, a pressure reducing valve, and a use side heat exchanger are connected to piping. The supercooling heat exchanger exchanges heat between refrigerant that passes through a valve provided in a bypass circuit and refrigerant in a mainstream circuit. The refrigerant amount inference apparatus includes an acquiring unit that acquires a state of refrigerant in first piping provided between the pressure reducing valve and the supercooling heat exchanger and an operation amount related to the state of the refrigerant in the first piping, and a training unit that performs training by associating the state of the refrigerant in the first piping and the operation amount related to the state of the refrigerant in the first piping with a refrigerant amount.

A cooling system includes a coolant transmitter that transmits coolant at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. The cooling system also includes an evaporation vessel at atmospheric pressure. The evaporation vessel can contain an amount of coolant at the boiling point of the coolant. The cooling system also includes a pressure reducer fluidically coupled to the coolant transmitter and the evaporation vessel. The pressure reducer can include an orifice. The cooling system is configured such that heat is transferred from the coolant in the coolant transmitter to the coolant contained in the evaporation vessel. An exit stream conduit can fluidically couple the coolant transmitter and the pressure reducer, with the exit stream conduit diverting a portion of the coolant from the coolant transmitter to the evaporation vessel.

A method for estimating refrigerant charge for an HVACR system is provided. The method includes obtaining one or more system parameters during operation. The one or more system parameters include at least one of compressor suction superheat, system mass flow, expansion device mass flow or opening degree, compressor suction saturated temperature, and compressor discharge saturated temperature. The method also includes conducting a regression analysis on the one or more system parameters to determine one or more predictive parameters for estimating the refrigerant charge. The method further includes determining a predictive model based on regression analysis. The predictive model establishes a relationship between the refrigerant charge and the one or more predictive parameters. Also the method includes estimating the refrigerant charge based on the predictive model.

A transportation refrigeration system includes a compartment to be conditioned. A refrigeration circuit is associated with an enclosure including a compressor. A condenser and an expansion valve are upstream of a first evaporator and a second evaporator. The first evaporator is in parallel with the second evaporator. A first enclosure surrounds the first evaporator. The first enclosure includes a first refrigerant detection sensor in communication with a controller. A second enclosure surrounds the second evaporator. The second enclosure includes a second refrigeration detection sensor in communication with the controller.

A refrigeration system has a main refrigeration circuit including a compression stage, a condensing stage, and an evaporation stage, a refrigerant circulating between the compression stage, the condensing stage and the evaporation stage in a refrigeration cycle. An integrated transfer system is in closeable and openable fluid communication with the main refrigeration circuit, the transfer system including a receiver. Valves are operable to selectively open the fluid communication between the main refrigeration circuit and the transfer system. A motive force source displaces refrigerant from the main refrigeration circuit to the transfer system.

A refrigeration system, comprising a compressor, a condenser, a throttle flow path, and an evaporator connected in sequence, wherein a non-adjustable main throttle element is disposed in the throttle flow path; and further comprising a bypass flow path, wherein the bypass flow path is connected to the throttle flow path respectively at the upstream and downstream of the main throttle element, and provided with an adjustable auxiliary throttle element thereon; a liquid level sensor, disposed upstream and/or downstream of the throttle flow path, and configured to detect the liquid level; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to control the opening of the auxiliary throttle element according to a liquid level signal from the liquid level sensor.

A dynamic receiver is included in parallel to an expander of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) system. The dynamic receiver allows control of the refrigerant charge of the HVACR system to respond to different operating conditions. The dynamic receiver can be filled or emptied in response to the subcooling observed in the HVACR system compared to desired subcooling for various operating modes. The HVACR system can include a line directly conveying working fluid from compressor discharge to the dynamic receiver to allow emptying of the dynamic receiver to be assisted by injection of the compressor discharge.

A refrigerant amount management system manages an amount of refrigerant with which a plurality of refrigeration cycle apparatuses is filled. Each refrigeration cycle apparatus has a refrigerant circuit. The refrigerant amount management system includes an additional-filling-amount obtaining unit that obtains an additional filling amount of refrigerant with which a refrigeration cycle apparatus has been additionally filled after installation, a storage unit, and a useful-information creation unit. The storage unit stores apparatus information regarding the refrigeration cycle apparatus that has been additionally filled with refrigerant and the additional filling amount of the refrigeration cycle apparatus identified with the apparatus information in association with each other. The useful-information creation unit creates useful information to be used in management of the amount of refrigerant based on the additional filling amount of one of the refrigeration cycle apparatuses and the additional filling amount of another of the refrigeration cycle apparatuses.

A cooling system includes a coolant transmitter that transmits coolant at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. The cooling system also includes an evaporation vessel at atmospheric pressure. The evaporation vessel can contain an amount of coolant at the boiling point of the coolant. The cooling system also includes a pressure reducer fluidically coupled to the coolant transmitter and the evaporation vessel. The pressure reducer can include an orifice. The cooling system is configured such that heat is transferred from the coolant in the coolant transmitter to the coolant contained in the evaporation vessel. An exit stream conduit can fluidically couple the coolant transmitter and the pressure reducer, with the exit stream conduit diverting a portion of the coolant from the coolant transmitter to the evaporation vessel.