| CPC B60H 1/3205 (2013.01) [B60H 1/00978 (2013.01); B60H 2001/325 (2013.01); B60H 2001/3257 (2013.01); B60H 2001/3272 (2013.01); B60H 2001/3285 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. A refrigerant system comprising:
a compressor with an inlet port and an outlet port, configured to receive a refrigerant at a low-side pressure at the inlet port, and configured to present the refrigerant at a first high-side pressure at the outlet port;
a first high-side pressure sensor in fluid communication with the outlet port of the compressor, and configured to measure the first high-side pressure of the refrigerant;
a second high-side pressure sensor in fluid communication with the inlet port of the compressor, and configured to measure a second high-side pressure of the refrigerant;
a plurality of refrigerant flow valves coupled in parallel between the first high-side pressure sensor and the second high-side pressure sensor, wherein the plurality of refrigerant flow valves has a plurality of flow valve positions;
a low-side pressure sensor in fluid communication with the inlet port of the compressor, and configured to measure the low-side pressure of the refrigerant;
a plurality of electronic expansion valves coupled in parallel between the low-side pressure sensor and the second high-side pressure sensor, wherein the plurality of electronic expansion valves has a plurality of expansion valve positions; and
a processor configured to:
calculate a high-side delta value as a difference between the first high-side pressure as measured and the second high-side pressure as measured;
calculate an expected delta value between the first high-side pressure and the second high-side pressure based on a ratio of a low-side density of the refrigerant at the inlet port of the compressor to the plurality of flow valve positions;
perform a high-side remedial action in response to the high-side delta value deviating from the expected delta value by greater than a high-side threshold value, wherein the high-side remedial action is at least one of (i) close one or more of the plurality of refrigerant flow valves, (ii) close a corresponding one or more of a plurality of high-side check valves, (iii) stop the compressor, (iv) notify a driver, or (v) any combination thereof;
calculate a sensed delta value as another difference between the second high-side pressure as measured and the low-side pressure as measured;
calculate a plurality of expansion valve mass flow rate values of the refrigerant through the plurality of electronic expansion valves based on the sensed delta value and the plurality of expansion valve positions;
calculate a compressor mass flow rate value of the refrigerant through the compressor; and
perform a low-side remedial action in response to a sum of the plurality of expansion valve mass flow rate values deviating from the compressor mass flow rate value by greater than a low-side threshold value, wherein the low-side remedial action is at least one of (i) close one or more of the plurality of electronic expansion valves, (ii) close a corresponding one or more of a plurality of low-side check valves, (iii) stop the compressor, (iv) notify the driver, or (v) any combination thereof.
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