Refrigerant evacuation and charge adjustment mechanism

Abstract

Refrigerant evacuation and charge adjustment mechanisms and cooling systems for charging and discharging fluids are disclosed. The cooling system includes a primary fluid circuit and a secondary fluid circuit. The secondary fluid circuit includes: a receiver configured to receive and discharge fluid flowing through the primary fluid circuit and the secondary fluid circuit; a pump configured to communicate with the receiver; a receiving valve selectively opened to direct the fluid to the receiver; and a return valve selectively opened to discharge the fluid from the receiver. The system also includes a controller in communication with the primary fluid circuit and the secondary fluid circuit and a sensor that detects a sensed value within the cooling system.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This disclosure claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 699,395, filed September 26, 2024, pursuant to 35 USC §119(e), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to cooling systems, and more specifically, to systems and methods for adjusting refrigerant evacuation and charging. Background Technology

[0004] Data centers have ever-increasing heat density, demanding thermal systems that provide increased cooling density. Furthermore, the recent trend toward even higher-density data centers for artificial intelligence requires greater heat dissipation per unit area. Various cooling systems have been used to cool electronic devices (e.g., processors, memory, networking devices, chips, and other heat-generating devices) in data centers, particularly those located on server or network rack trays. Forced convection can be created, for example, by providing cooling airflow over the equipment. Fans located near the equipment, in computer server rooms, and / or in duct systems in airflow communication with the surrounding electronic devices can force cooling airflow across the tray containing the equipment. Newer cooling methods include direct-to-chip liquid cooling, which provides a fluid to cool electronic components without the use of cooling fans. For example, the liquid can be delivered to a cold plate directly mounted on heated electronic equipment to absorb heat. The liquid is then conveyed to a coolant distribution unit (CDU), where heat exchangers dissipate heat. Such cooling systems are applicable in many different applications where the medium (e.g., a fluid) will be cooled or must be cooled. The fluid can be a gas such as air or a liquid such as water or a refrigerant.

[0005] The efficiency of cooling systems is becoming increasingly important. Power conversion systems and cooling systems used in data centers consume at least half of the electricity typically used in a data center. In other words, less than half the electricity is consumed by the servers within the data center. This leads to growing concern about the energy efficiency of data center cooling systems. However, current cooling systems experience undesirable pressure drops throughout the system, which reduces energy efficiency. Some cooling systems include receivers to ensure refrigerant flows to expansion devices to help maintain stable subcooling. However, pressure drops are still unavoidable, which can negatively impact system capacity and efficiency. Furthermore, there is unnecessary loss of refrigerant when leaks occur.

[0006] In view of the foregoing, improved refrigerant leak capture and re-use systems and methods are needed that can also reduce the risk of critical technical failures and hazards while facilitating environmental regulations. SUMMARY

[0007] According to example embodiments of the present disclosure, a cooling system for charging and discharging a fluid is disclosed. The system includes a primary fluid circuit, a secondary fluid circuit, a controller configured to communicate with the primary fluid circuit and the secondary fluid circuit, and a sensor configured to detect a sensed value within the cooling system and communicate with the controller. The secondary fluid circuit includes a receiver configured to receive and discharge the fluid flowing through the primary fluid circuit and the secondary fluid circuit, a pump configured to communicate with the receiver, a receiving valve selectively opened to direct the fluid to the receiver, and a return valve selectively opened to discharge the fluid from the receiver.

[0008] In some embodiments, the receiving valve includes a first valve configured to selectively open and close to allow the fluid to flow from the primary fluid circuit through the secondary fluid circuit to the pump, and a second valve configured to selectively open and close to allow the fluid flowing from the pump to flow on the secondary fluid circuit to the receiver. In some embodiments, the return valve includes a third valve configured to selectively open and close to allow the fluid to flow from the receiver to the pump, and a fourth valve configured to selectively open and close to allow the fluid to flow from the secondary fluid circuit to the primary fluid circuit.

[0009] In some embodiments, when the controller determines a fluid leak based on the sensed value, the receiving valve is opened and the return valve is closed. In some embodiments, when the controller determines no leak based on the sensed value, the receiving valve is closed and the return valve is opened. In some other embodiments, when the controller determines an amount of fluid in the primary fluid circuit is less than a target amount based on the sensed value, the receiving valve is closed and the return valve is opened.

[0010] In some embodiments, the secondary fluid circuit further includes a scale disposed below the receiver, the scale configured to measure a weight of the fluid inside the receiver. The primary fluid circuit is connected to an indoor unit disposed inside a building and an outdoor unit disposed outside the building. In some embodiments, the outdoor unit includes a condenser, a condenser fan, a fluid pump, a check valve, and a solenoid valve. In some embodiments, the indoor unit includes an evaporator, an evaporator fan, a compressor, and an expansion device. The sensor includes at least one of a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, or a humidity sensor.

[0011] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a method for controlling fluid flow in a cooling system is disclosed. The method may include: detecting a sensed value by a sensor; determining, based on the sensed value, whether a fluid leak exists by a controller; operating the cooling system in a stable state when no leak is determined; measuring a subcooling value by a sensor; determining whether the subcooling value is within a threshold (or target); when the subcooling value is determined to be outside the threshold, controlling the receiving valve to open and the return valve to close to guide fluid flowing from the condenser to the receiver; waiting for a predetermined time period; and repeating the above steps.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method further includes: when a leak is determined to exist in the step of determining whether a fluid leak exists, controlling the receiving valve to open and controlling the return valve to close to direct fluid to the receiver; when the subcooling value is determined to be within a threshold, closing the receiving valve and opening the return valve to allow fluid to flow from the receiver to the main fluid loop; and performing the method from the step of determining whether a fluid leak exists when it is determined that the cooling system is not in a stable state.

[0013] In some implementations, determining whether the subcooling value is within a threshold includes determining whether the subcooling value is greater than or less than the threshold. The method may further include: when the subcooling value is determined to be greater than the threshold, closing the receiving valve and opening the return valve; when the subcooling value is determined to be less than the threshold, opening the receiving valve and closing the return valve; and after determining that there is no leakage but the cooling system is not operating in a stable state, performing the step of determining whether a fluid leak exists based on the sensed value, and repeating the steps.

[0014] Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the principles of the invention by way of example. Attached Figure Description

[0015] This disclosure will be readily understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference numerals denote similar elements:

[0016] Figure 1 An example of a typical cooling system for a data center, based on existing technology, is shown.

[0017] Figure 2 This is shown as an example based on existing technology. Figure 1 A typical cooling system with a direct expansion (DX) cooling loop.

[0018] Figure 3 Another example based on existing technology is shown. Figure 1 A typical cooling system with a DX cooling loop featuring a pumped refrigerant economizer mode.

[0019] Figure 4 A cooling system having a DX cooling circuit is shown in accordance with one example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 5 A cooling system having a DX cooling circuit with a pumped refrigerant economizer mode is shown in accordance with another example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 6 Methods of controlling a cooling system for evacuation and charge of refrigerant in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure are shown.

[0022] Figure 7 A graph depicting the charge impact on energy consumption of a compressor using a cooling system in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Figure 8 is a block diagram of an example computing device that can be used to implement embodiments in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The presentation of the foregoing drawings and the following written description are not intended to limit the scope of the applicant's invention or the appended claims in any way. Rather, the drawings and written description are provided to teach any skilled person in the art how to make and use the invention sought to be patented. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that not all features of a commercial embodiment of the present invention are described or shown in order to not obscure the description and drawings. Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that the development of an actual commercial embodiment incorporating aspects of the present invention will require numerous implementation-specific decisions to achieve the developer's ultimate goal for the commercial embodiment. Such implementation-specific decisions can include, without limitation, compliance with system-related, business-related, government-related and other constraints, which can vary by specific implementation, location and time. While a developer's efforts might be complex and time-consuming, such efforts would be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of this disclosure. It must be understood that the invention disclosed and taught herein is susceptible to numerous modifications and alternative forms. Although specific embodiments have been disclosed, similar changes and modifications can be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0025] The use of singular terms, such as but not limited to “a,” is not intended to limit the quantity of items. The use of relational terms such as but not limited to “top,” “bottom,” “left,” “right,” “upper,” “lower,” “down,” “up,” “side,” and the like are used for description purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the application or appended claims. The terms “include,” “such as,” and “for example” are used for illustrative purposes and are not limited. The terms “coupled,” “coupled to,” “coupled with,” “coupler,” and like terms are used broadly herein and can encompass both direct and indirect coupling, mechanical, magnetic, electrical, chemical, and / or operable ways of permanently or temporarily fixing, engaging, connecting, fastening, attaching, joining, inserting, forming, communicating, or associating one or more structures or components together or with each other, and can also include, without limitation, integrally forming one functional component with another functional component in a unitary manner. Coupling can occur in any direction and can include rotatably coupling. Moreover, all portions and components of the present disclosure that are capable of physical implementation inherently include both hypothetical and actual properties, regardless of whether such properties are explicitly described herein, including, without limitation, properties such as axes, ends, inner and outer surfaces, interior spaces, tops, bottoms, sides, boundaries, dimensions (e.g., height, length, width, thickness), mass, weight, volume, and density.

[0026] Embodiments described herein relate to techniques for cooling data centers. In particular, the systems and methods of the present disclosure provide a new and novel refrigerant leak capture and release system with a simple reconfiguration to existing cooling systems, resulting in a solution that is not overly complex or expensive and allows for compliance with existing standards. For example, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can improve the recovery, recirculation, and / or reuse of refrigerant fluids. Further, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can be configured to adjust the amount of refrigerant within a refrigerant loop.

[0027] Figure 1 A typical cooling system 100 for a building, such as a data center 102, is shown having an indoor unit 102 and an outdoor unit 106. The indoor unit 102 can include an evaporator, a fan, a compressor, and an expansion device. The outdoor unit 106 can include a condenser coil, a fan, and a pump. The indoor unit 102 inside the building (e.g., data center 102) can be in fluid communication with the outdoor unit 106 located outside the building through a closed fluid loop. Fluid (e.g., refrigerant) flowing within the loop can generally be formulated to undergo a phase change within the normal operating temperatures and pressures of the system 100, such that heat can be exchanged with the latent heat of vaporization of the refrigerant. Thus, the refrigerant flowing within the system 100 can travel through multiple conduits and components of the loop.

[0028] Figure 2 A cooling system 200 is shown having indoor units in a data center 202 and outdoor units outside the data center 202. The outdoor units can include a condenser 204 having a condenser fan 214. The indoor units can be a DX cooling system including an evaporator 206 having an evaporator fan 216, a compressor 208, an expansion device 210, a check valve 212, and one or more sensors 218, 220 (e.g., temperature and pressure sensors). Each component of the DX cooling system 200 can be in fluid communication with one another via one or more fluid lines. Note that in this simple configuration, hot air in the data center 202 can be blown by the evaporator fan 216 into the evaporator 206, compressed by the compressor 208 to remove the refrigerant vapor, and condensed by the condenser 204 while heat is transferred from the condensing vapor to the outside. The expansion device 210 then creates a pressure drop to create a two-phase mixture of refrigerant.

[0029] Figure 3 Another cooling system 300 is shown having indoor units in a data center 302 and outdoor units outside the data center 302. The outdoor units can include a condenser 304 having a condenser fan 314. The indoor units can include an evaporator 306 having an evaporator fan 316, a compressor 308, an expansion device 310, a check valve 312, and one or more sensors 318a, 320 (e.g., temperature and pressure sensors). Each component of the cooling system 300 can be in fluid communication with one another via one or more fluid lines.

[0030] While the cooling system 300 is a typical DX cooling system, the cooling system 300 can include a DX cooling circuit having a pumped refrigerant economizer mode. For example, as shown in Figure 3 The cooling system 300 can include additional components. For example, the indoor units can also include an additional valve 322, and the outdoor units can also include a fluid pump 324, a check valve 326, and a solenoid valve 328. The cooling system 300 can include one or more additional sensors 318, 318b for a pressure differential at the pump 324. These additional components of the outdoor units can also be referred to as an EconoPhase unit or economizer system. Details of this EconoPhase unit are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,038,404, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

[0031] Cooling systems 200 and 300 are configured to absorb heat (e.g., from servers) from a given space (e.g., a data center) and transfer it outside of the space, e.g., to the outside environment where the heat is dissipated. The techniques of the present disclosure are applicable to all cooling systems. Refrigerant passes in a generally counter-clockwise direction in one or more pipes or conduits, which are represented using a series of consecutive arrows arranged in a loop / rectangle. However, the direction can be reversed, such that the refrigerant can be controlled to flow in a clockwise direction. This can be referred to as a refrigerant loop. The refrigerant loop is configured to circulate refrigerant to cool the air of the air loop. The refrigerant used in the refrigerant loop can be water, a fluorinated gas (F-gas), or a natural gas, e.g., carbon dioxide or propane. As understood by one skilled in the art, the refrigerant can be a mixture of gases, e.g., R410A or R1234ze.

[0032] As described above, the refrigerant loop is a closed loop in which the same refrigerant is circulated while changing its physical properties, e.g., pressure, temperature, and state, e.g., liquid or gas. However, in the current cooling loop, such as cooling systems 200 or 300, an undesirable amount of refrigerant can leak and escape into the atmosphere. Refrigerant leakage is undesirable for several reasons. For example, refrigerant is expensive and the cooling system requires a specific amount of refrigerant to operate correctly, such that it is advantageous to avoid the need to replace lost refrigerant. In addition, the loss of refrigerant can have a negative impact on components of the cooling system, such as the compressor, such that it can cause the need to replace or service such components. In addition, using a smaller amount of refrigerant improves the energy efficiency ratio (EER) of the cooling system. For a large leak, the cooling unit will lose its ability to work normally and will not be able to provide the designed cooling, which can introduce unwanted downtime in the data center. A service call to repair / refill the cooling system can cause additional downtime. In addition, the lost refrigerant has a non-zero global warming potential (GWP), such that undetected leaks will introduce more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and reduce the sustainability of the data center. In addition, the refrigerant can be flammable, such that leaking into the atmosphere can also cause safety issues. In addition, the refrigerant is toxic or has a higher density than air, so oxygen can be pushed out by the leaked refrigerant, which can cause suffocation.

[0033] Accordingly, it is necessary to properly and efficiently detect refrigerant leaks before operation of the cooling system significantly deteriorates, resulting in unwanted downtime. It is also desirable to more reliably determine which cooling system is leaking to further improve the speed of detecting the specific location of the leak and avoid the need to shut down multiple cooling systems to inspect each of the cooling systems. Furthermore, it is advantageous to capture the leak without negatively impacting operation of the cooled components and to efficiently reuse as needed, so there is no loss of refrigerant in the cooling system if a leak is detected directly or indirectly. If a leak is detected, the refrigerant charge can be evacuated / guided into a tank, which will reduce the amount of refrigerant leaking, and can be reused if needed. As previously described, the present disclosure enables enhanced safety by limiting the amount of refrigerant in the enclosed space.

[0034] The systems and methods of the present disclosure focus on techniques for capturing leaks in a cooling system before operation of the cooling system deteriorates to reduce unwanted downtime. Furthermore, the systems and methods of the present disclosure provide techniques for recovering refrigerant to be reused, promoting green data centers, and energy efficient operation.

[0035] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a high efficiency cooling system can include staged cooling provided by two or more cooling circuits arranged such that air to be cooled flows through them in series. In an aspect, each cooling circuit can include a series digital scroll compressor consisting of a fixed capacity scroll compressor and a digital scroll compressor. It should be appreciated that instead of a series digital compressor, multiple compressors can be plumbed in parallel, and these compressors can have different capacities. In an aspect, each cooling circuit can be either a DX cooling circuit only or a DX cooling circuit and a pumped refrigerant economizer circuit that bypasses the compressor when the outdoor temperature is low enough to provide the necessary cooling to the refrigerant circulating in the cooling circuit. In an aspect, the high efficiency cooling system can also include one or more fans, blowers, or similar air moving units that move the air to be cooled through the evaporator of each cooling circuit. The motor of the air moving unit can illustratively be a variable speed motor, and can illustratively be an electrically controlled motor. The same can be the case for the fan motor for the condenser. In an aspect, the cooling circuits of the high efficiency cooling system can include electronic expansion valves.

[0036] It should be appreciated that the cooling system can have fewer than all of these elements, and can have various combinations of them. For example, the cooling system can not have staged cooling, but rather have cooling circuits that include either a DX cooling circuit only or a DX cooling circuit and a pumped refrigerant economizer circuit. In this aspect, series digital scroll can or can not be used.

[0037] Figure 4A cooling system 400 with a direct expansion (DX) cooling circuit is shown in accordance with one example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] The cooling system 400 (which can also be referred to as a cooling delivery unit) can be configured to absorb heat (e.g., heat generated by servers) from a given space and transfer it outside of the space, e.g., to an outside environment where the heat is released. The techniques of the present disclosure are applicable to all cooling systems. For ease of illustration, Figure 4 The cooling system 400 can be an air handling unit (AHU) with one circuit, although the techniques of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0039] In embodiments, the cooling system 400 can be divided into two parts, each including an air circuit and a fluid circuit. The air circuit can be configured to move hot air by drawing it into the cooling system 400 from the servers and supplying the same air back to the servers with a lower temperature. This can be performed using a fan. In Figure 4 The use of a series of adjacent vertical arrows pointing upwards and downwards from the evaporator 406 and the condenser 404 represents air. Here, fluid (e.g., refrigerant) passes through one or more pipes or conduits (e.g., fluid circuit). Similar to the cooling system 200, the fluid circuit is configured to circulate fluid to cool the air of the air circuit.

[0040] In some embodiments, the cooling system 400 includes at least two heat exchanger configurations on the main fluid circuit 400a. For example, the cooling system 400 can include an evaporator 406 disposed inside a building 402 (e.g., a data center) and a condenser 404 located outside of the building. For example, the indoor unit 402 can include an evaporator 406 with an evaporator fan 416 configured to move hot air from one or more servers and their surrounding environment to the evaporator 406 (also referred to as an evaporator coil, coil, heat exchanger, etc.). In this regard, the hot air can pass through the evaporator 406 and be cooled as the fluid absorbs heat. This occurs without the air and refrigerant mixing. The cooler air can then be recirculated to the one or more servers to absorb more heat. Additionally, the indoor unit can include a check valve 412 to prevent backflow, maintain pressure, and protect the cooling system 400 to ensure safety and efficiency.

[0041] During the heat absorption, the state of the fluid changes from a liquid to a gas. Subsequently, the fluid gas can be drawn into a compressor 408. The compressor 408 can be configured to increase the pressure of the fluid and pass it to a condenser 404 (also referred to as a condenser coil, coil, heat exchanger, etc.). A condenser fan 414 can be configured to circulate cool air through the condenser 404 to cool the fluid until it condenses (e.g., changes state from a gas to a liquid). The liquid fluid is then fed towards an evaporator 406. The fluid can also pass through an expansion device 410 (or expansion valve) configured to control the amount of fluid that flows back into the evaporator 406.

[0042] In some implementations, the cooling system 400 further includes additional components connected between the condenser 404 and the expansion device 410 and via the fluid line. For example, the cooling system 400 can include a receiver or tank 430 configured to act as a fluid buffer, i.e., a storage tank for the fluid. This configuration can provide flexibility in the amount of fluid supplied by providing a means for holding excess fluid. The amount of fluid required depends on the predicted operating conditions of the cooling system 400, including the suction and condensing pressures. The amount of fluid required also depends on the value of subcooling. For example, if the cooling system 400 includes a smaller amount of fluid, it will result in lower subcooling. It is contemplated herein that the cooling system 400 should include enough fluid so that it can deliver the requested cooling capacity, however, it is not desirable to include too much fluid due to its high cost.

[0043] The cooling system 400 can also include a pump 432 connected before the receiver 430, and electrically controlled or actuated valves 434, 436, 438, and 440, such as solenoid on / off valves or motor driven on / off valves. In the case of leak detection, the corresponding valve of the several solenoid valves 434, 436, 438, and 440 on the fluid line can be selectively opened, and the pump 432 can start ramping up to migrate the fluid from the fluid line into the receiver 430. Here, the leak detection method is described in EP Application No. 24166513.2, U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 19 / 068,928, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 634,699, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 657,682, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, and thus the details thereof are omitted herein. However, various fluid or refrigerant leak detection can be employed in the present systems and methods.

[0044] In some embodiments, the valves 434, 436, 438, and 440 can be selectively opened or closed based on a leak detection. More specifically, the cooling system 400 can be controlled at a given fluid volume in the circuit. For example, the cooling system 400 can include various sensors 418, 418a, and 420 to determine a fluid leak within the cooling system 400 or the fluid circuit. The various sensors can be temperature sensors that can measure the actual subcooling of the circuit, pressure sensors, humidity sensors, or a combination thereof. When there are 4 solenoid valves 434, 436, 438, and 440 in the circuit or secondary fluid circuit 400b, the first valve 434 and the second valve 436 as a pair (or receiving valve) can be controlled to be closed or open, while the third valve 438 and the fourth valve 440 as another pair (as a return valve) can be controlled to be open or closed, respectively. The valves within each pair can be controlled together, i.e., when the first valve 434 is open (or closed), the second valve 436 is open (or closed), and vice versa. However, the number of valves is not limited to 4, but can be greater or less than 4 based on the refrigerant circuit and / or the overall cooling system configuration.

[0045] More specifically, in the case of a leak detection in the cooling system 400, particularly after the fluid passes through the condenser 404 before entering the expansion device 410, the first valve 434 and the second valve 436 can be controlled to be open as removal valves, and the third valve 438 and the fourth valve 440 are controlled to be closed as charging valves. When the first valve 434 is open, the fluid can flow to the inlet of the pump 432 to prevent the fluid from being wasted to the atmosphere. The fluid can then flow to the inlet of the solenoid or second valve 436, which can be controlled to be open to allow the fluid to flow to the receiver 430, while the third valve 438 and the fourth valve 440 are closed.

[0046] This allows for the capture of fluid or forcing the cooling system 400 to pull a vacuum (or vent), which has several benefits. For example, the benefits include, but are not limited to: 1) economic value by saving fluid loss, 2) environmental value by reducing the amount of refrigerant introduced to the atmosphere, and 3) safety value by ensuring that no more refrigerant is introduced to an enclosed space in the case of flammable refrigerants (e.g., a catastrophic scenario in the case of a wildfire at high altitude).

[0047] On the other hand, in the case of fluid charging, i.e., returning to the main fluid line, the first valve 434 and the second valve 436 are closed, while the third valve 438 and the fourth valve 440 are open. Here, the third valve 438 can be open to allow the stored fluid to flow back from the receiver 430 to the pump 432 (by opening the third valve 438), and then back to the main fluid line (by opening the fourth valve 440 and closing the second valve 436) or back to the receiver 430 (by opening the second valve 436 and closing the fourth valve 440).

[0048] When it is determined within the system 400 that there is no longer a leak or that the repair to fix the leak has been completed, the opening of the third and fourth valves 438, 440 can be determined and controlled. Additionally or alternatively, when the refrigerant line requires additional fluid for cooling purposes, the third and fourth valves 438, 440 can be controlled to open to release some of the fluid from the receiver 430.

[0049] The above control system allows for dynamic charge adjustment based on cooling system operating conditions (charge, environment, cooling capacity, etc.). By automatically adjusting the fluid / refrigerant charge, i.e., adjusting the amount of fluid returned to the cooling circuit for optimal energy efficiency, there are several benefits. When there is more or less refrigerant than is needed, the refrigerant can have a negative impact on energy efficiency. With the above configuration of the present disclosure, the charge can be dynamically and automatically modified for better energy efficiency.

[0050] In some embodiments, the subcooling of the system 400 can be continuously measured and, as a result, the charge of the circuit can be automatically controlled accordingly. With lower charge, the subcooling will decrease, and with higher charge, it will increase. A small amount of fluid has a negative impact on the deliverable cooling capacity of the unit, which can be detected, for example, by the solenoid valve position. In the case where there is more fluid in the circuit than is needed, the active heat exchange surface on the condenser will be lower, which can significantly reduce the capacity of the condenser in extreme cases. The correct amount of fluid is also a function of the operating environment. In hot and cold environments (summer vs. winter), the ideal fluid charge is different. The proposed mechanism will allow continuous monitoring of the circuit and adjustment of the fluid charge accordingly to ensure correct cooling system operation.

[0051] Furthermore, to quantify the amount of fluid in the circuit, the cooling system 400 can also include a scale 441, the signal of which will be connected to the local controller. The scale reading will be used as a control mechanism to assess the correct fluid charge. For example, when the scale 441 shows that the tank 430 is empty, but the cooling system 400 is still working in conditions that require a greater amount of fluid, this can be an indication of a possible leak on the system.

[0052] Valve opening and closing control as described above can ensure limiting the amount of fluid introduced or no refrigerant leakage to the atmosphere. This will reduce fluid or refrigerant recharging when there is a refrigerant loss to the atmosphere. Also, in the case of flammable gases, it can be necessary to migrate all the fluid from the server room for safety reasons. The fluid migration routine can be implemented directly on the local controller and in the case of a service event, the service technician can activate the routine which will allow a safe and proper inspection of the cooling system. Also, the tank can be used as a charge delivery mechanism which can hold the full charge for a given circuit (plus a predefined amount of extra fluid if needed). After the unit is installed, when the circuit passes the seal test, the circuit can be charged from the introduced tank.

[0053] Valve opening and closing control as described above can ensure limiting the amount of fluid introduced or no refrigerant leakage to the atmosphere. This will reduce fluid or refrigerant recharging when there is a refrigerant loss to the atmosphere. Also, in the case of flammable gases, it can be necessary to migrate all the fluid from the server room for safety reasons. The fluid migration routine can be implemented directly on the local controller and in the case of a service event, the service technician can activate the routine which will allow a safe and proper inspection of the cooling system. Also, the tank can be used as a charge delivery mechanism which can hold the full charge for a given circuit (plus a predefined amount of extra fluid if needed). After the unit is installed, when the circuit passes the seal test, the circuit can be charged from the introduced tank.

[0054] Figure 5 A cooling system 500 with a DX cooling circuit with a pumped fluid economizer mode according to another example embodiment of the disclosure is shown.

[0055] The cooling system 500 includes a circuit 500b that includes features similar to the circuit 400b of the cooling system 400. Figure 4 Each valve in the circuit 500b can be controlled in a similar manner, for example, the first valve 534 and the second valve 536 can be opened or closed as a pair, while the third valve 538 and the fourth valve 540 can be closed or opened as another pair.

[0056] In an embodiment, the cooling system 500 can be divided into two parts, each including an air circuit and a fluid circuit. The air circuit can be configured to move hot air by drawing the hot air from the servers into the cooling system 500 and supplying the same air with a lower temperature back to the servers. This can be performed using a fan. In Figure 5Air is represented here using a series of adjacent vertical arrows pointing upwards and downwards from the evaporator 506 and the condenser 504. Fluid (e.g., refrigerant) passes through one or more pipes or conduits (e.g., fluid circuit) here. Similar to the cooling system 200, the fluid circuit is configured to circulate fluid to cool the air of the air circuit.

[0057] In some implementations, the cooling system 500 includes at least two heat exchanger configurations on the primary fluid circuit 500a. For example, the cooling system 500 can include an evaporator 506 located inside a building (e.g., a data center) and a condenser 504 located outside the building. For example, the indoor unit can include the evaporator 506 with an evaporator fan 516 configured to move hot air from one or more servers and their surrounding environment to the evaporator 506 (also referred to as an evaporator coil, coil, heat exchanger, etc.). In this regard, the hot air can pass through the evaporator 506 and be cooled as the fluid absorbs heat. This occurs without the air and refrigerant mixing. The cooler air can then be recirculated to the one or more servers to absorb more heat. Additionally, the indoor unit can include a check valve 512 to prevent backflow, maintain pressure, and protect the cooling system 500 to ensure safety and efficiency.

[0058] During heat absorption, the fluid changes state from a liquid to a gas. Subsequently, the fluid gas can be drawn into a compressor 508. The compressor 508 can be configured to increase the pressure of the fluid and pass it to the condenser 504 (also referred to as a condenser coil, coil, heat exchanger, etc.). A condenser fan 514 can be configured to circulate cool air through the condenser 504 to cool the fluid until it condenses (e.g., changes state from a gas to a liquid). The liquid fluid is then fed towards the evaporator 506. The fluid can also pass through an expansion device 510 (or expansion valve) configured to control the amount of fluid that flows back into the evaporator 506.

[0059] In some implementations, the cooling system 500 also includes additional components connected between the condenser 504 and the expansion device 510 and via fluid lines. For example, the cooling system 500 can include a receiver or tank 530 configured to act as a fluid buffer, i.e., a storage tank for fluid. This configuration can provide flexibility in the amount of fluid supplied by providing a means to hold excess fluid. The amount of fluid needed depends on the predicted operating conditions of the cooling system 500, which include suction and condensing pressure. The amount of fluid needed also depends on the value of subcooling. For example, if the cooling system 500 includes a smaller amount of fluid, it will result in lower subcooling. It is contemplated herein that the cooling system 500 should include enough fluid so that it can deliver the requested cooling capacity, however, it is not desirable to include too much fluid due to its high cost.

[0060] The cooling system 500 can also include a pump 532 connected before the receiver 530, and electrically controlled or actuated valves 534, 536, 538, and 540, such as solenoid on / off valves or motor driven on / off valves. In the case of a leak detection, the corresponding valves among the several solenoid valves 534, 536, 538, and 540 on the fluid line can be selectively opened, and the pump 532 can start ramping up to migrate the fluid from the fluid line into the receiver 530.

[0061] In some embodiments, the valves 534, 536, 538, and 540 can be selectively opened or closed based on the leak detection. More specifically, the cooling system 500 can be controlled at a given fluid amount in the circuit. For example, the cooling system 500 can include various sensors 518, 518a, and 520 to determine a fluid leak within the cooling system 500 or the fluid circuit. The various sensors can be temperature sensors, pressure sensors, humidity sensors, or a combination thereof that can measure an actual subcooling of the circuit. When there are 4 solenoid valves 534, 536, 538, and 540 in the circuit or the secondary fluid circuit 500b, the first valve 534 and the second valve 536 as a pair (or a receiving valve) can be controlled to be closed or opened, while the third valve 538 and the fourth valve 540 as another pair (as a return valve) can be controlled to be opened or closed, respectively. The valves within each pair can be controlled together, i.e., when the first valve 534 is opened (or closed), the second valve 536 is opened (or closed), and vice versa. However, the number of valves is not limited to 4, but can be greater or less than 4 based on the refrigerant circuit and / or the overall cooling system configuration.

[0062] More specifically, in the case of a leak detection in the cooling system 500, particularly after the fluid passes through the condenser 504 before entering the expansion device 510, the first valve 534 and the second valve 536 can be controlled to be opened as removal valves, and the third valve 538 and the fourth valve 540 are controlled to be closed as charging valves. When the first valve 534 is opened, the fluid can flow to the inlet of the pump 532 to prevent the fluid from being wasted to the atmosphere. Then, the fluid can flow to the inlet of the solenoid or second valve 536, which can be controlled to be opened to allow the fluid to flow to the receiver 530, while the third valve 538 and the fourth valve 540 are closed.

[0063] On the other hand, in the case of fluid recharge, i.e. return to the main fluid line, the first valve 534 and the second valve 536 are closed while the third valve 538 and the fourth valve 540 are open. Here, the third valve 538 can be open to allow the stored fluid to flow from the receiver 530 back to the pump 532 (by opening the third valve 538) and then back to the main fluid line (by opening the fourth valve 540 and closing the second valve 536) or back to the receiver 530 (by opening the second valve 536 and closing the fourth valve 540).

[0064] When it is determined within the system 500 that there is no longer a leak or that the repair to fix the leak has been completed, the opening of the third valve 538 and the fourth valve 540 can be determined and controlled. Additionally or alternatively, when the refrigerant line requires additional fluid for cooling purposes, the third valve 538 and the fourth valve 540 can be controlled to open to release some of the fluid from the receiver 530.

[0065] Furthermore, to quantify the amount of fluid in the circuit, the cooling system 500 can also include a scale 541, the signal of which will be connected to the local controller. The scale reading will be used as a control mechanism to assess the correct fluid charge. For example, when the scale 541 shows that the tank 530 is empty, but the cooling system 500 is still working in a condition that requires a smaller amount of fluid, this can be an indication of a possible leak on the system.

[0066] The valve opening and closing control as described above can ensure that the amount of fluid introduced is limited or that there is no refrigerant leakage into the atmosphere. This will reduce the fluid or refrigerant recharge when there is a loss of refrigerant to the atmosphere. Furthermore, in the case of flammable gases, it can be necessary to migrate all the fluid from the server room for safety reasons. The fluid migration routine can be implemented directly on the local controller and, in the case of a repair event, the repair technician can activate the routine, which will allow a safe and proper check of the cooling system. Furthermore, the tank can be used as a charge delivery mechanism, which can contain the full charge for a given circuit (plus a predefined amount of additional fluid if necessary). After the unit is installed, when the circuit is tested by sealing, the circuit can be charged from the introduced tank.

[0067] The control of the above-mentioned valves based on the detected data can be performed by a controller 550 in communication with various electronics within the cooling system 500. The valve opening and closing control as described above can ensure that the amount of fluid introduced is limited or there is no refrigerant leakage to the atmosphere. This will reduce the fluid or refrigerant recharging when there is a refrigerant loss to the atmosphere. Furthermore, in the case of flammable gases, it can be necessary to migrate all the fluid from the server room for safety reasons. The fluid migration routine can be implemented directly on the local controller and in the case of a service event, the service technician can activate the routine which will allow a safe and proper inspection of the cooling system. Furthermore, the tank can be used as a charge delivery mechanism which can contain the full charge for a given circuit (plus a predefined amount of extra fluid if needed). After the unit installation, when the circuit passes the seal test, the circuit can be charged from the introduced tank.

[0068] While the cooling system 500 is a typical DX cooling system, the cooling system 500 can include a DX cooling circuit with a pumped refrigerant economizer mode. For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, the cooling system 500 can include additional components. For example, the indoor unit can also include an additional valve 522 and the outdoor unit can also include a fluid pump 524, a check valve 526, and a solenoid valve 528. The cooling system 500 can include one or more additional sensors 518, 518b for pressure differential at the pump 524. These additional components of the outdoor unit can also be referred to as an EconoPhase unit or economizer system. Details of this EconoPhase unit are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,038,404, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Figure 5

[0069] Figure 6 A method 600 of controlling a cooling system for evacuation and charging of refrigerant is shown in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0070] The method 600 begins operation by detecting a leak in step 602. If a leak is detected, a removal procedure is performed in step 604. As described above, the removal procedure includes selectively opening and closing corresponding valves to flow fluid to a receiver tank to avoid fluid waste to the atmosphere. When a leak is not detected, the method 600 continues to step 606 assuming that the cooling system 400 or 500 is operating in a steady state. Step 606 also includes confirming whether the cooling system 400 or 500 is indeed operating in a steady state. If yes in step 606, the subcooling of the cooling system 400 or 500 can be measured in step 608. On the other hand, if no in step 606, the method 600 repeats the procedure from step 602.

[0071] ​After the subcooling is measured in step 608, the method 600 performs a check of the subcooling value in step 610 for comparison to a threshold (or target) in step 612. If the subcooling value is within the threshold, the method 600 performs step 602 and repeats the operation. On the other hand, if the subcooling value is outside of the threshold (e.g., greater than or above the threshold), the method 600 performs step 614 to determine if the measured subcooling value is above the threshold (or greater than the threshold). If the subcooling value is outside of the threshold but not above the threshold, the method 600 checks if the subcooling value is less than the threshold in step 616. On the other hand, in step 614, if it is determined that the subcooling value is above the threshold (or greater than the threshold), the method 600 performs step 620 of removing a predetermined amount (e.g., 100 to 250 grams) of the fluid (or refrigerant). The predetermined amount can be set and varied based on the cooling system, size, need for cooling temperature, etc. After the fluid is removed in step 620, the method 600 waits for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 5 to 15 minutes) in step 622 before repeating the operation of the method 600.

[0072] In some embodiments, when it is determined in step 616 that the subcooling value is below the threshold, the method 600 performs step 618 of adding a predetermined amount (e.g., 100 to 250 grams) of the fluid (or refrigerant) and then performs step 622 of waiting for a predetermined period of time before repeating the operation of the method 600.

[0073] Figure 7 A graph 700 is shown that depicts the effect of charge on energy consumption of a compressor using the cooling systems 400, 500 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, Figure 7 The graph 700 depicts laboratory results that show the effect of charge on energy consumption of a compressor. Even in the case of stable conditions, the energy consumption of the compressor can increase more drastically just by changing the charge (e.g., removing a given amount of fluid from the circuit), already experiencing more than 60% increase. On the other hand, overcharging the unit will have an impact on the energy consumption of the condenser fan, the more unnecessary charge of cooling is introduced, the higher the energy consumption of the condenser fan will be.

[0074] The system and method according to the present disclosure can be used as a dual purpose solution. The fluid evacuation is a safety feature with an economic advantage (preventing refrigerant leakage into the atmosphere). Once the signal is sent, the charge is evacuated into the tank. Another aspect of the present disclosure is to save energy by ensuring the correct operating charge. The optimum operating charge required is a function of many variables, many variables such as cooling capacity, ambient air temperature, subcooling, operating mode (compressor, pump refrigerant economizer, hybrid), etc. By adjusting the charge, an improved energy efficiency can be achieved while maintaining controllability and desired cooling capacity.

[0075] Figure 8 An example of a processor-based computer system 800 that can be used to implement various embodiments described herein (e.g., any of the embodiments described above and with reference to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The processor-based computer system 800 can be used to implement any of the components of the cooling systems 400 and 500 described above and with reference to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The description of the processor-based computer system 800 provided herein is provided for purposes of illustration, and is not intended to be limiting. Embodiments can be implemented in additional types of computer systems as is known to those of ordinary skill in the related arts.

[0076] As shown in Figure 8 The processor-based computer system 800 includes one or more processors referred to as processor circuitry 802, a system memory 804, and a bus 806 that couples various system components including the system memory 804 to the processor circuitry 802. The processor circuitry 802 can include electrical and / or optical circuitry implemented in one or more physical hardware circuit device elements and / or integrated circuit devices (semiconductor material chips or dies) as central processing units (CPUs), microcontrollers, microprocessors, and / or other physical hardware processor circuitry. The processor circuitry 802 can execute program code stored in computer-readable media, such as program code of an operating system 830, program code of application programs 832, program code of other program modules 834, and the like. The bus 806 represents one or more of any of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The system memory 804 includes read only memory (ROM) 808 and random access memory (RAM) 810. A basic input / output system 812 (BIOS) is stored in the ROM 808. The operating system 830, application programs 832, other program modules 834, and program data 836 can be stored in the RAM 810.

[0077] The processor-based computer system 800 also has one or more of the following drives: a hard drive 814 for reading from and writing to a hard disk, a magnetic disk drive 816 for reading from or writing to a removable magnetic disk 818, and an optical disk drive 820 for reading from or writing to a removable optical disk 822 (such as a CD ROM, DVD ROM, or other optical media). The hard disk drive 814, the magnetic disk drive 816, and the optical disk drive 820 are connected to the bus 806 by a hard disk drive interface 824, a magnetic disk drive interface 826, and an optical disk drive interface 828, respectively. The drives and their associated computer-readable media provide nonvolatile storage of computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for the computer. Although the hard disk, removable magnetic disk, and removable optical disk are described, other types of hardware-based computer-readable storage media can be used to store data, such as flash drives, digital video disks, RAM, ROM, and other hardware storage media.

[0078] A number of program modules can be stored on the hard disk, magnetic disk, optical disk, ROM, or RAM. These programs include an operating system 830, one or more application programs 832, other programs 834, and program data 836. The application programs 832 or other programs 834 can include, for example, programs for implementing the systems described above with reference to the Figures 4 to 8 Computer program logic (e.g., computer program code or instructions) of the above-described systems of the described embodiments.

[0079] A user can enter commands and information into the processor-based computer system 800 through input devices such as a keyboard 838 and a pointing device 840 (or mouse). Other input devices (not shown) can include a microphone, a joystick, a game pad, a satellite dish, a scanner, a touch screen and / or touch pad, a voice recognition system for receiving voice input, a gesture recognition system for receiving gesture input, and so forth. These input devices and other input devices are often connected to the processor circuit 802 through a serial port interface 842 that is coupled to the bus 806, but can be connected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port, a game port, or a universal serial bus (USB).

[0080] A display screen 844 is also connected to bus 806 via an interface, such as a video adapter 846. Display screen 844 can be external or incorporated into processor-based computer system 800. Display screen 844 can display information and be a user interface for receiving user commands and / or other information (e.g., through touch, finger gestures, virtual keyboard, etc.). In addition to display screen 844, processor-based computer system 800 can include other peripheral output devices (not shown), such as speakers and printers.

[0081] Processor-based computer system 800 can be connected to a network 848 (e.g., the Internet) through an adapter or network interface 850, modem 852, or other means for establishing communications over the network. As shown, modem 852, which can be internal or external, can be connected to bus 806 via serial port interface 842, or can be connected to bus 806 using another interface type, including a parallel interface. Figure 8

[0082] Embodiments also relate to computer program products that include computer code or instructions stored on any computer-readable medium. Such computer program products include hard disk drives, optical disk drives, memory device packages, portable memory sticks, memory cards, and other types of physical storage hardware.

[0083] As used herein, the terms "computer program medium," "computer-readable medium," and "computer-readable storage medium" are generally used to refer to physical hardware media such as hard disks associated with hard disk drive 814, removable magnetic disks 818, removable optical disks 822, other physical hardware media such as RAM, ROM, flash memory cards, digital video disks, zip disks, MEMs, nanotechnology-based storage devices, and other types of physical / tangible hardware storage media (including the system memory 804 of the Figure 8 Such computer-readable storage media are distinct from, and not to be confused with, communication media (which are not physical / tangible hardware storage media). Communication media typically embody computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media include wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Embodiments are also directed to such communication media.

[0084] ​As described above, computer programs and modules (including application programs 832 and other programs 834) can be stored on the hard disk, magnetic disk, optical disk, ROM, RAM, or other hardware storage medium. Such computer programs can also be received via network interface 850, serial port interface 842, or any other interface type. Such computer programs, when executed or loaded, enable processor-based computer system 800 to implement features of embodiments discussed herein. Accordingly, such computer programs represent controllers of processor-based computer system 800.

[0085] In this application, including the definitions below, the term "module" or the term "controller" can be replaced with the term "circuit." The term "module" refers to a unit or a combination of units that are a component of a device that is configured to perform a specific function. The term "module" can refer to, be part of, or include an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combination of circuits including integrated circuits; a combination of discrete circuits or circuitry; a combination of integrated circuits or circuitry including application specific circuits and / or a combination of discrete circuits and integrated circuits or circuitry or a combination of one or more of the preceding with a processor circuit that executes code that is stored in a memory circuit to perform the specific functions of the module. The term "module" can also refer to a processor circuit that executes code that is stored in a memory circuit to perform the specific functions of the module.

[0086] A module can include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuits can include wired or wireless interfaces that are connected to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or combinations thereof. The functionality of any given module of this disclosure can be distributed among multiple modules that are connected via interface circuits. For example, multiple module can enable load balancing. In another example, a server (also known as remote, or cloud) module can implement some functionality on behalf of a client module.

[0087] As used above, the term code can include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and can refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects. The term shared processor circuitry refers to a single processor circuitry that executes some or all code from multiple modules. The term group processor circuitry refers to a processor circuitry that, in combination with an additional processor circuitry, executes some or all code from one or more modules. A reference to a multiple processor circuitry refers to a multiple processor circuitry on a single chip, a multiple processor circuitry on a single chip, a multiple core of a single processor circuitry, a multiple threads of a single processor circuitry, or a combination of one or more of the above. The term shared memory circuitry refers to a single memory circuitry that stores some or all code from multiple modules. The term group memory circuitry refers to a memory circuitry that, in combination with an additional memory circuitry, stores some or all code from one or more modules.

[0088] The term memory circuit is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. As used herein, the term computer-readable medium does not encompass transitory propagating signals or electromagnetic waves through a medium, such as on a carrier or the Internet. Thus, the term computer-readable medium can be considered tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory, tangible computer-readable media are nonvolatile memory circuits (such as flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or mask read-only memory circuits), volatile memory circuits (such as static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (such as analog or digital magnetic tape or a hard disk drive), and optical storage media (such as CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc).

[0089] The apparatus and methods described in this application can be partially or entirely implemented by a special purpose computer created by configuring a general purpose computer to execute one or more particular functions embodied in computer programs. The aforementioned function blocks, flowchart elements, and other elements used in the detailed description are illustrative of the software instructions that can be compiled by a person of ordinary skill in the art or programming person of ordinary skill into a computer program.

[0090] A computer program comprises processor-executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium. A computer program can also include or rely on stored data. A computer program can encompass a Basic Input / Output system (BIOS) that interacts with hardware of the special purpose computer, device drivers that interact with particular devices of the special purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, back-end servers, background applications, etc.

[0091] A computer program can include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (HyperText Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation); (ii) assembly code; (iii) object code generated from source code using an assembler; (iv) object code generated from source code using a compiler; (v) source code for execution by an interpreter; (vi) source code for compilation and execution by a just-in-time compiler; etc. As examples only, source code can be written using syntax from a language including C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Java®, Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, Javascript®, HTML5 (HyperText Markup Language Version 5), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Flash®, Visual Basic®, Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK, and Python®.

[0092] Unless the use of the phrase "means for" followed by a listing of specific functions is expressly recited, none of the elements recited in the claims are intended to be means-plus-function elements within 35 U.S.C. § 112(f).

[0093] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used herein to describe various elements, pumps, condenser fans, compressors, circuits, components and / or modules, these items should not be limited by these terms. These terms can be only used to distinguish one element from another. Terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order to the items described, unless specifically indicated by the context. Thus, a first item discussed herein could be termed a second item without departing from the teachings of the example implementations.

[0094] The process flow diagrams discussed herein illustrate the operations of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products, according to various embodiments of the present application. In this regard, each block in the flow diagrams can represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical functions. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks can occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession can in fact be executed substantially concurrently or in the reverse order, which is useful in the context of the present application. It will also be noted that each block of the flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the flowcharts, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0095] The foregoing description, for purposes of clarity, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described implementations. However, the described implementations can be practiced without these specific details. Consequently, the foregoing description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the described implementations to the precise forms disclosed. As mentioned previously, for purposes of simplicity and clarity, the described implementations are shown and described in terms of specific implementation. However, this is for descriptive purposes only and is not intended to be limiting. Accordingly, the disclosed implementations are to be considered as illustrative only of the many alternative implementations that fall within the scope of the described implementations. Changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements discussed without departing from the scope of the described implementations. Accordingly, the described implementations are to be considered as illustrative only of the many alternative implementations that fall within the scope of the described implementations.

Claims

1. A cooling system for filling and discharging fluid, the cooling system comprising: Main fluid loop; Secondary fluid circuit, the secondary fluid circuit comprising: A receiver configured to receive and discharge fluid flowing through the primary fluid circuit and the secondary fluid circuit; A pump configured to communicate with the receiver; A receiving valve, which selectively opens to direct fluid to the receiver; and A reflux valve that selectively opens to discharge fluid from the receiver; A controller configured to communicate with the main fluid loop and the secondary fluid loop; and A sensor configured to detect sensed values ​​within the cooling system and communicate with the controller.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, The receiving valve includes: A first valve, configured to selectively open and close to allow fluid to flow from the main fluid circuit through the secondary fluid circuit to the pump; and A second valve is configured to selectively open and close to allow fluid flowing from the pump to flow through the secondary fluid circuit to the receiver.

3. The cooling system according to claim 2, wherein, The reflux valve includes: A third valve, configured to selectively open and close to allow fluid to flow from the receiver to the pump; and A fourth valve is configured to selectively open and close to allow fluid to flow from the secondary fluid circuit to the main fluid circuit.

4. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, When the controller determines a fluid leak based on the sensed value, the receiving valve opens and the return valve closes.

5. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, When the controller determines that there is no leakage based on the sensed value, the receiving valve closes and the return valve opens.

6. The cooling system according to claim 5, wherein, When the controller determines, based on the sensed value, that the fluid volume in the main fluid circuit is less than the target volume, the receiving valve closes and the return valve opens.

7. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, The secondary fluid loop also includes a scale disposed below the receiver, the scale being configured to measure the weight of the fluid inside the receiver.

8. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, The main fluid circuit is configured to connect an indoor unit located inside the building and an outdoor unit located outside the building.

9. The cooling system according to claim 8, wherein, The outdoor unit includes a condenser and a condenser fan.

10. The cooling system according to claim 9, wherein, The outdoor unit also includes a fluid pump, a check valve, and a solenoid valve.

11. The cooling system according to claim 8, wherein, The indoor unit includes an evaporator, an evaporator fan, a compressor, and an expansion device.

12. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, The sensor includes at least one of a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, or a humidity sensor.

13. A method for controlling fluid flow in a cooling system, the method comprising the following steps: The sensed value is detected by the sensor; The controller determines whether a fluid leak exists based on the sensed values; Once it is determined that there is no leakage, the cooling system is operated under stable conditions; The supercooling value is measured by the sensor; Determine whether the supercooling value is within the threshold; When the subcooling value is determined to be outside the threshold, the receiving valve is opened and the reflux valve is closed to guide the fluid flowing from the condenser to the receiver; Waiting time slot; and Repeat the above steps.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: When a leak is determined to exist during the step of determining whether a fluid leak exists, the receiving valve is opened and the return valve is closed to direct the fluid to the receiver.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising: When the subcooling value is determined to be within the threshold, the receiving valve is closed and the return valve is opened to allow fluid to flow from the receiver to the main fluid circuit.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising: If it is determined that the cooling system is not in the stable state, the method is performed starting from the step of determining whether a fluid leak exists.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein, Determining whether the supercooling value is within a threshold includes: determining whether the supercooling value is greater than or less than the threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: When the subcooling value is determined to be greater than the threshold, the receiving valve is closed and the reflux valve is opened.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising: When the subcooling value is determined to be less than the threshold, the receiving valve is opened and the reflux valve is closed.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising: After determining that there is no leak but the cooling system is not being operated in the steady state, the step of determining whether there is a fluid leak based on the sensed value is performed, and the step is repeated.

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