Automotive AC Gas Analysis With Vacuum Reference Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas analyzer systems face challenges in accurately determining the concentration of refrigerant gases and contaminant gases in automotive air conditioning systems due to intrinsic errors from ambient air contamination during calibration and difficulties in sizing the analysis chamber for precise measurement of high and low concentration gases, leading to reduced accuracy and environmental pollution.
Innovation Solution
A gas analyzer system that uses an infrared multi-detector device with a compact analysis chamber and a pressure regulator to adjust gas pressure in steps, allowing for precise measurement of both high and low concentration gases by controlling the volume expansion of gas samples, thereby reducing errors and environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If ambient air is used for calibration during automatic calibration, then the calibration process can be performed automatically, but the presence of contaminant gases in ambient air introduces intrinsic errors into the reference electrical quantity, reducing measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a sealed reference chamber that maintains an inert or controlled atmosphere free from ambient contaminant gases. This chamber provides a stable reference environment that does not contain CO2, CO, or other contaminant gases, thereby eliminating the intrinsic errors that would otherwise be introduced during automatic calibration. The reference chamber acts as an isolated environment that preserves measurement accuracy while allowing automated calibration procedures to function.
2Measurement precision
If a large analysis chamber volume is used to measure low concentration gases, then measurement precision for contaminant gases improves, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the analysis system into a compact reference chamber and a measurement chamber, allowing the reference chamber to be small and simple in design. This segmentation enables precise measurement of low concentration gases without requiring a single large chamber, thereby reducing overall device complexity and manufacturing costs while maintaining high measurement precision.
3Ease of operation
If gas is discharged into the environment after analysis, then the system operation is simple, but environmental pollution occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a gas recovery system that captures and recycles the refrigerant gas after analysis rather than discharging it into the environment. The system recovers the analyzed gas and returns it to the air conditioning system or stores it, thereby eliminating environmental pollution while maintaining operational simplicity through automated recovery processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves increased precision in measuring refrigerant and contaminant gas concentrations, reduces manufacturing costs, and eliminates environmental pollution by accurately determining gas compositions without discharging analyzed gases into the environment.
Implementation Method 1
an infrared multi-detector device configured to generate an electrical signal having an electrical quantity that is indicative of the radiation absorbed by the gas in certain frequency bands
Data Source
AI summary
A gas analyzer system to determine the concentration of gases in an automotive air conditioning system comprising: an infrared multi-detector device equipped with a gas analysis chamber; an emitter source emitting infrared radiation in the analysis chamber; infrared multi-detectors generating an electrical measurement quantity based on the absorption of radiation by the gas; a suction pump creating a depression inside the analysis chamber; and an electronic control unit determining a main automotive refrigerant gas concentration and the contaminant gases concentration, based on electrical measurement quantities provided by the multi-detectors and a reference electrical quantity. The control unit controls the pump to suck the gases in the analysis chamber until a condition of absence of gases is achieved, wherein the internal pressure of the chamber reaches a minimum pressure, and then determines the reference electrical quantity, based on the electrical quantity generated in the condition of absence of gases.