Refrigerant State Detection via Color Volume Analysis
Solution Overview
Problem
Current refrigeration system moisture sensors can detect the presence of wet refrigerant but cannot determine its volume, which is essential for maintenance and performance optimization.
Innovation Solution
A method involving an image sensor capturing images of a color-changing moisture sensor at short intervals, processing these images to identify dry and wet refrigerant volumes, and calculating aggregated ratios to determine the refrigerant state, with optional temperature-based threshold adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a moisture sensor is used to detect wet refrigerant, then the presence of wet refrigerant can be sensed, but the volume of wet refrigerant cannot be determined
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an image sensor to capture optical images of the moisture sensor, creating a visual copy that preserves spatial and color information. This optical copy enables volume determination by analyzing the extent of color change in the sensor, thereby recovering the volume information that was lost with traditional electrical moisture sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent exploits the color-changing property of the moisture sensor in response to humidity levels. By capturing and analyzing the color distribution in images of the sensor, the system can determine the volume of wet refrigerant present, transforming a qualitative color change into a quantitative volume measurement.
2Measurement precision
If multiple image samples are captured and processed, then the refrigerant state can be determined with higher accuracy, but the processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the image processing task into distinct segments: capturing multiple short-interval images, processing each image to identify color volumes, aggregating results across images, and comparing against thresholds. This segmentation of the processing pipeline manages complexity by breaking down the overall task into manageable, modular steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The system captures images at short, periodic intervals rather than continuously, and aggregates results over a longer predefined interval. This periodic sampling approach reduces the total number of images processed while maintaining measurement accuracy, thereby managing processing complexity.
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
Enables precise determination of refrigerant state (dry, wet, or transient) and detection of abnormal sensor operations, facilitating improved maintenance and system performance by quantifying wet refrigerant volume.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor changes its color in response to one of presence or absence of humidity associated with the refrigerant in the stream
Data Source
AI summary
A method for identifying a state of a stream of refrigerant includes capturing a plurality of sample images of a sensor for sensing the stream of the refrigerant, processing each of the plurality of sample images to identify a first color indicative of a dry refrigerant and a second color indicative of a wet refrigerant. The method also includes calculating an aggregated volume of each of the first color and the second color, wherein the aggregated volumes of the first color and the second color indicate a dry refrigerant or the wet refrigerant respectively in the stream. Further, the method includes comparing an aggregated volume ratio of the first color and the second color with a first threshold ratio and a second threshold ratio and determining the state as one of a dry state, a transient state, and a wet state based on the comparison.