Refrigerant unit service tool

Abstract

A method for tracking amount of refrigerant added or removed from an HVAC/refrigeration system includes fluidly coupling a service tool with an inner volume of the refrigeration system. The service tool includes a reservoir that stores and discharges a refrigerant into the refrigeration system or receives the refrigerant from the refrigeration system, and a sensing portion positioned along a fluid flow path between the reservoir and the inner volume of the refrigeration system. The method includes operating the service tool to transfer an amount of refrigerant between the inner volume of the refrigeration system and the reservoir of the service tool. The method includes obtaining a signal from a sensor of the sensing portion indicative of a flow rate of the amount of refrigerant over a time period that the refrigerant is transferred. The method includes determining the amount of refrigerant based on the signal obtained from the sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A service tool for adding or removing refrigerant from a refrigeration system, the service tool comprising:
 a reservoir configured to store and discharge a refrigerant into the refrigeration system or receive the refrigerant from the refrigeration system;   a tubular member configured to removably fluidly couple with a service port of the refrigeration system, the tubular member defining a fluid flow path between an inner volume of the refrigeration system and the reservoir of the service tool;   a sensing portion positioned along the tubular member, the sensing portion comprising a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a flow rate of the refrigerant through the sensing portion; and   processing circuitry configured to:
 obtain the signal from the sensor over a time period that refrigerant is added to or removed from the refrigeration system; and 
 determine at least one of an amount of refrigerant added to, removed from, or currently present in the refrigeration system based on the signal from the sensor; and 
 report at least one of the amount of refrigerant added to, removed from, or currently present in the refrigeration system to a database or a cloud computing system. 
   
     
     
         2 . The service tool of  claim 1 , wherein the service tool comprises a rotor assembly positioned within the sensing portion, the rotor assembly configured to be driven by refrigerant as the refrigerant flows through the sensing portion in either direction, wherein the sensor is configured to measure an angular speed or a number of revolutions per unit of time of the rotor assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The service tool of  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
 obtain time-series data of the angular speed or the number of revolutions per unit of time of the rotor assembly over the time period that refrigerant is added to or removed from the refrigeration system;   determine the at least one of the amount of refrigerant added to, removed from, or currently present in the refrigeration system based on the time-series data obtained from the sensor, a geometry of the sensing portion, and a density of the refrigerant.   
     
     
         4 . The service tool of  claim 3 , wherein the service tool further comprises a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor configured to measure a temperature and a pressure of the refrigerant as the refrigerant flows through the sensing portion, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to use the temperature and the pressure of the refrigerant to determine the density of the refrigerant. 
     
     
         5 . The service tool of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to report the at least one of the amount of refrigerant added to, removed from, or currently present in the refrigeration system to a smartphone. 
     
     
         6 . The service tool of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the amount of refrigerant added to, removed from, or currently present in the refrigeration system determined based on the signal from the sensor are weight, mass, or volume values. 
     
     
         7 . The service tool of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigeration system is a refrigerated display case. 
     
     
         8 . A system for tracking an amount of refrigerant added to or removed from an heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) or refrigeration system, the system comprising:
 a critically charged refrigeration system configured to circulate a refrigerant through a piping system to cool a space;   a user device configured to communicate with a remote system; and   a service tool for adding or removing refrigerant from the critically charged refrigeration system, the service tool comprising:
 a sensing portion positioned along the tubular member, the sensing portion comprising a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a flow rate of the refrigerant through the sensing portion; and 
 processing circuitry configured to:
 obtain the signal from the sensor over a time period that refrigerant is added to or removed from the critically charged refrigeration system; and 
 determine at least one of an amount of refrigerant added to, removed from, or currently present in the critically charged refrigeration system based on the signal from the sensor; and 
 report at least one of the amount of refrigerant added to, removed from, or currently present in the critically charged refrigeration system to the cloud computing system. 
 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the service tool further comprises a reservoir configured to store and discharge the refrigerant into the critically charged refrigeration system or receive the refrigerant from the critically charged refrigeration system. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the service tool further comprises a tubular member configured to removably fluidly couple with a service port of the critically charged refrigeration system, the tubular member defining a fluid flow path between an inner volume of the critically charged refrigeration system and the reservoir of the service tool. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the service tool comprises a rotor assembly positioned within the sensing portion, the rotor assembly configured to be driven by refrigerant as the refrigerant flows through the sensing portion in either direction, wherein the sensor is configured to measure an angular speed or a number of revolutions per unit of time of the rotor assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
 obtain time-series data of the angular speed or the number of revolutions per unit of time of the rotor assembly over the time period that refrigerant is added to or removed from the critically charged refrigeration system;   determine the at least one of the amount of refrigerant added to, removed from, or currently present in the refrigeration system based on the time-series data obtained from the sensor, a geometry of the sensing portion, and a density of the refrigerant.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the service tool further comprises a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor configured to measure a temperature and a pressure of the refrigerant as the refrigerant flows through the sensing portion, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to use the temperature and the pressure of the refrigerant to determine the density of the refrigerant. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to report the at least one of the amount of refrigerant added to, removed from, or currently present in the refrigeration system to the user device, wherein the user device is a smartphone that operates as a bridge between the service tool and the cloud computing system. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one of the amount of refrigerant added to, removed from, or currently present in the refrigeration system determined based on the signal from the sensor are weight, mass, or volume values. 
     
     
         16 . The service tool of  claim 8 , wherein the critically charged refrigeration system is a refrigerated display case. 
     
     
         17 . A method for tracking amount of refrigerant added or removed from a refrigeration system, the method comprising:
 fluidly coupling a service tool with an inner volume of the refrigeration system, the service tool comprising a reservoir configured to store and discharge a refrigerant into the refrigeration system or receive the refrigerant from the refrigeration system, and a sensing portion positioned along a fluid flow path between the reservoir and the inner volume of the refrigeration system;   operating the service tool to transfer an amount of refrigerant between the inner volume of the refrigeration system and the reservoir of the service tool;   obtaining a signal from a sensor of the sensing portion indicative of a flow rate of the amount of refrigerant over a time period that the refrigerant is transferred between the inner volume of the refrigeration system and the reservoir of the service tool; and   determining the amount of refrigerant based on the signal obtained from the sensor.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein fluidly coupling the service tool with the inner volume of the refrigeration system comprises fluidly coupling a tubular member of the service tool with a service port of the refrigeration system. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the service tool further comprises a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor configured to measure a temperature and a pressure of the refrigerant as the refrigerant flows through the sensing portion, wherein the amount of refrigerant is determined using a density of the refrigerant and the signal obtained from the sensor, the density of the refrigerant determined based on the temperature and the pressure of the refrigerant as detected by the temperature sensor and the pressure sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one of the amount of refrigerant added to, removed from, or currently present in the refrigeration system determined based on the signal from the sensor are weight, mass, or volume values.