Air conditioner system leak mitigation

Abstract

An air conditioner system includes an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, and a sealed cooling system coupled between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit to circulate refrigerant through an indoor heat exchanger of the indoor unit and an outdoor heat exchanger of the outdoor unit. A method of operating the air conditioner system includes detecting a refrigerant leak at the indoor unit and shutting off refrigerant flow to the indoor unit in response to the detected refrigerant leak.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating an air conditioner system, the air conditioner system comprising an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, and a sealed cooling system coupled between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit to circulate refrigerant through an indoor heat exchanger of the indoor unit and an outdoor heat exchanger of the outdoor unit, the method comprising:
 detecting a refrigerant leak at the indoor unit; and   shutting off refrigerant flow to the indoor unit in response to the detected refrigerant leak.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein shutting off refrigerant flow to the indoor unit in response to the detected refrigerant leak comprises shutting off a compressor of the air conditioner system. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein shutting off refrigerant flow to the indoor unit in response to the detected refrigerant leak comprises switching a reversing valve of the air conditioner system to cooling mode. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein shutting off refrigerant flow to the indoor unit in response to the detected refrigerant leak comprises fully closing an electronic expansion valve in an indoor portion of the sealed cooling system upstream of the indoor unit. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein shutting off refrigerant flow to the indoor unit in response to the detected refrigerant leak comprises fully closing an electronic expansion valve in the sealed cooling system between a liquid service valve and the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein shutting off refrigerant flow to the indoor unit in response to the detected refrigerant leak comprises shutting off a compressor of the air conditioner system, switching a reversing valve of the air conditioner system to cooling mode, and fully closing at least one of an electronic expansion valve in an indoor portion of the sealed cooling system upstream of the indoor unit and an electronic expansion valve in the sealed cooling system between a liquid service valve and the outdoor heat exchanger, wherein shutting off the compressor, switching the reversing valve to cooling mode, and fully closing the at least one electronic expansion valve are all performed simultaneously. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the indoor unit is a first indoor unit of a plurality of indoor units, wherein shutting off refrigerant flow to the first indoor unit in response to the detected refrigerant leak comprises shutting off refrigerant flow to each indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the indoor unit is a first indoor unit of a plurality of indoor units, wherein shutting off refrigerant flow to the first indoor unit in response to the detected refrigerant leak comprises shutting off refrigerant flow to only the first indoor unit while continuing to provide refrigerant flow to every other indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein shutting off refrigerant flow to the indoor unit in response to the detected refrigerant leak comprises preventing, by a check valve coupled to an accumulator of the air conditioner system, refrigerant from flowing away from the accumulator. 
     
     
         10 . An air conditioner system, comprising:
 an outdoor unit;   an indoor unit;   a sealed cooling system coupled between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit to circulate refrigerant through an indoor heat exchanger of the indoor unit and an outdoor heat exchanger of the outdoor unit; and   a controller, the controller configured for:
 detecting a refrigerant leak at the indoor unit; and 
 shutting off refrigerant flow to the indoor unit in response to the detected refrigerant leak. 
   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner system of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured for shutting off refrigerant flow to the indoor unit by shutting off a compressor of the air conditioner system. 
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner system of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured for shutting off refrigerant flow to the indoor unit by switching a reversing valve of the air conditioner system to cooling mode. 
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner system of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured for shutting off refrigerant flow to the indoor unit by fully closing an electronic expansion valve in an indoor portion of the sealed cooling system upstream of the indoor unit. 
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner system of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured for shutting off refrigerant flow to the indoor unit by fully closing an electronic expansion valve in the sealed cooling system between a liquid service valve and the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         15 . The air conditioner system of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured for shutting off refrigerant flow to the indoor unit by simultaneously shutting off a compressor of the air conditioner system, switching a reversing valve of the air conditioner system to cooling mode, and fully closing at least one of an electronic expansion valve in an indoor portion of the sealed cooling system upstream of the indoor unit and an electronic expansion valve in the sealed cooling system between a liquid service valve and the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         16 . The air conditioner system of  claim 10 , wherein the indoor unit is a first indoor unit of a plurality of indoor units, wherein the controller is configured for shutting off refrigerant flow to the first indoor unit in response to the detected refrigerant leak by shutting off refrigerant flow to each indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units. 
     
     
         17 . The air conditioner system of  claim 10 , wherein the indoor unit is a first indoor unit of a plurality of indoor units, wherein the controller is configured for shutting off refrigerant flow to the first indoor unit in response to the detected refrigerant leak by shutting off refrigerant flow to only the first indoor unit while continuing to provide refrigerant flow to every other indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units. 
     
     
         18 . The air conditioner system of  claim 10 , further comprising an accumulator and a check valve coupled to the accumulator, the check valve configured to shut off refrigerant flow to the indoor unit by preventing refrigerant from flowing away from the accumulator.