Behr Gmbh & Co.

Rainer Heilig

Christoph Walter

Karl-Heinz Staffa

Hans-Joachim Krauss

Hagen Mittelstrass

Walter Demuth

Harald Raiser

Martin Kotsch

Michael Sickelmann

Volker Kirschner

The invention relates to a method of refrigerant level monitoring in a refrigerant circuit of an air-conditioning or heat-pump system having a compressor and a refrigerant which may, depending on the operating point, be operated in the supercritical range. The method includes standstill level monitoring with the compressor switched off and/or in-operation level monitoring with the compressor switched on. In the case of in-operation level monitoring, the refrigerant overheat (dT&#xfc;) at the evaporator is registered and, in the event of excessive overheat, it is concluded that there is underfilling. At a standstill, the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant are registered, and it is concluded that there is an improper refrigerant filling level if the pressure (p) lies below a minimum pressure value (p) or the temperature (T) lies above a maximum saturation temperature value (T) with the pressure being outside a predefinable intended pressure range ([p,p]).

Method of monitoring refrigerant level

The invention relates to a method of refrigerant level monitoring in a refrigerant circuit of an air-conditioning or heat-pump system having a compressor and a refrigerant which may, depending on the operating point, be operated in the supercritical range. The method includes standstill level monitoring with the compressor switched off and/or in-operation level monitoring with the compressor switched on. In the case of in-operation level monitoring, the refrigerant overheat (dT&uuml;) at the evaporator is registered and, in the event of excessive overheat, it is concluded that there is underfilling. At a standstill, the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant are registered, and it is concluded that there is an improper refrigerant filling level if the pressure (p ) lies below a minimum pressure value (p ) or the temperature (T ) lies above a maximum saturation temperature value (T ) with the pressure being outside a predefinable intended pressure range (&lsqb;p ,p &rsqb;).

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Waghaeusel, Germany

Rainer Heilig