Patent attributes
A refrigerant vapor compression system includes a flash tank receiver disposed in the refrigerant circuit intermediate the refrigerant cooling heat exchanger and the refrigerant heating heat exchanger. The flash tank receiver, which receives a liquid/vapor refrigerant mix, also functions as a receiver. A refrigerant charge control apparatus includes at least one sensor for sensing an operating characteristic of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant compression device, and a controller operative to selectively adjust a secondary expansion device to increase or decrease the flow of refrigerant passing into the flash tank receiver to provide a circulating refrigerant charge consistent with maintaining a desired system operating characteristic. The sensed operating characteristic is at least one of (a) the vapor refrigerant passing through a refrigerant line from the flash tank receiver to an intermediate pressure stage of the compression device, and (b) the refrigerant discharged from the compression device.
