OPTICALLY DETECTED LIQUID DEPTH INFORMATION IN A CLIMATE CONTROL UNIT

• US 20090229784A1
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Rohr, Daniel J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,701,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/11.100
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/222 for evacuating condensate
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/30 Condensation of water from cooled air
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/14 Collecting or removing condensed and defrost water; Drip trays
• CPC Class Codes: F28B 11/00 Controlling arrangements with features specially adapted for condensers control arrangements in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: F28B 9/08 for collecting and removing condensate
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/22 for measuring depth
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining liquid depth information in a condensate pan of a climate control unit are provided. The systems and methods radiate a light beam into a liquid contained in a condensate pan associated with a climate control unit. The light beam is detected at a point of the condensate pan that is below a surface of the liquid. Information related to the depth of the liquid is determined based at least in part on the detected light beam. The systems and methods disclosed herein can determine if liquid depth in a condensate pan is greater than a threshold depth and can control evacuation of the liquid from the condensate pan.

Claims

1. A method for determining information related to liquid depth in a condensate pan of a climate control unit, comprising:

radiating a light beam into a liquid contained in a condensate pan associated with the climate control unit, the light beam radiated towards a first point below a surface of the liquid;

detecting the light beam at a second point below the surface of the liquid; and

determining information related to a depth of the liquid based in part on the detected light beam.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining that the depth of the liquid is greater than a threshold depth; and

providing an indication that the depth of the liquid exceeds the threshold depth.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising:

shutting down the climate control unit when the depth of the liquid exceeds the threshold depth.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising:

removing the liquid from the condensate pan.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein radiating a light beam includes radiating a laser beam.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

radiating the light beam at a predetermined angle with respect to the surface of the liquid.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

detecting, via a detector included in a first row of detectors, the light beam, wherein the first row of detectors is coplanar with the light beam.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

radiating a plurality of light beams into the liquid towards a plurality of first points;

detecting the plurality of light beams at a plurality of second points below the surface of the liquid; and

determining information related to liquid depth using each of the plurality of light beams.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

associating a plurality of detectors with the condensate pan, the plurality of detectors arranged in a plurality of parallel rows.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first point is included in a first row of the plurality of rows, and wherein the second point is included in the first row.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first point is included in a first row of the plurality of rows, and wherein the second point is included in a second row of the plurality of rows.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining information related to the depth of the liquid at a first time and a second time; and

providing an indication that the depth at the second time is greater than the depth at the first time.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining the depth of the liquid at a first time and a second time; and

providing an indication that the depth at the second time is less than or equal to the depth at the first time.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein radiating the light beam, detecting the light beam, and determining information related to the depth of the liquid are controlled by a processor, and wherein the method is implemented at least in part in a program stored in a computer readable medium and executed by the processor.

15. A cooling unit, comprising:

a cooling device;

a condensate pan associated with the cooling device and configured to collect liquid;

a generator configured to propagate a light beam into the condensate pan, the light beam configured to pass through a surface of a liquid collected in the condensate pan;

at least one detector associated with the condensate pan and configured to be below the surface of the liquid, the at least one detector configured to sense the light beam;

a controller coupled to the at least one detector, the controller configured to determine information related to a depth of the liquid based at least in part on a location of the at least one detector.

16. The cooling unit of claim 15, comprising:

a display configured to indicate information related to the depth of the liquid, wherein the display includes at least one of an alarm and a plurality of light emitting diodes, and wherein the display is configurable to indicate that the depth of the liquid at a second time is greater than the depth of the liquid at a first time.

17. The cooling unit of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to change an operating mode of the cooling device based at least in part on information related to the depth of the liquid.

18. The cooling unit of claim 15, comprising at least one of:

a drain configured to evacuate the liquid from the condensate pan; and

a pump configured to evacuate the liquid from the condensate pan.

19. The cooling unit of claim 15 wherein the generator is configured such that the light beam is a laser beam propagated at a predetermined angle with respect to the surface of the liquid.

20. The cooling unit of claim 15, wherein the at least one detector includes a plurality of detectors arranged in a plurality of rows, each row being coplanar with the light beam, wherein the generator is configured to propagate the light beam towards a first detector arranged in a first row, wherein a second detector arranged in the first row senses the light beam;

and

wherein the controller determines information related to the depth of the liquid based at least in part on a location of the second detector.

21. The cooling unit of claim 15, wherein the at least one detector includes a plurality of detectors arranged in a plurality of rows, each row being coplanar with the light beam, wherein the generator is configured to propagate the light beam towards a first detector arranged in a first row, wherein a second detector arranged in a second row senses the light beam;

and

wherein the controller determines information related to the depth of the liquid based at least in part on a location of the second detector.

22. The cooling unit of claim 15, wherein the generator is configured to propagate a first light beam into the condensate pan towards a first detector associated with the condensate pan at a first point, and wherein the generator is configured to propagate a second light beam into the condensate pan towards a second detector associated with the condensate pan at a second point, the cooling unit further comprising:

a third detector associated with the condensate pan at a third point, and a fourth detector associated with the condensate pan at a fourth point; and

the controller is configured to determine information related to a depth of the liquid at one or more of the third point and the fourth point.

23. The cooling unit of claim 15, wherein the generator is configured to propagate the light beam into the condensate pan at a first time and at a second time, and wherein the detector includes a first detector and a second detector wherein both detectors are configured to sense the light beam at one or more of the first time and the second time;

and

wherein the controller is configured to identify a change in liquid depth between the first time and the second time.

24. The cooling unit of claim 15 wherein the condensate pan is asymmetrical.

25. A cooling unit, comprising:

a condensate pan associated with the cooling unit, the condensate pan formed to collect liquid;

a generator adapted to direct a light beam into the condensate pan;

means for detecting the light beam; and

a processor configured to determine information related to a depth of the liquid based at least in part on the means for detecting the light beam.