REFRIGERANT LEAKAGE DETECTION METHOD FOR REFRIGERATION DEVICE

PURPOSE:To detect refrigerant leakage in an early stage and enhance accuracy of detecting excess and deficiency of a refrigerant sealed quantity by computing variations with time of the temperatures in a refrigeration cycle and detecting refrigerant leakage. CONSTITUTION:A vaporizer inlet temperature sensor 20 and a vaporizer outlet temperature sensor 21 are mounted to detect the temperatures of refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle and they are connected to an arithmetic operation control device 10. An operation device 11 and a display device 12 are also connected to the arithmetic operation device 10. The arithmetic operation device 10 detect a differential temperature (superheat) between the inlet and outlet temperatures of a vaporizer with time. When it is increased with time and a time variation value exceeds a decision value, it is determined as refrigerant leakage so that an alarm may be displayed in the display device 12. The operation of a compressor 1 is suspended as occasion demands. It is, therefore, possible to detect refrigerant leakage in an early stage by detecting the variation of the superheat even when the refrigerant quantity is still in a proper stage.