Apparatus and method for detecting low charge of working fluid in a waste heat recovery system

摘要

In a waste heat recovery system having a superheat controller, a reference superheat controller operating trajectory is established and compared with operational superheat controller trajectories from time to time and measuring the deviation therebetween to determine whether a low charge condition exists. If such a condition does exist, warning steps and possibly shut down steps can be taken. As a verification of a low charge condition, the absence or presence of oscillations in the pressure and/or pump power conditions can be observed.