The refrigeration cycle apparatus includes: liquid-side connection piping that extends from liquid-side refrigerant piping; gas-side connection piping that extends from gas-side refrigerant piping; a refrigerant storage tank that stores refrigerant, an intake side thereof being connected to the liquid-side connection piping, and a discharge side thereof being connected to the gas-side connection piping; an inlet-side electromagnetic valve that is disposed on the liquid-side connection piping, and that is opened when there is no passage of electric current; an inlet-side check valve that is disposed on the liquid-side connection piping, and that allows the refrigerant to flow only toward the refrigerant storage tank; and a valve apparatus that is disposed on the gas-side connection piping, that is opened during passage of electric current to the inlet-side electromagnetic valve, and that is delayed before being shut off after passage of electric current to the inlet-side electromagnetic valve is stopped.

A direct contact densified fluid-based thermodynamic treatment system uses the fluid to effect heat transfer as the working fluid in a separate yet linked treatment system. During certain phases of operation of a densified fluid-based treatment process wherein it is necessary to distill the fluid to maintain the purity of the densified fluid heat is imparted to the densified fluid raising it above the boiling point for the associated pressure within a vessel. A densified fluid-based refrigeration/thermodynamic system removes heat during the condensing cycle of a working densified fluid treatment system and use the removed heat for distillation of the same working fluid in the distillation vessel. The process does not require an external heating or cooling system, and thus can be entirely supported by a single machine using the same densified fluid during its operational phase.

A direct contact densified fluid-based thermodynamic treatment system uses the fluid to effect heat transfer as the working fluid in a separate yet linked treatment system. During certain phases of operation of a densified fluid-based treatment process wherein it is necessary to distill the fluid to maintain the purity of the densified fluid heat is imparted to the densified fluid raising it above the boiling point for the associated pressure within a vessel. A densified fluid-based refrigeration/thermodynamic system removes heat during the condensing cycle of a working densified fluid treatment system and use the removed heat for distillation of the same working fluid in the distillation vessel. The process does not require an external heating or cooling system, and thus can be entirely supported by a single machine using the same densified fluid during its operational phase.

A system includes a first heat exchanger, a flash tank, a first compressor, a condenser, a second heat exchanger, and a second compressor. The first heat exchanger removes heat from carbon dioxide refrigerant. The flash tank stores the carbon dioxide refrigerant from the first heat exchanger. The first compressor compresses the carbon dioxide refrigerant and sends the compressed carbon dioxide refrigerant to the first heat exchanger. The condenser removes heat from a second refrigerant. The second heat exchanger receives the second refrigerant from the condenser. The second heat exchanger further removes heat from the carbon dioxide refrigerant stored in the flash tank. The second compressor compresses the second refrigerant from the heat exchanger. The second compressor sends the second refrigerant to the condenser.

A system includes a first heat exchanger, a flash tank, a first compressor, a condenser, a second heat exchanger, and a second compressor. The first heat exchanger removes heat from carbon dioxide refrigerant. The flash tank stores the carbon dioxide refrigerant from the first heat exchanger. The first compressor compresses the carbon dioxide refrigerant and sends the compressed carbon dioxide refrigerant to the first heat exchanger. The condenser removes heat from a second refrigerant. The second heat exchanger receives the second refrigerant from the condenser. The second heat exchanger further removes heat from the carbon dioxide refrigerant stored in the flash tank. The second compressor compresses the second refrigerant from the heat exchanger. The second compressor sends the second refrigerant to the condenser.

A control method of a transcritical carbon dioxide composite heat pump system is disclosed, wherein the transcritical carbon dioxide composite heat pump system includes: a CO.sub.2 main circuit compressor, an air-cooling-air-cooling recombiner, a supercooling-evaporation recombiner, an evaporator and a CO.sub.2 auxiliary compressor; wherein the air-cooling-air-cooling recombiner comprises a CO.sub.2 main circuit, a CO.sub.2 auxiliary circuit and a water circuit; the supercooling-evaporation recombiner comprises a CO.sub.2 main circuit supercooling section and a CO.sub.2 auxiliary circuit evaporation section. The present invention includes two working modes according to the return water temperature, so that the unit has a wider application range and meets daily needs. There is only one heat exchanger for refrigerant and water. Compared with the three water and refrigerant heat exchangers in the conventional transcritical CO.sub.2 composite heat pump, the circulating water circuit is a single circuit with one inlet and one outlet.

A control method of a transcritical carbon dioxide composite heat pump system is disclosed, wherein the transcritical carbon dioxide composite heat pump system includes: a CO.sub.2 main circuit compressor, an air-cooling-air-cooling recombiner, a supercooling-evaporation recombiner, an evaporator and a CO.sub.2 auxiliary compressor; wherein the air-cooling-air-cooling recombiner comprises a CO.sub.2 main circuit, a CO.sub.2 auxiliary circuit and a water circuit; the supercooling-evaporation recombiner comprises a CO.sub.2 main circuit supercooling section and a CO.sub.2 auxiliary circuit evaporation section. The present invention includes two working modes according to the return water temperature, so that the unit has a wider application range and meets daily needs. There is only one heat exchanger for refrigerant and water. Compared with the three water and refrigerant heat exchangers in the conventional transcritical CO.sub.2 composite heat pump, the circulating water circuit is a single circuit with one inlet and one outlet.

A transport refrigeration system includes a transport refrigeration unit having a refrigerant circuit through which a refrigerant is circulated in heat exchange relationship with air drawn from a cargo box, a fuel-fired engine for powering the refrigeration unit and having an exhaust system through which exhaust gases generated by the engine are discharged and an engine coolant circuit, an engine exhaust gases to engine coolant heat exchanger, and an engine coolant circuit to refrigeration unit heat exchanger.

A transcritical R-744 refrigeration system, especially used for refrigerating a skating rink, has a heat exchanger between the gas cooler followed by a throttling device and the flash tank (or receiver), in order to eliminate the need of a flash-gas bypass. The heat exchanger connects to an external mechanical refrigeration system operating at a higher evaporating temperature than the transcritical R-744 refrigeration system, and generally totally condenses the vapor of the R-744 refrigerant before it reaches the flask tank. A method for improving the energy efficiency of the transcritical R-744 refrigeration system is also disclosed.

A transcritical R-744 refrigeration system, especially used for refrigerating a skating rink, has a heat exchanger between the gas cooler followed by a throttling device and the flash tank (or receiver), in order to eliminate the need of a flash-gas bypass. The heat exchanger connects to an external mechanical refrigeration system operating at a higher evaporating temperature than the transcritical R-744 refrigeration system, and generally totally condenses the vapor of the R-744 refrigerant before it reaches the flask tank. A method for improving the energy efficiency of the transcritical R-744 refrigeration system is also disclosed.