A heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchange units each including a plurality of flat tubes, a plurality of fins, an upper header, and a lower header. In the plurality of heat exchange units, the upper headers are connected such that the upper headers communicate with each other, and the lower headers are connected such that the lower headers communicate with each other through an opening-closing valve. The heat exchanger has a configuration in which when the heat exchanger serves as a condenser, the opening-closing valve is controlled such that refrigerant in at least one of the plurality of heat exchange units flows in an upward direction, and refrigerant in the other one or the other ones of the plurality of heat exchange units flows in a downward direction.

A heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchange units each including a plurality of flat tubes, a plurality of fins, an upper header, and a lower header. In the plurality of heat exchange units, the upper headers are connected such that the upper headers communicate with each other, and the lower headers are connected such that the lower headers communicate with each other through an opening-closing valve. The heat exchanger has a configuration in which when the heat exchanger serves as a condenser, the opening-closing valve is controlled such that refrigerant in at least one of the plurality of heat exchange units flows in an upward direction, and refrigerant in the other one or the other ones of the plurality of heat exchange units flows in a downward direction.

A valve assembly includes a valve body defining a cylindrical passage therein about an axis. An inlet port is defined in or near a first end of the valve body. First and second outlet ports are defined in the valve body extending radially outward from the cylindrical passage. A cylindrical valve spool having a central passage is positioned within, and sealingly engaged with, the cylindrical passage. The valve spool is moveable along the axis among: a first position wherein the inlet port is in fluid communication with the first outlet port but not the second outlet port, a second position wherein the inlet port is in fluid communication with the second outlet port but not the first outlet port, and an intermediate position between the first and second positions wherein the inlet port is in fluid communication with both of the first and second outlet ports.

An air conditioning apparatus includes an electric compressor, an inverter, a temperature detection element, and an ECU. The electric compressor compresses a refrigerant drawn from a refrigerant intake port and discharges the refrigerant from a refrigerant discharge port. The inverter is integrated with the electric compressor so as to be cooled by the drawn refrigerant, and operates the electric compressor according to a control signal. The temperature detection element detects a temperature of the inverter. The ECU outputs a control signal to control the inverter. The ECU performs any one or both of a control for reducing a self-cooling amount of the electric compressor and a control for increasing a self-heat generation amount of the inverter with respect to the inverter when the temperature detected by the temperature detection element is lower than a predetermined reference temperature.

A gas injection-type heat-management system includes a base flow path sequentially provided with a compressor, an inner condenser, a heat exchanger, a first expansion valve, an outer condenser, a second expansion valve, and an evaporator, a heat exchange flow path branched from the base flow path at an upstream point of the heat exchanger, disposed to be heat-exchangeable with the base flow path in the heat exchanger by passing through a third expansion valve, and joined to the base flow path on the compressor or at an upstream point thereof, a first bypass flow path connected to the base flow path, a second bypass flow path connected to the base flow path, and a recirculation flow path branched from the base flow path at a downstream point of the outer condenser and joined to the heat exchange flow path at an upstream point of the third expansion valve.

The present invention provides a vapor injection module including a first expansion means configured to block a flow of a condensed refrigerant or expand the condensed refrigerant and transmit the refrigerant to a gas-liquid separator in accordance with an air conditioning mode, the gas-liquid separator configured to receive the refrigerant from the first expansion means and separate the refrigerant into a gaseous refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant, and a second expansion means configured to allow the condensed refrigerant to pass therethrough, expand the condensed refrigerant, or expand the liquid refrigerant separated in the gas-liquid separator in accordance with the air conditioning mode.

A heat pump includes a compressor, a metering device, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a first fan, a second fan, and a refrigerant circuit between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. A thermal storage device coupled to the refrigerant circuit is configured to store thermal energy when the refrigerant fluid is above a threshold temperature and discharge thermal energy when the refrigerant fluid is below the threshold temperature. The heat pump is operated in a heating mode in which heat is transferred from the refrigerant fluid at the first heat exchanger and the temperature of the refrigerant fluid at the thermal storage device is above the threshold temperature, and a defrost mode in which heat is transferred to the refrigerant fluid at the first heat exchanger and the temperature of the refrigerant fluid at the thermal storage device is below the threshold temperature.

A refrigeration cycle device is configured to be selectively switchable between an air-cooling first refrigerant circuit that causes refrigerant to flow out of a liquid-phase refrigerant outlet of a gas-liquid separator, and an air-heating second refrigerant circuit that causes the refrigerant to flow out of a gas-phase refrigerant outlet of the gas-liquid separator. In the refrigeration cycle device, an oil separator is disposed in a refrigerant passage that leads from a heat dissipation device to a first expansion valve. Thus, when the first refrigerant circuit is configured in the refrigeration cycle device, the refrigerant passing through the oil separator is in a single gas phase or in an almost gas phase, so that oil can be easily separated from the refrigerant. Furthermore, when the refrigerant circulates through the first refrigerant circuit, oil can be retained at a position other than the gas-liquid separator.

A refrigeration cycle device is configured to be selectively switchable between an air-cooling first refrigerant circuit that causes refrigerant to flow out of a liquid-phase refrigerant outlet of a gas-liquid separator, and an air-heating second refrigerant circuit that causes the refrigerant to flow out of a gas-phase refrigerant outlet of the gas-liquid separator. In the refrigeration cycle device, an oil separator is disposed in a refrigerant passage that leads from a heat dissipation device to a first expansion valve. Thus, when the first refrigerant circuit is configured in the refrigeration cycle device, the refrigerant passing through the oil separator is in a single gas phase or in an almost gas phase, so that oil can be easily separated from the refrigerant. Furthermore, when the refrigerant circulates through the first refrigerant circuit, oil can be retained at a position other than the gas-liquid separator.

A cooling device including a freezing cycle including a compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducing means, and an evaporator is provided. In the cooling device, the condenser includes a first condenser and a second condenser independent from each other, the second condenser being positioned at a downstream side of the first condenser in a refrigerant channel, and the first condenser and the second condenser are connected to each other through a dew condensation preventing pipe.