A refrigeration or climate-control system may include a housing, an evaporator, a drain pan, and a fan. The evaporator may be disposed within the housing and may include a coil positioned in a horizontal orientation. The drain pan may be disposed within the housing and may include an inclined lower wall disposed vertically beneath the coil. The lower wall may define an airflow path underneath the coil. The fan may force the air through the housing and airflow path.

A heat exchanger includes: flat pipes disposed in multiple stages in a stage direction corresponding to an up-down direction; and fins that partition a space between adjacent two of the flat pipes into air flow passages through which air flows. Each of the flat pipes includes a passage for a refrigerant inside thereof. The flat pipes are divided into heat exchange paths arrayed in multiple stages in the stage direction. One of the heat exchange paths that includes a lowermost one of the flat pipes is defined as a first heat exchange path. A length of the passage from a first end to a second end of a flow of the refrigerant in each of the heat exchange paths is defined as a path effective length.

A heat exchanger includes: flat pipes disposed in multiple stages in a stage direction corresponding to an up-down direction; and fins that partition a space between adjacent two of the flat pipes into air flow passages through which air flows. Each of the flat pipes includes a passage for a refrigerant inside thereof. The flat pipes are divided into heat exchange paths arrayed in multiple stages in the stage direction. One of the heat exchange paths that includes a lowermost one of the flat pipes is defined as a first heat exchange path. A length of the passage from a first end to a second end of a flow of the refrigerant in each of the heat exchange paths is defined as a path effective length.

An EXV (electronic expansion valve) control system includes an EXV controller for controlling an EXV within the refrigerant loop of an HVAC system. The EXV controller implements a master control algorithm that includes a plurality of sub-control algorithms and an initial series of branching decision points to determine the current mode of operation and to execute select sub-control algorithms corresponding to the current mode of operation, while not executing the sub-control algorithms corresponding to the other modes of operation. The sub-control algorithms implement various combinations of PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) control and feed-forward control, the results of which can be mapped to specific control instructions for the EXV.

An EXV (electronic expansion valve) control system includes an EXV controller for controlling an EXV within the refrigerant loop of an HVAC system. The EXV controller implements a master control algorithm that includes a plurality of sub-control algorithms and an initial series of branching decision points to determine the current mode of operation and to execute select sub-control algorithms corresponding to the current mode of operation, while not executing the sub-control algorithms corresponding to the other modes of operation. The sub-control algorithms implement various combinations of PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) control and feed-forward control, the results of which can be mapped to specific control instructions for the EXV.

A method for cooling a mixed beverage formed with one or more beverage components includes circulating a refrigerant through a heat exchanger having a phase change material to cool a beverage component and sensing a temperature of the refrigerant. The method further includes detecting a first instance when the sensed temperature of the refrigerant equals a threshold refrigerant temperature, detecting a second instance when the sensed temperature of the refrigerant equals the threshold refrigerant temperature, and stopping circulation of the refrigerant when the second instance is detected.

A method for cooling a mixed beverage formed with one or more beverage components includes circulating a refrigerant through a heat exchanger having a phase change material to cool a beverage component and sensing a temperature of the refrigerant. The method further includes detecting a first instance when the sensed temperature of the refrigerant equals a threshold refrigerant temperature, detecting a second instance when the sensed temperature of the refrigerant equals the threshold refrigerant temperature, and stopping circulation of the refrigerant when the second instance is detected.

A refrigerant distributor 1 includes: a reducing portion 12a extending straight from a downstream end of a supply path 11b to which a refrigerant supply pipe 100b is connected and having a diameter smaller than that of the supply path 11b; a refrigerant stirring chamber 22 configured to stir refrigerant from the reducing portion 12a; a refrigerant strike surface 24 to be struck by refrigerant, and first and second branch channels 25 and 26 communicating with the refrigerant stirring chamber 22.

A heat transfer apparatus includes a plurality of “n” number of control valves, each of the plurality of “n” number of control valves including a control valve inlet and a control valve outlet; a like plurality of “n” number of evaporator sections, each of the like plurality of “n” number of evaporator sections including an evaporator section inlet and an evaporator section outlet, each evaporator section inlet fluidly coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of “n” number of control valve outlets, each evaporator section configured to extract heat from at least one heat load that is in thermal conductive or convective contact or proximate to the evaporator section; a refrigerant fluid inlet fluidly coupled to the like plurality of evaporator sections; and a refrigerant fluid outlet fluidly coupled to the like plurality of evaporator sections.

A pan chiller system eschews traditional methods of strapping refrigeration tubing upon an inner liner and obtaining temperature readings from a suction line. The disclosed embodiments overcome shortfalls in the related art by, inter alia, by artfully using a thermal retention assembly that retains refrigeration tubing in the middle of an inner liner. An inner liner may be filled with glycerin or similar products with the glycerin filling a temperature control bulb to obtain accurate temperature readings and avoiding the use of a suction line for such purposes. The disclosed embodiments may also include an air movement system moving cold air at the bottom of the pan and moving air upon the outer sides of the glycerin well and over the top of the well.