The present disclosure relates to a climate management system having an outdoor coil of a refrigerant circuit, a first indoor coil of the refrigerant circuit, and a second indoor coil of the refrigerant circuit disposed downstream of the first indoor coil with respect to a flow of air directed across the first indoor coil and the second indoor coil. The climate management system is configured to, in a cooling mode, direct refrigerant flow in a first direction through the outdoor coil, direct refrigerant flow through the first indoor coil, and restrict refrigerant flow from the second indoor coil. The climate management system is also configured to, in a heating mode, direct refrigerant flow in a second direction through the outdoor coil, direct refrigerant flow through the second indoor coil, and restrict refrigerant flow from the first indoor coil. The second direction is opposite the first direction.

An air source or water sourced packaged self-contained heat pump unit comprises indoor and outdoor sections. Heat exchangers present in these sections transfer heat between the indoor building space and the outdoor ambient. The heat exchangers are connected to form a closed loop and a compressor present in the loop pressurizes the refrigerant. A refrigerant charge control system present controls the charge of refrigerant in the main refrigerant system during heating and cooling modes. A hot-gas heat exchanger is added to the indoor section of the unit downstream of the indoor heat exchanger with respect to the airflow. Valves are used to bypass the flow of refrigerant from the compressor to the hot-gas heat exchanger during regular heating and cooling modes. In the hot-gas reheat mode, the compressed refrigerant is first directed to the hot gas heat exchanger which reheats the air to decrease the relative humidity. The charge control system is active during the hot gas reheat cycle to control the charge of refrigerant in the system.

An apparatus includes a high side heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a load, a variable speed compressor, and a three-way valve. The high side heat exchanger removes heat from a refrigerant. The second heat exchanger removes heat from the refrigerant. The load uses the refrigerant to remove heat from a space proximate the load. The variable speed compressor compresses the refrigerant from the load and directs the compressed refrigerant to the high side heat exchanger. The three-way valve, when operating in a first mode, directs the refrigerant from the high side heat exchanger to the load and when operating in a second mode, directs the refrigerant from the high side heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger.

One aspect presents a controller that comprises a control board, a microprocessor located on and electrically coupled to the control board, and a memory coupled to the microprocessor and located on and electrically coupled to the control board. The controller is configured to receive an operating parameter signal and recalculate a first maximum heating % demand to a second maximum heating % demand that is greater than the first maximum heating % demand, when a value of the operating parameter signal exceeds a predetermined value, and operate the HP system based on the second maximum heating % demand.

An outdoor unit control unit has a defrosting operation condition table that defines an activation rotational speed based on the total sum of the rated capacity of indoor units and a refrigerant pipe length that is the length of a liquid pipe or of a gas pipe. The outdoor unit control unit uses the total sum of the rated capacity of the indoor units and refers to the defrosting operation condition table, so as to determine the activation rotational speed, and then the outdoor unit control unit activates a compressor at the determined activation rotational speed when starting a defrosting operation, maintains this activation rotational speed for a predetermined time (one minute) from the start of the defrosting operation, and drives the compressor.

An air conditioner and a method for controlling an air conditioner are provided that inject a refrigerant into a compressor to perform a defrosting operation. The air conditioner may include a compressor; an outdoor heat exchanger; an indoor heat exchanger; a first injection module that injects a refrigerant flowing from the indoor heat exchanger to the outdoor heat exchanger into the compressor during a heating operation and that does not inject a refrigerant flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger to the indoor heat exchanger into the compressor during a defrosting operation; and a second injection module that injects a refrigerant flowing from the indoor heat exchanger to the outdoor heat exchanger into the compressor during the heating operation and that injects a refrigerant flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger to the indoor heat exchanger into the compressor during the defrosting operation.

A valve module and a heat pump system are disclosed. The heat pump system comprises: an outdoor unit, a plurality of indoor units, one or more valve modules, a plurality of sensors and a control device. The control device is connected to the plurality of sensors and configured to execute a local cut-off step upon receiving a signal indicating refrigerant leakage in a corresponding indoor unit sent from any sensor, the local cut-off step comprising: closing the indoor unit throttling element of the indoor unit with leakage; and closing the corresponding branch control valve in the valve module connected to the indoor unit with leakage. The valve module and heat pump system according to the embodiments of the invention can effectively prevent continuous refrigerant leakage into the room and have minimal impact on other indoor units of the heat pump system.

An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit connecting a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a first expansion device, and a second heat exchanger. The compressor and the first heat exchanger are housed in a heat source unit, the heat source unit, houses a second expansion device provided at a location on a downstream side with respect to the first heat exchanger and on an upstream side with respect to the first expansion device, and the second expansion device and the first expansion device are connected via an extension pipe. The second expansion device reduces a pressure of refrigerant flowing into the extension pipe in cooling operation to cause the refrigerant to turn into refrigerant having a medium pressure and in a two-phase state, and the medium pressure is lower than a refrigerant pressure in a condenser and higher than a refrigerant pressure in an evaporator.

A system controls a multi-zone vapor compression system (MZ-VCS). The system includes a controller to control a vapor compression cycle of the MZ-VCS using a set of control inputs determined by optimizing a cost function including a set of control parameters. The optimizing is subject to constraints, and wherein the cost function is optimized over a prediction horizon. The system also includes a memory to store an optimization function parameterized by a configuration of the MZ-VCS defining active or inactive modes of each heat exchanger, the optimization function modifies, according to a current configuration, values of the control parameters of the cost function determined for a full configuration that includes all heat exchangers in the active mode. The system also includes a processor to determine the current configuration of the MZ-VCS and to update the cost function by submitting the current configuration to the optimization function.

A phase change compressor cover may include a first layer configured to provide sound attenuation from undesirable noise produced as a result of operating a compressor and/or thermal isolation of the compressor and a second layer comprising a cavity filled with a phase change material that is configured to absorb heat discharged as a result of operating the compressor and subsequently discharge the absorbed heat onto the compressor in response to discontinuing operation of the compressor to keep the compressor warm and prevent refrigerant migration to the compressor. The phase change compressor cover may be used to substantially envelope the compressor in a heat pump heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system.