A control device for a refrigerator system for cooling a load by using a plurality of refrigerators, said control device comprising a unit to control the number of operating units that changes the number of operating refrigerators according to the load rate, and a cold water temperature acquisition unit that acquires, via a temperature sensor, the temperature of cold water affected by the refrigerators. After a prescribed standby time from when the number of operating refrigerators was changed has elapsed, the unit to control the number of operating units changes the number of operating units and reduces the prescribed standby time when at least one of the cold-water temperature and the rate of change in the cold-water temperature satisfies a prescribed condition.

A system and method for dual compressor modulation by controlling a flow of refrigerant in a reversing valve. A method includes receiving, by a control board, a command for operating a reversing valve in different modes. The reversing valve includes a first tube, a second tube, a third tube, a fourth tube and a fifth tube. The method includes determining a position for operating the reversing valve in a first position or a second position in a first mode and in a third position or a fourth position in a second mode. The method includes controlling a flow of refrigerant based on the command and the position by connecting the fourth tube with a first compressor in the first/third position and connecting the fifth tube with a second compressor in the second/fourth position.

A compressor includes a diffuser passage configured to receive refrigerant flow from an impeller of the compressor, where the diffuser passage is at least partially defined by a compressor discharge plate of the compressor. The compressor also includes a variable geometry diffuser positioned within the diffuser passage and configured to adjust a dimension of a refrigerant flow path through the diffuser passage, an actuator coupled to the variable geometry diffuser and configured to adjust a position of the variable geometry diffuser within the diffuser passage, and a controller configured to regulate operation of the actuator. The controller is configured to instruct the actuator to adjust the position of the variable geometry diffuser from a first position to a second position using a first force and to adjust the position of the variable geometry diffuser from the second position to a third position using a second force less than the first force, where the variable geometry diffuser abuts the compressor discharge plate in the third position.

A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system includes a heat exchanger with a shell having a first pass configured to place a fluid in a heat exchange relationship with a first refrigerant and a second pass configured to place the fluid in a heat exchange relationship with a second refrigerant. The heat exchanger also includes a water box coupled to the shell and configured to direct the fluid from the first pass to the second pass. The HVAC&R system also includes a fluid mixing manifold disposed within the water box, where the fluid mixing manifold is configured to collect and mix a plurality of flows of the fluid from within the water box to generate a mixed fluid, and a sensor coupled to the fluid mixing manifold, where the sensor is configured to measure a parameter of the mixed fluid.

An integrated air conditioning system having a first air conditioning unit having a first evaporator with a first input and a first output; a second air conditioning unit having a second evaporator with a second input and a second output; a first conduit fluidly connecting the first input with the second output; a second conduit fluidly connecting the second input with the first output. The first and second conduits and the first and second evaporators form a working fluid circuit.

Multi-compressor chiller systems can be efficiently operated by determining real time efficiency curves for the compressors currently in operation, along with any compressors that may be added to address demand, and using these efficiency curves to determine changes to compressor operation to improve efficiency in meeting chiller demand. The efficiency curves can be parabolic curves. The data used to determine the efficiency curves can be obtained through operation at a variety of lift points and a variety of load points within those lift points. The efficiency curves can be solved to find intersections where there may be staging points for adding or subtracting compressors from operation to efficiently meet demand. This operation can be automated through a controller of a control system for the multi-compressor chiller system.

Disclosed is a two-stage heating geothermal system using geothermal energy. The two-stage heating geothermal system includes a geothermal heat exchanger, a geothermal heat pump, a booster heat pump, a bypass line, and a bypass line opening and closing valve. The operating efficiency of the two-stage heating geothermal system using geothermal energy is significantly improved. Hot water supply, auxiliary heating, and the like are controlled to be completely independent of main heating.

A control device controls a heating capacity during a heating operation and a defrosting capacity during a defrosting operation. The defrosting capacity of the first refrigeration cycle unit is determined to fall within a range satisfying a first determination condition and within a range satisfying a second determination condition. The first determination condition is a condition that a sum of a load capacity of a load device when the first defrosting start condition is satisfied, and the defrosting capacity of the first refrigeration cycle unit does not exceed the heating capacity of a second refrigeration cycle unit. The second determination condition is a condition that a sum of an inter-unit defrosting interval and a defrosting period of the first refrigeration cycle unit does not exceed a shortest defrosting interval of the second refrigeration cycle unit.

An air-conditioning apparatus includes a control unit performing liquid refrigerant equalization control for correcting an imbalance in liquid refrigerant amount between accumulators. The control unit includes a first liquid refrigerant equalization control unit controlling an output of a fan to perform the liquid refrigerant equalization control and a second liquid refrigerant equalization control unit controlling a frequency of a compressor to perform the liquid refrigerant equalization control. The second liquid refrigerant equalization control unit determines an increase or reduction in frequency of the compressor so that a total refrigerant circulation amount is not below a predetermined amount. When a value is within a predefined acceptable range, the control unit selects the first liquid refrigerant equalization control unit to perform the liquid refrigerant equalization control. When the value is outside the acceptable range, the control unit selects the second liquid refrigerant equalization control unit to perform the liquid refrigerant equalization control.

A method of controlling operation of an air conditioning system (10) includes measuring a compressor speed of one or more chillers (12) of an air conditioning system and measuring a refrigerant pressure of the one or more chillers of the air conditioning system. A chiller load is calculated using the compressor speed and the refrigerant pressure. An air conditioning system includes one or more chillers. Each chiller includes a compressor (22), a condenser (30) operably connected to the compressor, and an evaporator (28) operably connected to the compressor and the condenser. A controller (34) is operably connected to the one or more chillers and is configured to calculate a chiller load utilizing a measurement of compressor speed and a measurement of refrigerant pressure of the chiller.