When a controller receives an instruction for a heating operation, the controller switches an operation mode of a refrigeration cycle apparatus between a heating operation mode and an oil recovery operation mode. The heating operation mode is a mode to circulate refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit such that the refrigerant flows through a gas extension pipe in a gas phase state. The oil recovery operation mode is a mode to circulate the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit such that the refrigerant flows in the gas extension pipe in a gas-liquid two-phase state. The direction in which the refrigerant flows in the gas extension pipe in the oil recovery operation mode is opposite to that in which the refrigerant flows in the gas extension pipe in the heating operation mode.

A cooling apparatus includes a compressor, a first flow path and a second flow path branched from a branch point, a condenser disposed downstream of the branch point in the first flow path, a first decompressor disposed downstream of the condenser, a plurality of evaporators disposed downstream of the first decompressor and connected in series, a second decompressor disposed downstream of the branch point in the second flow path, a detection unit, and a control unit. The second flow path includes a hot-gas flow path configured to connect an outlet of the second decompressor and a meeting point with the first flow path. The control unit controls a degree of opening of the second decompressor depending on the temperature detected by the first temperature-detection unit and controls a degree of opening of the first decompressor depending on the temperature and/or the pressure detected by the detection unit.

A system for monitoring health of refrigerated storage containers includes an instantaneous health module configured to determine instantaneous health values for a refrigerated storage container based on parameters measured by sensors of a refrigeration system of the refrigerated storage container during a trip of the refrigerated storage container. A statistics module is configured to, after completion of the trip of the refrigerated storage container, determine statistical values based on the instantaneous health values determined for the trip. A health module is configured to determine an overall health value for the refrigerated storage container at the completion of the trip based on the statistical values and to store the overall health value for the refrigerated storage container in memory in association with a unique identifier of the refrigerated storage container.

A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes an outdoor unit a plurality of indoor units a relay unit a refrigerant circuit and a controller The relay unit includes a plurality of high-pressure valves and a plurality of low-pressure valves The controller when an operation state of at least one of the indoor units is changed from a first state to a second state, judges, based on a degree of supercooling of an outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger or the indoor heat exchanger or based on a degree of superheating of a suction side of the compressor, whether an abnormality is present in the plurality of high-pressure valves or the plurality of low-pressure valves.

A liquid level detector includes: a vertically-mounted accumulator configured to store refrigerant; a heater configured to heat the accumulator; a temperature detector configured to detect a surface temperature of the accumulator; a pressure detector configured to detect a pressure of the refrigerant in the accumulator; and a controller configured to detect a position of a liquid surface of the refrigerant in the accumulator based on a surface temperature of the accumulator detected by the temperature detector when the accumulator is heated by the heater, and a pressure of the refrigerant in the accumulator detected by the pressure detector.

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method for time shifting when a cold storage facility is cooled that includes determining a thermal model of a cold storage facility, obtaining an energy cost model that describes a schedule of variable energy costs over a predetermined period of time in the future, determining an operational schedule for at least a portion of a refrigeration system based on the thermal model, the energy cost model, and a maximum allowed temperature, and powering on the portion the refrigeration system based on the operational schedule, cooling, by the powered portion of the refrigeration system to a temperature below the maximum allowed temperature, reducing power usage of the powered portion of the refrigeration system based on the operational schedule, and permitting the facility to be warmed by ambient temperatures toward the maximum allowed temperature.

An economizer control system includes a compressor including a compression area, a piston chamber, and an economizer inlet configured to receive economizer vapor into the compression area via a flow path that extends between the economizer inlet and the compression area. At least a portion of the flow path traverses the piston chamber. The economizer control system also includes a piston disposed within the piston chamber and configured to contact the economizer vapor. The piston is moveable between an open position that opens the flow path and a closed position that closes the flow path. Additionally, the economizer control system includes a biasing system configured to apply force to the piston to bias the piston toward the closed position.

A refrigerant amount monitoring and charging control system for an electric vehicle and a method thereof include: a controller; a battery management module electrically connected to the controller; a high-speed charging gun connected to the vehicle when the vehicle is charged and configured to generate a high-speed charging signal during performing high-speed charging and to send the high-speed charging signal to the controller; an ambient temperature sensor electrically connected to the controller and configured to obtain an ambient temperature and to send the obtained ambient temperature to the controller; and a chiller including an electronic expansion valve and an evaporator. A situation where a vehicle battery is unable to be cooled by a refrigerant due to an insufficient refrigerant amount may be prevented by controlling charging power based on a monitoring result of a current refrigerant amount.

An air conditioner including: a compressor; a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the compressor; a pressure sensor provided in a first flow path connecting an outlet of the compressor to an inlet of the first heat exchanger; a temperature sensor provided in a second flow path connected to an outlet of the heat exchanger; and a processor connected to the compressor, the pressure sensor, and the temperature sensor. The processor configured to: acquire a reference index value based on a first reference pressure measured by the pressure sensor and a first reference temperature measured by the temperature sensor, acquire a measurement index value based on a first measurement pressure measured by the pressure sensor and a first measurement temperature measured by the temperature sensor, and display a shortage of a refrigerant of the air conditioner based on the reference index value and the measurement index value.

A heat pump may include a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, a first temperature sensor configured to detect an outdoor temperature, a second temperature sensor provided in heating pipes connected to a heating device that performs indoor heating and configured to detect a temperature of fluid flowing through the heating pipes, an outdoor heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between outdoor air and a refrigerant, a third temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger, and a controller. The controller may be configured to: control power to a boiler and/or to the compressor based on sensing values of the first, second, and third temperature sensors, calculate an expected efficiency of the heat pump based on the sensing value of the first temperature sensor and an initial target temperature, and control power to the boiler based on the expected efficiency.