Methods are directed towards dynamically determining refrigerant film thickness at the rolling-element bearing and for dynamically controlling refrigerant film thickness at the rolling-element bearing. Further, an oil free chiller system is configured for dynamically determining refrigerant film thickness at the rolling-element bearing of the oil free chiller system, wherein the oil free chiller system is also configured for dynamically controlling refrigerant film thickness at the rolling-element bearing of the oil free chiller system.

An air-conditioning apparatus includes a main circuit in which a compressor, a flow switching device, an indoor heat exchanger, a pressure reducing device, and a plurality of parallel heat exchangers connected in parallel with each other are connected by pipes, a bypass pipe, a flow control device provided to the bypass pipe and configured to adjust a flow rate of refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe, an evaporating pressure sensor configured to measure an evaporating pressure of the refrigerant, and a controller. The air-conditioning apparatus is configured to operate in a normal heating operation mode and a heating-defrosting operation mode. When an operation associated with the normal heating operation mode is switched to an operation associated with the heating-defrosting operation mode, the controller adjusts an opening degree of the flow control device using the evaporating pressure in the parallel heat exchanger and a driving frequency of the compressor.

A compressor (31a, 31b) and an oil separator (35a, 35b) are provided in a refrigerant circuit (20). A flow-rate regulating valve (41a, 41b) is provided in an oil return pipe (40a, 40b) for returning a refrigerating-machine oil in the oil separator (35a, 35b) to the compressor (31a, 31b). A temperature sensor (42a, 42b) is provided downstream of the flow-rate regulating valve (41a, 41b) in the oil return pipe (40a, 40b). The oil-amount determiner (71a, 71b) determines whether an oil shortage state in which the amount of the refrigerating-machine oil held by the compressor (31a, 31b) is insufficient is present, on the basis of a measured value obtained by the temperature sensor (42a, 42b).

An air-conditioner includes: a refrigerant circuit through which a refrigerant flows, the refrigerant circuit being formed of a compressor, a switching valve, a first heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a second heat exchanger connected to one another by a first pipe; a heat-transfer medium circuit through which a heat-transfer medium flows, the heat-transfer medium circuit being formed of a pump, the first heat exchanger, and a third heat exchanger connected to one another by a second pipe; and control device that controls the compressor and the pump. In an operation of the air-conditioner performed before entering a defrosting operation, the control device increases a frequency of the compressor, as compared to the frequency of the compressor in a heating operation, and reduces a rotational speed of the pump, as compared to the rotational speed of the pump in the heating operation.

A refrigerant control system includes: a charge module configured to determine an amount of refrigerant that is present within a refrigeration system of a building; a leak module configured to diagnose that a leak is present in the refrigeration system based on the amount of refrigerant; and at least one module configured to take at least one remedial action in response to the diagnosis that the leak is present in the refrigeration system.

Disclosed are a compressor control method, control apparatus and control system. The method include: receiving a cylinder switching instruction, and detecting operating parameters of a compressor; determining whether a cylinder switching operation is completed according to the operating parameters of the compressor; and after it is determined that the cylinder switching operation is completed, performing torque compensation.

A HVAC system includes a compressor having a low pressure input and a high pressure output. The compressor is driven by a motor having a liquid coolant flowpath configured to cool and lubricate the motor. The motor has a coolant input and a coolant output. An evaporator is in communication with the compressor, and includes a coolant input and a coolant output. A condenser is in fluid communication with the evaporator and the compressor. A first coolant flowpath, includes a coolant drive system connecting the output of the condenser to a valve switching device. A second coolant flowpath connects the output of the condenser to the input of the evaporator and to a second input of the valve switching device. A third coolant flowpath connects the valve switching device to the inputs of the motor. A fourth coolant flowpath connects outputs of the motor to the input of the evaporator.

A refrigerant control system includes: a charge module configured to determine an amount of refrigerant that is present within a refrigeration system of a building; a leak module configured to diagnose that a leak is present in the refrigeration system based on the amount of refrigerant; and at least one module configured to take at least one remedial action in response to the diagnosis that the leak is present in the refrigeration system.

A refrigerator includes a thermoelectric element module, and a defrosting temperature sensor, and a controller configured to control operation of the thermoelectric element module. The thermoelectric element module includes a thermoelectric element including a heat absorption portion and a heat dissipation portion, a first heat sink in contact with the heat absorption portion, a first fan facing the first heat sink, a second heat sink in contact with the heat dissipation portion, and a second fan facing the second heat sink. The controller is configured to initiate a natural defrosting operation for removing frost on the thermoelectric element module at every preset period, and terminate the natural defrosting operation based on a temperature measured by the defrosting temperature sensor corresponding to a reference temperature. The controller is configured to control operation of the thermoelectric element and rotation of the first and second fans in the natural defrosting operation.

In order to reduce the effect on a compressor caused by foaming in an oil tank, a control unit for controlling an oil pump starts the oil pump before a compressor is started (SA1), starts the compressor (SA4) when an oil supply differential pressure P satisfies a compressor startup condition during a reference time Tas from the starting of the oil pump (“Yes” in SA3), and extends the operation of the oil pump for a prescribed time without starting the compressor (Step SA5) when the compressor startup condition is not satisfied (“No” in SA3).