A refrigeration apparatus (1) includes a heat-source-side unit (10) using a refrigerant that works in a supercritical region. The heat-source-side unit (10) includes a compression element (20) configured to compress the refrigerant, a heat-source-side heat exchanger (24), an expansion valve (26) provided downstream of the heat-source-side heat exchanger (24), a receiver (25) provided downstream of the expansion valve (26), and a control unit (101). The control unit (101) performs a first operation for evaluating the amount of the refrigerant based on a high-pressure-side pressure, on a first condition that the internal pressure of the receiver (25) be equal to or less than a supercritical pressure.

A liquid separator including a cylindrical closed container in which a refrigerant is stored, a refrigerant inflow pipe that allows the refrigerant to flow into the closed container, and a refrigerant outflow pipe that allows the vapor-phase refrigerant in a space inside the closed container to flow out, in which the refrigerant inflow pipe and the refrigerant outflow pipe are each connected from the upper part of the closed container toward the inside thereof, and the closed container has a short cylindrical shape in which the height is smaller relative to the diameter.

A cooling system includes a coolant transmitter that transmits coolant at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. The cooling system also includes an evaporation vessel at atmospheric pressure. The evaporation vessel can contain an amount of coolant at the boiling point of the coolant. The cooling system also includes a pressure reducer fluidically coupled to the coolant transmitter and the evaporation vessel. The pressure reducer can include an orifice. The cooling system is configured such that heat is transferred from the coolant in the coolant transmitter to the coolant contained in the evaporation vessel. An exit stream conduit can fluidically couple the coolant transmitter and the pressure reducer, with the exit stream conduit diverting a portion of the coolant from the coolant transmitter to the evaporation vessel.

A cooling system includes a coolant transmitter that transmits coolant at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. The cooling system also includes an evaporation vessel at atmospheric pressure. The evaporation vessel can contain an amount of coolant at the boiling point of the coolant. The cooling system also includes a pressure reducer fluidically coupled to the coolant transmitter and the evaporation vessel. The pressure reducer can include an orifice. The cooling system is configured such that heat is transferred from the coolant in the coolant transmitter to the coolant contained in the evaporation vessel. An exit stream conduit can fluidically couple the coolant transmitter and the pressure reducer, with the exit stream conduit diverting a portion of the coolant from the coolant transmitter to the evaporation vessel.

The determination of the refrigerant amount is facilitated. A refrigerant amount inference apparatus infers a refrigerant amount in an air conditioner in which a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger, a supercooling heat exchanger, a pressure reducing valve, and a use side heat exchanger are connected to piping. The supercooling heat exchanger is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between refrigerant that passes through a supercooling bypass expansion valve provided in a bypass circuit and refrigerant in a mainstream circuit. The bypass circuit is connected to piping on a suction side of the compressor from a position between the heat source side heat exchanger and the supercooling heat exchanger or a position between the pressure reducing valve and the supercooling heat exchanger. The refrigerant amount inference apparatus includes an acquiring unit configured to acquire a state of refrigerant in first piping provided between the pressure reducing valve and the supercooling heat exchanger and an operation amount related to the state of the refrigerant in the first piping, and a training unit configured to perform training by associating the state of the refrigerant in the first piping and the operation amount related to the state of the refrigerant in the first piping with a refrigerant amount.

A refrigerant measurement adjustment system includes: a refrigerant sensor for a building and configured to measure an amount of refrigerant present in air outside of a refrigeration system of the building; and an adjustment module configured to: adjust the amount of refrigerant measured based on an adjustment to produce an adjusted amount; and determine the adjustment based on at least one of: an air temperature; an air pressure; a relative humidity of air; a mode of operation of the refrigeration system; a change in the measurements of the refrigerant sensor over time; and whether a blower that blows air across a heat exchanger of the refrigeration system located within the building is on.

A refrigerant recovery management system includes a display and a computer. The computer executes a data input program to present a screen on the display. The screen is configured for a user to input information regarding refrigerant that has been recovered from refrigerant use equipment and is to be sent to a refrigerant treatment practitioner that conducts a refrigerant treatment on the refrigerant. The computer is configured to: generate request data for sending the refrigerant to the refrigerant treatment practitioner, the request data including information regarding the refrigerant; generate report data regarding the refrigerant treatment for reporting the refrigerant treatment to a manager that manages refrigerant recovery, the report data including information regarding the refrigerant; and determine a conformity between the request data and the report data by determining whether information regarding the refrigerant included in the request data agrees with information regarding the refrigerant included in the report data.

The present disclosure relates to controls and related methods for mitigating liquid (e.g., compressor refrigerant, etc.) migration and/or floodback.

A refrigeration system, comprising a compressor, a condenser, a throttle flow path, and an evaporator connected in sequence, wherein a non-adjustable main throttle element is disposed in the throttle flow path; and further comprising a bypass flow path, wherein the bypass flow path is connected to the throttle flow path respectively at the upstream and downstream of the main throttle element, and provided with an adjustable auxiliary throttle element thereon; a liquid level sensor, disposed upstream and/or downstream of the throttle flow path, and configured to detect the liquid level; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to control the opening of the auxiliary throttle element according to a liquid level signal from the liquid level sensor.

A refrigeration plant with multiple evaporation levels, operating according to a vapour compression cycle and including a circuit having a high-pressure branch HP, wherein is arranged at least one heat exchanger, and two or more low-pressure branches, each of which operates at a different evaporation level to serve users having different refrigeration requirements. In each of the low-pressure branches the plant comprises an expansion device, at least one evaporator and a compressor group. At least one evaporator of each low-pressure branch is connected directly to the high-pressure branch. At least a first low-pressure branch comprises a liquid separator fluidically connected: to the evaporator outlet to collect the liquid exiting the evaporator when operating in overfeeding conditions; and to the intake of the compressor group. Such liquid separator is fluidically connected to a second low-pressure branch upstream of the expansion device of such second low-pressure branch through a first connection duct.