An expansion and isolation valve, specifically an electric expansion and isolation valve for operation with the coolant R744, featuring a valve body arranged in a valve body chamber, a seal seat, and a seal, which are arranged along an axial movement direction of the valve body in the expansion valve. The expansion valve is further designed such that in a closed state of the expansion valve, there is a pressure bypass to the valve body chamber, and preferentially, that a valve body diameter at the positions of the seal seat and the seal corresponds with the respective seal diameters.

A heat exchanger for regulating the temperature of objects includes two coolant ports that can interchangeably serve as either a coolant inlet or a coolant outlet. The heat exchanger includes sealedly engaged top, middle, and bottom plates that form passageways that distribute coolant through the heat exchanger. A top manifold is formed between the top and middle plates and is fluidly coupled with a first port, while a bottom manifold is formed between the bottom and middle plates and is fluidly coupled with a second port. The top and bottom manifolds are configured such that, during operation, coolant can be directed from the first port to the second port, or vice versa, thereby enabling the heat exchanger to operate bidirectionallywithout materially affecting the temperature regulation effects of the heat exchanger. In this manner, the same heat exchanger construction can be used in multiple orientations within a thermal management system.

Provided is a highly efficient heating and cooling system. The heating and cooling system is provided with a cooling-purpose heat exchange section that, during cooling, subcools refrigerant, which is discharged from a compressor and liquefied by a heat source side heat exchanger, with an acceleration phenomenon of the refrigerant by rotating the refrigerant helically before the refrigerant reaches a pressure reducing device, and a heating-purpose heat exchange section that, during heating, partially vaporizes refrigerant, which is discharged from the compressor and liquefied by a use side heat exchanger, with an acceleration phenomenon of the refrigerant by rotating the refrigerant helically after the refrigerant has passed through the pressure reducing device and before the refrigerant reaches the heat source side heat exchanger, in which a heating-purpose coiled narrow tube of the heating-purpose heat exchange section has a flow passage that is formed to be wider than that of a cooling-purpose coiled narrow tube of the cooling-purpose heat exchange section.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an air conditioner includes an outdoor heat exchanger disposed in an outdoor unit and an indoor heat exchanger disposed in an indoor unit. The air conditioner also includes a refrigerant pipe configured to connect the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger. The air conditioner also includes and a refrigerant ratio adjusting device configured adjust a ratio between a liquid refrigerant and a gaseous refrigerant passing through the refrigerant pipe.

A refrigerator includes a main body that has a storage chamber and a drying chamber; a thermoelectric module that includes a heat absorber and a heat dissipater; a cooling fan that circulates air in the storage chamber to the heat absorber and the storage chamber; a heat-dissipating fan that blows air to the heat dissipater; an air guide that has a passage for guiding air heated by the heat dissipater to the drying chamber; a heater that is disposed in the passage; and a damper that controls a flow of air in the passage between the heat-dissipating fan and the heater. Heat of the heat dissipater transfers to the drying chamber through the passage of the air guide and the damper, thereby being able to dry an object to be dried.

Disclosed is a valve having: a body that has an upstream end and a downstream end; an inlet orifice; a plurality of passages including: a first outlet passage extending into the body from the downstream end to a location intermediate the upstream end and the downstream end of the body; an inlet passage extending into the body from the upstream end of the body, the plurality of passages extending along mutually parallel axes, wherein the axes are offset radially and/or circumferentially from each other; and the inlet passage being formed in an insert configured for axially moving to: fluidly engage with the first outlet passage to define a continuous fluid passage between the upstream end and the downstream end of the body, wherein: an output flow rate through the body increases or decreases depending on an axial location of the insert.

A heat exchanger for regulating the temperature of objects includes two coolant ports that can interchangeably serve as either a coolant inlet or a coolant outlet. The heat exchanger includes sealedly engaged top, middle, and bottom plates that form passageways that distribute coolant through the heat exchanger. A top manifold is formed between the top and middle plates and is fluidly coupled with a first port, while a bottom manifold is formed between the bottom and middle plates and is fluidly coupled with a second port. The top and bottom manifolds are configured such that, during operation, coolant can be directed from the first port to the second port, or vice versa, thereby enabling the heat exchanger to operate bidirectionallywithout materially affecting the temperature regulation effects of the heat exchanger. In this manner, the same heat exchanger construction can be used in multiple orientations within a thermal management system.

Methods, systems and apparatuses are directed to a capacity modulating assembly configured to distribute two-phase refrigerant mixture to an evaporator of a HVAC system, such as a micro-channel heat exchanger (MCHEX) evaporator. The capacity modulating assembly may include a plurality of expansion devices. During capacity modulation, at least one of the plurality of expansion devices can be closed so that a refrigerant flow rate through the remaining expansion devices can be maintained. The capacity modulating assembly can include a refrigerant outflow port, which may help direct refrigerant out of the heat exchanger. The capacity modulating assembly can be connected with the MCHEX. The plurality of expansion devices can be configured to extend inside a header of the MCHEX to help distribute refrigerant to the micro-channel tubes of the MCHEX.

A control method and a control system are provided. A valve closing position of a valve device can be controlled according to the current flow direction or working mode of a refrigerant. A stroke of the valve device from a fully-opened position to a fully-closed position is defined as a total valve closing stroke. When the flow direction of the refrigerant is a forward direction, the valve device is controlled to operate at a first valve closing position, and when the flow direction of the refrigerant is a reverse direction, the valve device is controlled to operate at a second valve closing position. The first valve closing position is different from the second valve closing position, such that wear caused by valve closing can be reduced.

The invention relates to an actuator for a valve in a refrigeration system. The invention also relates to a valve with such actuator, and to a refrigeration system with such valve. The actuator comprises an elongated Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) element extending along two or more string-like extensions from a distant end to a proximate end in relation to a valve element of a valve. The SMA element, when forming part of the valve, may extend from the distant end to the proximate end connected to a housing of the SMA element, however, electrically insulated from the housing. An encapsulation may provide a thermal resistance, a thermal conductor and/or an electrical resistance between the SMA element and other elements or the surroundings of the SMA element.