A retrofit heat pump system for a water heater is disclosed. The heat pump system includes a plurality of evaporators to increase the efficiency of heat exchange for the system. The system can also include a plurality of condenser circuits used to heat the water of an existing water tank. A fan disposed in a housing of the heat pump system can draw air across the plurality of evaporators and exhaust cool air external to the heat pump system. The cool air can be exhausted into duct work associated with an air conditioning system of the home. The disclosure also describes a refrigerant distributor for providing uniform liquid refrigerant to the plurality of evaporators.

A heat exchange unit includes a heat exchanger including a plurality of heat transfer tubes and a plurality of refrigerant distributors. Each of the plurality of refrigerant distributors includes an inlet pipe through which refrigerant flows into the refrigerant distributor and a plurality of distribution pipes through which the refrigerant flows out of the refrigerant distributor. Each of the plurality of distribution pipes is connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of heat transfer tubes. The inlet pipe of the refrigerant distributor having a relatively low average value of levels of the plurality of distribution pipes connected to the plurality of heat transfer tubes has a smaller inside diameter than the inlet pipe of the refrigerant distributor having a relatively high average value of levels of the plurality of distribution pipes connected to the plurality of heat transfer tubes.

An air-conditioner unit, is provided comprising: an air-conditioning coil between an input vent and an output vent, receiving return air, passing the return air through the air-conditioning coil, and ejecting supply air, the air-conditioning coil including a plurality of coil paths passing refrigerant; a refrigerant regulator connected to the plurality of coil paths to regulate the flow of the refrigerant through the plurality of coil paths, wherein the refrigerant regulator is configured to have a least two selectable settings, the first selectable setting configuring the refrigerant regulator such that the refrigerant regulator stops refrigerant from flowing through a first subset of the plurality of coil paths and allows refrigerant to flow through a second subset of the plurality of coil paths, the second selectable setting of the refrigerant regulator configuring the refrigerant regulator such that the refrigerant regulator allows refrigerant to flow through all the plurality of coil paths.

A refrigeration cycle device that includes a main refrigerant circuit and a sub-refrigerant circuit cools or heats a main refrigerant that flows between a main heat-source-side heat exchanger and a main usage-side heat exchanger by causing a sub-usage-side heat exchanger to function as an evaporator or a radiator of a sub-refrigerant. A first main expansion mechanism and a second main expansion mechanism that decompress the main refrigerant are provided on an upstream side and a downstream side of the sub-usage-side heat exchanger of the main refrigerant circuit.

A plurality of components of a refrigeration cycle are connected to a connection module. The connection module includes a body having a refrigerant flow path that constitutes a part of a refrigerant flow path in the refrigeration cycle. The refrigerant flow path includes a high-temperature-side flow path and a low-temperature-side flow path. The high-temperature-side flow path has a connection port to which a high-temperature-side component of the plurality of components, through which a high-pressure refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle flows, is connectable. The low-temperature-side flow path has a connection port to which a low-temperature-side component of the plurality of components, through which a refrigerant having a lower temperature than the high-pressure refrigerant flows, is connectable.

The present invention relates to an air conditioner. A first invention according to the present embodiment is an air conditioner which has a refrigeration capacity of 16 kW to 28 kW, inclusive, and uses a mixed refrigerant R134a as a refrigerant, and in which a refrigerant pipe includes a ductile stainless steel pipe having 1% or less of a delta-ferrite matrix structure with respect to the grain size area thereof.

A valve device includes a housing integrally or separately having a flow path formation part where at least one flow path hole through which a fluid passes is formed. The valve device includes: a drive part that outputs a rotational force; and a rotation part that rotates about a predetermined axis by the rotational force output from the drive part. The rotation part includes a shaft and a rotor increasing or decreasing an opening degree of the flow path hole with rotation of the shaft. The rotor has a sliding surface that slides while facing an opening surface of the flow path formation part where the flow path hole is opened. At least a part of the rotation part is rotatably held by the housing.

A valve device includes a housing integrally or separately having a flow path formation part where at least one flow path hole through which a fluid passes is formed. The valve device includes: a drive part that outputs a rotational force; and a rotation part that rotates about a predetermined axis by the rotational force output from the drive part. The rotation part includes a shaft and a rotor increasing or decreasing an opening degree of the flow path hole with rotation of the shaft. The rotor has a sliding surface that slides while facing an opening surface of the flow path formation part where the flow path hole is opened. At least a part of the rotation part is rotatably held by the housing.

An evaporator header can include a header body having one or more walls that define an inner cavity configured to receive a first flow of refrigerant from a plurality of evaporator flow paths. A liquid line portion can extend through the inner cavity, can define a liquid line flow path that is fluidly separated from the inner cavity, and can be configured to receive a second flow of refrigerant. A plurality of apertures can extend through the one or more walls of the header body. The evaporator head can include a plurality of flow path connectors, and each can be configured to facilitate at least some of the first flow of refrigerant from a corresponding evaporator flow path of the plurality of evaporator flow paths, into the inner cavity via a corresponding aperture of the plurality of apertures, and across at least some of the liquid line portion.

A multi-way valve for controlling a refrigerant circuit of a refrigeration system with a heat pump function, having a housing which has two mutually opposite end faces which each comprise an insertion opening to which a regulating chamber is connected, having multi-way valve arrangements which can each be inserted in the regulating chamber, the multi-way valve arrangement comprising at least one base body and a rotary slide valve arrangement, with in each case one connection in the housing, which open into the respective regulating chamber, and with at least further connections in the housing, which open into at least one channel which extends between the regulating chambers.