An air-conditioner includes: a return-air inlet and a supply-air outlet each communicating with a predetermined space; a first main air channel configured to allow air to flow therein towards the supply-air outlet; a first heat exchanger disposed in the first main air channel and that causes heat-exchange between refrigerant flowing therein and air passing therethrough; an exhaust-air outlet communicating with an outside of the predetermined space; a second main air channel configured to allow air to flow therein towards the exhaust-air outlet; a second heat exchanger disposed in the second main air channel and that causes heat-exchange between refrigerant flowing therein and air passing therethrough; and an exhaust ventilation channel configured to allow air to flow therein from the return-air inlet towards the exhaust-air outlet.

In an air-conditioning system including a thermal storage heat exchanger, a refrigerant circuit is configured such that an indoor heat exchanger and a receiver communicate with the thermal storage heat exchanger when an operational mode of the refrigerant circuit is switched to a cooling operation in which the thermal storage heat exchanger serves as a radiator and the indoor heat exchanger serves as an evaporator.

A switching device for a multi-split air conditioner and a multi-split air conditioner having same. The switching device has a base, a drain tank, multiple damping pads, and multiple fixing members. The base has a bottom wall and side walls, the side walls surrounding the bottom wall and extending upward from the edge of the bottom wall. The drain tank is disposed in the base, and the bottom surface of the drain tank is vertically spaced apart from the bottom wall of the base. The multiple damping pads are disposed on the drain tank and arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the drain tank. The multiple fixing members are respectively disposed on the damping pads and are connected to the side walls of the base. The multiple fixing members are all spaced apart from the drain tank.

A heat pump and a method for operating a heat pump are provided. The heat pump may include an outdoor unit including a compressor that compresses a refrigerant and an outdoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and outdoor air, a hybrid unit including at least one fluid-refrigerant heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit and a fluid, such as water, and at least one refrigerant control valve that controls an amount of refrigerant flowing through the at least one fluid-refrigerant heat exchanger, a plurality of indoor units each including an indoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the fluid supplied from the hybrid unit and indoor air, and a controller. The controller may calculate operation loads of the plurality of indoor units and control an opening degree of the at least one refrigerant control value based on the operation loads of the plurality of indoor units.

A switching mechanism (TV1, TV2, TV3, TV4, FV) includes an electric motor (74), a flow path switching portion (71) to be driven by the electric motor (74), a first port (P1) connected to a high-pressure flow path (7, 24, 28b, 31, 32) of a refrigerant circuit (6), a second port (P2) connected to a low-pressure flow path (8, 25, 28a, 33, 34) of the refrigerant circuit (6), and a third port (P3) connected to a predetermined flow path of the refrigerant circuit (6). The switching mechanism (TV1, TV2, TV3, TV4, FV) is switched between a first state in which the first port (P1) communicates with the third port (P3) and a second state in which the second port (P2) communicates with the third port (P3) in such a manner that the electric motor (74) drives the flow path switching portion (71).

A thermal management system. The thermal management system includes a refrigerant system and a cooling liquid system; the thermal management system further includes a fourth heat exchanger which includes a first flow channel and a second flow channel; the refrigerant system and the cooling liquid system can perform heat exchanging by means of the fourth heat exchanger, thereby facilitating improving the performance of the thermal management system.

A primary refrigerant circuit allows circulation of a primary refrigerant and includes a primary compressor, a cascade heat exchanger, and a primary heat exchanger. A secondary refrigerant circuit allows circulation of a secondary refrigerant and includes a secondary compressor, the cascade heat exchanger, and a utilization heat exchanger. The primary refrigerant circuit includes a first connecting pipe, a primary first connection pipe, and a liquid connecting pipe connecting the cascade heat exchanger and the primary heat exchanger, a primary suction flow path of the primary compressor, a primary subcooling circuit connecting the liquid connecting pipe and the primary suction flow path, and a primary subcooling expansion valve provided in the primary subcooling circuit.

A heat pump may include a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, a first temperature sensor provided in heating pipes connected to a heating device that heats an indoor space to sense a temperature of fluid flowing through the heating pipes, and a controller. The controller may be configured to determine whether a boiler is operating to heat an indoor space or is operating to supply hot water based on a sensing value of the first temperature sensor. The compressor may operate when the controller determines that the boiler is not operating to heat the indoor space and/or determines that the boiler is operating to supply hot water.

A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a compressor, a four-way valve, a second flow path switching unit, a first outdoor heat exchanger, a second outdoor heat exchanger, a first indoor heat exchanger and a second flow path switching unit. The second flow path switching unit switches between a third state in which the first port, the second port, the first outdoor heat exchanger, the fourth port, the third port, the second heat exchanger, the fifth port and the sixth port are successively connected in series, and a fourth state in which the sixth port, the fourth port, the first heat exchanger, the second port and the first port are successively connected in series, and the sixth port, the fifth port, the second heat exchanger, the third port and the first port are successively connected in series.

A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a compressor, a four-way valve, a second flow path switching unit, a first outdoor heat exchanger, a second outdoor heat exchanger, a first indoor heat exchanger and a second flow path switching unit. The second flow path switching unit switches between a third state in which the first port, the second port, the first outdoor heat exchanger, the fourth port, the third port, the second heat exchanger, the fifth port and the sixth port are successively connected in series, and a fourth state in which the sixth port, the fourth port, the first heat exchanger, the second port and the first port are successively connected in series, and the sixth port, the fifth port, the second heat exchanger, the third port and the first port are successively connected in series.