A refrigeration system includes a compressor; a condenser; an expansion valve having a body with an expansion valve inlet and an expansion valve outlet; an evaporator all arranged in a refrigeration circuit; and a controller. The expansion valve body has a pathway comprising an inlet body capillary tube flow-connected to the expansion valve inlet, and an outlet body capillary tube flow-connected to the expansion valve outlet. The expansion valve comprises a solenoid operated valve element that is selectively positionable between the inlet body capillary tube outlet and the outlet body capillary tube inlet. The controller digitally controls the valve element to position the valve element either to allow flow through the pathway in an open position or to block flow through the pathway in a closed position.

A refrigeration system includes an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, a capillary tube, and an expansion device. The compressor is configured to circulate a refrigerant between the evaporator and the condenser. The capillary tube is configured to receive the refrigerant from the condenser. The expansion device is configured to receive the refrigerant from the capillary tube and provide the refrigerant to the evaporator. The expansion device is adjustable to control a flow of the refrigerant through the capillary tube.

An HVAC system having a fixed orifice expansion device coupled to an evaporator coil is provided. In one embodiment, an expansion device coupled to an evaporator coil includes a flow restrictor and an evaporator inlet manifold. The flow restrictor includes multiple fixed orifices aligned with the refrigerant distribution tubes to restrict flow of refrigerant from the evaporator inlet manifold into the refrigerant distribution tubes through the multiple fixed orifices. Additional systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

A control method of a refrigerator includes: determining whether a first temperature of a refrigerating compartment satisfies a first temperature condition; based the first temperature satisfying the first temperature condition, determining whether a second temperature of a freezing compartment satisfies a second temperature condition; based on the second temperature satisfying the second temperature condition, determining (i) whether a third temperature of an ice making compartment satisfies a third temperature condition and (ii) whether a driving time for ice making has passed; maintaining operation of a compressor while determining (i) whether the second temperature satisfies the second temperature condition, (ii) whether the third temperature satisfies the third temperature condition, and (iii) whether the driving time has passed; and stopping operation of the compressor based on at least one of (i) a determination that the third temperature satisfies the third temperature condition or (ii) a determination that the driving time has passed.

A valve structure that may control the flow rate of a fluid when the fluid starts to be released is provided. In a valve structure including a valve sheet having two outlets to release a fluid and a valve body arranged to be rotational against the valve sheet to regulate a degree of opening of the outlet, the valve body has a fluid control recess formed in the circumferential direction whose area overlapping the outlet is changed by rotation of the valve body, and the center of the outlet is forced to deviate from a rotation trajectory of a front end portion of the fluid control recess that starts to overlap the outlet by the rotation of the valve body.

A method for controlling a refrigerating system using a non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant is provided. The refrigerating system may include a first evaporator configured to supply cold air to a freezer compartment located upstream and a second evaporator configured to supply cold air to a refrigerating compartment located downstream, based on a flow direction of the non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant. The method may include a first operation comprising operating a compressor, a freezer compartment fan to blow air to the first evaporator, and a refrigerating compartment fan to blow air to the second evaporator; a second operation comprising when the freezer compartment reaches a target temperature or the refrigerating compartment reaches a target temperature, continuously operating the compressor, and stopping the freezer compartment fan or the refrigerating compartment fan corresponding to one of the freezer compartment or the refrigerating compartment that reaches the target temperature; and a third operation comprising when both the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment reach the target temperatures, turning off both of the refrigerating compartment fan and the freezer compartment fan and stopping the compressor.

A refrigeration system includes a compressor; a condenser; an expansion valve having a body with an expansion valve inlet and an expansion valve outlet; an evaporator all arranged in a refrigeration circuit; and a controller. The expansion valve body has a pathway comprising an inlet body capillary tube flow-connected to the expansion valve inlet, and an outlet body capillary tube flow-connected to the expansion valve outlet. The expansion valve comprises a solenoid operated valve element that is selectively positionable between the inlet body capillary tube outlet and the outlet body capillary tube inlet. The controller digitally controls the valve element to position the valve element either to allow flow through the pathway in an open position or to block flow through the pathway in a closed position.

An outdoor unit of an air conditioner having an expansion valve unit. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner includes a compressor, a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between outdoor air and refrigerant compressed by the compressor, an expansion valve unit configured to decompress the refrigerant discharged from the heat exchanger, a refrigerant pipe configured to deliver the refrigerant, which is decompressed and expanded by the expansion valve unit, to the indoor unit of the air conditioner, and a bracket configured to support the expansion valve unit. The expansion valve unit includes an expansion valve, a first connection portion configured to connect the expansion valve to the heat exchanger, and a second connection portion configured to connect the expansion valve to the refrigerant pipe. The expansion valve, and one of the first connection portion or the second connection portion are fixed to the bracket.

Heat pump systems and methods of operating including a first unit having a first unit heat exchanger, a compressor, an accumulator, and a first unit expansion valve, a second unit fluidly connected to the first unit by piping, the second unit having a second unit heat exchanger, and a system controller, the system controller having (I) a PID control element receiving as inputs (i) gain scheduling, (ii) an error signal, and (iii) feedback relating to an opening command of the first unit expansion valve, and (II) a feedforward control element generating a feedforward term that is combined with an output of the PID control element to generate the opening command of the first unit expansion valve. The system controller controls an opening of the first unit expansion valve using the opening command of the first unit expansion valve.

A refrigerator includes a first freezing cycle in which a first refrigerant circulates and having a first compressor, a first condenser, at least one first expansion mechanism, and at least one first evaporator, the first freezing cycle configured to cool freezing and refrigerating compartments, a freezing compartment sensor, a refrigerating compartment sensor, a second freezing cycle in which a second mixed refrigerant having a lower evaporation temperature than the first refrigerant circulates and having a second compressor, a second condenser, a second expansion mechanism, and a second evaporator, the second freezing cycle configured to cool a deep freezing compartment, a deep freezing compartment sensor, and a controller configured to operate the first freezing cycle and the second freezing cycle independently or simultaneously, thereby more efficiently cooling the freezing and refrigerating compartments and the deep freezing compartment.