A refrigerant flow path switching unit is disposed between a heat source unit and a utilization unit and switches a refrigerant flow in the utilization unit. The refrigerant flow path switching unit includes: a flow path switching valve; and a case that houses the flow path switching valve. The case has: a first maintenance opening on a first side surface; and a second maintenance opening on a second side surface.

A wind powered cooling system, including a windmill including a transmission rotatably coupled to at least one vane, wherein wind moving past the vane causes the vane to rotate and transmit rotational energy to the transmission; and a cooling system including: a compressor system including a compressor mechanically coupled to the transmission, the compressor including a first member for translating rotational energy of the transmission to movement of the first member with respect to a second member so as to compress a refrigerant fluid stored therein; and an evaporator system including an evaporator in fluid communication with the compressor for expanding and evaporating compressed refrigerant fluid into cold refrigerant gas, wherein the cold refrigerant gas cools air surrounding the evaporator system by convection.

An air-conditioning apparatus includes a first flow switching unit configured to be switched between a first state in which refrigerant communication between a compressor and a second load-side heat exchanger is blocked and a second state in which the compressor is in refrigerant communication with a first load-side heat exchanger and the second load-side heat exchanger. The air-conditioning apparatus further includes a second flow switching unit configured to be switched between a third state in which refrigerant communication between the second load-side heat exchanger and a heat-source-side heat exchanger is blocked and a fourth state in which the first load-side heat exchanger is in refrigerant communication with the second load-side heat exchanger and the heat-source-side heat exchanger. The first heat exchanger is located upstream of the second load-side heat exchanger. The second flow switching unit is located downstream of the second load-side heat exchanger.

A refrigerator including a main body having a storage chamber and a cold air supply device configured to supply cold air to the storage chamber, wherein the cold air supply device includes a compressor, a condenser configured to condense a refrigerant compressed by the compressor, a flow path switching valve connected to the condenser, a first capillary tube and a second capillary tube connected to the flow path switching valve, respectively, the second capillary tube arranged in parallel with the first capillary tube, and a cluster pipe arranged between the flow path switching valve and the first capillary tube to further condensate the refrigerant pass therethrough. The flow path switching valve is configured to selectively allow the refrigerant received from the condenser to flow into the first capillary tube or the second capillary tube.

A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit, by pipes, connecting a compressor, a flow switching device, a first heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a second heat exchanger. As refrigerant to be circulated through the refrigerant circuit, any one of a refrigerant having saturated gas temperature under standard atmospheric pressure that is higher than that of R32 and a refrigerant mixture mainly composed of the refrigerant is used. The refrigerant circuit includes an internal heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant-inlet side of the second heat exchanger and the refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant-outlet side of the second heat exchanger.

Provided is a refrigerant cycle apparatus capable of suppressing detects caused by iodine even when a refrigerant containing iodine is used. An air conditioner includes a refrigerant circuit through which a refrigerant containing iodine circulates. The refrigerant circuit includes a component that is in contact with a refrigerant containing iodine, the component being made of metal other than aluminum or an aluminum alloy, or having a content of aluminum which is equal to or less than a ratio at which corrosion of aluminum occurs by iodine. The component is at least one of a component of a compressor, a component of a heat-source-side heat exchanger or a utilization-side heat exchanger, a component of an expansion valve, a drier, and a connection pipe.

An air-cooled chiller (100) includes a compressor (12); a cooler (14); a heat recovery heat exchanger (16), wherein the heat recovery heat exchanger is connected between an output of (12b) the compressor and an input header (20) of an air heat exchanger (60). A solenoid valve (30) is located in an input header (20) of the air heat exchanger to divide the input header into a first portion (20a) and a second portion (20b). A controller (32) is configured to control the solenoid valve (30). A second valve (34) is located in the output header (36) to divide the output header into a first portion (36a) and a second portion (36b). There is also provided a method of operating the air-cooled chiller and a method of retrofitting an existing serial-concept air cooled chiller, to provide the present air-cooled chiller.

A heat exchanger, such as for example, a condenser coil constructed as a fin and microchannel tube is fluidly connected with a volume constructed and configured to store refrigerant in certain operations, such as for example during a pump down operation. The volume is fluidly connected to a fluid port of the heat exchanger, where the fluid port is an inlet (in the cooling mode) to the heat exchanger, such as the high side condensing section of the heat exchanger. The volume receives refrigerant exiting the heat exchanger from the fluid port in a mode other than a cooling mode, e.g., a pump down operation.

A cooling system is designed to operate in two different modes. Generally, in the first mode, when parallel compression is needed, certain valves are controlled to direct gaseous refrigerant from a tank to a compressor in the system and to direct refrigerant from low side heat exchangers towards other compressors. In this manner, a compressor in the system is transitioned to be generally a parallel compressor. In the second mode, when parallel compression is not needed, the valves are controlled to return the refrigerant flow back to normal.

A method for controlling a refrigerator, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a step in which it is determined whether a period of defrosting (POD) for defrosting a freezing compartment and a deep-freezing compartment has elapsed; a step in which, when it is determined that the period of defrosting has elapsed, a deep cooling operation for cooling at least one from among the temperature of the deep-freezing compartment and the temperature of the freezing compartment to be lower than a control temperature is performed; and a step in which, when the deep cooling operation finishes, a defrosting operation for defrosting the freezing compartment and the deep-freezing compartment is performed. When the defrosting operation starts, a freezing compartment valve is closed so as to prevent cold air from flowing to a freezing compartment evaporator and a heat sink, and at least a portion of a freezing compartment defrosting section and at least a portion of a deep-freezing compartment defrosting section overlap with each other.