A system includes a flash tank and a thermal storage tank. The flash tank is configured to store refrigerant and discharge a flash gas. The thermal storage tank is fluidically coupled to the flash tank and configured, when a power outage is determined to be occurring, to receive at least a portion of the flash gas from the flash tank, and remove heat from the flash gas. When a power outage is determined not to be occurring, the thermal storage tank directs refrigerant to a compressor.

A method for controlling a vapour compression system (1), the vapour compression system (1) comprising a compressor unit (2) comprising one or more compressors (10, 11, 13), is disclosed. At least one of the compressors (11, 13) of the compressor unit (2) is connectable to a gaseous outlet (9) of a receiver (5), and at least one of the compressors (10, 13) of the compressor unit (2) is connectable to an outlet of an evaporator (7). A parameter of the vapour compression system (1) is measured, an enthalpy of refrigerant leaving the heat rejecting heat exchanger (3) being derivable from the measured parameter. A setpoint value for a pressure inside the receiver (5) is calculated, based on the measured parameter, and the compressor unit (2) is operated in accordance with the calculated setpoint value, and in order to obtain a pressure inside the receiver (5) which is equal to the calculated setpoint value. The vapour compression system (1) is operated in an energy efficient manner over a wide range of ambient temperatures.

In the case of a heating operation in which a use side heat exchanger functions as a condenser when the outside air has a predetermined low temperature, a low-outside-air-temperature heating operation start mode is executed in which, while a refrigerant, as discharged from a compressor, flows into the use side heat exchanger, the refrigerant is supplied to the injection port of the compressor via an injection pipe and a part of a refrigerant that is accumulated in an accumulator is supplied to the compressor via a connecting pipe, and thereafter a low-outside-air-temperature heating operation mode is executed in which the refrigerant, as discharged from the compressor, is supplied to the injection port of the compressor via the injection pipe while flowing into the use side heat exchanger.

A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a compressor, a condenser, a first subcooling device that subcools a refrigerant by exchanging heat with the air, a second subcooling device that performs a heat exchange between refrigerant streams that have been branched by a branch pipe, thereby subcooling one of the refrigerant streams, a flow control device that adjusts a flow rate of the second stream of the refrigerant and passes this refrigerant through the second subcooling device, a bypass path that allows the refrigerant passing through the flow control device and the second subcooling device to flow therethrough, an expansion valve, an evaporator, and a controller configured to control an amount of heat exchanged in the first subcooling device and an amount of heat exchanged in the second subcooling device based on a temperature of the air.

A combined heat exchanger, a heat exchange system, and an optimization method thereof are provided. The heat exchange system includes: an enhanced vapor injection compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator, which are located in a main circuit; wherein the heat exchange system further includes a first branch branched from the main circuit to an vapor injection port of the compressor at a branch point P downstream of the condenser, and a first heat exchange unit and a second heat exchange unit are further provided in the main circuit between the branch point P and the expansion valve; and wherein a refrigerant leaving the condenser is divided at the branch point P into a first portion passing through the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit from the main circuit, and a second portion passing through the first branch to the vapor injection port.

An economizer includes a separation wheel, a motor, and a liquid storage portion. The separation wheel is arranged and configured to separate refrigerant into gas refrigerant and liquid refrigerant. The separation wheel is attached to a shaft rotatable about a rotation axis. The motor is arranged and configured to rotate the shaft in order to rotate the separation wheel. The liquid storage portion is arranged and configured to store the liquid refrigerant. The economizer is adapted to be used in a chiller system including a compressor, an evaporator and a condenser.

An economized refrigeration system includes a main refrigerant circuit having a condenser, an evaporator, an economizer, an expansion device intermediate the condenser and the economizer, and a main compressor fluidly connected by a main refrigerant line. The system also includes an economized refrigerant circuit including an auxiliary compressor system and an auxiliary refrigerant line fluidly connecting the economizer to the auxiliary compressor system and fluidly connecting the main refrigerant line to the auxiliary compressor at a location intermediate the main compressor system and the condenser. The auxiliary compressor system is independently controllable with respect to the main compressor system.

An air conditioner and a method of controlling the same are provided. The air conditioner includes first and second compressors capable of performing multi-stage compression, a condenser for condensing a refrigerant compressed in the first and second compressors, a refrigerant separation device for separating the refrigerant to be injected to the first or second compressor of the refrigerant condensed in the condenser, injection tubes extending from the refrigerant separation device to the first and second compressors to guide injection of the refrigerant, a main expansion device disposed at an outlet-side of the refrigerant separation device to decompress the refrigerant, an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant decompressed in the main expansion device, a valve device disposed at an outlet-side of the first compressor to guide the refrigerant compressed in the first compressor to the condenser or the second compressor, and a bypass tube extending from the valve device to an suction-side of the second compressor.

A refrigeration system includes a subcooler configured to provide subcooling for a liquid refrigerant flowing through a first side of the subcooler by transferring heat from the liquid refrigerant to a gas refrigerant flowing through a second side of the subcooler. An expansion valve is located at an inlet of the second side of the subcooler and configured to control a flow of the gas refrigerant through the second side of the subcooler. A gas temperature sensor and a gas pressure sensor are configured to measure a temperature and pressure of the gas refrigerant. A liquid temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the subcooled liquid refrigerant. A controller is configured to calculate a superheat of the gas refrigerant based on the measured temperature and measured pressure of the gas refrigerant and may compare the calculated superheat to a superheat threshold. If the calculated superheat is less than the superheat threshold, the controller may close the expansion valve. If the calculated superheat is equal to or greater than the superheat threshold, the controller may operate the expansion valve using a feedback control technique to drive the temperature of the subcooled liquid refrigerant to a subcooled liquid temperature setpoint.

An air conditioner is provided. The air conditioner includes a heat pump cycle channel in which a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and an indoor heat exchanger are connected with one another in sequence. A resistance channel is disposed between an outlet of the compressor and the outdoor heat exchanger to increase pressure of refrigerant flowing from the outlet to the outdoor heat exchanger.