An air conditioner including: a continuous refrigeration apparatus comprising a first gas control unit connected to a first indoor heat exchanger of the plurality of indoor heat exchangers, a second gas control unit connected to a second indoor heat exchanger of the plurality of indoor heat exchangers, a first pipe connecting a liquid pipe of the outdoor unit and a liquid of the indoor unit, and a second pipe which is branched from the first pipe and connected to the first gas control unit and the second gas control unit, wherein the first gas control unit comprises: a first-first flow path connecting the first gas control unit to the second pipe; a first-second flow path which is connected to the first-first flow path, and through which the refrigerant discharged from the first indoor heat exchanger flows during a refrigeration operation of the first indoor heat exchanger; and a first-third flow path which is connected in parallel with the first-second flow path, and guides the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to the first indoor heat exchanger during a defrosting operation of the first indoor heat exchanger, and connects a gas pipe of the outdoor unit and the first indoor heat exchanger.

A thermal management system includes a refrigerant system, which includes a compressor, a flow control device, a valve member, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, and a third heat exchanger. The flow control device includes a first throttle unit, a second throttle unit, and a valve assembly; the flow control device includes a first port, a second port, and a third port; a first connection port of the first heat exchanger is in communication with the second port, and a first connection port of the second heat exchanger is in communication with the third port, while a first connection port of the third heat exchanger is in communication with the first port. The thermal management system includes a first operating state and a second operating state.

An air conditioning system that includes at least one indoor unit that uses water as a working fluid, an outdoor unit that uses a refrigerant as a working fluid, the outdoor unit including a compressor compressing the refrigerant and an outdoor heat exchanger for heat-exchange with the refrigerant, and a heat collection unit connecting the at least one indoor unit to the outdoor unit, the heat collection unit including at least one heat exchange part for heat-exchanging water supplied from the at least one indoor unit with the refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit.

An air conditioning and heat pump tower includes a main casing, a plurality of connecting pipes, a compressor, a front heat exchanger, a rear heat exchanger, a fan unit, and an energy efficient arrangement. The energy efficient arrangement includes a first pre-heating heat exchanger supported in a front compartment of the main casing, and positioned between an outdoor air intake opening and an outdoor heat exchanging portion of the front heat exchanger. The air conditioning and heat pump tower may be operated between an air conditioning mode for absorbing heat from the indoor space, and a heat pump mode for producing heat to the indoor space. A predetermined amount of ambient air may be drawn through the outdoor air intake opening and may be pre-heated by the energy efficient arrangement before delivering to the indoor space.

A second flow path switching apparatus includes a first distribution apparatus configured to distribute refrigerant to a plurality of refrigerant paths in a first heat exchange portion, a second distribution apparatus configured to distribute refrigerant to the plurality of refrigerant paths in the first heat exchange portion and a second heat exchange portion, and a switch portion configured to switch connection of a refrigerant inlet of a first heat exchange apparatus to the first distribution apparatus or to the second distribution apparatus and switch whether refrigerant which flows out of a refrigerant outlet of the first heat exchange portion is allowed to pass through the second heat exchange portion or to merge with refrigerant which flows out of a refrigerant outlet of the second heat exchange portion in accordance with whether an order of circulation of the refrigerant is a first order (cooling) or a second order (heating).

A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a refrigeration circuit in which non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture circulates. The refrigeration circuit includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a four-way valve. The four-way valve is configured to assume a first state and a second state. The outdoor heat exchanger includes a plurality of refrigerant flow paths and a linear flow path switching valve configured to switch connections of the plurality of refrigerant flow paths between a series state in which the non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture flows through the plurality of refrigerant flow paths in series and a parallel state in which the non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture flows through the plurality of refrigerant flow paths in parallel. A controller switches the linear flow path switching valve between the series state and the parallel state when a multi-way valve is in the second state.

An air-conditioner is provided with a refrigerant circuit and an indoor fan. The refrigerant circuit has a compressor, a first four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a first expansion valve, a second four-way valve, a third four-way valve, an indoor heat exchanger, and a second expansion valve. The indoor heat exchanger has a first heat exchange portion and a second heat exchange portion. During a cooling operation, in the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion, a flow of refrigerant with respect to a flow of air sent by the indoor fan is a parallel flow. In a reheating dehumidification operation, in the first heat exchange portion, the flow of refrigerant with respect to the flow of air is the parallel flow, and in the second heat exchange portion, the flow of refrigerant with respect to the flow of air is a counterflow.

In one instance, a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a four-way reheat valve and is configured to accesses pressures within a conduit network to facilitate control of the reheat valve. The four-way reheat valve includes a piston valve slide within a main valve chamber and a pilot valve fluidly coupled to the main valve chamber and a compressor-suction conduit fluidly coupled to the four-way valve and to a compressor. The system also includes a flow-restricting device disposed on the conduit downstream of the four-way valve and a pilot conduit coupled to the conduit downstream of the flow-restricting device and coupled to the pilot valve for assisting with movement of the piston valve slide.

A heat exchange system operating on a vapor compression cycle is capable of operating in both an air conditioning mode and a heat pump mode. The heat exchange system can include a parallel flow heat exchanger that operates as a condenser in one mode and as an evaporator in the other mode. The heat exchanger can include a first, second, and third fluid manifold, with fluid conduits connecting the first and second fluid manifolds, and with additional fluid conduits connecting the second and third fluid manifolds. The heat exchanger can be configured to transfer heat between a working fluid traveling through the fluid conduits and another fluid, such as an air flow passing over the fluid conduits.

Provided is a refrigeration cycle apparatus configured to perform a heating operation and a simultaneous heating and hot-water supply operation. The refrigeration cycle apparatus is configured to execute an operation mode circulating refrigerant through, in order, a discharge outlet of a compressor, a first heat exchanger, an expansion device, a second heat exchanger provided to a water tank, and a suction inlet of the compressor, and causing the refrigerant flowing through the second heat exchanger to evaporate by heat generated by a heat source provided to the water tank.