A refrigeration system includes a compressor having a first stage and a second stage; a heat rejecting heat exchanger including an inter-cooler and a gas cooler, the intercooler coupled to an outlet of the first stage and the gas cooler coupled to an outlet of the second stage; an unload valve coupled to an outlet of the intercooler and a suction port of the first stage; a flash tank coupled to an outlet of the gas cooler; a primary expansion device coupled to an outlet of the flash tank; a heat absorbing heat exchanger coupled to an outlet of the primary expansion device, an outlet of the heat absorbing heat exchanger coupled to the suction port of the first stage; and a controller for executing a startup process including controlling the unload valve to direct refrigerant from the intercooler to the suction port of the first stage.

A method for conditioning air in a test space of a test chamber which receives test material. A temperature in a range of −20° C. to +180° C. is established within the test space with a cooling device. The cooling device includes a cooling circuit with a refrigerant, a heat exchanger, a compressor, a condenser and an expansion element. An internal heat exchanger of the cooling circuit is connected to a high-pressure side of the cooling circuit upstream of the expansion element and downstream of the condenser and to a low-pressure side of the cooling circuit upstream of the compressor and downstream of the heat exchanger and is used to cool the refrigerant of the high-pressure side. A zeotropic refrigerant is used and the internal heat exchanger is used to cool the refrigerant of the high-pressure side to lower an evaporation temperature at the expansion element.

A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes: a first four-way valve having first to fourth ports; a second four-way valve and a third four-way valve each having fifth to eighth ports; a compressor; a discharge pipe connecting a discharge port of the compressor and the first port; a suction pipe connecting a suction port of the compressor and the second port; a first high pressure pipe connecting the discharge pipe and the fifth ports; a second high pressure pipe connecting the third port and the first high pressure pipe; a first valve provided at the first high pressure pipe; a second valve provided at the second high pressure pipe; a low pressure pipe connecting the suction pipe and the sixth ports; a first outdoor heat exchanger connected with the seventh port of the second four-way valve; a second outdoor heat exchanger connected with the seventh port of the third four-way valve; and an indoor heat exchanger connected with the fourth port.

In a case of a heating operation in which the use side heat exchanger functions as a condenser when an outside temperature is a predetermined low temperature, a low-outside-temperature heating operation start-up mode in which, while a refrigerant discharged from the compressor is caused to flow into the use side heat exchanger, a refrigerant is supplied to the injection port of the compressor via the injection pipe and part of the refrigerant that has transferred heat in the heat source side heat exchanger is supplied to the compressor, is followed by a low-outside-temperature heating operation mode in which the refrigerant discharged from the compressor is supplied to the injection port of the compressor via the injection pipe while the refrigerant being caused to flow into the use side heat exchanger.

A method of refrigeration control through a refrigeration system of a refrigerated transport container includes performing a defrost cycle on the refrigeration system by activating a heat source; and restarting the refrigeration system after the defrost cycle has completed, wherein restarting the refrigeration system includes performing a liquid slugging avoidance process including: initiating a compressor of the refrigeration system at a speed; opening a pressure equalization valve in parallel with the compressor in response to the initiating; opening a liquid valve in series between a condenser and an evaporator after opening of the pressure equalization valve; and closing the pressure equalization valve after a period of time.

An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a refrigerant flow switching device, a heat source side heat exchanger, an expansion device, a heat medium heat exchanger, and an accumulator are connected, a heat medium circuit in which a pump, the heat medium heat exchanger, a heat medium flow control device, and a load side heat exchanger are connected, at least one or more bypass pipes provided in the refrigerant circuit so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor bypasses at least either one of the heat source side heat exchanger and the heat medium heat exchanger, a bypass opening and closing device provided at the bypass pipe, and a controller configured to control the bypass opening and closing device to carry out a start-up control function of causing low-pressure gas refrigerant with a high degree of superheat to flow into the accumulator.

Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.

An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a plurality of heat source units each including a compressor, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, a flow control valve, and an accumulator; a use-side load connected to the heat source units by pipes, and including a use-side heat exchanger that causes heat exchange to be performed between refrigerant supplied from each of the heat source units and a use-side heat medium; and a controller that controls an operation of each of the heat source units. The controller includes a determination unit and a liquid equalization unit. The determination unit determines whether or not a current operation is a non-normal operation in which the heat source units and the use-side load operate in a different manner from that in a heating operation or a cooling operation. The liquid equalization unit equalizes the amounts of liquid refrigerant that flows in the heat source units, when the determination unit determines that the current operation is the non-normal operation.

A cooling system includes a distribution system and a cooling unit. The distribution system is configured to circulate a distribution system refrigerant. The distribution system includes a distribution system pump, a main cooler, a distribution system input conduit, and a distribution system output conduit. The main cooler is configured to receive the distribution system refrigerant from the distribution system pump. The distribution system input conduit is configured to receive the distribution system refrigerant from the main cooler. The distribution system output conduit is configured to receive the distribution system refrigerant from the distribution system input conduit and to provide the distribution system refrigerant to the distribution system pump. The cooling unit is configured to circulate a cooling unit refrigerant. The cooling unit includes a cooling unit pump, an upstream receiver, a condenser, a downstream receiver, and an evaporator. The upstream receiver is configured to receive the cooling unit refrigerant.

A heat source unit constitutes a refrigeration apparatus by being connected to a utilization-side unit. The heat source unit includes a low-stage compression element, a high-stage compression element, and a heat exchanger. The low-stage compression element has a discharge pipe provided with a pressure switchgear. The high-stage compression element compresses a refrigerant discharged from the low-stage compression element. When the low-stage compression element is paused in response to activation of the pressure switchgear, the high-stage compression element operates while the low-stage compression element is kept paused.