A method for operating and controlling a vapor-compression cycle includes providing a system comprising an evaporator with a fan, a compressor, a condenser with a fan, an integrated expander, and a flash tank device with a vapor/liquid two-phase inlet and two outlets wherein a first outlet is a vapor outlet and a second outlet is a liquid outlet, and a metering valve; bringing a vapor-compression cycle up to steady-state at a fixed operating condition; opening the metering valve until the desired compressor suction superheat is achieved; and maintaining the desired degree of superheat by selectively increasing and decreasing superheat by reducing and increasing metering valve flow rate respectively.

The various implementations described herein include methods, devices, and systems for cooling a vehicular electronics system. In one aspect, a vehicular refrigerant system includes: (1) a refrigerant loop having a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, a condenser configured to condense the compressed refrigerant, an expansion device configured to enable expansion of the condensed refrigerant, and a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from a liquid coolant to the expanded refrigerant; (2) a liquid coolant loop configured to transfer heat from an electronics system via the liquid coolant; and (3) a controller configured to: (a) obtain operating data regarding the refrigerant, the liquid coolant, and/or the electronics system; and (b) adjust operation of the refrigerant loop and/or the liquid coolant loop based on the obtained operating data.

An HVAC system includes a compressor, condenser, and evaporator. A sensor measures a value associated with the refrigerant in the condenser or the evaporator, and a controller is communicatively coupled to the compressor and the sensor. The controller determines, based on an operational history the compressor, that pre-requisite criteria are satisfied for entering a sensor validation mode. After determining the pre-requisite criteria are satisfied, an initial sensor measurement value is determined. Following determining the initial sensor measurement value, the compressor is operated according to a sensor-validation mode. Following operating the compressor according to the sensor-validation mode for at least a minimum time, a current sensor measurement value is determined. The controller determines whether validation criteria are satisfied for the current sensor value. In response to determining that the validation criteria are satisfied, the controller determines that the sensor is validated.

Systems and methods are provided for controlling compressor systems to ensure sufficient pressure differentials to provide cooling. A compressor system includes a compressor, a suction pressure sensor at a suction of the compressor, a discharge pressure sensor, a condenser, an expansion device, a liquid line, a liquid line pressure sensor, an evaporator, a condenser blower and a controller. The method includes determining a pressure target based on an intermediate pressure within the compressor and a threshold cooling differential pressure value, determining a pressure ratio setpoint based on the pressure target and a liquid line pressure measured by the liquid line pressure sensor, controlling the condenser blower to operate based on the determined pressure ratio setpoint, determining a subcooling setpoint based on the pressure target and the liquid line pressure in the compressor system, and controlling the expansion device to operate based on the subcooling setpoint.

Methods and related systems for charging a refrigerant into a climate control system. In an embodiment, the method includes (a) coupling a storage tank to a refrigerant loop of the climate control system through a charging valve; (b) opening and closing the charging valve in a plurality of cycles; and (c) flowing refrigerant from the storage tank to the refrigerant loop through the charging valve when the charging valve is open, during (b). In addition, the method includes (d) determining a detected saturated temperature of the refrigerant within the refrigerant loop after each cycle of the plurality of cycles; and (e) adjusting an amount of time that the charging valve is open during each cycle of the plurality of cycles during (b) as a function of the detected saturated temperature from a previous cycle of the plurality of cycles.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward purge units of vapor compression systems, and methods of control thereof, that improve efficiency by selectively activating and deactivating the purge unit in response to one or more conditions to, for example, enable refrigerant-to-air ratios within the purge unit within certain industry standards while still minimizing the durations of the purge cycles. For example, in certain embodiments, these conditions may include conditions within the chiller condenser, time since last purge activation, time since last venting of non-condensables, and combinations thereof. By reducing an amount of time that the purge unit would be active without removing a substantial amount non-condensables from the vapor compression system, present embodiments reduce the power consumption of the purge unit, as well as the vapor compression system as a whole.

A refrigeration system includes a main refrigeration circuit for holding refrigerant fluid, the main refrigeration circuit including: a compression device 12, a heat rejecting heat exchanger 14, an expansion device 18 and a heat absorbing heat exchanger 16. In addition, the refrigeration system includes a buffer tank 20 attached to the main refrigeration circuit, with valves 22, 24 for controlling flow of refrigerant fluid between the main refrigeration circuit and the buffer tank 20. The refrigeration system is arranged such that the valves 22, 24 are controlled to transfer refrigerant fluid between the main refrigeration circuit and the buffer tank 20 based on a measure of sub-cooling in the main refrigeration circuit.

A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes an outdoor unit a plurality of indoor units a relay unit a refrigerant circuit and a controller The relay unit includes a plurality of high-pressure valves and a plurality of low-pressure valves The controller when an operation state of at least one of the indoor units is changed from a first state to a second state, judges, based on a degree of supercooling of an outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger or the indoor heat exchanger or based on a degree of superheating of a suction side of the compressor, whether an abnormality is present in the plurality of high-pressure valves or the plurality of low-pressure valves.

The present disclosure relates to a heat pump system comprising an outdoor unit disposed in an outdoor space, a plurality of thermal load units supplied with cool air and hot air, and an intermediate unit disposed between the outdoor unit and the plurality of thermal load units, wherein the intermediate unit is connected to the outdoor unit through refrigerant pipes and connected to the plurality of thermal load units through thermal medium pipes.

Disclosed herein are air conditioning systems including a refrigerant line configured to transport a refrigerant; a compressor in fluid communication with the suction line; and a controller in communication with a sensor configured to measure a characteristic of the refrigerant line. The compressor can be configured to move the refrigerant through the refrigerant line, and the refrigerant can have a first temperature at the outlet of the compressor. The controller can be configured to receive sensor data from the sensor indicating a current value associated with the characteristic of the refrigerant line; determine, based at least partially on the sensor data, that the characteristic of the refrigerant line is above a predetermined threshold; and output instructions for the compressor to perform one or more corrective actions.