Provided is a system and a method for estimating capacity. The system includes one or more sensors, a compressor coupled to one or more sensors, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive one or more parameters of a cooling system, receive system state information and one or more measurements from the cooling system (306, 308), and compute a cooling capacity (304) based at least in part on the one or more parameters, one or more measurements and system state information. The system is also configured to estimate cooling capacity based on one or more computed capacity over a period of time (310), and provide the estimated capacity of the cooling system to a device in real-time.

Methods and systems for providing control of a heat pump of a motor vehicle are presented. In one operating mode, speed of a heat pump compressor is controlled responsive to an outlet pressure of the heat pump compressor. In a second operating mode, speed of the heat pump compressor is controlled responsive to a pressure ratio between an inlet and an outlet of the heat pump compressor.

An ejector-type refrigeration cycle includes an ejector module integrated with a gas-liquid separation device. A length of a suction pipe that connects a gas-phase refrigerant outflow port of the ejector module to a suction port of a compressor is set to be shorter than a length of an outlet pipe that connects a refrigerant outflow port of an evaporator to a refrigerant suction port of the ejector module. A pressure loss that occurs when a refrigerant flows in the suction pipe may be set to be lower than a pressure loss that occurs when the refrigerant flows in an outlet pipe.

A method for providing supplemental flow control of working fluid through a transport climate control circuit during a start-stop cooling operation mode is provided. The method includes closing a main liquid suction solenoid valve disposed between a condenser and an evaporator of the transport climate control circuit when the compressor is OFF. The method also includes monitoring a climate controlled space temperature within a climate controlled space. When the climate controlled space temperature is greater than or equal to a setpoint temperature, the method includes turning a compressor ON, and opening the main liquid suction solenoid valve when a suction pressure at the suction port of the compressor is less than or equal to a predetermined suction pressure threshold. When the climate controlled space temperature is less than or equal to the setpoint temperature, the method includes turning the compressor OFF, and closing the main liquid suction solenoid valve.

There is disclosed a vehicle air conditioning device which inhibits generation of noise in a solenoid valve 30 disposed on an inlet side of a radiator 4 and improves durability of the solenoid valve. A second operation mode is executed to shut off an outdoor expansion valve 6, close the solenoid valve 30, open a solenoid valve 40 and thereby send a refrigerant discharged from a compressor 2 through a bypass pipe 35 to an outdoor heat exchanger 7. When a first operation mode to open the solenoid valve 30 and close the solenoid valve 40 and thereby send the refrigerant to the radiator 4 is shifted to the second operation mode, a controller opens the solenoid valve 30 at a timing to stop the compressor 2.

A vehicle air-conditioning device is provided which is capable of eliminating or suppressing vibration and noise generated due to the application of a counterpressure to an opening/closing valve. The vehicle air-conditioning device includes a refrigerant circuit R having a compressor 2, a radiator 4 to perform heat exchange between a refrigerant and air, an outdoor heat exchanger 7, a heat absorber 9, and a solenoid valve 40. The compressor 2 and the solenoid valve 40 are controlled to air-condition a vehicle interior. A decompression speed at a refrigerant inflow side of the solenoid valve when the compressor 2 is stopped and the solenoid valve 40 is closed is faster than that at a refrigerant outflow side thereof. When operation is stopped from a state in which the compressor 2 is operating with the solenoid valve 40 being in an opened state, the opened state of the solenoid valve 40 is maintained even after the compressor 2 is stopped.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a lubricant management system (100) in a heat flux management system for an electric vehicle (150), comprising a vehicle air conditioning circuit comprising a refrigeration cycle refrigerant circuit (6) comprising at least a heat pump condenser (17) in thermal communication with a heat source (19), first and second evaporators (31, 131) each associated with an expansion valve (29, 129), and a refrigerant compressor (11), wherein the components are fluidly connected to one another by a refrigerant line (9,45), an accumulator (37) having a lubricant storage capacity and comprising lubricant delivery means (38), the accumulator being fluidly coupled in the refrigerant line downstream of the first and second evaporators (31, 131) and upstream of the refrigerant compressor (11), wherein the first evaporator and the second evaporator are fluidly connected in parallel downstream of the heat pump condenser (17) and upstream of the accumulator (37) and the associated expansion valves (29, 129) are operable to control a refrigerant flow rate through the first and the second evaporators (31, 131) sequentially to flush lubricant from the first and second evaporators to the lubricant storage capacity of the accumulator (37).

A refrigerant system includes a compressor, multiple pressure sensors, multiple refrigerant flow valves, and a processor. The compressor is configured to present a refrigerant at a first pressure. A first pressure sensor is configured to measure the first pressure of the refrigerant. A second pressure sensor is configured to measure a second pressure of the refrigerant. The refrigerant flow valves have a plurality of flow valve positions. The processor is configured to calculate a delta value as a difference between the first pressure and the second pressure, calculate an expected delta value between the first pressure and the second pressure based on a ratio of a low-side density of the refrigerant at the compressor to the flow valve positions, and perform a remedial action where the delta value deviates from the expected delta value by greater than a threshold value.

A control method of an air conditioning system for compressor protection includes, when an air conditioner turn-on request is present, determining, by a controller, whether a compressor operating condition is satisfied from a refrigerant state of an air conditioner, when the compressor operating condition is determined as being satisfied, determining, by the controller, whether the vehicle is in a state of being unattended for a long period of time using information collected from a vehicle, when the vehicle is determined as being in a state of being unattended for a long period of time, performing, by the controller, pre-run control for operating the compressor in a predetermined minimum load condition; and when a pre-run operating time for which the compressor is operated in a minimum load condition reaches a predetermined pre-run holding time, interrupting, by the controller, the pre-run control with respect to the compressor.

A system and method for protecting against low refrigerant charge of a refrigerant subsystem in a vehicle includes a controller configured to control a component of the vehicle in response to detecting a low refrigerant charge based on an ambient temperature of the refrigerant subsystem, a suction pressure of refrigerant entering a compressor of the refrigerant subsystem, and a speed of the compressor.