An air conditioning apparatus includes a heat exchange device that connects an outdoor unit to an indoor unit and that includes a heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between refrigerant and water, thereby reducing an amount of refrigerant used to perform a cooling operation or a heating operation. The apparatus further includes a switching mechanism that connects the outdoor unit to the heat exchange device and that is configured to be connected to both a simultaneous outdoor unit and a switchable outdoor unit to thereby allow the heat exchange device to be installed regardless of the type of the outdoor unit.

An air conditioning apparatus includes a heat exchange device that connects an outdoor unit to an indoor unit and that includes a heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between refrigerant and water, thereby reducing an amount of refrigerant used to perform a cooling operation or a heating operation. The apparatus further includes a switching mechanism that connects the outdoor unit to the heat exchange device and that is configured to be connected to both a simultaneous outdoor unit and a switchable outdoor unit to thereby allow the heat exchange device to be installed regardless of the type of the outdoor unit.

In an air-conditioning system, a gaseous refrigerant remaining in a reservoir can be discharged from the reservoir even when a cooling operation has started and the reservoir is being filled with a liquid refrigerant. Therefore, the reservoir can be filled with the liquid refrigerant at a faster speed.

In an air-conditioning system, a gaseous refrigerant remaining in a reservoir can be discharged from the reservoir even when a cooling operation has started and the reservoir is being filled with a liquid refrigerant. Therefore, the reservoir can be filled with the liquid refrigerant at a faster speed.

An air conditioning system and a control method thereof. The air conditioning system includes: a plurality of indoor units connected in parallel; a plurality of outdoor units connected in parallel; and a coolant circulation circuit which flows through each of the indoor units connected in parallel and each of the outdoor units connected in parallel respectively, and which exchanges heat with each of the indoor units and each of the outdoor units; wherein the air conditioning system further includes a controller which, based on an activation number of the indoor units, a total number of the indoor units and a total number of the outdoor units, defines an upper limit of an activation number of the outdoor units, so that the flow rate of the coolant flowing through the activated outdoor units is not lower than a preset flow rate.

An air conditioning system and a control method thereof. The air conditioning system includes: a plurality of indoor units connected in parallel; a plurality of outdoor units connected in parallel; and a coolant circulation circuit which flows through each of the indoor units connected in parallel and each of the outdoor units connected in parallel respectively, and which exchanges heat with each of the indoor units and each of the outdoor units; wherein the air conditioning system further includes a controller which, based on an activation number of the indoor units, a total number of the indoor units and a total number of the outdoor units, defines an upper limit of an activation number of the outdoor units, so that the flow rate of the coolant flowing through the activated outdoor units is not lower than a preset flow rate.

A refrigerant distributor branches refrigerant flowing in a refrigerant circuit into three, and includes a first bifurcate flow divider including a first pipe portion forming one inflow port, a second pipe portion and a third pipe portion forming two outflow ports communicating with the inflow port of the first pipe portion, and a second bifurcate flow divider including a fourth pipe portion forming one inflow port, and a fifth pipe portion and a sixth pipe portion forming two outflow ports communicating with the inflow port of the fourth pipe portion. The outflow port of the third pipe portion and the inflow port of the fourth pipe portion communicate with each other, and an angle formed by a first plane passing through the first bifurcate flow divider and a second plane passing through the second bifurcate flow divider is between 60 and 120 degrees.

A refrigerant distributor branches refrigerant flowing in a refrigerant circuit into three, and includes a first bifurcate flow divider including a first pipe portion forming one inflow port, a second pipe portion and a third pipe portion forming two outflow ports communicating with the inflow port of the first pipe portion, and a second bifurcate flow divider including a fourth pipe portion forming one inflow port, and a fifth pipe portion and a sixth pipe portion forming two outflow ports communicating with the inflow port of the fourth pipe portion. The outflow port of the third pipe portion and the inflow port of the fourth pipe portion communicate with each other, and an angle formed by a first plane passing through the first bifurcate flow divider and a second plane passing through the second bifurcate flow divider is between 60 and 120 degrees.

A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a conduit assembly with a first conduit segment, a second conduit segment, and a rotational fitting fluidly coupling the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment to one another. The conduit assembly is configured to fluidly couple to a port of a heat exchanger of the HVAC system, and the rotational fitting is configured to enable the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment to rotate relative to one another between a first orientation and a second orientation and maintain a connection between the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment during relative rotation between the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment.

A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a conduit assembly with a first conduit segment, a second conduit segment, and a rotational fitting fluidly coupling the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment to one another. The conduit assembly is configured to fluidly couple to a port of a heat exchanger of the HVAC system, and the rotational fitting is configured to enable the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment to rotate relative to one another between a first orientation and a second orientation and maintain a connection between the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment during relative rotation between the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment.