A heat pump includes an indoor heat exchanger; an outdoor heat exchanger that is connected to the indoor heat exchanger; an accumulator that is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger; an evaporative heat exchanger that is provided between the outdoor heat exchanger and the accumulator; and a bypass circuit that that is configured to enable a refrigerant that has flowed out of the indoor heat exchanger to flow into the evaporative heat exchanger.

An air conditioner may prevent a refrigerant stored in a refrigerant storage from rapidly flowing into a main refrigerant circuit when the type of operation is switched.

The air conditioner may include a refrigerant circuit provided with a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator; a refrigerant amount detection device configured to determine whether a refrigerant state in an outlet of the compressor is a supercooled state or a gas-liquid two phase state, and configured to calculate a refrigerant amount ratio in the refrigerant circuit, based on a predetermined set value according to at least one of a temperature and a pressure detected in the refrigerant circuit, and the refrigerant state; and a controller configured to control the refrigerant circuit according to the refrigerant amount ratio calculated by the refrigerant amount detection device.

A refrigeration cycle device according to the present disclosure includes: a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, a first expansion device, and a load-side heat exchanger, refrigerant cycling through the compressor, the heat-source-side heat exchanger, the first expansion device, and the load-side heat exchanger; a plurality of controllers configured to control the refrigerant circuit; a bypass pipe branching from a high pressure pipe on a discharge side of the compressor and connected to a low pressure pipe on a suction side of the compressor; a second expansion device provided to the bypass pipe, and configured to adjust a flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe; and a plurality of refrigerant coolers provided to the bypass pipe, and configured to cool the plurality of controllers by using the refrigerant the flow rate of which is adjusted by the second expansion device, each of the plurality of refrigerant coolers including a refrigerant cooling pipe and a plate, the refrigerant cooling pipe forming the bypass pipe, the plate being joined between the refrigerant cooling pipe and a controller of the plurality of controllers.

An air conditioner may prevent a refrigerant stored in a refrigerant storage from rapidly flowing into a main refrigerant circuit when the type of operation is switched. The air conditioner may include a refrigerant circuit provided with a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator; a refrigerant amount detection device configured to determine whether a refrigerant state in an outlet of the compressor is a subcooled state or a gas-liquid two phase state. The refrigerant amount detection device is configured to calculate a refrigerant amount ratio in the refrigerant circuit based on a predetermined set value according to at least one of a temperature and a pressure detected and the refrigerant state; and a controller configured to control the refrigerant circuit according to the refrigerant amount ratio calculated by the refrigerant amount detection device.

A refrigeration cycle device according to the present disclosure includes: a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, a first expansion device, and a load-side heat exchanger, refrigerant cycling through the compressor, the heat-source-side heat exchanger, the first expansion device, and the load-side heat exchanger; a plurality of controllers configured to control the refrigerant circuit; a bypass pipe branching from a high pressure pipe on a discharge side of the compressor and connected to a low pressure pipe on a suction side of the compressor; a second expansion device provided to the bypass pipe, and configured to adjust a flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe; and a plurality of refrigerant coolers provided to the bypass pipe, and configured to cool the plurality of controllers by using the refrigerant the flow rate of which is adjusted by the second expansion device, each of the plurality of refrigerant coolers including a refrigerant cooling pipe and a plate, the refrigerant cooling pipe forming the bypass pipe, the plate being joined between the refrigerant cooling pipe and a controller of the plurality of controllers.

Air conditioner for conditioning a space inside a building includes a heat source unit and at least one indoor unit. The heat source unit has a heat exchanger unit and a compressor unit. The heat exchanger unit includes a first heat exchanger disposed in a first casing and configured to exchange heat with a heat source. The compressor unit includes a compressor disposed in a second casing separate from the first casing, the heat exchanger unit and the compressor unit being fluidly connected via a first liquid refrigerant pipe and a first gaseous refrigerant pipe. At least one indoor unit has a second heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with the space to be conditioned and being fluidly communicated to the heat exchanger unit and/or the compressor unit via a second liquid refrigerant pipe and a second gaseous refrigerant pipe. The outer diameter of the first liquid refrigerant pipe is larger than the outer diameter of the second liquid refrigerant pipe and/or the outer diameter of the first gaseous refrigerant pipe is larger than the outer diameter of the second gaseous refrigerant pipe.

Air conditioner for conditioning a space inside a building includes a heat source unit and at least one indoor unit. The heat source unit has a heat exchanger unit and a compressor unit. The heat exchanger unit includes a first heat exchanger disposed in a first casing and configured to exchange heat with a heat source. The compressor unit includes a compressor disposed in a second casing separate from the first casing, the heat exchanger unit and the compressor unit being fluidly connected via a first liquid refrigerant pipe and a first gaseous refrigerant pipe. At least one indoor unit has a second heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with the space to be conditioned and being fluidly communicated to the heat exchanger unit and/or the compressor unit via a second liquid refrigerant pipe and a second gaseous refrigerant pipe. The outer diameter of the first liquid refrigerant pipe is larger than the outer diameter of the second liquid refrigerant pipe and/or the outer diameter of the first gaseous refrigerant pipe is larger than the outer diameter of the second gaseous refrigerant pipe.

Disclosed are embodiments of heat pump systems and methods for operating such systems in the heating mode while a heat pump operating parameter reaches or is equal to a predetermined operating value at which it is not advisable to use conventional heat pump systems for heating an enclosed structure. In addition to ancillary components, the heat pump systems includes indoor, outdoor and auxiliary heat exchangers, reversing and flow diverting valves, compressors, refrigerant superheat controllers, and auxiliary energy sources. During the heating mode of operation, while the heat pump operating parameter reaches or is equal to the predetermined operating value, the flow of liquid refrigerant through the outdoor heat exchangers is inhibited and is diverted to flow through the auxiliary heat exchangers. Thermal energy from the auxiliary energy source is used for evaporating the liquid refrigerant flowing through the auxiliary heat exchangers.