An air-conditioning apparatus includes a four-way valve, a first three-way valve and a second three-way valve each having a closed port, a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, a first outdoor heat exchanger, a second outdoor heat exchanger, a bypass expansion valve, a check valve, a discharge temperature sensor, an indoor pipe temperature sensor, an indoor temperature sensor, a current sensor, and a controller configured to detect switching failure at the four-way valve, the first three-way valve, and the second three-way valve. The controller is configured to detect switching failure at the four-way valve, the first three-way valve, or the second three-way valve by using the temperatures measured by the discharge temperature sensor, the indoor pipe temperature sensor, and the indoor temperature sensor and the current in consideration of an operation status.

A heat pump system and a control method therefor. The heat pump system includes a compressor; an indoor heal exchanger; an outdoor heat exchanger, including a first heat exchange portion and a second heat exchange portion, wherein a flow path switching device is provided between the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion to disconnect or communicate the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion; a first four-way valve; and a second four-way valve, configured to enable a high-temperature refrigerant to be input into the first heat exchange portion in a heating mode, so as to enable the heat pump system to operate in a heating and deicing mode.

A heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchange units each including a plurality of flat tubes, a plurality of fins, an upper header, and a lower header. In the plurality of heat exchange units, the upper headers are connected such that the upper headers communicate with each other, and the lower headers are connected such that the lower headers communicate with each other through an opening-closing valve. The heat exchanger has a configuration in which when the heat exchanger serves as a condenser, the opening-closing valve is controlled such that refrigerant in at least one of the plurality of heat exchange units flows in an upward direction, and refrigerant in the other one or the other ones of the plurality of heat exchange units flows in a downward direction.

Provided is a refrigeration cycle apparatus capable of achieving an improvement in heat exchange performance during a heating operation and during a cooling operation, while suppressing increases in manufacturing cost and volume required for packaging. The outdoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger are connected in parallel to the indoor heat exchanger via the branch portion. The flow path switching device includes a first port, a second port, and a third port. The first port is connected with a third refrigerant flow path. The second port is connected with the outdoor heat exchanger. The third port is connected with a fourth refrigerant flow path. The second port is configured to switch between a state in which the second port is connected to the first port and a state in which the second port is connected to the third port.

An air conditioner may include a plurality of indoor units and a plurality of outdoor units connected to the plurality of indoor units. Each of the plurality of outdoor units may include a plurality of outdoor heat exchangers. Each of the outdoor heat exchangers may include a plurality of heat exchanger parts. When a defrosting operation condition is satisfied during a heating operation, indicating that a defrosting operation should be performed the plurality of heat exchanger parts of the plurality of outdoor heat exchangers may successively perform the defrosting operation.

An air conditioner including a hot gas line for receiving a portion of refrigerant compressed in a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor expansion device for expanding the refrigerant having exchanged heat in the indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger functioning as a condenser in a cooling mode while functioning as an evaporator in a heating mode, and a 4-way valve for receiving a remaining portion of the compressed refrigerant, to guide the refrigerant emerging from the compressor to the outdoor heat exchanger in the cooling mode and to the indoor heat exchanger in the heating mode. The outdoor heat exchanger includes a main heat exchanger section functioning as a condenser in the cooling mode while functioning as an evaporator in the heating mode, and an auxiliary heat exchanger for receiving the refrigerant from the hot gas line in a frosting prevention mode.

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 refrigeration cycle apparatus, each set of air heat exchangers among plural sets of air heat exchangers is one set of one or more of single heat exchangers, and the single heat exchangers each have an upper header pipe, a lower header pipe, a heat transfer tube, and a fin. During a cooling operation, a series refrigerant flow path is formed in which refrigerant flows in series through each set of the air heat exchangers; in the series refrigerant flow path, the refrigerant flows downward from above through the heat transfer tubes that all single heat exchangers have. During a heating operation, a parallel refrigerant flow path is formed in which the refrigerant flows in parallel through each set of the air heat exchangers; in the parallel refrigerant flow path, the refrigerant flows upward from below through the heat transfer tubes that all single heat exchangers have.

A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a refrigeration circuit in which non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture circulates. The refrigeration circuit includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a four-way valve. The four-way valve is configured to assume a first state and a second state. The outdoor heat exchanger includes a plurality of refrigerant flow paths and a linear flow path switching valve configured to switch connections of the plurality of refrigerant flow paths between a series state in which the non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture flows through the plurality of refrigerant flow paths in series and a parallel state in which the non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture flows through the plurality of refrigerant flow paths in parallel. A controller switches the linear flow path switching valve between the series state and the parallel state when a multi-way valve is in the second state.

An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit, an air-conditioning load state detection unit, an operation-state detection unit, and a controller. The refrigerant circuit includes a main circuit and a bypass circuit. The air-conditioning apparatus has a simultaneous heating and defrosting operation mode. In the simultaneous heating and defrosting operation mode, the controller controls a compressor, a pressure reducing device, and a defrosting refrigerant pressure-reducing device such that control amounts of the compressor, the pressure reducing device, and the defrosting refrigerant pressure-reducing device reach respective normal-time control target values that are set based on an air-conditioning load state and an operation state.