A brazed plate heat exchanger (100) including a plurality of first and second heat exchanger plates (110, 120), wherein the first heat exchanger plates (110) are formed with a first pattern of ridges (R1) and grooves (G1), and the second heat exchanger plates (120) are formed with a second pattern of ridges (R2a, R2b) and grooves (G2a, G2b) providing contact points between at least some crossing ridges and grooves of neighbouring plates under formation of interplate flow channels for fluids to exchange heat, said interplate flow channels being in selective fluid communication port openings (O1, O2, O3, O4). The first pattern of ridges and grooves is different from the second pattern of ridges and grooves, so that an interplate flow channel volume on one side of the first heat exchanger plates (110) is different from the interplate flow channel volume on the opposite side of the first heat exchanger plates (110). The heat exchanger (100) is provided with a retrofit port heat exchanger (400). A system and a method are also disclosed.

There is provided a HVAC system comprising: a fluid circuit for conveying a refrigerant; a compressor for compressing the refrigerant; three heat exchangers defining an evaporator, an outdoor exchanger and a heat recovery exchanger provided along the fluid circuit; an expansion valve provided along the fluid circuit; and a receiver connected in parallel to the expansion valve, wherein a fill valve is located between the receiver and a connection upstream of the expansion valve and a drain valve is located between the receiver and a connection downstream of the expansion valve; wherein the fluid circuit comprises a plurality of valves which are configured to be controlled based on a selected operating mode such that at least one of the outdoor exchanger and the heat recovery exchanger is connected to a discharge line of the compressor and in series with one of the other heat exchangers which is connected to a suction line of the compressor, with the expansion valve disposed between the heat exchangers; wherein the fill and drain valves are configured to be controlled to store a volume of refrigerant in the receiver so as to provide an effective refrigerant charge in the fluid circuit that corresponds to the selected operating mode.

A receiver for a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration system includes a tube extending along a tube axis from a first receiver end to a second receiver end opposite the first receiver end, and a single receiver port. The receiver port is configured as both a receiver inlet and a receiver outlet. A heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration system includes a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant flow, a refrigerant pathway configured to convey the refrigerant flow through the heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration system, and a receiver fluidly connected to the refrigerant pathway. The receiver includes a tube extending along a tube axis from a first receiver end to a second receiver end opposite the first receiver end, and a single receiver port. The receiver port is configured as both a receiver inlet and a receiver outlet, and is connected to the refrigerant pathway via the single receiver port.

A multi-type air conditioning device controls an evaporation temperature and a condensing temperature, depending on required capacity of an indoor unit. The air conditioning device compares a current evaporation temperature or condensing temperature with a reference value, of an evaporation temperature or an condensing temperature, corresponding to a lower limit flow rate, of a gaseous refrigerant, required for refrigerating machine oil not to accumulate in, but to flow through, the gas branch pipes, and calculates an amount of the refrigerating machine oil accumulated in a gas branch pipe which does not satisfy the lower limit flow rate. When the calculated amount exceeds a set amount, the air conditioning device performs oil collecting operation, and controls the oil collecting operation in view of a flow rate of a gaseous refrigerant in gas branch pipes.

An air conditioner includes: a heat-source-side unit including a compressor and a heat-source-side heat exchanger; use-side units each including a use-side heat exchanger; an intermediate unit that causes the use-side heat exchanger of each of the use-side units to individually function as an evaporator or a radiator of a refrigerant; and two connection pipes that each connect the heat-source-side unit and the intermediate unit. The intermediate unit includes: an ejector that is configured to pressurize the refrigerant evaporated in the use-side heat exchanger that functions as the evaporator by using a driving flow; and a gas-liquid separator into which the refrigerant flowing out from the ejector flows.

A system (20; 300) has: a compressor (22) having a suction port (40) and a discharge port (42); an ejector (32) having a motive flow inlet (50), a suction flow inlet (52), and an outlet (54); a separator (34) having an inlet (72), a vapor outlet (74), and a liquid outlet (76); a first heat exchanger (24); an expansion device (28); and a second heat exchanger (26; 302). Conduits and valves are positioned to provide alternative operation in: a cooling mode; a first heating mode; and a second heating mode. In the cooling mode and second heating mode, a needle (60) of the ejector is closed.

A thermal management system includes an integrated open-circuit refrigeration system and closed-circuit heat pump system. The thermal management system includes a receiver having a first receiver port and a second receiver port, the receiver configured to store a refrigerant fluid, an evaporator having a first evaporator port and a second evaporator port, the heat pump circuit having a closed-circuit fluid path with the receiver and the evaporator and an open-circuit refrigeration system configured to receive refrigerant from the receiver, with the open-circuit refrigeration system having an open-circuit fluid path that includes the receiver and the evaporator.

Air conditioner units and methods of operating the same are provided. A method of operating an air conditioner unit includes determining a fan speed as a function of a compressor speed of a variable speed compressor of the air conditioner unit. The method also includes activating a variable speed fan of the air conditioner unit at the fan speed. An air conditioner unit may include a controller, and the controller may be configured for performing the method.

A flow path switch is provided with a first opening to a fourth opening. A discharge side of a compressor is connected to the first opening. A first end of a first heat exchange unit is connected to the fourth opening. A first end of the second inner flow path is connected to the second opening. A first branching portion is connected to a first end of the second valve and the third opening. When an operation mode of an air conditioning apparatus is a first mode, the second valve is open, the first opening is connected to the fourth opening, and the second opening is connected to the third opening. When the operation mode of the air conditioning apparatus is a second mode, the second valve is closed, the first opening is connected to the third opening, and the second opening is connected to the fourth opening.

A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes: a compressor, a first outdoor heat exchanger, and a second outdoor heat exchanger that; and a flow path switching mechanism configured to switch a flow direction of refrigerant compressed by the compressor in the refrigerant circuit. The first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger are arranged to allow the refrigerant to flow in parallel in the refrigerant circuit. The refrigeration cycle apparatus further includes a flow rate adjustment mechanism configured to adjust an amount of refrigerant flowing through the second outdoor heat exchanger. When switching between a cooling operation and a heating operation, the flow path switching mechanism switches the flow direction of the refrigerant while the flow rate adjustment mechanism temporarily closes a refrigerant flow path to the second outdoor heat exchanger.