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 three or more connection pipes that connect the heat-source-side unit to the intermediate unit. The intermediate unit includes: an ejector that pressurizes the refrigerant; and a gas-liquid separator into which the refrigerant flowing out from the ejector flows. The refrigerant that has released heat in any of the use-side units that perform a heating operation is not pressurized by the ejector.

An evaporator includes a cold plate configured to extract heat from one or more heat loads in proximity to the evaporator. The cold plate includes a housing, and a plurality of channels disposed through the housing, with at least one of the plurality of channels being a meandered channel.

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 a refrigerant receiver having a refrigerant receiver outlet and a refrigerant receiver inlet, with the refrigerant receiver configured to store a refrigerant fluid, an ejector having a primary flow inlet coupled to receive the refrigerant fluid from the receiver, a secondary flow inlet and an outlet. The system also includes a liquid separator having an inlet, a vapor side outlet, and a liquid side outlet, an evaporator arrangement to extract heat from a heat load proximate or in contact with the evaporator arrangement, with the evaporator arrangement coupled to the ejector and the liquid separator, a closed-circuit refrigeration system having a closed-circuit fluid path including the refrigerant receiver, the evaporator arrangement, and the liquid separator, the closed-circuit refrigeration system configured to receive refrigerant fluid from the refrigerant receiver, and an open-circuit refrigeration system having an open-circuit fluid path that includes the receiver, the evaporator arrangement, and the liquid separator, that is configured to receive refrigerant fluid from the refrigerant receiver.

A thermal management system includes a receiver configured to store a refrigerant fluid; a refrigeration system having a refrigerant fluid path that includes the receiver, and at least one evaporator disposed in the refrigerant fluid path. The refrigeration system is configured to receive the refrigerant fluid from the receiver through the refrigerant fluid path. The at least one evaporator is configured to receive the refrigerant fluid and to extract heat from at least one heat load having a specified thermal inertia that is in at least one of thermal conductive or convective contact with the at least one evaporator.

A thermal management system includes a closed-circuit refrigeration system that includes a closed-circuit refrigerant fluid path configured to store a refrigerant fluid; and an absorber/desorber including a bidirectional port coupled to the closed-circuit refrigerant fluid path to regulate an amount of refrigerant vapor at a compressor inlet of the closed-circuit refrigeration system. The absorber/desorber is configured to store an ionic liquid that is configured to absorb or desorb at least a portion of the refrigerant vapor based on a mode of operation of the absorber/desorber.

An ejector refrigeration cycle includes a compressor, a radiator, a branch portion, an ejector, a suction side decompressor, a windward evaporator, and a leeward evaporator. The ejector includes a nozzle portion and a pressure increasing portion. The windward evaporator and the leeward evaporator include at least one outflow side evaporation portion. The leeward evaporator includes a suction side evaporation portion. An outflow side evaporation temperature is a refrigerant evaporation temperature in the at least one outflow side evaporation portion of the leeward evaporator. A suction side evaporation temperature is a refrigerant evaporation temperature in the suction side evaporation portion of the leeward evaporator. At least one of the nozzle portion or the suction side decompressor is configured to adjust a refrigerant passage area such that a temperature difference between the outflow side evaporation temperature and the suction side evaporation temperature is at or below a predetermined reference temperature difference.

A system and method for increasing the refrigeration capacity of a direct expansion refrigeration system having a vapor separator and a vapor ejector. After the throttling process at the expansion device, the mixture of liquid and vapor enters the inlet separator. The vapor separator generates vapor to power the ejector through flashing of warm refrigerant liquid from a higher temperature and pressure to a lower pressure. The cooler refrigerant liquid then goes to the evaporator coil inlet. Furthermore, the system stabilizes the superheat of the outlet vapor and reduces fluctuations in outlet superheat caused by excess unevaporated liquid flowing from the outlets of the tubes due to mal-distribution at the inlet.

A thermal management system includes an open-circuit refrigeration system including a cooling system configured to supply a cooling medium. The open-circuit refrigeration system includes a receiver having a receiver outlet, the receiver configurable to store a refrigerant fluid, the receiver configured to receive the cooling medium from the cooling system, an evaporator coupled to the receiver outlet, the evaporator configurable to receive liquid refrigerant fluid from the receiver outlet and to extract heat from a heat load when the heat load contacts or is proximate to the evaporator a control device configurable to control a temperature of the heat load and an exhaust line, with the receiver, the evaporator, and the exhaust line coupled to form an open-circuit refrigerant fluid flow path.

A thermal management system includes a refrigerant receiver configured to store a refrigerant fluid, an evaporator arrangement that removes heat from a heat load converting a portion of the refrigerant fluid to refrigerant vapor and a liquid separator having an inlet, a liquid side outlet, and a vapor side outlet. The system also includes a pump that pumps refrigerant liquid received from the liquid side outlet of the liquid separator and a closed-circuit refrigeration system having a closed-circuit fluid path that includes the refrigerant receiver, the liquid separator, the pump, and the evaporator arrangement, the closed-circuit refrigeration system further including a compressor and a condenser. The system also including an open-circuit refrigeration system having an open-circuit fluid path that includes the refrigerant receiver, the liquid separator, the pump, and the evaporator arrangement, and further including a back-pressure regulator configured to receive refrigerant vapor from the vapor side outlet of the liquid separator and an exhaust line coupled to the outlet of the back-pressure regulator, with refrigerant vapor from the exhaust line not returning to the refrigerant receiver.