Embodiments of an accumulator for charge management are described. A fluid compression system, comprising an accumulator fluidly connected to an evaporator via a spillover port. The spillover port directs working fluid received from the evaporator to be collected and stored in the accumulator, where the stored working fluid is stored and released from the accumulator in response to an operating condition of the evaporator.

A refrigeration cycle apparatus (1) is capable of performing a refrigeration cycle using a small-GWP refrigerant. The refrigeration cycle apparatus (1) includes a refrigerant circuit (10) and a refrigerant enclosed in the refrigerant circuit (10). The refrigerant circuit includes a compressor (21), a condenser (23), a decompressing section (24), and an evaporator (31). The refrigerant contains at least 1,2-difluoroethylene.

A refrigeration system includes an evaporator configured to receive a flow of refrigerant and transfer heat into the refrigerant within the evaporator to provide cooling for a temperature-controlled space, an expansion valve operable to modulate the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator, a liquid level sensor configured to measure a level of liquid accumulated within a component of the refrigeration system, and a controller configured to operate the expansion valve to increase the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator or decrease the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator based on the level of liquid measured by the liquid level sensor.

In a refrigeration cycle apparatus, refrigerant circulates in order of a compressor, first and second heat exchangers. The refrigeration cycle apparatus has a refrigerant container, first and second switch units, and a controller. When a first condition meaning that an amount of refrigerant in liquid state stored in the refrigerant container is excessive is satisfied, the controller controls the first switch unit to guide the refrigerant from the compressor to the first heat exchanger through the refrigerant container and controls the second switch unit to guide the refrigerant from the second heat exchanger to the compressor not through the refrigerant container. When the first condition is not satisfied, the controller controls the first switch unit to guide the refrigerant from the compressor to the first heat exchanger not through the refrigerant container and controls the second switch unit to guide the refrigerant from the refrigerant container to the compressor.

An air-conditioning management system includes: an air conditioning apparatus configured to carry out a refrigerant recovery operation of recovering a refrigerant from a refrigerant circuit that connects an outdoor unit and an indoor unit and sending the recovered refrigerant to each recovery unit of the outdoor unit; and a control unit configured to make a determination whether all the recovered refrigerant is sendable to each recovery unit before a start of the refrigerant recovery operation by the air conditioning apparatus, and to output, when determining that all the recovered refrigerant is not sendable to each recovery unit, a command for notifying the determination.

System and methods for OCR sensing with a suction-line accumulator are provided. The accumulator may include a sensor configured to detect the level of oil. The accumulator may further include a valve which opens when oil is at a high-level and closes when oil is at a low-level. The accumulator may measure a mass flow rate of oil in the vapor compression cycle system based on an amount of time taken to fill a portion of the accumulator. The accumulator may further determine an oil circulation ratio based on the measured time taken to fill the portion of the accumulator. The smart accumulator may output the oil circulation ratio.

A chiller system includes a mechanical-cooling circuit configured to circulate a refrigerant through an evaporator of the mechanical-cooling circuit, where the evaporator is configured to cool a conditioning fluid with the refrigerant. The chiller system also includes a free-cooling circuit configured to circulate the refrigerant through a heat exchanger of the free-cooling circuit, where the heat exchanger is configured to cool the conditioning fluid with the refrigerant. The chiller system also includes a distribution header having a first inlet configured to receive the refrigerant from the mechanical-cooling circuit, a second inlet configured to receive the refrigerant from the free-cooling circuit, and an internal volume fluidly coupled to the first inlet and the second inlet. A fan coil unit of the chiller system is configured to receive the refrigerant from the internal volume of the distribution header.

A liquid level detection device that is provided in a vessel and configured to detect a liquid level of fluid stored in the vessel includes a first plate formed in a plate shape, and a second plate formed in a plate shape and disposed to face the first plate. The first plate is disposed in such a manner that a surface opposite to a surface facing the second plate is orthogonal to a flow direction of fluid around the first plate in the vessel.

A cooling system includes a second receiver that receives refrigerant from a low side heat exchanger. A pipe connects the second receiver to a first receiver. A vapor portion of the refrigerant in the first receiver can flow through the pipe to the second receiver. A compressor is used to create a pressure differential in the second receiver relative to the first receiver such that the pressure in the first receiver is greater than the pressure in the second receiver. This pressure differential effectively acts as a pump that pushes the liquid refrigerant in the first receiver towards the low side heat exchanger.

A refrigerant charging device and a refrigerant charging system include a refrigerant charging flour path having a refrigerant charging port connected to a refrigerant flow path of an air conditioner, a valve provided at the refrigerant charging flow path, and a control device configured to control the valve. The control device includes a discharging superheat calculator configured to calculate the discharging superheat degree from a refrigerant temperature and a refrigerant pressure at a discharge side of a compressor, and a valve controller configured to control the opening and closing state of the valve based on the calculated discharging superheat degree calculated by the discharge super-heat calculator.