Provided is a combination valve unit having an improved structure and capable of performing both a pressure relief function for cooling and a pressure relief function for dehumidification. In addition, disclosed is a vehicle heat pump system capable of improving dehumidification performance by actively controlling the refrigerant flow distribution. The combination valve unit serves as a refrigerant throttling means in a vehicle heat pump system, and forms the inlet for a cooling pressure relief unit for performing indoor cooling and the inlet for a dehumidification pressure relief unit for performing indoor dehumidification, respectively.

A refrigeration system has: (a) a fluid tight circulation loop including a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator, the evaporator having at least three evaporator zones, each evaporator zone having an inlet port, the circulation loop being further configured to measure the condition of the refrigerant with a refrigerant condition sensor disposed within the evaporator upstream of the evaporator outlet port; and control the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator based upon the measured condition of the refrigerant within the evaporator, and (b) a controller for controlling the flow rate of refrigerant to the evaporator based upon the measured condition of the refrigerant within the evaporator upstream of the evaporator outlet port.

An integrated valve includes a connecting member including a first valve element and a second valve element. The first valve element is disposed in a pressure reducing chamber of a body of the integrated valve and forms a pressure reducing valve that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from a compressor. The second valve element is disposed in an on-off valve chamber of the body and forms an on-off valve for adjusting a flow rate of the refrigerant flowing into an intermediate-pressure port of the compressor. The on-off valve is in a fully opened state when the pressure reducing valve is in a throttling state, the on-off valve is in an opened state when the pressure reducing valve is in an opened state, and the on-off valve is in a closed state when the pressure reducing valve is in a fully opened state.

An ice maker and a refrigerator having same. The ice maker comprises: a cooling part having a heat dissipation device and a metal piece; a liquid container configured to store liquid; a liquid supply part configured to supply liquid to the liquid container; a moving mechanism configured to rotate and move the liquid container; and a control part. The metal piece is mounted, so that a rod-shaped component made of metal extends downward from a base end to the tip, and the rod-shaped component is cooled by means of the heat dissipation device. The ice-making process is repeated multiple times under the control of the control part, and the following steps are carried out in the ice-making process: a liquid supply step, an ice making step, an avoidance step, a deicing step, and a recovering step. The ice maker can make ice within a short period of time.

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 refrigeration cycle device includes: a switching valve configured to switch between a battery mode in which refrigerant flows to a battery heat exchanger and a non-battery mode in which the refrigerant bypasses the battery heat exchanger; and a controller controlling a compressor and the switching valve. The controller includes an estimation unit configured to estimate an oil stagnation amount, which is an amount of lubricating oil accumulated in the battery heat exchanger in accordance with execution of the non-battery mode. The controller includes a determination unit configured to determine whether lubricating oil in the battery heat exchanger needs to be recovered on the basis of the oil stagnation amount. The controller includes an execution unit configured to execute an oil recovery mode for recovery of lubricating oil in the battery heat exchanger when the determination unit determines that lubricating oil needs to be recovered.

A refrigerator configured to detect excessive condensation in a condenser based on a temperature difference between evaporators provided in each storage compartment, and configured to control an operating time of a heat dissipation fan configured to cool the condenser, and a control method thereof are provided. The refrigerator includes a plurality of storage compartments, a plurality of evaporators arranged in series with each other and provided to correspond to each of the plurality of storage compartments, a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant evaporated by the plurality of evaporators, a condenser configured to condense the compressed refrigerant, a heat dissipation fan configured to cool the condenser, a plurality of evaporator temperature sensors configured to detect a temperature of each of the plurality of evaporators, and a controller configured to determine whether excessive condensation occurs in the condenser based on a temperature difference between the plurality of evaporators, and configured to control an operating time of the heat dissipation fan based on whether the excessive condensation occurs or not.

Thermal energy systems for managing, distribution and recovery of thermal energy. A single-pipe loop circulating a two-phase refrigerant is provided. The single-pipe loop is spread through the entire system and interconnects a plurality of local heat exchange stations, each having different thermal energy loads. A central circulation mechanism (CCM) is also provided for circulating the refrigerant for distribution of thermal energy within the system.

A heat management apparatus comprises a first heat exchange portion, a second heat exchange portion and a throttle unit, wherein the first heat exchange portion is used for exchanging heat between a refrigerant throttled by the throttle unit, and a cooling liquid; and a first wall of the first heat exchange portion and a second wall of the second heat exchange portion are arranged opposite each other, such that the structure of the heat management apparatus is relatively compact.

A heat management apparatus comprises a first heat exchange portion, a second heat exchange portion and a throttle unit, wherein the first heat exchange portion is used for exchanging heat between a refrigerant throttled by the throttle unit, and a cooling liquid; and a first wall of the first heat exchange portion and a second wall of the second heat exchange portion are arranged opposite each other, such that the structure of the heat management apparatus is relatively compact.