Abstract: The present invention provides an air conditioning apparatus for automobiles equipped with a heat exchanger and a control method for the apparatus, by which the heat transfer area of the heat exchanger can be properly controlled to permit a stable cycle operation, even when the capacity of a condenser is relatively overly enhanced under a condition of the low atmospheric temperature. The apparatus and the control method are achieved with such an arrangement that either one or both of headers of a heat exchanger is provided with at least one refrigerant flow rate control valve capable of opening and closing refrigerant passages in each header, the heat exchanger has a refrigerant inlet provided in one header and a refrigerant outlet provided in the other header, and the control valve is opened and closed to change the number of the passages allowing the refrigerant to pass therethrough, for thereby changing the effective heat transfer area for heat exchange dependent on the atmospheric temperature.

Abstract: A heat exchanger comprising fins and at least one heat transfer tube. An even number, not smaller than four, of louvers are severed and raised in an alternate and staggered manner with respect to a fin base line between the remaining adjacent fin base. Furthermore, the louvers raised on the same side with respect to the fin base line have heights defined by a line slanted at a constant angle in a stepped manner.

Abstract: A refrigerant flow rate measuring apparatus has a means for detecting the opening degree A of an expansion valve of a refrigeration cycle, a pressure detecting means for detecting the refrigerant pressure Pi at upstream side of the expansion valve, a pressure detecting means for detecting the refrigerant pressure Po at downstream side of the expansion valve, a refrigerant density detecting means for detecting the density .gamma.i of the refrigerant at the inlet side of the expansion valve, a converting means for directly or indirectly converting the values detected by the detecting means into electric signals, and a calculating means for calculating the flow rate of the refrigerant in accordance with the following formula, from the electric signals.

Abstract: A refrigerant flow rate control device for the refrigeration cycle of an air conditioning system of an automotive vehicle which is driven by a vacuum actuator includes a communication passageway for equalizing pressures applied to opposite ends of a valve body. The valve body has an intermediate portion maintained in communication with the atmosphere and connected to the vacuum actuator.

Abstract: In a refrigeration cycle in which the opening of the expansion valve is controlled by the super-heat degree of the refrigerant periodically detected at the outlet of the evaporator, a negative control signal is produced to rapidly change the opening of the expansion valve when the detected super-heat degree has reached zero. As a result, occurrence of the liquid back is prevented.

Abstract: A heat storage device is disclosed in which grooves for supports supporting heat storage vessels, each vessel storing therein a heat storage material, are defined on the lower surface of each of the vessels so that the supports do not project from the bottom surface of each vessel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a heat storage material for air conditioning or for waste heat recovery, principally containing magnesium chloride hexahydrate which is doped as a nucleator with synthetic zeolite, magnesium silicate, sodium metasilicate, sodium silicate, calcium silicate, alumina, silicic anhydride, silicon carbide, calcium carbonate and/or calcium fluoride, whereby the heat storage material can be effectively used over a long period of time.

Abstract: A heat storage material is produced by adding water and slight amounts of substances for agglomerating residuals to industrial grade calcium chloride.

Abstract: A heat-storing vessel filled with a heat-storing material of latent heat type is provided with a fluid flow passage in thermal contact with the heat-storing material for passing a fluid for storing and releasing heat. By passing a hot fluid through the fluid flow passage, the heat-storing material in the heat-storing vessel is melted to store heat. By passing a cold fluid through the fluid flow passage, the heat-storing material in the heat-storing vessel is solidified to release heat. The heat-storing material contains a gelling agent to suppress a phase separation phenomenon. A low temperature part is provided at a part of the heat-storing vessel and the heat-storing material containing the gelling agent is retained in a solid state at the low temperature part to prevent supercooling of the heat-storing material.

Abstract: A heat storage material to be used for air cooling systems is provided. This heat storage material comprises acetic acid or a mixture of acetic acid and one or more acetates and is further added with at least one anhydrous halide as nucleating agent to prevent supercooling.

Abstract: When strontium oxide is applied as a nucleating agent to calcium chloride-hexahydrate as a heat storage material, a supercooling phenomenon of the resulting heat storage material can be suppressed to be slight.

Abstract: An automobile air conditioner has a refrigeration cycle composed of a compressor, condenser, liquid tank, orifice means and an evaporator, as well as mechanical parts such as a radiator and radiator fan associated with the condenser and a blower combined with the evaporator. The compressor is operatively connected to the automobile engine through a connecting means so as to be driven by the engine selectively in accordance with the temperature in the passenger's compartment. According to the invention, the compressor is driven when the automobile is being braked, even if the temperature in the compartment is lower than a set temperature, to make an efficient use of the kinetic energy possessed by the mass of the automobile. The cold energy generated during braking is suitably stored and is released into the passenger's compartment as desired.

Abstract: In an air conditioning system including a compressor, a condenser for condensing a refrigerant through heat exchange with outdoor air, an expansion valve, an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant through heat exchange with air to be conditioned, and piping connecting these parts together to form a closed main circuit for the refrigerant, there is provided a bypass circuit connecting a point in the main circuit between the condenser and expansion valve to a point in the main circuit between the evaporator and compressor.

Abstract: A multi-tube evaporator for a cooler used in an automobile is provided with a columnar member tightly inserted in the evaporating tube at its inlet. A spiral groove is engraved on the surface of the columnar member. The spiral groove serves as a capillary through which refrigerant is expanded.

Abstract: An absorption refrigerator of double effect type in which at a portion at which a weak solution transported from an absorber to a generator of the absorption refrigerator and a strong solution transported from the generator to the absorber flow in parallel with each other there are provided direct contact type heat exchanging means for flashing the strong solution to produce gaseous refrigerant and absorbing the gaseous refrigerant into the weak solution and the heat exchanging means includes a flash type heat exchanger in which a flash tank and an absorption chamber are disposed adjacent to each other in a pair.