Abstract: A system includes: a heat generator obtaining heat from a heat source and having a generator outlet port and a generator return port; a central heating circuit having a heating feed port and a heating return port; a tank having a top portion and a bottom portion, the tank containing a heat storing medium; a first tapping coil immersed in the heat storing medium in the bottom portion of the tank; and a second tapping coil immersed in the heat storing medium in the top portion of the tank The heat generator, second tapping coil, central heating circuit, and first tapping coil are fluidly connected in series to allow fluid to flow from the heat generator via at least one of the second tapping coil, the central heating circuit, and the first tapping coil back to the heat generator The system includes first, second and third three-way valves.

Abstract: A recycle information management system includes a communication device and a management device. The communication device transmits recycle information acquired from a recycle system via a network. The recycle system includes at least a recycling device that removes at least oil from the collected refrigerant to recycle the refrigerant. The management device includes a storage unit that stores the recycle information in association with a recycle system ID usable to identify the recycle system.

Abstract: A system produces domestic hot water and heat for central heating and includes: a heat generator for obtaining heat from a heat source, the heat generator having a generator outlet port and a generator return port; a central heating circuit having a heating feed port and a heating return port; and a tank having an inlet port, an upper port and a lower port, the tank containing a fluid which is a heat storing fluid, and the inlet port being configured to feed the heat storing fluid into the tank. The heat generator, the central heating circuit, and the tank are fluidly connected in series to allow the fluid to flow from the heat generator via at least one of the central heating circuit and the tank back to the heat generator The system further includes first, second and third three-way valves.

Abstract: A system produces domestic hot water and includes a tank having top and bottom portions and containing heat storing fluid, and a tapping unit including first and second tapping coils. The first tapping coil is immersed in the bottom portion of the tank. The second tapping coil is fluidly connected in series to the first tapping coil by a connection pipe, and to the hot water port, and is immersed the top portion of the tank A switching device switches between a first state in which water flows from the cold water port through only first tapping coil to the hot water port, and a second state in which water flows from the cold water port through the first tapping coil and, after flowing through the first tapping coil, through to the second tapping coil to the hot water port.

Abstract: An air-conditioning system includes: a compressor unit including a housing accommodating a refrigerant compressor; a high-pressure gas refrigerant pipe connected to a discharge side of the refrigerant compressor; a low-pressure gas refrigerant pipe connected to a suction side of the refrigerant compressor; and air-conditioners. The air-conditioners each include: a return-air inlet and a supply-air outlet each communicating with a predetermined space that is to be air-conditioned; a first heat exchanger configured to cause heat-exchange between refrigerant flowing in the first heat exchanger and air passing through the first heat exchanger; an exhaust-air outlet and an outside-air inlet each communicating with an outside of the predetermined space; and a second heat exchanger configured to cause heat-exchange between refrigerant flowing in the second heat exchanger and air passing through the second heat exchanger.

Abstract: An indoor unit of a heat pump includes a housing having a back to be mounted on a wall and a front opposite to the back, a heat exchanger accommodated in the housing, a piping connection section fluidly connected to the heat exchanger at one side of the heat exchanger and connecting the heat exchanger to a refrigerant circuit of the heat pump, a fan for inducing air flow through the heat exchanger, heat being exchanged between refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger and air flow, and a refrigerant leakage detection sensor detecting refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit, and being accommodated in the housing. The refrigerant leakage detection sensor is positioned, in a front view of the indoor unit, beside the heat exchanger and in front of the piping connection section and, in a side view, between the front of the housing and the piping connection section.

Abstract: An air conditioning system includes a compressor unit including a compressor, a heat exchanger unit including an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor unit, and a valve unit including a liquid control valve and a gas control valve. The heat exchanger unit is installed in a first space, while the compressor unit and the valve unit are installed in a second space. The system further includes a first leakage detector disposed in the second space, and a ventilation control structure that is configured to switch the state of the second space from a first state to a second state when the detected concentration of the first refrigerant is equal to or greater than a first detection value threshold, in the second state a ventilation of the second space being promoted more than in the first state.

Abstract: A system for air-conditioning and hot-water supply selectively performs cooling and heating operations. The system includes: an outdoor unit having a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger; indoor units each of which is connected to the outdoor unit and includes an indoor heat exchanger; a hot-water supply unit connected to the outdoor unit and arranged in parallel to the indoor units and including a refrigerant-water heat exchanger; and a controller monitoring an occurrence of a hot water request for hot-water supply from the hot-water supply unit during the cooling operation performed at at least one of the indoor units, and then to start the heating operation in accordance with the hot-water request. The controller also monitors an occurrence of an indoor-unit request from any one of the indoor units and resumes the cooling operation where the request is an increase request for an increase of load of the cooling operation.

Abstract: A refrigerant circuit for a refrigeration apparatus with a thermal storage, which is using CO2 as refrigerant, includes: at least one compressor, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a thermal storage, including a thermal storage material, which is preferably a phase changing material from the group: organic PCMs like bio-based, paraffin, carbohydrate or lipid derived, or water. The refrigerant circuit further includes: a first fluid communication pipe communicating between a fluid side of the heat-source-side heat exchanger and one side of the thermal storage, and a second fluid communication pipe communicating between the expansion device and the other side of the thermal storage.

Abstract: A safety system for a heat pump system includes a plurality of valve units each having refrigerant pipe portions with control valves, a refrigerant leakage detector, and a casing accommodating the valves and the refrigerant leakage detector and formed with first and second openings. The safety system further includes a connection structure connecting the internal spaces of the casings via the first and second openings, and a discharge structure connected to the connection structure or one of the casings and configured to discharge air from the internal space of the casing in which a refrigerant leakage has occurred. The casing has first and second lateral faces facing different directions, and the first opening is formed in the first lateral face and the second opening is formed in the second lateral face.

Abstract: Provided is a heat pump system having a compressor, a liquid-side on-off valve, a gas-side on-off valve, and a controller. The controller is configured to perform a refrigerant recovery operation for recovering refrigerant from a utilization-side piping section to a heatsource-side piping section by operating the compressor while the liquid-side on-off valve is closed and the gas-side on-off valve is open, and control the system such that the gas-side on-off valve starts closing when a predetermined valve-close condition is satisfied during the compressor is operating for recovering refrigerant, and such that the operation of the compressor for recovering refrigerant stops after the closing of the gas-side on-off valve started.

Abstract: Provided is a heat pump system having a liquid-side on-off valve, a gas-side on-off valve, an ambient temperature detector configured to detect temperature of fluid which passes through a heatsource-side heat exchanger, and a controller. The controller is configured to perform a refrigerant recovery operation for recovering refrigerant from a utilization-side piping section to a heatsource-side piping section by operating a compressor while the liquid-side on-off valve is closed and the gas-side on-off valve is open, and control the compressor such that, when the ambient temperature is higher than or equal to a predetermined value, increase rate of compressor rotation speed is low compared with that of when the ambient temperature is lower than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A method monitors an air-conditioner having a semi-conductor gas sensor, the method including: determining that a refrigerant leakage has occurred on condition that the detection value is equal to or greater than a first threshold when the fan is in operation; starting operation of the fan as a provisional operation if the detection value is equal to or greater than a second threshold when the fan is not in operation; stopping the provisional operation of the fan; determining that a refrigerant leakage has occurred on condition that the detection value is equal to or greater than a third threshold after stopping the provisional operation of the fan; and taking a predetermined action for outputting alarm information and/or limiting supply of refrigerant to the heat exchanger when a refrigerant leakage is determined to have occurred.

Abstract: A refrigerant cycle apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit that circulates a refrigerant, and a leak sensor that detects a refrigerant leaking from the refrigerant circuit, in which the refrigerant cycle apparatus includes, as an operating mode, a recovery mode for recognizing occurrence of an abnormality in the leak sensor and recovering a refrigerant to a predetermined location in the refrigerant circuit.

Abstract: A heat pump system includes a first bypass pipe provided with a first bypass valve and connecting a liquid refrigerant pipe and a low-pressure refrigerant pipe, a refrigerant heat exchanger configured to cause a heat-exchange between refrigerant flowing in the liquid refrigerant pipe and refrigerant flowing in first bypass pipe, a second bypass pipe provided with a second bypass valve and connecting the liquid refrigerant pipe and the low-pressure refrigerant pipe, and a controller. The controller is configured to control opening degree of the first bypass valve based on detected superheated temperature of refrigerant flowing in the first bypass pipe, and detected discharge temperature of a compressor and control opening degree of the second bypass valve based on the detected discharge temperature.

Abstract: A valve unit for a heat-pump system, includes: a liquid refrigerant pipe portion; a gas refrigerant pipe portion; a liquid control valve disposed in the liquid refrigerant pipe portion; a gas control valve disposed in the gas refrigerant pipe portion; a casing accommodating the liquid control valve and the gas control valve; and an air-discharge mechanism that discharges air in an internal space of the casing to an external space outside the casing in response to a refrigerant leakage in the casing.

Abstract: A ceiling-mounted air conditioning indoor unit for a heat pump including a refrigerant circuit, the ceiling-mounted air conditioning indoor unit includes: a casing including an air inlet and an air outlet; a drain pan in a bottom portion of the casing; a heat exchanger in the refrigerant circuit that is disposed above the drain pan such that water dropping from the heat exchanger accumulates in the drain pan; a fan in the casing that draws air in from the air inlet, through the heat exchanger, and out of the air outlet; a bell mouth at the air inlet that guides the air drawn-in to the fan; a refrigerant leakage detection sensor that detects refrigerant leaking from the refrigerant circuit. The drain pan includes a first rim and a second rim.

Abstract: A heat source unit for an air conditioner that includes a refrigerant circuit includes: an external housing; a cooling heat exchanger disposed in the external housing and that is connected to the refrigerant circuit; a controller that controls the valve; and a first temperature sensor disposed within the external housing. The external housing accommodates: a compressor connected to the refrigerant circuit; a heat source heat exchanger that is connected to the refrigerant circuit and that exchanges heat between a refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit and a heat source; and an electric box. The electric box includes a top and a plurality of side walls; accommodates electrical components that control the air conditioner; and further includes an air passage that comprises an air inlet and an air outlet.

Abstract: A heat pump device having a refrigerant circuit includes: a valve configured to maintain an opening degree during non-energization; a valve drive circuit configured to cause operation of the valve; a valve controller configured to control the valve drive circuit; and a power source circuit configured to supply a power source to the valve drive circuit. The power source circuit includes: a first power source circuit unit configured to receive power source supply from outside to generate a DC: voltage; and a second power source circuit unit for backup. The second power source circuit unit receives power source supply from the outside to store power in a capacitor, and connects the capacitor in parallel to a first output electric path of the first power source circuit unit.