To effectually demonstrate capability of an evaporator even with use of a nonazeotropic refrigerant in a freezing apparatus where the nonazeotropic refrigerant discharged from a compressor is circulated to the evaporator by previously setting pressure loss corresponding to a temperature gradient produced between an inlet and an outlet of the evaporator to the evaporator.
An outdoor heat exchanger 19 acts as an evaporator upon heating operation, and capability of the evaporator 19 is controlled by a controller 100 by adjusting the degree of opening of a flow rate control valve 17 based upon a temperature difference between inlet temperature by a temperature sensor 40 and inlet temperature by a temperature sensor 42. At this time, the number of paths of the evaporator 19 is previously reduced when a nonazeotrope refrigerant having a temperature gradient is used as the refrigerant such that pressure loss corresponding to the temperature gradient is cancelled out. Hereby, the temperature difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature is kept substantially unchanged. Thus, capability control of the evaporator 19 is ensured as in the case of a single refrigerant and henceforth the capability of the evaporator 19 is demonstrated to the utmost.
SHIMURA KAZUHIRO
WATABE TAKASHI
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