Refrigeration cycle apparatus

A refrigeration cycle apparatus comprising:

• a first four-way valve having a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port;
• a second four-way valve and a third four-way valve each having a fifth port, a sixth port, a seventh port, and an eighth port, the eighth port being closed;
• a compressor having a suction port from which refrigerant is sucked into the compressor and a discharge port from which the refrigerant is discharged from the compressor;
• a discharge pipe connecting the discharge port and the first port;
• a suction pipe connecting the suction port and the second port;
• a first high pressure pipe connecting the discharge pipe and the fifth port of the second four-way valve and the fifth port of the third four-way valve;
• a second high pressure pipe connecting the third port and a bifurcation provided at the first high pressure pipe;
• a first valve provided at part of the first high pressure pipe that is located between the discharge pipe and the bifurcation, the first valve being an electronic expansion valve;
• a second valve provided at the second high pressure pipe;
• a low pressure pipe connecting the suction pipe and the sixth port of the second four-way valve and the sixth port of the third four-way valve;
• a first outdoor heat exchanger connected with the seventh port of the second four-way valve;
• a second outdoor heat exchanger connected with the seventh port of the third four-way valve;
• and
• an indoor heat exchanger connected with the fourth port, wherein
• the refrigeration cycle apparatus is configured to perform a heating operation in which the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger operate as evaporators and the indoor heat exchanger operates as a condenser, a defrosting operation in which the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger operate as condensers, and a simultaneous heating and defrosting operation in which one of the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger operates as an evaporator and the other of the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger operate as condensers,
• wherein during the heating operation,
• the first four-way valve is set to cause the first port and the fourth port to communicate with each other and to cause the second port and the third port to communicate with each other,
• each of the second four-way valve and the third four-way valve is set to cause the fifth port and the eighth port to communicate with each other and to cause the sixth port and the seventh port to communicate with each other, and
• the second valve blocks a flow of the refrigerant from the bifurcation toward the third port,
• wherein during the defrosting operation,
• the first four-way valve is set to cause the first port and the third port to communicate with each other and to cause the second port and the fourth port to communicate with each other,
• each of the second four-way valve and the third four-way valve is set to cause the fifth port and the seventh port to communicate with each other and to cause the sixth port and the eighth port to communicate with each other, and
• the second valve allows a flow of the refrigerant from the third port toward the bifurcation, and
• wherein during the simultaneous heating and defrosting operation,
• the first four-way valve is set to cause the first port and the fourth port to communicate with each other and to cause the second port and the third port to communicate with each other,
• one of the second four-way valve and the third four-way valve is set to cause the fifth port and the eighth port to communicate with each other and to cause the sixth port and the seventh port to communicate with each other,
• the other of the second four-way valve and the third four-way valve is set to cause the fifth port and the seventh port to communicate with each other and to cause the sixth port and the eighth port to communicate with each other,
• the first valve is set to be in an opened state, and
• the second valve blocks the flow of the refrigerant from the bifurcation toward the third port.