Refrigerant circuit for a refrigeration apparatus with a thermal storage and method for controlling a refrigerant circuit

A refrigerant circuit for a refrigeration apparatus with a thermal storage, which is using CO2 as refrigerant, comprising:

• at least one compressor,
• a heat-source-side heat exchanger
• an expansion valve, and
• the thermal storage, including a phase changing material selected from paraffin, carbohydrate or lipid derived bio-based organic phase changing materials, and water, wherein
• the refrigerant circuit further comprises:
• a first fluid communication pipe communicating between a fluid side of the heat-source-side heat exchanger and one side of the thermal storage,
• a second fluid communication pipe communicating between the expansion valve and another side of the thermal storage,
• a first switching valve located on the first fluid communication pipe and communicating among the heat-source-side heat exchanger, the thermal storage, a third fluid communication pipe, and a first gas communication pipe, and
• a second switching valve located on the second fluid communication pipe and communicating among the thermal storage, the expansion valve and a fourth fluid communication pipe,
• wherein the third fluid communication pipe communicates to the expansion valve and the first gas communication pipe communicates to a suction side of the compressor, and
• the fourth fluid communication pipe is communicating to a utilization-side heat exchanger.