Refrigeration and heating system

Abstract

A refrigeration and heating system (2) comprises a refrigeration circuit (4) which comprises in the direction of flow of a circulating refrigerant: at least one compressor (6a, 6b, 6c); a refrigeration circuit side (8a) of a coupling heat exchanger (8); at least one gas cooler (10); at least one gas cooler bypass line (18) and at least one gas cooler bypass valve assembly (25) allowing to bypass the at least one gas cooler (10); at least one expansion device (12, 14) and at least one evaporator (16). The refrigeration and heating system (2) further comprises a heating circuit (20) which comprises in the direction of flow of a circulating heating fluid: a heating circuit side (8b) of the coupling heat exchanger (8) and at least one heating device (22). The coupling heat exchanger (8) is configured for transferring heat from the circulating refrigerant to the circulating heating fluid; and the gas cooler bypass valve assembly (25) is configured for allowing to selectively direct a first flow of refrigerant either through the gas cooler (10) or through the gas cooler bypass line (18) bypassing the gas cooler (10) and to gradually or continuously regulate a second flow of refrigerant flowing through the other of the gas cooler (10) and the gas cooler bypass line (18) which mixes with the first flow downstream of the gas cooler (10).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.