Refrigeration apparatus

A refrigeration apparatus configured to carry out a refrigeration cycle through a refrigerant circuit including:

• a heat source unit including a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant and a heat-source-side heat exchanger functioning as a condenser for the refrigerant;
• and a service unit including a usage-side heat exchanger functioning as an evaporator for the refrigerant, the refrigeration apparatus comprising:
• a mechanical expansion valve disposed on a refrigerant flow upstream side relative to the usage-side heat exchanger and configured to decompress a refrigerant passing through the mechanical expansion valve in accordance with an opening degree of the mechanical expansion valve;
• an electric valve disposed on the refrigerant flow upstream side relative to the mechanical expansion valve and configured to adjust a flow rate or a pressure of a refrigerant passing through the electric valve in accordance with an opening degree of the electric valve;
• and
• a controller configured to control an operation of a plurality of actuators, wherein
• the mechanical expansion valve has an opening degree changed in response to an increase and a reduction in a flow rate or a pressure of a refrigerant flowing upstream to the mechanical expansion valve,
• the controller executes an oil recovery operation including a first control and a second control for recovering a refrigerating machine oil built up in the service unit to the compressor at a predetermined timing,
• by the first control, the electric valve has an opening degree set to a predetermined first opening degree to reduce the flow rate or the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the electric valve,
• by the second control, after the first control, the electric valve has an opening degree set to a second opening degree to increase the flow rate or the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the electric valve,
• the first opening degree is an opening degree that causes the opening degree of the mechanical expansion valve to increase in relation to a reduction in the flow rate or the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the electric valve, and
• the second opening degree is an opening degree that allows, before the opening degree of the mechanical expansion valve is reduced in relation to an increase in the flow rate or the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the electric valve, a liquid refrigerant to flow into the usage-side heat exchanger.