Refrigerant vapor compression system operating at or near zero load

A method of operating a refrigerant vapor compression system at substantially zero capacity, the refrigerant vapor compression system including a refrigerant compression device, a heat rejection heat exchanger, an evaporator refrigerant expansion device, and an evaporator disposed in series in a refrigerant flow circuit, said method comprising the step of:

• providing a bypass line establishing refrigerant flow communication between a first location downstream, with respect to refrigerant flow, of said heat rejection heat exchanger and upstream, with respect to refrigerant flow, of said evaporator refrigerant expansion device and a second location downstream, with respect to refrigerant flow, of said evaporator and upstream, with respect to refrigerant flow, of said compression device;
• providing a bypass flow control device interdisposed in said bypass line;
• providing an evaporator flow control device in said refrigerant flow circuit downstream, with respect to refrigerant flow, of said first location, and upstream, with respect to refrigerant flow, of said second location;
• and
• selectively closing said evaporator flow control device and simultaneously opening said bypass flow control device to divert substantially all refrigerant flow from said refrigerant flow circuit at said first location through said bypass line to reenter said refrigerant flow circuit at said second location,
• wherein the step of providing a bypass flow control device interdisposed in said bypass line comprises providing a solenoid valve having a first closed position and a second open position, and
• wherein a fixed restriction flow control device is interdisposed in said bypass line in serial refrigerant flow communication with said solenoid valve.