Lubricant separator for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system

A lubricant tank assembly for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

• first and second end plates;
• a tank housing extending between the first and second end plates and forming a cavity therein;
• and a conduit that provides an inlet flow of a lubricant and heat transfer fluid mixture to the cavity, wherein the conduit includes a lubricant separator at an end of the conduit that is disposed within the cavity, the lubricant separator including:
• a housing having a top plate, a bottom plate, and an inlet end plate, the housing having an inlet end and an outlet end;
• a plurality of vanes disposed on at least one side of the housing, the plurality of vanes having a portion that is disposed within the housing, the plurality of vanes extending a height of the housing between the top plate and the bottom plate, a leading edge of a first of the plurality of vanes being disposed at a first distance from an intermediate location on a second of the plurality of vanes, the first and the second of the plurality of vanes being adjacent and the first of the plurality of vanes being downstream of the second of the plurality of vanes, trailing edges of the first and second plurality of vanes being disposed a second distance from each other, wherein the first distance is less than the second distance,
• wherein the outlet end is disposed at a lengthwise extent of the top plate and the bottom plate of the housing, and the outlet end of the housing is open such that a fluid can flow out from the outlet end.

A method, comprising:

• directing a fluid into a fluid inlet of a lubricant tank assembly, the fluid including a lubricant and heat transfer fluid mixture;
• separating the lubricant from the lubricant and heat transfer fluid mixture, wherein the separating includes:
• directing the fluid into a lubricant separator having a plurality of vanes, wherein lubricant entrained in the lubricant and heat transfer fluid mixture coalesces on the plurality of vanes, and
• discharging the heat transfer fluid from the housing into the lubricant tank assembly, including discharging the heat transfer fluid out from an outlet end of the housing, the outlet end being disposed at a lengthwise extent of the housing, the outlet end of the housing being open;
• discharging the heat transfer fluid through a heat transfer return conduit;
• and
• pumping the lubricant from the lubricant tank assembly.