Cooling system with supplemental oil extraction from refrigerant
AssigneeHeatcraft Refrigeration Products LLC
InventorDouglas Cole
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus includes a suction header, a drain leg, an oil separator, and an oil reservoir. The suction header is configured to receive a refrigerant and the drain leg is coupled to the suction header. The oil separator is configured to separate an oil from the refrigerant from a compressor. During a first mode of operation, the drain leg is configured to collect an oil from the refrigerant from a compressor at the suction header. During a second mode of operation, the oil separator is configured to direct the oil separated from the refrigerant from the compressor through the drain leg and to the oil reservoir.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a suction header that is configured to receive a refrigerant;
- a conduit coupled to the suction header;
- an oil separator that is configured to separate an oil from the refrigerant received from a compressor;
- and
- an oil reservoir;
- wherein during a first mode of operation of the oil separator:
- the conduit is configured to collect an oil from the refrigerant at the suction header;
- and
- the oil separator is configured to collect the oil separated from the refrigerant;
- and
- during a second mode of operation of the oil separator:
- the oil separator is configured to direct the oil separated from the refrigerant received from the compressor to the conduit;
- and
- the conduit is configured to direct the oil from the oil separator and the oil collected from the refrigerant at the suction header to the oil reservoir.
A system comprising:
- a high side heat exchanger that is configured to remove heat from a refrigerant;
- a load that is configured to use the refrigerant from the high side heat exchanger to cool a space proximate the load;
- a suction header that is configured to receive the refrigerant from the load;
- a compressor that is configured to compress the refrigerant from the suction header;
- a conduit coupled to the suction header;
- an oil separator that is configured to separate an oil from the refrigerant received from the compressor;
- and
- an oil reservoir;
- wherein during a first mode of operation of the oil separator:
- the conduit is configured to collect an oil from the refrigerant at the suction header;
- and
- the oil separator is configured to collect the oil separated from the refrigerant;
- and
- during a second mode of operation of the oil separator:
- the oil separator is configured to direct the oil separated from the refrigerant received from the compressor to the conduit;
- and
- the conduit is configured to direct the oil from the oil separator and the oil collected from the refrigerant at the suction header to the oil reservoir.
A method comprising:
- receiving, by a suction header, a refrigerant;
- separating, by an oil separator, an oil from the refrigerant received from a compressor;
- and
- during a first mode of operation of the oil separator:
- collecting, by a conduit, an oil from the refrigerant at the suction header;
- and
- collecting, by the oil separator, the oil separated from the refrigerant;
- and
- during a second mode of operation of the oil separator:
- directing, by the oil separator, the oil separated from the refrigerant from the compressor to the conduit;
- and
- directing, by the conduit, the oil from the oil separator and the oil collected from the refrigerant at the suction header to an oil reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.