Compressor lubrication supply system and compressor thereof

A lubricant supply system for a compressor in a heat transfer circuit, the compressor configured to compress a first working fluid including a refrigerant, the lubricant supply system comprising:

• a lubricant tank configured to contain lubricant discharged from one or more bearings of the compressor;
• a lubricant pathway connected to the lubricant tank and configured to supply the lubricant from the lubricant tank to the one or more bearings of the compressor;
• a lubricant refrigeration system including a second working fluid including a refrigerant, a lubricant heater configured to heat the lubricant to increase a temperature of the lubricant in the lubricant tank, and a lubricant cooler configured to cool the lubricant flowing through the lubricant pathway with the second working fluid, and
• a lubricant separator including:
• a housing including one or more inlets, a first outlet, and a second outlet, the one or more inlets configured to receive a mixture of the lubricant and the refrigerant of the first working fluid discharged from the one or more bearings of the compressor, the lubricant heater configured to heat the lubricant within the lubricant separator, and the first outlet configured to discharge the lubricant after being heated by the lubricant heater to the lubricant tank,
• a flow director disposed within the housing and blocking a direct path from the one or more inlets to the second outlet, the mixture of the lubricant and the refrigerant of the first working fluid including gaseous refrigerant, liquid lubricant, and gaseous refrigerant dissolved in the liquid lubricant, the flow director configured to direct:
• the gaseous refrigerant to flow around the flow director to the first outlet,
• the liquid lubricant through the lubricant heater to the first outlet, the lubricant heater heating the liquid lubricant and liberating the gaseous refrigerant dissolved in the liquid lubricant from the liquid lubricant, and
• the gaseous refrigerant liberated from the liquid lubricant to the second outlet.

A method of lubricating a compressor in a heat transfer circuit, the compressor configured to compress a first working fluid including a refrigerant, the method comprising:

• heating, with a lubricant heater of a lubricant refrigeration system, lubricant discharged from one or more bearings of the compressor to increase a temperature of the lubricant in a lubricant tank to be at or above a predetermined minimum temperature, the lubricant refrigeration system including, the lubricant heater, a lubricant cooler, and a second working fluid including a refrigerant;
• directing the lubricant from the lubricant tank through a lubricant pathway to one or more bearings of the compressor;
• and
• cooling, with the lubricant cooler of the lubricant refrigeration system, the lubricant passing through the lubricant pathway with the second working fluid.