Method and apparatus for orientation independent compression

A vapor compression cycle system, comprising:

• a compressor, wherein the compressor comprises:
• a compressor head, wherein the compressor head comprises:
• a compressor head input port, wherein the compressor head receives a working fluid vapor with lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor, at an input pressure, at the compressor head input port;
• a compressor head output port, wherein the compressor head outputs working fluid vapor with lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor, at an output pressure, from the compressor head output port, wherein the output pressure is higher than the input pressure;
• a compressor input port;
• an input flow path;
• wherein working fluid vapor with a first mass flow rate of entrained lubricating oil enters the compressor input port and flows through the input flow path to the compressor head input port,
• a compressor output port;
• an output flow path, wherein the working fluid vapor with the entrained lubricating oil exiting the compressor head output port flows through the output flow path to the compressor output port, wherein the compressor output port outputs working fluid vapor with a second mass flow rate of entrained lubricating oil, wherein the second mass flow rate of lubricating oil is substantially the same as the first mass flow rate of lubricating oil, independent of the physical orientation of the compressor with respect to the surrounding gravitational field;
• a system flow path, wherein the compressor is interconnected with the system flow path such that working fluid entrained with lubricating oil outputted via the compressor output port enters an input of the system flow path, passes through the system flow path, and is output from an output of the system flow path into the compressor input port, such that for any physical orientation of the compressor with respect to the surrounding gravitational field, the mass flow rate of lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid entering the compressor input port is at least 80% of a maximum mass flow rate of lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor, where the maximum mass flow rate of lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor is an mass flow rate of lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor at a physical orientation of the compressor with respect to the surrounding gravitational field that results in the highest mass flow rate of lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor.

A method of compressing a working fluid vapor with entrained lubricating oil, comprising:

• providing a compressor, there the compressor comprises:
• a compressor head, wherein the compressor head comprises:
• a compressor head input port, wherein the compressor head receives a working fluid vapor with lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor, at an input pressure, at the compressor head input port;
• a compressor head output port, wherein the compressor head outputs working fluid vapor with lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor, at an output pressure, from the compressor head output port, wherein the output pressure is higher than the input pressure;
• a compressor input port;
• an input flow path;
• wherein working fluid vapor with a first mass flow rate of entrained lubricating oil enters the compressor input port and flows through the input flow path to the compressor head input port,
• a compressor output port;
• an output flow path, wherein the working fluid vapor with the entrained lubricating oil exiting the compressor head output port flows through the output flow path to the compressor output port, wherein the compressor output port outputs working fluid vapor with a second mass flow rate of entrained lubricating oil, wherein the second mass flow rate of lubricating oil is substantially the same as the first mass flow rate of lubricating oil, independent of the physical orientation of the compressor with respect to the surrounding gravitational field;
• and
• inputting working fluid vapor with the first mass flow rate of entrained lubricating oil, at an input pressure, to the compressor input port;
• driving the compressor, such that the working fluid vapor with the first mass flow rate of entrained lubricating oil flows through the input flow path, is compressed in the compressor head, and flows through the output flow path;
• and
• outputting working fluid vapor with a second mass flow rate of entrained lubricating oil, at an output pressure, wherein the output pressure is higher than the input pressure from the compressor output port, wherein the second mass flow rate of lubricating oil is substantially the same as the first mass flow rate of lubricating oil, independent of the physical orientation of the compressor with respect to the surrounding gravitational field.

A method of compressing a working fluid vapor with lubricating oil entrained in a vapor compression cycle system, comprising:

• providing a compressor, wherein the compressor comprises:
• a compressor head, wherein the compressor head comprises:
• a compressor head input port, wherein the compressor head receives a working fluid vapor with lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor, at an input pressure, at the compressor head input port;
• a compressor head output port, wherein the compressor head outputs working fluid vapor with lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor, at an output pressure, from the compressor head output port, wherein the output pressure is higher than the input pressure;
• a compressor input port;
• an input flow path;
• wherein working fluid vapor with a first mass flow rate of entrained lubricating oil enters the compressor input port and flows through the input flow path to the compressor head input port,
• a compressor output port;
• an output flow path, wherein the working fluid vapor with the entrained lubricating oil exiting the compressor head output port flows through the output flow path to the compressor output port, wherein the compressor output port outputs working fluid vapor with a second mass flow rate of entrained lubricating oil, wherein the second mass flow rate of lubricating oil is substantially the same as the first mass flow rate of lubricating oil, independent of the physical orientation of the compressor with respect to the surrounding gravitational field;
• providing a system flow path, wherein the compressor is interconnected with the system flow path to form a closed cycle such that working fluid entrained with lubricating oil outputted via the compressor output port enters an input of the system flow path, passes through the system flow path, and is output from an output of the system flow path into the compressor input port, such that for any physical orientation of the compressor with respect to the surrounding gravitational field the mass flow rate of lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid entering the compressor input port is at least 80% of a maximum mass flow rate of lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor, where the maximum mass flow rate of lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor is an mass flow rate of lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor at a physical orientation of the compressor and the system flow path with respect to the surrounding gravitational field that results in the highest mass flow rate of lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor;
• charging the closed system with working fluid vapor and lubricating oil;
• driving the compressor, such that the working fluid vapor entrained with the lubricating oil flows through the closed cycle such that, with the system flow path in the physical orientation with respect to the surrounding gravitational field that results in the highest mass flow rate of lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor, for any physical orientation of the compressor with respect to the surrounding gravitational field the mass flow rate of lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid entering the compressor input port is at least 80% of the maximum mass flow rate of lubricating oil entrained in the working fluid vapor.