Method and apparatus for vapor compression refrigeration and air conditioning using liquid recycle

A multistage evaporative compressor assembly in which compressed refrigerant vapors are desuperheated by the introduction of a liquid refrigerant having a high latent heat of vaporization, comprising:

• a compressor housing including a compression area, an inlet, and a discharge;
• a compression means disposed in said compression area and positioned between the inlet and the discharge;
• a circulation gallery positioned between said discharge area and the inlet area of the next, downstream compression stage such that vapor from said discharge area flows through said circulation gallery;
• a heat exchange array comprising a network of capillaries into which may flow the liquid refrigerant, and around which may flow said refrigerant vapors, said heat exchange array disposed in said circulation gallery such that vapors introduced into said gallery from said discharge area flow through said array, said array adapted to selectively remove a majority of the superheat of the compressed vapors;
• and
• a means for introducing liquid refrigerant droplets and for purging the compressed system vapors of any unvaporized liquid components.

A high efficiency, multistage compressor wherein compressed, superheated vapors are desuperheated by the introduction of a liquid refrigerant having a high latent heat of vaporization, comprising:

• a compressor housing, said housing defining a compression area and one or more circulation galleries, said compressor housing further defining an inlet and a discharge;
• said circulation gallery positioned downstream from said compression means, such that superheated vapors from said compression means flow through said circulation gallery;
• a compression means disposed in said compression area of said compressor housing such that gases entering the inlet are drawn into the compression means where they are compressed and circulated through the circulation gallery;
• an injector means disposed in the circulation gallery such that the liquid refrigerant may be introduced into the superheated vapors discharged from the compression means wherein a portion of said refrigerant evaporates to remove a majority of the superheat of the compressed vapors;
• and
• a purging means situated downstream from said injector means in said circulation gallery such that non-vaporized refrigerant will be removed from the vapor stream.