Refrigerant recycling apparatus, method and system

A refrigerant recycling apparatus for recovery and purification of refrigerant comprising:

• a) an input conduit system for connecting a refrigerant source to the refrigerant recycling apparatus;
• b) a first disposable filter capable of removing moisture and particulates from the refrigerant, said disposable filter being located such that the filter is easily accessible for service;
• c) a primary heat exchanger configured so as to provide heat to the refrigerant thereby causing the refrigerant to be vaporized;
• d) a secondary heat exchanger for further heating of the refrigerant to further assist in vaporization of the refrigerant;
• e) an expansion valve located prior in line to said primary and secondary heat exchangers for controlling the flow of the refrigerant and reducing the pressure of the refrigerant, thereby allowing the refrigerant to expand to a predominantly gaseous state;
• f) a separator for removing oil from the refrigerant;
• g) a compressor pump having a vacuum producing inlet and a pressure producing outlet, the pump being a hermetically sealed, lubricated-for-life positive displacement pump;
• h) a condenser for cooling the refrigerant;
• i) a second disposable filter for removing moisture, acids, and other particulates from the refrigerant passing therethrough, said disposable filter being located in an area easily accessible for servicing;
• j) an interconnecting conduit system for interconnecting the input conduit system, the first and second disposable filters, the heat exchangers, the compressor pump, the condenser, the expansion valve, and the refrigerant source;
• k) a moisture indicator located after the second disposable filter, for measuring the degree of moisture present within the refrigerant after the refrigerant has flowed through the second disposable filter.

A method for purification of fluid refrigerant contained in an external refrigerant source comprising the following sequential steps:

• removing, at least partially, moisture and other contaminants from said refrigerant;
• expanding said refrigerant and thereby converting it to a predominantly gaseous refrigerant by flowing it through an expansion valve;
• converting said refrigerant to a substantially gaseous refrigerant by exchanging heat to it, by means of at least one heat exchanger;
• separating oil from said substantially gaseous refrigerant;
• pressurizing said substantially gaseous refrigerant by means of a compressor-pump, thereby converting it to a pressurized predominantly gaseous refrigerant;
• condensing said pressurized predominantly gaseous refrigerant so as to convert it to a pressurized, condensed, predominantly liquid refrigerant;
• and removing moisture from the pressurized, condensed, predominantly liquid refrigerant.

A method for purification of fluid refrigerant contained in an external refrigerant source comprising the following sequential steps:

• a) interconnecting said external refrigerant source with a refrigeration utility system, comprising:
• an input conduit system, a first purifying device, an expansion valve, a primary heat exchanger, a secondary heat exchanger, a secondary purifying device, a compressor-pump, a third purifying device, a condenser, an output conduit system, and an interconnecting valve and conduit system;
• b) at least partially purifying the fluid refrigerant by flowing the refrigerant through the first purifying device, said first purifying device being so configured as to at least partially filter out moisture, acids, and particulates, and positioned so as to be readily accessible to an operator for servicing;
• c) converting the partially purified refrigerant to a predominantly gaseous refrigerant by flowing the refrigerant through the expansion valve, the expansion device being configured to control the flow of the refrigerant and reduce the pressure of the refrigerant;
• d) adding heat to the now predominantly gaseous refrigerant by flowing the refrigerant through the primary heat exchanger, thereby converting the refrigerant to a substantially gaseous refrigerant;
• e) further heating the refrigerant by flowing the refrigerant through a secondary heat exchanger, thereby further converting said refrigerant to a gaseous refrigerant;
• f) further purifying the now substantially gaseous refrigerant by flowing the refrigerant through the second purifying device, said second purifying device being so configured as to separate out oil;
• g) pressurizing the substantially gaseous refrigerant by flowing the refrigerant through the compressor-pump;
• h) cooling and condensing the pressurized refrigerant, thereby converting the refrigerant to a pressurized, condensed, predominantly liquid refrigerant by flowing the refrigerant through the condenser, cooling the refrigerant so as to have a temperature somewhat above the temperature of the refrigerant existing the expansion valve;
• and
• i) further purifying the pressurized, condensed, predominantly liquid refrigerant by flowing it through the third purifying device, thereby separating moisture, acids and other particulates from the refrigerant.

A method for purification of fluid refrigerant contained in an external refrigerant source comprising the following sequential steps:

• a) interconnecting said external refrigerant source with a refrigerant utility system, comprising:
• input conduit means, a first purifying device, an expansion valve, a primary heat exchanger, a secondary heat exchanger, a second purifying device, a compressor-pump, a second oil separator device, condenser, a fourth purifying device, a moisture indicator, output conduit means, and an interconnecting valve and conduit system;
• b) at least partially purifying the contaminated fluid refrigerant by flowing the refrigerant through the first purifying device, said first purifying device being so configured as to at least partially filter out moisture, acids, and particulates, and placed so as to be readily accessible to an operator for servicing;
• c) converting the partially purified refrigerant to a predominantly gaseous refrigerant by flowing the refrigerant through the expansion valve;
• d) adding heat to the now predominantly gaseous refrigerant by flowing the refrigerant through the primary heat exchanger;
• e) adding additional heat to the predominantly gaseous refrigerant, thus converting the refrigerant to a substantially gaseous refrigerant, by flowing the refrigerant through the secondary heat exchanger;
• f) further purifying the now substantially gaseous refrigerant by flowing the refrigerant through the second purifying device, said second purifying device being so configured as to separate out oil;
• g) pressurizing the substantially gaseous refrigerant by flowing the refrigerant through the compressor-pump;
• h) further purifying the now pressurized refrigerant by flowing the refrigerant through the second oil separator device, said second oil separator device being so configured as to separate out oil;
• i) cooling and condensing the pressurized refrigerant, thereby converting the refrigerant to a pressurized, condensed, predominantly liquid refrigerant by flowing the refrigerant through the condenser;
• j) further purifying the pressurized, condensed, predominantly liquid refrigerant by flowing the refrigerant through the third purifying device;
• and
• k) monitoring the moisture present in the refrigerant after the refrigerant has passed through the third purifying device.

A system for purification of fluid refrigerant contained in an external refrigerant source, comprising, in serial functional relationship:

• first filter means for at least partially purifying said refrigerant;
• expansion means for expanding said refrigerant so as to convert it to a predominantly gaseous phase;
• heat exchanger means for increasing the thermal content of said predominantly gaseous refrigerant by exchanging heat to it from downstream refrigerant which has been processed so as to be in a pressurized, higher-temperature phase;
• first separator means for separating oil from said predominantly gaseous refrigerant;
• compressor-pump means for pressurizing said predominantly gaseous refrigerant;
• second separator means for separating oil from the now pressurized predominantly gaseous refrigerant;
• condenser means for condensing said pressurized predominantly gaseous refrigerant so as to convert it to a pressurized, condensed, predominantly liquid phase;
• said heat exchanger means for decreasing the thermal content of said refrigerant by exchanging heat to lower-temperature upstream refrigerant;
• and second filter means for further purifying the pressurized, condensed, predominantly liquid refrigerant.