Self-clearing vacuum pump with external cooling for evacuating refrigerant storage devices and systems

An evacuation system for removing refrigerant from a device containing refrigerant, said evacuation system comprising:

• a vacuum pump connected to an outlet of the refrigerant device, said vacuum pump including:
• a sealable housing having a refrigerant inlet connected to the refrigerant device;
• a refrigerant compressor positioned within said housing and connected to said refrigerant inlet to draw refrigerant out of the refrigerant device to achieve a predetermined evacuation pressure level;
• an electric motor for driving said refrigerant compressor positioned within said housing with a portion of said electric motor contacting an inner surface of said housing;
• and
• a cooling means external to said housing for dissipating heat from an outer surface of said housing;
• and
• a storage device in fluid communication with said vacuum pump for receiving and storing refrigerant discharged from said vacuum pump.

A method for evacuating a refrigerant-containing device to an evacuation pressure level, comprising:

• (a) connecting a vacuum pump to a refrigerant outlet of the device, said vacuum pump including a housing having a refrigerant inlet for receiving refrigerant from the refrigerant device, a refrigerant compressor positioned within said housing and connected to said refrigerant inlet, an electric motor for driving said refrigerant compressor positioned within said housing with a portion of said electric motor contacting an inner surface of said housing, and a cooling system external to said housing, said cooling system being in heat-conductive contact with said outer surface of said housing;
• (c) operating said vacuum pump to pump refrigerant from the device;
• (d) using, at least partially contemporaneously with said operating, said cooling system to dissipate heat from an outer surface of said housing;
• and
• (e) measuring initial pressure of refrigerant in the device, said initial pressure being greater than about atmospheric pressure.

A method for evacuating a refrigerant-containing device to an evacuation pressure level, comprising:

• (a) connecting a vacuum pump to a refrigerant outlet of the device, said vacuum pump including a housing having a refrigerant inlet for receiving refrigerant from the refrigerant device, a refrigerant compressor positioned within said housing and connected to said refrigerant inlet, an electric motor for driving said refrigerant compressor positioned within said housing with a portion of said electric motor contacting an inner surface of said housing, and a cooling system external to said housing, said cooling system being in heat-conductive contact with said outer surface of said housing;
• (b) operating said vacuum pump to pump refrigerant from the device;
• (c) using, at least partially contemporaneously with said operating, said cooling system to dissipate heat from an outer surface of said housing;
• and
• (d) measuring, concurrently with said operating said vacuum pump, pressure of refrigerant in the device and ending said operating said vacuum pump and said using said cooling system when said measured pressure of the refrigerant in the device is a vacuum pressure greater than the evacuation pressure level.

A method for evacuating a refrigerant-containing device to an evacuation pressure level, comprising:

• (a) connecting a vacuum pump to a refrigerant outlet of the device, said vacuum pump including a housing having a refrigerant inlet for receiving refrigerant from the refrigerant device, a refrigerant compressor positioned within said housing and connected to said refrigerant inlet, an electric motor for driving said refrigerant compressor positioned within said housing with a portion of said electric motor contacting an inner surface of said housing, and a cooling system external to said housing, said cooling system being in heat-conductive contact with said outer surface of said housing;
• (b) operating said vacuum pump to pump refrigerant from the device;
• (c) using, at least partially contemporaneously with said operating, said cooling system to dissipate heat from an outer surface of said housing;
• (d) wherein said cooling system includes a heat transfer element positioned along the periphery of said housing and in heat-conductive contact with said outer surface of said housing and a fan to force a cooling gas to flow over said heat transfer element;
• (e) wherein said heat transfer element comprises a plurality of fins fabricated from thermally conductive material;
• (f) wherein said fins are tubes being selected from the group of round, oval, and flat tubes.

A method for evacuating a refrigerant-containing device to an evacuation pressure level, comprising:

• (a) connecting a vacuum pump to a refrigerant outlet of the device, said vacuum pump including a housing having a refrigerant inlet for receiving refrigerant from the refrigerant device, a refrigerant compressor positioned within said housing and connected to said refrigerant inlet, an electric motor for driving said refrigerant compressor positioned within said housing with a portion of said electric motor contacting an inner surface of said housing, and a cooling system external to said housing, said cooling system being in heat-conductive contact with said outer surface of said housing;
• (b) operating said vacuum pump to pump refrigerant from the device;
• (c) using, at least partially contemporaneously with said operating, said cooling system to dissipate heat from an outer surface of said housing;
• (d) wherein said vacuum pump includes a second refrigerant compressor in fluid communication with said housing and further including clearing said vacuum pump of refrigerant by operating said second refrigerant compressor to pump refrigerant from said vacuum pump.