Refrigerant processing apparatus for collected equipment, and oil separator

A refrigerant processing apparatus for collected equipment comprising:

• a supply-side refrigerant regeneration and recovery channel sequentially including collected equipment, a first recovery and charging passage provided with a suction rate regulating valve, a evaporating vaporization chamber of an oil separator provided with a heating unit, a second recovery and charging passage, an opening/closing valve, a dry filter, a compressor, a condenser, a first condensed liquid pipe, a heat exchanging double spiral pipe of the oil separator, a second condensed liquid pipe in which is inserted a check valve which allows a condensed liquid refrigerant to pass in a recovery direction thereof, and a recovery charging pipe provided with a opening/closing valve, the recovery charging pipe and a gaseous refrigerant regeneration pipe being provided on a recovery bomb;
• an oil recovery channel which is branched off from the first recovery and charging passage and includes an oil drain in which an oil recovery valve is inserted;
• a circulation-side refrigerant regeneration and recovery channel in which the recovery bomb and an inlet side of the opening/closing valve on the outlet side of which the dry filter is disposed are connected to each other by the gaseous refrigerant regeneration pipe provided with a gaseous refrigerant regeneration valve to return a regenerated refrigerant to the recovery bomb;
• and
• a refrigerant charging channel in which the recovery charging pipe and a liquid refrigerant charging pipe provided with a liquid refrigerant charging valve are extended from the recovery bomb and are connected to the second recovery and charging passage, and the first recovery and charging passage leads from the evaporating vaporization chamber of the oil separator to the collected equipment,
• the oil separator including as its body the evaporating vaporization chamber made of a hollow body which is closed at its top and bottom by a top end plate and a bottom end plate, respectively, the evaporating vaporization chamber including in its interior a separating wall positioned below the top end plate and provided to define a passage space between the top end plate and a periphery of the separating wall, and the heat exchanging double spiral pipe including a central pipe which serves as a liquid refrigerant recovery passage, and an external pipe which serves as a recovery passage to communicate with the first recovery and charging passage during recovery, the heat exchanging double spiral pipe being formed spirally about a vertical central axis of the oil separator to prevent a refrigerant from staying in the heat exchanging double spiral pipe,
• the bottom end plate of the evaporating vaporization chamber is provided with a first pipe joint, a fourth pipe joint, a bottom heater and a bottom temperature regulating unit, the first pipe joint leading at one end to a branch passage constructed to switch between the first recovery and charging passage and a passage leading to the oil drain, the other end of the first pipe joint being opened to the evaporating vaporization chamber as a port which serves as an oil outlet and a refrigerant inlet, the port and the external pipe of the heat exchanging double spiral pipe being formed as a recovery passage, the first pipe joint being provided with a selector function valve which switches a flow passage to either one of the branch passage and the recovery passage,
• the fourth pipe joint being inserted through the bottom end plate and being connected to a bottom end of the central pipe of the heat exchanging double spiral pipe to constitute an outlet of a liquid refrigerant, and
• the bottom heater for heating the evaporating vaporization chamber and the bottom temperature regulating unit being provided at a bottom surface of the bottom end plate,
• a second pipe joint and a third pipe joint being inserted through the top end plate or at the top of the evaporating vaporization chamber, the second pipe joint being opened at one end inside the evaporating vaporization chamber and being connected at the other end to the second recovery and charging passage, the third joint being connected at one end to a top end of the central pipe of the heat exchanging double spiral pipe and being connected at the other end to the first condensed liquid pipe,
• the first recovery and charging passage being connected to the first pipe joint, a check valve which allows only a flow in the direction of the recovery bomb being inserted in the second condensed liquid pipe which leads from the fourth pipe joint to the recovery bomb,
• the external pipe through which the oil-containing refrigerant passes and the central pipe through which the refrigerant passes being mutually heat-exchanged to effect temporally and economically efficient regeneration and recovery of the liquid refrigerant,
• a gaseous refrigerant remaining after processing in the supply-side refrigerant regeneration and recovery channel being recovered and regenerated as a liquid refrigerant by the circulation-side refrigerant regeneration and recovery channel recovering, thereby enabling a high rate of regeneration and recovery of the liquid refrigerant,
• a high rate of regeneration and recovery of the liquid refrigerant being effected by the circulation-side refrigerant regeneration and recovery channel which recovers a gaseous refrigerant remaining after processing in the supply-side refrigerant regeneration and recovery channel and regenerates the gaseous refrigerant as a liquid refrigerant.

An oil separator for a refrigerant processing apparatus for collected equipment, the oil separator including a heating unit for use in a refrigerant recovery system in which after an oil is separated from an oil-containing refrigerant of collected equipment, a liquid refrigerant is recovered into a recovery bomb through a condenser,

• the oil separator comprising as its body an evaporating vaporization chamber made of a hollow body which is closed at its top and bottom by a top end plate and a bottom end plate, respectively, the evaporating vaporization chamber including in its interior a separating wall positioned below the top end plate and provided to define a passage space between the top end plate and a periphery of the separating wall, and a heat exchanging double spiral pipe including a central pipe which serves as a liquid refrigerant recovery passage, and an external pipe which serves as a recovery passage to communicate with the first recovery and charging passage during recovery, the heat exchanging double spiral pipe being formed spirally about a vertical central axis of the oil separator to prevent a refrigerant from staying in the heat exchanging double spiral pipe,
• the bottom end plate of the evaporating vaporization chamber is provided with a first pipe joint, a fourth pipe joint, a bottom heater and a bottom temperature regulating unit, the first pipe joint leading at one end to a branch passage constructed to switch between the first recovery and charging passage and a passage leading to the oil drain, the other end of the first pipe joint being opened to the evaporating vaporization chamber as a port which serves as an oil outlet and a refrigerant inlet, the port and the external pipe of the heat exchanging double spiral pipe being formed as a recovery passage, the first pipe joint being provided with a selector function valve which switches a flow passage to either one of the branch passage and the recovery passage,
• the fourth pipe joint being inserted through the bottom end plate and being connected to a bottom end of the central pipe of the heat exchanging double spiral pipe to constitute an outlet of a liquid refrigerant, and
• the bottom heater for heating the evaporating vaporization chamber and the bottom temperature regulating unit being provided at a bottom surface of the bottom end plate,
• a second pipe joint and a third pipe joint being inserted through the top end plate or at the top of the evaporating vaporization chamber, the second pipe joint being opened at one end inside the evaporating vaporization chamber and being connected at the other end to the second recovery and charging passage, the third joint being connected at one end to a top end of the central pipe of the heat exchanging double spiral pipe and being connected at the other end to the first condensed liquid pipe,
• the first recovery and charging passage being connected to the first pipe joint, the fourth pipe joint being connected to the second condensed liquid pipe which leads to the recovery bomb.