Condenser vessel, system and method for separating oil from an oil-refrigerant mixture

Abstract

A condenser container having an oil storage and separation portion for separating refrigerant vapor from oil in a temperature regulation system, the condenser container comprising a shell and a separator wall positioned inside the shell. The shell comprises an inlet for receiving a mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor and an outlet for transferring oil separated from the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor to the outside of the condenser container. The separator wall is positioned inside the shell along a transverse axis (A-A') of the shell that is substantially perpendicular relative to a horizontal axis (X-X') passing through the center of the shell. The separator wall defines a condenser portion and an oil storage and separation portion within the shell.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 587,833, filed on October 4, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a condenser vessel including an oil storage and separation portion, a system and a method for separating oil from an oil and refrigerant fluid mixture in a temperature regulation system. Background Art

[0003] Heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems are used to regulate air quality, humidity and temperature levels to ensure that the air in an enclosed space is comfortable and habitable, regardless of the environmental conditions outside the enclosed space. Such temperature regulation systems regulate parameters in an enclosed space by exchanging heat with the refrigerant flowing through the evaporator. The heated refrigerant is delivered to the compressor for increasing the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant. The superheated high-pressure refrigerant exchanges heat with water or other cooling liquids when being delivered through the condenser. The compressor uses a combination of moving parts such as reciprocating parts and rotating parts to increase the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant. Alternatively, the compressor may also be a screw compressor. As such, lubricating oil is essential for the smooth operation of the compressor. Because the refrigerant and the lubricating oil are miscible with each other, there will always be some oil that leaves the compressor when the refrigerant circulates throughout the refrigeration system. In this regard, providing an oil storage and separation section is essential for the purpose of separating the oil and the refrigerant before the refrigerant enters the condenser.

[0004] Typically, the condenser container is installed after the discharge line of one or more compressors. The condenser container sometimes includes an oil separator, which is usually an upright container with a discharge gas connection at the top portion and an oil return port at the bottom. The return line can be directly piped to the oil suction line of the compressor unit. Some condenser containers have a reservoir built into the bottom portion of the container, which has an upper portion that operates as a separator. The oil is then returned to the compressor from the reservoir by using a mechanical or electronic oil level control valve, which is suitable for regulating the flow of oil based on the oil level in the reservoir. The oil that passes through the compressor and enters the system through the condenser not only deprives the compressor crankcase of important lubrication, but the oil also further coats the walls of the condenser and evaporator. The oil film on the walls of these important heat exchangers will greatly reduce their heat transfer capabilities. The condenser will not be able to discharge heat as efficiently as it should. Increased head pressure, resulting in higher compression ratios and lower volumetric efficiency, and lower than normal system capacity are some of the effects of oil circulating away from the compressor in the system.

[0005] Similarly, oil coating the walls of the evaporator will reduce heat transfer to the refrigerant in the evaporator. An oil film, which is a very good insulator, will form on the inside of the evaporator, resulting in a reduced heat load, which will further reduce the suction pressure. Lower suction pressures result in higher compression ratios and lower volumetric efficiency. The result is lower system capacity and much longer run times. In addition, most control valves, including capillary tubes and the like, also experience inefficient performance due to the pressure formed by the oil film. Capillary tubes have the problem of large variations in flow rate. As a result, the temperature sensor may not detect the correct refrigerant temperature at the evaporator outlet, resulting in improper superheat control further affecting system efficiency. Therefore, efficient operation of the oil separator is desired while reducing the chances of oil being delivered to the condenser unit.

[0006] An existing oil separator housed within a shell containing a condenser includes an oil separator portion and a condenser portion separated by a separator wall. Existing designs increase the chance of oil overflowing into the condenser. This is because the oil level within the oil separator portion is high and almost reaches the vent provided for transferring the refrigerant vapor to the condenser. As a result, instead of the refrigerant vapor reaching the condenser alone, oil droplets are also entrained within the vapor and transported to the condenser. Therefore, an improved oil separator design that can prevent oil from being transferred to the condenser portion is desired. In addition, an improved oil separator that can store an increased volume of oil for a specific diameter of a condenser container shell is desired. In addition, an improved oil separator that can improve oil separation is desired. Summary of the invention

[0007] This summary is provided to introduce in a simplified format a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description of the present disclosure. This summary is not intended to identify key or fundamental inventive concepts of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to determine the scope of the present disclosure.

[0008] The present disclosure discloses an improved oil separator design capable of preventing oil from transferring to the condenser section. In addition, the present disclosure discloses an improved oil separator capable of storing an increased volume of oil for a specific diameter of the oil separator housing. In addition, the present disclosure discloses an improved oil separator capable of improving refrigerant-oil separation.

[0009] The condenser container disclosed herein includes an oil storage and separation portion for separating a refrigerant fluid from oil in a temperature regulation system. The condenser container includes a shell and a separator wall. The shell includes an inlet and an outlet for receiving a mixture of oil and refrigerant fluid. The outlet of the shell is conducive to transferring the oil separated from the mixture of oil and refrigerant fluid to the outside of the condenser container. The separator wall is positioned inside the shell to define the condenser portion and the oil storage and separation portion in the shell. The separator wall is positioned inside the shell so that the separator wall is positioned along the transverse axis (A-A') of the shell, and the transverse axis (A-A') of the shell is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal axis (XX') passing through the center of the shell.

[0010] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, the separator wall includes a plurality of vents defined proximate an upper end of the separator wall for transferring refrigerant vapor separated from the mixture of oil and refrigerant fluid to the condenser portion.

[0011] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, the condenser portion condenses the refrigerant vapor into a refrigerant liquid and transfers the refrigerant fluid to the expansion valve via a refrigerant liquid line.

[0012] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, the oil storage and separation portion is enclosed in a secondary housing inside the housing of the condenser vessel.

[0013] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, the oil storage and separation portion further comprises a plurality of wire mesh demisters disposed on the separator walls on both sides of the inlet and in contact with the inner periphery of the housing. The wire mesh demisters are spaced apart from one another and are used to further filter the mixture, thereby causing coalescence. The term "coalescence" refers to the aggregation of oil particles, resulting in the formation of larger oil droplets that drip to the bottom of the oil storage and separation portion of the condenser vessel under the action of gravity.

[0014] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, each of the wire mesh demisters defines a reservoir portion downstream of the wire mesh demister that is enclosed by the housing.

[0015] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, the inlet of the condenser vessel also includes a nozzle seated in the inlet. The nozzle includes a hollow shaft having an outer diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet. The hollow shaft of the nozzle is adapted to be removably fastened to the inlet for temporary adjustment prior to welding to the shell of the condenser vessel. Alternatively, in certain embodiments according to the present disclosure, the nozzle may also be welded to the main shell of the condenser assembly. The nozzle also includes a pair of protruding claw portions extending from the hollow shaft and disposed diametrically opposite to each other. In an exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, the pair of protruding claw portions are adapted to support a panel.

[0016] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, a central axis (II') of the inlet is inclined at an acute angle relative to a transverse axis (AA') of the housing.

[0017] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, the panel is oriented orthogonally relative to the central axis (I-I') of the inlet, for redirecting the flow of the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor to at least one of the inner surface of the shell, the surface of the separator wall, and the bottom portion of the shell. The main function of the panel is to impact the oil refrigerant vapor mixture, which helps to achieve the first step of separation. It is expected that a significant amount of oil will be collected on the panel and fall by gravity. Then, the redirected flow contacts the inner surface of the shell, the surface of the separator wall, and the bottom portion of the shell, resulting in a secondary impact, while further separating the oil by the same effect.

[0018] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, a vent is defined in the separator wall proximate an end of the housing and distal to an inlet of the housing.

[0019] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, the internal volume of the oil storage and separation portion is at least equal to the internal volume of the condenser portion.

[0020] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, the condenser vessel further includes at least one sensor adapted to detect an oil level in the reservoir portion.

[0021] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, the at least one sensor is mounted on a bottom surface of the reservoir portion of the housing.

[0022] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, the condenser vessel further comprises at least one outlet pipe immersed in each of the reservoir portions of the oil storage and separation portion such that the outlet pipe is adapted to transfer oil from the reservoir portion to an outlet of the shell.

[0023] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, the oil level in each of the reservoir portions is greater than the oil level in the portion of the housing below the inlet of the housing.

[0024] A temperature regulation system with a refrigerant circuit according to the present disclosure is also disclosed, the temperature regulation system comprising a compressor, a condenser container, an expansion valve and an evaporator. The compressor compresses refrigerant vapor. The condenser container comprises an oil storage and separation portion, which separates oil from a mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor discharged from the compressor. The oil storage and separation portion is suitable for transferring the refrigerant vapor separated from the mixture of oil and refrigerant fluid to the condenser portion. The condenser portion condenses the refrigerant vapor into a refrigerant fluid, which is then supplied to the expansion valve. The expansion valve expands the condensed refrigerant fluid. The evaporator evaporates the refrigerant fluid, and then the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant vapor is supplied back to the compressor to complete the refrigerant circuit. The compressor, condenser container, condenser portion, expansion valve and evaporator are connected in this order or in sequence.

[0025] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, a condenser vessel of a temperature regulation system includes a separator wall positioned inside a shell to define a condenser portion and an oil storage and separation portion within the shell. The separator wall is positioned along a transverse axis (A-A') of the shell, which is substantially perpendicular to a horizontal axis (XX') passing through a center of the shell.

[0026] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, the internal volume of the oil storage and separation portion is at least equal to the internal volume of the condenser portion.

[0027] In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, a method for separating oil from a refrigerant fluid in a temperature regulation system comprises the following steps. First, a condenser container comprising a shell and a separator wall is provided. The shell comprises an inlet and an outlet. The separator wall is positioned inside the shell to define a condenser portion and an oil storage and separation portion, the oil storage and separation portion comprising an envelope or shell fully inserted into the shell so that the separator wall is positioned along the transverse axis (A-A') of the shell. Next, a mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor is received via an inlet. Then, the refrigerant vapor is separated by impacting the received mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor on at least one of a panel of a nozzle seated in the inlet and the separator wall. A plurality of wire mesh demisters filter the mixture to aggregate oil particles from the mixture, thereby forming larger oil droplets collected by the bottom portion of the oil storage and separation portion. The oil separated from the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor is discharged to the outside of the condenser container via an outlet. Finally, the separated refrigerant vapor is transported to the condenser portion via a plurality of vents defined in the separator wall.

[0028] In order to further illustrate the advantages and features of the method and system, a more specific description of the method and system will be presented by reference to the specific embodiments of the method and system illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be appreciated that these drawings only depict typical embodiments of the present disclosure and therefore should not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure will be described and explained with additional features and details through the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] These and other features, aspects and advantages will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like components throughout, and wherein:

[0030] Figure 1 The diagram depicts a schematic diagram of a refrigerant circuit of a temperature regulation system according to the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 2 illustrating a perspective view of the oil storage and separation portion of a condenser vessel according to the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 3 illustrates a side view of a condenser vessel according to the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 4 A perspective view illustrating a nozzle of a condenser vessel according to the present disclosure; and

[0034] Figure 5 The diagram depicts a flow chart of a method for separating oil from refrigerant fluid in a temperature regulation system according to the present disclosure.

[0035] Furthermore, the skilled artisan will appreciate that the elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not necessarily be drawn to scale. For example, a flow chart illustrates the method in terms of the most salient steps involved to help improve understanding of aspects of the present disclosure. Furthermore, with respect to the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details relevant to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the drawings with details that would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] It should be understood at the outset that although the illustrative implementations of the embodiments are illustrated below, any number of techniques may be used to implement the systems and methods. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary designs and implementations illustrated and described herein, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims and their full scope of equivalents.

[0037] As used herein, the term "some" is defined as "one, or more than one, or all". Thus, the terms "one", "more than one", "but not all", or "all" fall within the definition of "some". The term "some embodiments" may mean no embodiments, or one embodiment, or several embodiments, or all embodiments. Thus, the term "some embodiments" is defined to mean "one embodiment, or more than one embodiment, or all embodiments".

[0038] The terms and structures used herein are used to describe, teach, and illustrate some embodiments and specific features and elements thereof, and are not intended to limit, restrict, or reduce the spirit and scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0039] More specifically, any terms used herein, such as but not limited to "include", "comprises", "has", "having" and grammatical variations thereof, do not specify exact limitations or restrictions, and certainly do not exclude the possible addition of one or more features or elements, unless otherwise stated, and should not be construed as excluding the possible removal of one or more of the listed features and elements, unless otherwise stated with the restrictive language of "must include" or "required to include".

[0040] The term "unit" used herein may refer to a unit including, for example, one of hardware, software, and firmware, or a combination of two or more thereof. "Unit" may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, circuit, etc. A "unit" may be a minimum system component for performing one or more functions, or may be a part thereof.

[0041] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, and especially any technical and / or scientific terms, may be considered to have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0042] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 The diagram depicts a schematic diagram of a refrigerant circuit of a temperature regulation system 100 according to the present disclosure. As used herein, "temperature regulation system 100" refers to a conventional refrigerator or heat pump that employs a compressor, an oil separator, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator connected in that order. The compressor 101 used in such a temperature regulation system 100 may include, but is not limited to, a reciprocating compressor, a rotary compressor, a scroll compressor, a screw compressor, a centrifugal compressor, and the like. The compressor 101 of the temperature regulation system 100 disclosed herein compresses the refrigerant vapor, which increases the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant vapor to a superheated level. In addition to the oil, the compressor 101 also passes through Figure 1The discharge line exemplarily illustrated in FIG. discharges the superheated refrigerant vapor. As used herein, "oil" refers to lubricating oil used to lubricate the moving parts of the compressor 101. The oil in the compressor 101 is also used to cool the bearings and improve the sealing of the moving components with each other and with the housing, thereby improving system efficiency.

[0043] The condenser vessel 200 is adapted to receive a mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor discharged from the compressor 101. Figures 2 to 3 The condenser vessel 200 including the oil storage and separation portion 206 is discussed in detail in the detailed description of FIG. In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, the condenser vessel 200 includes the oil storage and separation portion 206 for separating oil from a mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor discharged from the compressor 101. In an embodiment, the oil storage and separation portion 206 may be accommodated in a secondary housing 201' inside a single housing 201, such as Figure 3 Alternatively, the oil storage and separation portion 206 and the condenser portion 205 may be enclosed in a single housing 201. The remaining oil is collected in the oil storage and separation portion 206 and supplied back to the compressor 101 via the oil return line. On the other hand, the separated refrigerant vapor rises and is transferred to the condenser portion 205, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As disclosed in the detailed description of .

[0044] The separated oil within the oil storage and separation portion 206 of the condenser vessel 200 is continuously supplied to the compressor 101 through the oil return line connected to the compressor 101. In the event that the residual oil level is insufficient to supply the compressor 101, the oil level switch will detect the lack of oil, and the controller will trip the system and sound an alarm. The pressure difference between the high side and the low side of the temperature regulation system 100 is the driving force for the oil to travel from the condenser vessel 200 to the compressor 101. In certain embodiments, auxiliary components such as an oil pump may also be used to supply oil to the compressor 101.

[0045] The oil storage and separation portion 200 is adapted to transfer the refrigerant vapor separated from the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor from the oil storage and separation portion 206 to the condenser portion 205 of the condenser container 200. The condenser portion 205 condenses the separated refrigerant vapor into a high-temperature refrigerant fluid. The cooling water loop 104 exchanges heat with the condenser portion 205, thereby cooling the refrigerant vapor to form a high-temperature refrigerant fluid. Then, the high-temperature refrigerant fluid passes through the expansion valve 102 to expand the condensed refrigerant fluid. After the refrigerant fluid passes through the expansion valve 102 or the metering device, the pressure of the refrigerant fluid is further reduced, which reduces the temperature of the refrigerant fluid, thereby supplying the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant fluid to the evaporator 103. The evaporator 103 evaporates the refrigerant fluid. The chilled water loop 104' exchanges heat with the refrigerant fluid in the evaporator 103. Then, the chilled water loop 104' can be circulated to an external terminal unit, such as a fan coil unit, to exchange heat with air from a space to be cooled. When the low temperature and low pressure refrigerant fluid passes through the evaporator 103, the chilled water circuit 104' to be cooled exchanges heat with the refrigerant fluid, thereby completely converting the refrigerant fluid into low temperature and low pressure refrigerant vapor. Finally, the low pressure refrigerant vapor is supplied back to the compressor 101 to complete the refrigerant circuit.

[0046] Figure 2 A perspective view of the oil storage and separation portion 206 of the condenser vessel 200 is illustrated in accordance with the present disclosure. Figure 3 A side view of a condenser vessel 200 according to the present disclosure is shown. The condenser vessel 200 includes a shell 201 and a separator wall 204. In an exemplary embodiment, the shell 201 includes an inlet 202 for receiving a mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor and an outlet 203 for transferring oil separated from the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor to the outside of the condenser vessel 200. As used herein, the outlet 203 may include a plurality of outlets 203 or two outlets 203 for transferring oil, such as Figure 2 In addition, the outlet 203 may also refer to a plurality of vents 204a defined near the upper end of the separator wall 204 for transferring the refrigerant vapor separated from the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor to the condenser portion 205. The separated oil is circulated back to the compressor 101, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 The separator wall 204 is positioned inside the housing 201 to define a condenser portion 205 and an oil storage and separation portion 206 within the housing 201. The oil storage and separation portion 206 comprises an envelope or shell or secondary housing 201' and is itself a unit to be inserted into the condenser vessel 200.

[0047] Alternatively, the oil storage and separation portion 206 may be defined by welding a single separator wall 204 to the housing 201 and adding an end plate. As such, the single separator wall 204 and the end plate may collectively define the interior volume of the oil storage and separation portion 206. The separator wall 204 is positioned along a transverse axis (A-A') of the housing 201. In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, the transverse axis (A-A') is substantially perpendicular to a horizontal axis (XX') passing through the center of the housing 201, such as Figure 2 . The term "substantially vertical" is defined to include the inclination of the transverse axis (A-A') relative to the horizontal axis (XX'), preferably falling between 30 and 90 degrees. When the separator wall 204 is inclined at 90°, the oil level switch can be installed directly below the housing 201. On the other hand, inclinations below 90 degrees and above 30 degrees may involve the inclusion of additional pipes and external liquid level sensors.

[0048] The separator wall 204 includes a plurality of vents 204a defined near an upper end of the separator wall 204 for transferring the refrigerant vapor separated from the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor to the condenser portion 205. The condenser portion 205 condenses the refrigerant vapor into a refrigerant fluid and transfers the refrigerant fluid to the expansion valve 102 via a refrigerant liquid line 205a. In an embodiment, the internal volume of the oil storage and separation portion 206 is at least equal to the internal volume of the condenser portion 205.

[0049] The inclination of the separator wall 204 falling between 80 and 90 degrees ensures that the height between the bottom portion of the oil storage and separation portion 206 and the vent 204a is increased, and is the highest for a shell 201 having a tubular configuration or a hollow cylindrical configuration. This means that more oil can be collected in the oil storage and separation portion 206 of the existing shell 201 without changing the size of the shell 201. In addition, the increased height ensures improved separation of the oil from the mixture of the received oil and refrigerant vapor. In addition, the increased height reduces the tendency of the oil to be re-entrained. This is because the inclination of the separator wall 204 in the conventional condenser container 200 falls between 30 and 60 degrees, resulting in a higher oil level and closer to the vent 204a. Therefore, compared with the embodiment according to the present disclosure, in addition to the refrigerant vapor, the residual oil is transferred to the condenser portion 205. The chance is higher.

[0050] In an embodiment, the condenser vessel 200 is made of steel. When the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor enters the large internal volume of the condenser vessel 200, the nozzle 209 (at Figure 4204 ) immediately slows down the speed of the mixture. The nozzle 209 redirects the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor and forces it to change direction. When impacting with the nozzle 209 and the part of the separator wall 204, the refrigerant vapor is separated from the mixture, and the oil is collected at the bottom part of the oil storage and separation part 206 under the action of gravity. The oil storage and separation part 206 also includes a plurality of wire mesh demisters 207 arranged on the separator wall 204 on both sides of the inlet 202. In addition, the wire mesh demisters 207 are in contact with the inner periphery of the shell 201 and are spaced apart from each other. The wire mesh demisters 207 are used to further separate the oil and refrigerant vapor, thereby causing larger oil droplets to form through coalescence and drip to the bottom part of the condenser container 200. By changing the characteristics of the wire mesh demister 207 (such as the density of the wire mesh material, the diameter of the braided wire and how they are woven together) and ensuring that there is no gap between the wire mesh and the envelope that will cause bypass, the coalescence efficiency or coalescence rate is enhanced. The wire mesh wire can be made of stainless steel. For example, very fine oil particles collide with each other and form heavier particles.

[0051] Each of the wire mesh demisters 207 defines a reservoir portion 208 enclosed by the housing 201 downstream of the wire mesh demister 207, such as Figure 2 204a of the condenser vessel 200. This feature improves the oil level detection using the sensor 210. By the natural effect of the pressure loss through the wire mesh demister 207, the oil accumulates downstream of the wire mesh demister 207 rather than upstream. The static pressure upstream is higher than the static pressure downstream, thus pushing the oil toward the downstream section. The residual oil or separated oil is connected to the Figure 1 The oil return line of compressor 101 shown in is continuously returned to compressor 101. The pressure difference between the high side and the low side of the temperature regulation system is the driving force for the oil to travel from the condenser vessel 200 to the compressor 101.

[0052] The condenser vessel 200 further includes at least one outlet pipe 211 immersed in each of the reservoir portions 208 of the oil storage and separation portion 206. The outlet pipe 211 is adapted to transfer oil from the reservoir portion 208 to the outlet 203 of the housing 201. Furthermore, the provision of the outlet pipe 211 for supplying the separated oil to the outlet 203 eliminates external connections and external piping from the bottom or side of the housing 201 as in the case of existing products for supplying oil back to the compressor 101, such as Figure 1 As shown in the figure exemplarily.

[0053] Figure 4A perspective view of a nozzle 209 of a condenser vessel 200 according to the present disclosure is illustrated. The nozzle 209 is used to continuously supply the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor as the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor enters the large internal volume of the condenser vessel 200. The nozzle 209, seated within the inlet 202, includes a hollow shaft 209a, a pair of protruding claw portions 209b, and a face plate 209c. In an embodiment, the hollow shaft 209a has an outer diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet 202. The hollow shaft 209a of the nozzle 209 is adapted to be removably fastened to the inlet 202 for temporary adjustment prior to welding to the shell 201 of the condenser vessel 200. In an embodiment, an external thread is defined on an outer surface of the hollow shaft 209a to utilize the outer thread defined on the inlet 202 to adjust the inlet 202. Figure 2 201. The hollow shaft 209a of the nozzle 209 may also have a welded connection with the housing 201. Pairs of protruding claw portions 209b extend from the hollow shaft 209a and are adapted to support the panel 209c. In an embodiment, the protruding claw portions 209b are arranged diametrically opposite to each other.

[0054] Panel 209c is used to provide a surface on which the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor impinges to direct the mixture toward Figure 2 In one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure, the central axis (I-I') of the inlet 202 is inclined at an acute angle relative to the transverse axis (A-A') of the housing 201, such as Figure 3 209c is oriented orthogonally relative to the central axis (I-I') of the inlet 202, for redirecting the flow of the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor to the inner surface of the oil storage and separation part 206, the surface of the separator wall 204 and / or the bottom part of the oil storage and separation part 206. The main function of panel 209c is to impact the oil refrigerant vapor mixture, which helps to achieve the first step of separation. It is expected that a significant amount of oil will be collected on the panel 209c and fall by gravity. Then, the redirected flow contacts the inner surface of the oil storage and separation part 206, the surface of the separator wall 204 and the bottom part of the oil storage and separation part 206, thereby causing secondary impact and further separating the oil by the same effect.

[0055] Figure 5 The diagram depicts a flow chart of a method 500 for separating oil from a refrigerant fluid in a temperature regulation system 100 according to the present disclosure.

[0056] At step 501, a condenser vessel 200 is provided, which includes a shell 201 having an inlet 202 and an outlet 203 and a separator wall 204 positioned inside the shell 201. The separator wall 204 defines a condenser portion 205 and an oil storage and separation portion 206 within the shell 201, such as Figure 1 to Figure 2 The separator wall 204 is positioned along the transverse axis (A-A') of the housing 201. The transverse axis (A-A') of the housing 201 is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal axis (XX') passing through the center of the housing 201, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As exemplarily illustrated in .

[0057] At step 503, a mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor is received via inlet 202. When the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor enters the large internal volume of the condenser vessel 200, the nozzle 209 (at Figure 4 The nozzle 209 seated in the inlet 202 includes a hollow shaft 209a, a pair of protruding claw portions 209b and a panel 209c, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As disclosed in the detailed description of .

[0058] At step 505, the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor is separated by impinging the received mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor on the faceplate 209c of the nozzle 209 seated in the inlet 202 or the separator wall 204, or both. In an embodiment, the faceplate 209c is oriented orthogonally with respect to the central axis (I-I') of the inlet for redirecting the flow of the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor to one or more of the inner surface of the oil storage and separation portion 206, the surface of the separator wall 204, and the bottom portion of the oil storage and separation portion 206, as Figures 2 to 4 Multiple impact surfaces such as panel 209c, the inner surface of the oil storage and separation portion 206, and the surface of the separator wall 204 facing the oil storage and separation portion 206 improve the separation of the refrigerant vapor from the mixture. The oil component of the mixture is collected in the reservoir portion 208 of the oil storage and separation portion 206 under the action of gravity, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As exemplarily illustrated in .

[0059] At step 507, a plurality of wire mesh demisters 207 further filter the mixture to aggregate oil particles from the mixture to form larger oil droplets that are collected by the bottom portion of the oil storage and separation section 206. Each wire mesh occupies the entire cross-section of the oil storage and separation section 206, so that the fluid mixture is forced to pass through the wire mesh demisters 207 on its way.

[0060] At step 509, the oil separated from the mixture of oil and refrigerant fluid is discharged to the outside of the condenser vessel 200 via the outlet 203. The condenser vessel 200 also includes at least one outlet pipe 211 immersed in each of the reservoir portions 208 of the oil storage and separation portion 206, such that the outlet pipe 211 is suitable for transferring oil from the reservoir portion 208 to the outlet 203 of the shell 201.

[0061] At step 511, the separated refrigerant vapor is delivered to the condenser section 205 via a plurality of vents 204a defined in the separator wall 204. The refrigerant vapor is then condensed within the condenser section 205 and subsequently cooled to a liquid state and delivered to the expansion valve 102 using the refrigerant liquid line 205a, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As exemplarily illustrated in .

[0062] Figures 1 to 4 The condenser vessel 200 according to the present disclosure, exemplarily illustrated in FIG. 2 , has several advantages over existing designs of condenser vessels 200. Most importantly, in a housing 201 having a hollow cylindrical geometry, the height of the vent 204a defined in the separator wall 204 from the oil level surface is increased to the highest level possible. This increase in height between the oil level surface and the vent 204a is achieved by tilting the separator wall 204 substantially perpendicular to the horizontal axis XX', as shown in FIG. Figures 2 to 3 204. The inclination of the separator wall 204 may be in the range of 80° to 90°, instead of 30° as in the case of existing designs. The increased height also means that the internal storage volume of the oil storage and separation section 206 is increased. This increased storage volume prevents oil from overflowing into the condenser section 205 of the condenser vessel 200 under operating conditions.

[0063] Secondly, the wire mesh demister 207 on each side of the inlet 202 defines a reservoir portion 208. The reservoir portion 208 extends downstream from the wire mesh demister 207 in a direction toward the lateral ends of the shell 201. This increased area of ​​the reservoir portion 208 on either side of the inlet 202 allows more oil to accumulate without raising the oil level in the internal volume of the shell 201. In an embodiment, the oil level in each of the reservoir portions 208 is greater than the oil level in the portion of the shell 201 below the inlet 202 of the shell 201. The reservoir portion 208 prevents residual oil from excessively rising toward the refrigerant outlet 204a of the condenser vessel 200. This feature prevents re-entrainment and improves detection of the oil level using the sensor 210. In addition, the reservoir portion 208 provides an increased area for collecting separated oil for a specific shell diameter.

[0064] Third, existing designs of the oil storage and separation portion 206 incorporate a dual inlet-single outlet arrangement. This means that existing designs of the oil storage and separation portion 206 include two or more inlet devices in addition to a single outlet device. However, in an embodiment according to the present disclosure, the oil storage and separation portion 206 utilizes a single inlet-dual outlet arrangement. This means that the oil storage and separation portion 206 includes a single inlet 202 and two or more outlets 203. This arrangement reduces the flow rate of the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor, thereby enhancing the separation of the oil in addition to preventing oil particles from being inadvertently transported to the condenser portion 205. In addition, the provision of an outlet pipe 211 for supplying the separated oil to the outlet 203 eliminates external connections and external piping from the bottom or side of the housing 201, as in the case of existing products for supplying oil back to the compressor 101, such as Figure 1 As exemplarily illustrated in .

[0065] Fourth, providing multiple impact surfaces (such as panel 209c, the inner surface of shell 201 and the surface of separator wall 204 facing the oil storage and separation portion 206) improves the separation of refrigerant vapor from the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor.

[0066] Fifth, the sensor 210 for detecting the oil level is directly mounted on the bottom surface of the reservoir portion 208 of the housing 201, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 This configuration ensures improved accuracy and a robust mounting of the sensor 210 .

[0067] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, various working modifications may be made to this method in order to implement the inventive concepts taught herein.

[0068] In addition, the actions of any flow chart do not need to be implemented in the order shown; not all actions need to be performed. In addition, those actions that do not depend on other actions can be performed in parallel with other actions.

[0069] The accompanying drawings and the above description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the elements described may be well combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, the order of the processes described herein may be changed and are not limited to the manner described herein.

[0070] Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with respect to specific embodiments. However, these benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any component(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to appear or become more apparent should not be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or component of any or all claims.

Claims

1. A condenser vessel comprising an oil storage and separation portion for separating refrigerant vapor from oil in a temperature regulation system, the condenser vessel comprising: a housing having an inlet adapted to receive a mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor and an outlet adapted to transfer the oil separated from the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor to an exterior of the condenser vessel; and A separator wall is positioned inside the housing to define a condenser portion and the oil storage and separation portion within the housing, wherein the separator wall is positioned along a transverse axis (AA') of the housing.

2. The condenser container according to claim 1, wherein: The transverse axis (AA') is substantially perpendicular to a horizontal axis (XX') passing through the center of the housing.

3. The condenser vessel according to claim 1, wherein: The separator wall includes a plurality of vents defined proximate an upper end of the separator wall for transferring refrigerant vapor separated from the mixture of the oil and the refrigerant vapor to the condenser section.

4. The condenser vessel according to claim 1, wherein: The condenser portion condenses the refrigerant vapor into a refrigerant fluid and transfers the refrigerant fluid to an expansion valve via a refrigerant liquid line.

5. The condenser vessel according to claim 1, wherein: The oil storage and separation portion is enclosed in a secondary housing inside the housing of the condenser vessel.

6. The condenser vessel of claim 1, wherein: The oil storage and separation portion further includes a plurality of wire mesh demisters provided on the separator wall on both sides of the inlet and in contact with an inner periphery of the housing, wherein the wire mesh demisters are spaced apart from each other.

7. The condenser vessel according to claim 6, wherein: Each of the wire screen demisters defines a reservoir portion downstream of the wire screen demister that is enclosed by the housing.

8. The condenser vessel of claim 1, wherein: The inlet further includes a nozzle seated within the inlet, wherein the nozzle includes: a hollow shaft having an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the inlet, the hollow shaft being adapted to be removably secured to the inlet; and A pair of protruding claw portions extend from the hollow shaft and are disposed diametrically opposite to each other, wherein the pair of protruding claw portions are adapted to support a panel.

9. The condenser vessel of claim 1, wherein: The central axis (II') of the inlet is inclined at an acute angle relative to the transverse axis (AA') of the housing.

10. The condenser vessel of claim 8, wherein: The panel is oriented orthogonally relative to a central axis (II') of the inlet to redirect the flow of the mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor to at least one of an inner surface of the shell, a surface of a separator wall, and a bottom portion of the shell.

11. The condenser vessel of claim 1, wherein: The vent is defined in the separator wall proximate an end of the housing and distal to the inlet of the housing.

12. The condenser vessel of claim 1, wherein: The internal volume of the oil storage and separation section is at least equal to the internal volume of the condenser section.

13. The condenser vessel of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor adapted to detect an oil level in the reservoir portion.

14. The condenser vessel of claim 13, wherein: The at least one sensor is mounted on a bottom surface of the reservoir portion of the housing.

15. The condenser vessel of claim 1 further comprising at least one outlet pipe immersed in each of the reservoir portions of the oil storage and separation portion, wherein The outlet tube is adapted to transfer oil from the reservoir portion to the outlet of the housing.

16. The condenser vessel of claim 1, wherein: The oil level in each of the reservoir portions is greater than the oil level in the portion of the housing below the inlet of the housing.

17. A temperature control system having a refrigerant circuit, comprising: A compressor for compressing refrigerant vapor; a condenser vessel including an oil storage and separation section for separating oil from a mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor discharged from said compressor, said oil storage and separation section being adapted to transfer said separated refrigerant vapor to a condenser section; a condenser portion, the condenser portion being used to condense the separated refrigerant vapor; an expansion valve for expanding the condensed refrigerant fluid; and An evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant fluid, wherein the compressor, the condenser vessel, the condenser portion, the expansion valve and the evaporator are connected in sequence, and wherein the condenser vessel is according to any one of the preceding claims.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein: The condenser container includes a separator wall, which is positioned inside the shell to define the condenser part and the oil storage and separation part within the shell, wherein the separator wall is positioned along a transverse axis (A-A') of the shell, and the transverse axis (A-A') of the shell is substantially perpendicular to a horizontal axis (XX') passing through the center of the shell.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein: The internal volume of the oil storage and separation section is at least equal to the internal volume of the condenser section.

20. A method for separating oil from a refrigerant fluid in a temperature regulation system, the method comprising: A condenser vessel is provided, the condenser vessel comprising: a housing having an inlet and an outlet; and a separator wall positioned within the housing to define a condenser portion and an oil storage and separation portion within the housing, wherein the separator wall is positioned along a transverse axis (A-A') of the housing; and receiving a mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor via the inlet; separating refrigerant vapor by impinging the received mixture of the oil and refrigerant vapor on at least one of a face plate of a nozzle seated in the inlet and the separator wall; filtering the mixture using a plurality of wire mesh mist eliminators to aggregate oil particles from the mixture to form larger oil droplets that are collected by a bottom portion of the oil storage and separation section; discharging the oil separated from the mixture of the oil and the refrigerant vapor to the outside of the condenser vessel via the outlet; and The separated refrigerant vapor is delivered to the condenser section via a plurality of vents defined in the separator wall.

Images