Claims
- 1. A refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus for removing refrigerant from a refrigeration unit, purifying the refrigerant, and directly reintroducing the refrigerant to the refrigeration unit or introducing the refrigerant into a storage container, the apparatus having an apparatus mass, and comprising:
- a plurality of units, each of said units having a mass less than the apparatus mass; and,
- facilitated connection and release means for providing expedited, releasable, functional connection of said units for refrigerant processing and subsequent expediated release of each of said units from each other unit to allow each unit to be transported individually.
- 2. A refrigerant recovery apparatus as in claim 1 in which the recovery apparatus has an apparatus volume and each of said units has a volume less than the apparatus volume.
- 3. A refrigerant recovery apparatus as in claim 1 in which the recovery apparatus has a compressor and a condenser and one of said units comprises the compressor and another of said units comprises the condenser.
- 4. A refrigerant recovery apparatus as in claim 1 in which the recovery apparatus has a compressor and a condenser and one of said units comprises both the compressor and the condenser.
- 5. A refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising:
- compressor means having a suction side and a high pressure side for compressing refrigerant gas;
- first conduit means for conducting refrigerant from a fluid circuit of the refrigeration unit to the compressor, said first conduit means having an upstream end and a downstream end, said first conduit upstream end including coupling means for coupling said first conduit in fluid communication with the refrigeration unit fluid circuit, said first conduit downstream end connected to said suction side of said compressor;
- condenser means for facilitating heat exchange from refrigerant within said condenser means to fluid external of aid condenser means;
- second conduit means for conducting fluid from said high pressure side of said compressor to said condenser, said second conduit means having an upstream end and a downstream end, said second conduit means upstream end attached to said high pressure side of said compressor and said second conduit means downstream end attached to said condenser;
- receiver-separator vessel means for receiving and containing refrigerant at a pressure higher than an ambient pressure, said receiver-separator vessel means having an upper end portion and a lower end portion;
- third conduit means for conducting refrigerant from said condenser to said receiver-separator means, said third conduit means having an upstream and a downstream end, said third conduit means upstream end connected to said condenser and said third conduit downstream end connected to said receiver-separator means;
- pressure detection means for generating pressure indicative signals representative of a pressure within said upper end potion of said receiver-separator means;
- liquid detection means for detecting the presence of a liquid in said receiver-separator means at a position between said upper end portion and said lower end portion and generating a liquid-presence indicative signal indicative of the presence or absence of liquid;
- vent means for venting gas from said upper end portion of said receiver-separator means;
- drain means for draining liquid from said lower end portion of said receiver-separator means;
- control-signal means for receiving said pressure indicative signals and said liquid-presence indicative signals and generating a drain signal only when said pressure indicative signal is indicative of a pressure greater than a predetermined pressure and said liquid presence indicative signal is indicative of a liquid present, and generating a vent signal only when said pressure indicative signal is indicative of a pressure greater than a predetermined pressure and said liquid presence indicative signal is indicative of no liquid present.
- 6. The refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus of claim 1, wherein said compressor means, condenser means, and receiver-separator vessel means are distributed among said plurality of units.
- 7. The refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus of claim 5, wherein said plurality of units includes a first unit and a second unit, said first unit comprising said receiver-separator vessel, and said second unit comprising said compressor and said condenser.
- 8. The refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus of claim 7, wherein said first unit comprises said upstream end of said first conduit means and said first conduit means includes a section running between and releasably connecting said first unit and said second unit.
- 9. The refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus of claim 7, wherein said second conduit means includes a section running between the releasably connecting said first unit and said second unit.
- 10. The refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus of claim 7, wherein said third conduit means includes a section running between and releasably connecting said first unit and said second unit.
- 11. A refrigerant purification recovery apparatus as in claim 5, further comprising heat exchanger means for exchanging heat between fluid conducted by said first conduit means and another fluid.
- 12. A refrigerant purification recovery apparatus as in claim 5 further comprising heat exchanger means for exchanging heat between fluid conducted by said second conduit means and another fluid.
- 13. A refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus as in claim 5 in which said control-signal means includes a microprocessor.
- 14. A refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus as in claim 5 further comprising:
- vent control means for causing said vent means to vent gas from said receiver-separator vessel means when said vent signal is generated; and
- drain control means for causing said drain means to drain liquid from said receiver-separator vessel means when said drain signal is generated.
- 15. A refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus as in claim 14, in which said vent control means comprises a solenoid and said drain control means comprises a solenoid.
- 16. A refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:
- compressor means for compressing refrigerant, said compressor means hermetically sealed; and,
- lubricant sensing means for sensing an amount of lubricant in a housing of said hermetically sealed compressor means and generating a signal when the amount is greater than a predetermined amount.
- 17. A refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus as in claim 16 further comprising lubricant draining means for draining a lubricant from a housing of said hermetically sealed compressor means.
- 18. A refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus as in claim 5 in which said first conduit means includes filter means for filtering refrigerant flowing within said first conduit means.
- 19. A refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus as in claim 5 in which said third conduit means includes filter means for filtering refrigerant flowing within said third conduit means.
- 20. A refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said third conduit filter means includes a moisture level indicator means.
- 21. A refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus as in claim 5 in which said first conduit means includes filter means for filtering refrigerant flowing within said first conduit means and said second conduit means includes filter means for filtering refrigerant flowing within said second conduit means.
- 22. A refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus as in claim 5 in which said compressor means includes an oil drain valve.
- 23. A refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus for removing refrigerant from a refrigeration unit and having an apparatus mass comprising:
- a plurality of units, each of said units having a mass less than the apparatus mass;
- facilitated connection and release means for providing expediated, releasible, functional connection of said units for refrigerant processing and subsequent expedited release of each of said units from each other unit to allow each unit to be transported individually
- compressor means for compressing refrigerant gas;
- first conduit means for conducting refrigerant from the refrigeration unit to the compressor, said first conduit means having an upstream end and a downstream end, said first conduit upstream end including coupling means for coupling said first conduit in fluid communication with a refrigeration unit fluid circuit, said first conduit downstream end connected to a suction side of said compressor;
- condenser means for facilitating heat exchange from refrigerant within said condenser means to fluid external of said condenser means;
- second conduit means for conducting fluid from a high pressure side of said compressor to said condenser, said second conduit means having an upstream end and a downstream end, said second conduit means upstream end attached to said compressor and said second conduit means downstream end attached to said condenser;
- receiver vessel means for receiving and containing refrigerant at a pressure higher than an ambient pressure;
- third conduit means for conducting refrigerant from said condenser to said receiver vessel means, said third conduit means having an upstream end and a downstream end, said third conduit means upstream end connected to said condenser and said third conduit downstream end connected to said receiver vessel means;
- auxiliary condenser means for facilitating heat transfer between refrigerant within said auxiliary condenser, means and a fluid external of said auxiliary condenser means; and,
- said compressor means, said condenser means, said receiver vessel means and said auxiliary condenser means are distributed among said plurality of units.
- 24. The refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus of claim 23, wherein the number of units is three, said receiver-separator vessel is included in a first unit, said compressor and said condenser are included in a second unit, and said auxiliary condenser means is included in a third unit.
- 25. The refrigerant purification and recover apparatus of claim 24, wherein said upstream end of said first conduit is contained in said first unit and said first conduit means includes a section running between and releasably connecting said two units.
- 26. The refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus of claim 24, wherein said second conduit means includes a section running between and releasably connecting said two units.
- 27. The refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus of claim 23, wherein said third conduit means includes a section running between and releasably connecting two of said units.
- 28. A refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising:
- a compressor; and,
- lubricant sensing means for sensing an amount of lubricant in a housing of said compressor and generating a signal when the amount is greater than a predetermined amount.
- 29. A refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus as in claim 28 further comprising:
- lubricant draining means for draining a lubricant from a housing of said compressor.
- 30. The refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus of claim 29, the improvement further comprising:
- said compressor means is hermetically sealed.
- 31. In a refrigerant purification and recovery apparatus for recovering refrigerant from a refrigeration system including a refrigeration compressor, the recovery apparatus including a recovery compressor for compressing refrigerant, the improvement comprising:
- first conduit means for conducting refrigerant from a fluid circuit of the refrigeration unit to the recovery compressor, said first conduit means having an upstream end and a downstream end, said first conduit upstream end including coupling means for coupling said first conduit in fluid communication with the refrigeration unit fluid circuit on a suction side of the refrigeration compressor, said first conduit downstream end connected to a suction side of the recovery compressor;
- second conduit means for conducting fluid from a high pressure side of the recovery compressor to a condenser, said second conduit means having an upstream end attached to a high pressure side of the recovery compressor, valve means for blocking flow from said second conduit to said condenser and coupling means for coupling said second conduit in fluid communication with the refrigeration unit fluid circuit in a high pressure side of the refrigeration compressor, such that, the recovery compressor can be utilized in place of the refrigeration compressor when the refrigeration compressor is disabled.
- 32. A refrigerant recovery apparatus as in claim 1 in which the recovery apparatus has a compressor, a condenser and a refrigerant purification means for purifying refrigerant and one of said units comprises the compressor and another of said units comprises said purification means.
- 33. A refrigerant recovery apparatus as in claim 1 in which the recovery apparatus has a compressor, a condenser and a refrigerant purification means for purifying refrigerant and one of said units comprises the condenser and another of said units comprises said purification means.
- 34. A refrigerant recovery apparatus as in claim 4 further comprising a purification means for purifying refrigerant, another of said units comprising said purification means.
- 35. A refrigerant recovery apparatus as in claim 1 in which a first of said units comprises purification means for purifying refrigerant.
- 36. A refrigerant recovery apparatus as in claim 35, said first unit comprising neither a compressor nor a condenser.
- 37. A refrigerant recovery apparatus as in claim 1, in which said facilitated connection and release means comprises a flexible hose having a fluid conduit coupler at each of a first and second end and a first and second of said units include fluid conduit couplers adapted to couple with said first and second hose end couplers, respectively.
- 38. A refrigerant recovery apparatus as in claim 37, in which one of said fluid conduit couplers comprises a Schrader valve.
- 39. A refrigerant recovery apparatus as in claim 38, in which one of said fluid conduit couplers comprises a nipple with external threads.
- 40. A refrigerant recovery apparatus as in claim 37, in which said facilitated connection and release means further comprises an electrically conducting cable having an electrical coupler at each of a first and second end and a first and second of said units include electrical couplers adapted to couple with said first and second cable end couplers, respectively.
CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS
This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/464,307, filed Jan. 12, 1990, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,756, Jan. 7, 1992.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
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464307 |
Jan 1990 |
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