Claims
- 1. In an apparatus for reclaiming refrigerant, means for removing refrigerant from a container and separating oil from the refrigerant, comprising a heat exchanger having a hot side and a cold side, means for connecting the cold side of the heat exchanger to the refrigerant container, means for connecting the hot side of the heat exchanger to a source of hot gaseous refrigerant, means for causing refrigerant from the container to flow through the cold side of the heat exchanger and from the heat exchanger into the lower portion of an elongated vertically extending separator tank, baffle means in the upper portion of the separator from interrupting the flow of rising expanding refrigerant, the periphery of the baffle means providing a narrow opening between the baffle and the inner wall of the tank to permit escape of gaseous refrigerant around the baffle and a fluid conduit having an inlet above the baffle for removing gaseous refrigerant from the separator tank.
- 2. In an apparatus for reclaiming refrigerant, means for removing refrigerant from a container and separating oil from the refrigerant, comprising a heat exchanger having inner and outer tubes, a spirally extending means positioning the inner tube within the outer tube and defining a spirally extending channel between the outer surface of the inner tube and the inner surface of the outer tube, means connecting one end of the inner tube to the refrigerant container, means connecting the opposite end of the outer tube to a source of relatively hot gaseous refrigerant, means for causing refrigerant from the container to flow through the inner tube in one direction and for causing the relatively hot gaseous refrigerant to flow in the opposite direction through the spirally extending channel between the tubes, means for passing refrigerant from the inner tube into the lower portion of an elongated vertically extending separator tank, baffle means in the upper portion of the separator tank for interrupting the flow of rising expanding refrigerant, the periphery of the baffle means providing a narrow opening between the baffle and the inner wall of the tank to permit escape of gaseous refrigerant around the baffle and a fluid conduit having an inlet above the baffle for removing gaseous refrigerant from the separator tank.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the inlet to the outer tube of the exchanger is connected in fluid communication with the output side of a compressor and the means above the baffle in said tank is connected in fluid communication with the suction side of said compressor.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the area of the narrow opening and the area of the inlet above the baffle are approximately equal.
- 5. In an apparatus for reclaiming refrigerant, an oil separator comprising an elongated tank oriented with its longitudinal axis extending vertically, baffle means mounted in the upper portion of the interior of the tank, said baffle means including a central plate having attached to its periphery a downwardly and outwardly extending skirt, there being a narrow opening between the lower extremity of the skirt and the interior wall of the tank, means above the baffle having an opening permitting gaseous refrigerant to leave the tank, means in the lower portion of the tank permitting entry of gaseous refrigerant into the tank and means for withdrawing oil from the bottom of the tank.
- 6. In an apparatus for reclaiming refrigerant, an oil separator comprising an elongated tank oriented with it longitudinal axis extending vertically, baffle means mounted in the upper portion of the interior tank, said baffle means including a central plate having attached to its periphery a downwardly and outwardly extending skirt, there being a narrow opening between the lower extremity of the skirt and the interior wall of the tank, means above the baffle having an opening permitting gaseous refrigerant to leave the tank, means in the lower portion of the tank permitting entry of gaseous refrigerant into the tank and means for withdrawing oil from the bottom of the tank, in which the area of the narrow opening is approximately equal to the area of the opening permitting gaseous refrigerant to leave the tank.
- 7. In an apparatus for reclaiming refrigerant, means for holding refrigerant within the apparatus while repeatedly cleaning and cooling the refrigerant, said means comprising, a compressor for compressing and discharging gaseous refrigerant, means for condensing the gaseous refrigerant to a liquid, means for conducting the liquid refrigerant into a closed elongated chill tank the longitudinal axis of which extends vertically, means for withdrawing liquid refrigerant from the bottom of the chill tank and passing it successively through a filter-drier, an expansion device and a fluid conduit within the chill tank extending upwardly from the lower portion of the chill tank, and means outside the chill tank for connecting the fluid conduit in fluid communication with the intake of the compressor.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the fluid conduit is a coil positioned below the normal level of liquid refrigerant in the chill tank.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8 comprising an opening in the upper extremity in the tank and means for discharging air through the opening.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9 comprising means for withdrawing liquid refrigerant from the bottom of the chill tank and discharging it into a container.
- 11. An apparatus for reclaiming refrigerant comprising, a refrigerant intake, a heat exchanger having a cold side and a hot side, fluid conduit means connecting the intake in fluid communication to the cold side of the heat exchanger, fluid conduit means leading from the cold side of the heat exchanger into the lower portion of an elongated oil separator tank having its longitudinal axis extending vertically, a baffle in the upper portion of the tank, the baffle having a central plate portion and a downwardly and outwardly extending skirt portion providing a narrow opening between the outermost edge of the skirt and the interior wall of the oil separator tank, a fluid conduit having an opening near the uppermost portion of the inner wall of the oil separator tank and connected in fluid communication with the suction side of a compressor, the area of the narrow opening being approximately equal to the area of the opening near said uppermost portion, means connecting the pressure side of the compressor in fluid communication with the hot side of the heat exchanger, a condenser, means connecting the hot side of the heat exchanger in fluid communication with the condenser, an elongated chill tank having its longitudinal axis extending vertically, means for discharging liquid refrigerant from the condenser into the chill tank, fluid conduit means leading from the bottom of the chill tank and connected in fluid communication with other fluid conduit means leading into a filter-dryer, valve means permitting discharge of liquid refrigerant from the chill tank either into a container or into the filter-dryer, an expansion device connecting the filter-dryer in fluid communication with a fluid conduit extending through the lower portion of the interior of the chill tank to the upper portion of the chill tank and being connected in fluid communication with the fluid conduit connecting the oil separator tank in fluid communication with the suction side of the compressor and pressure-responsive control means arranged to automatically shut down the compressor when the pressure in the fluid conduit at the suction side of the compressor is at virtually zero PSIG.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 07/109,958 filed on Oct. 19, 1987 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (15)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
109958 |
Oct 1987 |
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