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

Abstract

A condenser vessel having an oil storage and separation portion for separating a refrigerant vapor from oil in a temperature conditioning system includes a casing and a separator wall positioned inside the casing. The casing includes an inlet for receiving a mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor and an outlet for transferring the oil separated from the mixture of the oil and the refrigerant vapor outside the condenser vessel. The separator wall is positioned inside the casing along a lateral axis (A-A′) of the casing substantially perpendicular relative to a horizontal axis (X-X′) through a centre of the casing. The separator wall defines a condenser portion and an oil storage and separation portion within the casing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A condenser vessel including an oil storage and separation portion for separating a refrigerant vapor from oil in a temperature conditioning system, the condenser vessel comprising:
 a casing 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 the oil and the refrigerant vapor outside the condenser vessel; and   a separator wall positioned inside the casing to define a condenser portion and the oil storage and separation portion within the casing, wherein the separator wall is positioned along a lateral axis (A-A′) of the casing.   
     
     
         2 . The condenser vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein the lateral axis (A-A′) is substantially perpendicular to a horizontal axis (X-X′) passing through a centre of the casing. 
     
     
         3 . The condenser vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein the separator wall comprises a plurality of vents defined proximal to 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 portion. 
     
     
         4 . The condenser vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein the condenser portion condenses the refrigerant vapor to 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 within a secondary casing inside the casing of the condenser vessel. 
     
     
         6 . The condenser vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein the oil storage and separation portion further comprises a plurality of mesh eliminators disposed on the separator wall on both sides of the inlet and in contact with an inner periphery of the casing, wherein the mesh eliminators are spaced apart from each other. 
     
     
         7 . The condenser vessel according to  claim 6 , wherein each of the mesh eliminators define a reservoir portion downstream of the mesh eliminators enclosed by the casing. 
     
     
         8 . The condenser vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein the inlet further comprises a nozzle seated within the inlet, wherein the nozzle comprises:
 a hollow shaft having an external diameter smaller than an internal diameter of the inlet, the hollow shaft adapted to be removably fastened to the inlet; and   a pair of protruding jaw portions extending from the hollow shaft and disposed radially opposite to each other, wherein the pair of protruding jaw portions are adapted to support a face plate.   
     
     
         9 . The condenser vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein a central axis (I-I′) of the inlet is inclined at an acute angle relative to the lateral axis (A-A′) of the casing. 
     
     
         10 . The condenser vessel according to  claim 8 , wherein the face plate is oriented orthogonally relative to a central axis (I-I′) of the inlet to redirect a flow of a mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor to at least one of an inner surface of the casing, a surface of a separator wall, and a bottom portion of the casing. 
     
     
         11 . The condenser vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein the vents are defined in the separator wall proximal to ends of the casing and distal from the inlet of the casing. 
     
     
         12 . The condenser vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein an internal volume of the oil storage and separation portion is at least equal to an internal volume of the condenser portion. 
     
     
         13 . The condenser vessel according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor adapted to detect an oil level in the reservoir portion. 
     
     
         14 . The condenser vessel according to  claim 13 , wherein the at least one sensor is mounted on a bottom surface of the reservoir portion of the casing. 
     
     
         15 . The condenser vessel according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one outlet tube 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 casing. 
     
     
         16 . The condenser vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein an oil level of each of the reservoir portions is greater than an oil level in a portion of the casing below the inlet of the casing. 
     
     
         17 . A temperature conditioning system, having a refrigerant circuit comprising:
 a compressor, for compressing a refrigerant vapor;   a condenser vessel including an oil storage and separation portion for separating oil from a mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor discharged from the compressor, the oil storage and separation portion adapted to transfer the separated refrigerant vapor to a condenser portion;   the condenser portion for condensing 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 of the preceding claims .   
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the condenser vessel comprises a separator wall positioned inside a casing to define the condenser portion and the oil storage and separation portion within the casing, wherein the separator wall is positioned along a lateral axis (A-A′) of the casing substantially perpendicular to a horizontal axis (X-X′) through a center of the casing. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein an internal volume of the oil storage and separation portion is at least equal to an internal volume of the condenser portion. 
     
     
         20 . A method for separating oil from a refrigerant fluid in a temperature conditioning system, the method comprising:
 providing a condenser vessel comprising:
 a casing having an inlet and an outlet; and 
 a separator wall positioned inside the casing to define a condenser portion and an oil storage and separation portion within the casing, wherein the separator wall is positioned along a lateral axis (A-A′) of the casing; and 
   receiving, via the inlet, a mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor;   separating refrigerant vapor by impinging the received mixture of oil and refrigerant vapor on at least one of a face plate of a nozzle seated within the inlet and the separator wall;   filtering the mixture using a plurality of mesh eliminators to aggregate oil particulates from the mixture to form larger oil droplets collected by a bottom portion of the oil storage and separator portion;   discharging, via the outlet, the oil separated from the mixture of the oil and the refrigerant vapor outside the condenser vessel; and   conveying the separated refrigerant vapor, via a plurality of vents defined in the separator wall, to the condenser portion.