Century Manufacturing Company

Century Mfg. Co.

Arnold M Hanson

Thomas D Chandler

Badr Alossaimi

An apparatus for recovering and recycling refrigerant is provided. The apparatus includes a separation unit, a compressor, and a receiver tank. The separation unit is provided for condensing compressed refrigerant and for vaporizing contaminated refrigerant. The separation unit includes a multichamber structure having a high pressure region and a low pressure region. The high pressure region includes a high pressure inlet for providing compressed refrigerant vapor to the high pressure region, a high pressure outlet for removing condensed refrigerant from the high pressure region, and a compressor oil outlet for removing compressor oil from the high pressure region. The low pressure region includes a low pressure inlet for introducing contaminated refrigerant into the low pressure region, a low pressure outlet for removing vaporized refrigerant from the low pressure region, and a refrigerant oil outlet for removing refrigerant oil from the low pressure region. The compressor is provided for compressing refrigerant from the low pressure outlet of the separation unit to provide compressed refrigerant for feeding to the high pressure inlet of the separation unit. The receiver tank is provided for receiving condensed refrigerant from the high pressure outlet of the separation unit. A method for recovering and recycling refrigerant is provided.

Apparatus and method for recovering and recycling refrigerant

An apparatus for recovering and recycling refrigerant from an air conditioning unit. The apparatus includes a combined oil separator and heat exchanger for condensing purified refrigerant and for vaporizing contaminated refrigerant. The combined oil separator and heat exchanger includes a canister having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a substantially cylindrical side wall. The canister further includes a high pressure region comprising heat exchange coils and having high pressure inlet for providing purified refrigerant vapor and high pressure outlet for removing purified refrigerant liquid, and a low pressure region having low pressure inlet for introducing contaminated refrigerant proximate the heat exchange coils, low pressure outlet through the top wall for removal of refrigerant vapor, and condensed oil outlet for removal of condensed oil. By introducing the contaminated refrigerant proximate the heat exchange coils, improved separation efficiency is obtained. A method for utilizing the combined oil separator and heat exchanger is additionally provided.

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Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Arnold M Hanson