Carrier Corporation

Nadine Thompson

David M Rockwell

Edward A Huenniger

Joseph A Catrambone

Aaron M Ronk

A refrigerant system includes a compressor having a flow of compressor lubricant therein, the compressor compressing a flow of vapor refrigerant therethrough. An evaporator is operably connected to the compressor and includes an environment to be cooled via a thermal energy exchange with a liquid refrigerant in the evaporator. A vaporizer is receptive of a first flow of compressor lubricant and refrigerant mixture from the evaporator having a first concentration of lubricant. The vaporizer uses a flow of compressed refrigerant to separate refrigerant from the first flow. A lubricant sump is receptive of a second flow of compressor lubricant and refrigerant mixture from the vaporizer having a second concentration of lubricant greater than the first concentration. A heat exchanger is receptive of a third flow from the sump and uses evaporator suction gas to cool the third flow, thereby increasing its viscosity before urging the third flow to the compressor.

Oil recovery for refrigeration system

A vaporizer for boiling off a liquid refrigerant from a combined liquid refrigerant/lubricant mixture tapped from an evaporator utilizes hot compressed gaseous refrigerant tapped from a location upstream of the condenser. In a preferred embodiment, the refrigerant is tapped from a compression chamber within the compressor. The hot refrigerant efficiently boils the liquid refrigerant out of the mixture, ensuring high viscosity lubricant. In further features, a return lubricant line from the compressor passes into a sump to further boil off liquid refrigerant.

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Liverpool, NY, United States of America

Nadine Thompson