Lubricant Separator Patents (Class 62/470)
  • Patent number: 11867447
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a compressor that is configured to compress a refrigerant, a condenser that is configured to condense the refrigerant compressed in the compressor, an expander that is configured to depressurize the refrigerant condensed in the condenser, a first evaporator provided at one side of a refrigerator compartment, and that is configured to evaporate the refrigerant depressurized in the expander, a second evaporator provided at one side of a freezer compartment, and that is configured to evaporate the refrigerant depressurized in the expander, a valve unit provided at an outlet pipe of the condenser, and that is configured to introduce the refrigerant into at least one of the first or second evaporators, and a hot gas path that connects the valve unit to the second evaporator, and that is configured to guide flow of the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Hosan Kim
  • Patent number: 11784525
    Abstract: A rotor that gives rotational power to a compressor part that compresses refrigerant has a rotor core in which through-holes through which the refrigerant passes are formed, the through-holes having a cross section with a plurality of forks in a direction away from a rotation axis, a first end plate that covers a first end surface where one end of both end portions of the through-holes of the rotor core closer to the compressor part is formed, and an upper rotor end plate that covers a lower rotor end surface where the other end of the plurality of holes of the rotor core is formed. The first end plate has a first opening portion that causes the through-holes to communicate with an internal space. The upper rotor end plate has an upper opening portion that causes the through-holes to communicate with the internal space. The upper rotor end plate has projection portions that cover tip end portions, which are divided to respective forks, of the through-holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: FUJITSU GENERAL LIMITED
    Inventors: Shingo Yahaba, Kenshi Ueda, Tomoki Nishio
  • Patent number: 11578896
    Abstract: A refrigeration system, comprising an evaporator, a condenser, a throttling device, a compressor, an economizer and an ejector, these devices together form a closed-loop refrigerant circulation loop, the ejector being connected to the economizer, and the ejector being provided on an exhaust side of the compressor. The structure enables the refrigeration system to realize the dual-stage boost, does not affect the stability of the compressor due to the instability of the airflow of the ejector, and does not affect the oil property of the compressor, thereby ensuring the operation safety of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignees: Qingdao Haier Air-conditioning Electronic Co., Ltd, Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Qingliang Meng, Qiang Song, Xueyan Tan, Jiangbin Liu, Jingsheng Liu, Bing Wang
  • Patent number: 11566619
    Abstract: A rotary cylinder piston compressor pump is provided, including a rotating shaft (2), a piston (3) and a cylinder (4). A rotating shaft hole (21) is provided in the rotating shaft (2). An oil guiding channel, provided in the cylinder (4), communicating with the rotating shaft hole (21). A recess (45) is formed in the inner end face of the cylinder (4). An oil path (61) sealed relative to a compression cavity (49) of the cylinder (4) is formed between the recess (45) and the piston (3). The oil path (61) between the recess (45) and the piston (3) is communicated with an oil path (62) between the piston (3) and the rotating shaft (2) and is communicated with the oil guiding channel by means of an oil returning channel. Also provided is a compressor including the compressor pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Gree Green Refrigeration Technology Center Co., Ltd. of Zhuhai
    Inventors: Hui Huang, Yusheng Hu, Liying Deng, Zhongcheng Du, Jia Xu
  • Patent number: 11499763
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a condenser with an integrated oil separator. An oil separator bottom plate is fixed with oil separator components in a first condenser dome shell. The oil separator bottom plate is welded using a first longitudinal seam welding and a second longitudinal seam welding. The first condenser dome shell with the oil separator components is coupled with the second condenser dome shell using a third longitudinal seam welding and a fourth longitudinal seam welding to form the condenser with the integrated oil separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Amey Sharad Majgaonkar, Elvin Kumar
  • Patent number: 11479086
    Abstract: Disclosed are climate systems and methods for control the climate systems. A climate system includes a plurality of compressors, a first heat exchanger disposed downstream of the compressors and a second heat exchanger disposed downstream of the first heat exchanger. The compressors and heat exchangers are fluidly connected by refrigerant lines to form a refrigerant circuit. The climate system also includes a controller that controls the operation of the compressors to draw back lubricant to the compressors without use of an oil equalization system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: BERGSTROM, INC.
    Inventors: Brett S. Connell, Brett Herrmann, Aaron D. Sullivan, Terry Zeigler
  • Patent number: 11460029
    Abstract: The compressor includes a rotor that applies rotational power to a compressor unit, wherein the rotor includes a rotor core and an upper rotor-end plate, the rotor core has a plurality of through-holes through which a refrigerant passes, the upper rotor-end plate covers the upper rotor-end face of the rotor core, where one end of each of the plurality of through-holes is formed, the upper rotor-end plate has a plurality of upper openings that allow communication of the plurality of through-holes with an internal space in a compressor container, the plurality of upper openings are adjacent to the plurality of through-holes in the upper rotor-end face, and a plurality of upper inner peripheral-side adjacent areas, which are on the inner peripheral-side closer to a rotation axis than the plurality of through-holes, are exposed to the internal space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: FUJITSU GENERAL LIMITED
    Inventors: Kenshi Ueda, Naoya Morozumi, Akira Inoue
  • Patent number: 11448433
    Abstract: A refrigerant circuit of a refrigeration apparatus performs a refrigeration cycle in which a high pressure is equal to or greater than the critical pressure of a refrigerant. The refrigeration apparatus performs at least a heat application operation in which an indoor heat exchanger of the refrigerant circuit functions as a radiator. A controller of the refrigeration apparatus controls the opening degree of the indoor expansion valve of the refrigerant circuit so that the temperature of the refrigerant at the outlet of the indoor heat exchanger reaches a predetermined reference temperature, in the heat application operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki Takegami, Yoshikazu Uehara, Shuichi Taguchi
  • Patent number: 11435121
    Abstract: A HVAC system refrigeration circuit is provided. Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a refrigeration circuit configured to balance the oil carryover between multiple compressors using a single refrigeration circuit. Embodiments of the present disclosure allow for the use of one or more inverter compressors and one or more fixed speed compressors. Embodiments of the present disclosure utilize capillary tubes or other flow control methods to balance the oil carryover between multiple compressors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takaya Ishiguro
  • Patent number: 11434918
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a compressor having a partially hollow shaft. In particular, an exemplary compressor includes a shaft which is partially hollow, and at least one impeller rotatably coupled to the shaft. The compressor may be a refrigerant compressor used in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) chiller system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Inventors: Zili Sun, Ruiguo Gao, Stefan Walshe, Aida Rezaei, Dongkoo Shin
  • Patent number: 11365918
    Abstract: A device for storing refrigerant of a refrigeration circuit and a method of operating the device, in particular for an air conditioning system of a motor vehicle. The device has a housing having a volume-enclosing wall with an inlet for introducing a refrigerant-oil mixture, and an outlet, a refrigerant discharge line arranged in the interior of the housing with an inlet opening arranged above a liquid level of the refrigerant for receiving gaseous refrigerant, and a system for returning oil to a compressor having at least one through hole formed below the liquid level of the refrigerant, in particular below a filling level of the oil, in the refrigerant discharge line. In addition, at least one through hole formed in the refrigerant discharge line is formed with an adjustable through-flow cross section, which can be varied by means of a closing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: HANON SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Stephan Köster, Dominik Sernetz
  • Patent number: 11353250
    Abstract: An unconventional oil separator includes a vertical design. Generally, a refrigerant enters the vertical oil separator and spins downwards. The oil separator includes plates within the oil separator that either maintain the spin of the refrigerant or reverse the spin of the refrigerant, which causes oil in the refrigerant to separate from the refrigerant. A vertical outlet allows refrigerant that spins towards the bottom of the oil separator to travel back towards the top and out of the oil separator. Separated oil is collected at the bottom of the oil separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Heatcraft Refrigeration Products LLC
    Inventor: Xi Sun
  • Patent number: 11280527
    Abstract: A method and device for adjusting an oil volume of a compressor of a multi-split system. The method comprises the following steps: (S1) during an operation of a multi-split system, detecting at a first pre-set time interval whether an oil volume of a compressor is insufficient; (S2) if the oil volume of the compressor is insufficient, controlling an oil volume adjusting unit to turn on for a second pre-set time and then turn off; (S3) acquiring a total turn-on time of the oil volume adjusting unit, and determining whether the total turn-on time exceeds a pre-set value; (S4) if the total turn-on time exceeds the pre-set value and it has not been detected over a continuous third pre-set time that the oil volume of the compressor is insufficient, recycling oil back to an oil storage tank by controlling a switch unit and the oil volume adjusting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Inventors: Mingren Wang, Kun Yang
  • Patent number: 11199190
    Abstract: Disclosed are an oil separation structure and a compressor. The oil separation structure includes a housing and a filtering screen. A core is disposed at a center of the housing, and a plurality of guiding members for guiding gas flow are provided along circumferential directions of the core. The filtering screen is disposed on a periphery of the housing, and a cavity is formed between the filtering screen and the core. The housing is provided with a gas inlet and a gas outlet which are in communication with the cavity, and the gas inlet is configured to introduce the gas flow into the cavity; the guiding members are configured to guide the gas flow to rotationally flow around the core, and the gas outlet is configured to discharge the gas flow from the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignees: GREE ELECTRIC APPLIANCES (WUHAN) CO., LTD, GREE ELECTRIC APPLIANCES, INC. OF ZHUHAI
    Inventors: Hua Liu, Cong Cao, Tianyi Zhang, Yushi Bi, Helong Zhang, Ziyuan Huang, Qiangjun Meng
  • Patent number: 11199347
    Abstract: An oil separation device includes a container, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, an oil return pipe, and an oil return regulating valve. The container includes a separation chamber, a storage chamber, and a partition portion. The oil return regulating valve is connected to the oil return pipe. The partition portion is configured to allow the refrigeration oil separated from the fluid mixture to flow from the separation chamber to the storage chamber. The oil return regulating valve is configured to regulate the quantity of refrigeration oil that is returned from the storage chamber to the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Ishiyama, Yusuke Shimazu
  • Patent number: 11131488
    Abstract: Provided are an oil separator, a compressor, and an air conditioner having the same. The oil separator comprises: a casing, which is provided with a gas inlet and a gas outlet, and a first separation structure, which is disposed within the casing, and which is located between the gas inlet and the gas outlet. The first separation structure comprises a first baffle plate and a refrigerant pipeline; the first baffle plate is provided therein with a cooling chamber; the refrigerant pipeline is connected to the first baffle plate and communicates with the cooling chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignees: GREE ELECTRIC APPLIANCES (WUHAN) CO., LTD, GREE ELECTRIC APPLIANCES, INC. OF ZHUHAI
    Inventors: Chao Hua, Tang Zhou, Yu Zhou, Yongbin Zhang, Cui Pan, Xianquan Liu, Yaozhen Xie, Chengwu Huang, Quanchao Zhao
  • Patent number: 10823470
    Abstract: A liquid accumulator for a heat exchange system, includes a liquid accumulator housing provided with an air inlet, an air outlet, and a liquid inlet; and a cooling heat exchanger disposed in the liquid accumulator housing, wherein the cooling heat exchanger comprises an inlet end, a main body part, and an outlet end in sequence; the inlet end of the cooling heat exchanger is connected to the air inlet on the liquid accumulator housing; and the outlet end of the cooling heat exchanger is arranged to be higher than a working liquid level of a refrigerant in the liquid accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Lufei Wang
  • Patent number: 10627138
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes firstly a refrigerant circuit in which a condenser, an expander, an evaporator, a compressor, and an oil separator are connected by pipes, and secondly an oil return circuit configured to return oil from the oil separator to the compressor. The compressor includes an oil concentration sensor configured to detect oil concentration inside the compressor. The oil return circuit includes multiple solenoid valves that are each opened or closed corresponding to the oil concentration detected by the oil concentration sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Shuhei Mizutani
  • Patent number: 10605504
    Abstract: A ducted separator in a compressor-based cooling assembly is connected to an oil/gas outlet of the compressor. The ducted separator is a pipe with at least one bend in it which collects oil in a manner which can achieve 98% oil carry over efficiency. The ducted separator may optionally be connected to a second phase separator such as a centrifugal cylinder. In that case, the height of the centrifugal cylinder can be significantly reduced compared with conventional arrangements. Alternatively, a simpler impingement surface such as one or more baffles may be used as the second phase separator or just a collection chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: J&E HALL LIMITED
    Inventors: Terence William Thomas Young, John Michael Roll
  • Patent number: 10551135
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a system includes a high side heat exchanger, a load, a compressor, and a horizontal oil separator. The high side heat exchanger is configured to remove heat from a refrigerant. The horizontal oil separator comprises a centrifugal chamber, an oil, a cut line, a filter, a collector, and an outlet. The centrifugal chamber is configured to receive the refrigerant from the compressor and rotate the refrigerant, wherein rotating the refrigerant separates an oil from the refrigerant. The cut line is configured to prevent the oil separated in the centrifugal chamber from combining with the refrigerant. The filter is configured to separate additional oil from the refrigerant. The collector is configured to collect the oil separated in the centrifugal chamber and the additional oil. The outlet is configured to discharge the refrigerant to the high side heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Heatcraft Refrigeration Products, LLC
    Inventors: Xi Sun, Shitong Zha
  • Patent number: 10514187
    Abstract: A cycle enhancement apparatus is provided. The apparatus has a first side entrance line and exit line, both connected to a first side of a refrigerant line, and a second side entrance line and exit line, both connected to a second side of the refrigerant line. One-way valves prevent flow through the first side entrance line toward the first side, through the first side exit line away from the first side, through the second side entrance line toward the second side, and through the second side exit line away from the second side. The apparatus has a cycle enhancement line. The cycle enhancement line has an entrance portion, connected to the first side entrance line and the second side entrance line, an exit portion, connected to the first side exit line and the second side exit line, and a cycle enhancement between the entrance portion and the exit portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Robert B. Uselton
  • Patent number: 10184701
    Abstract: The disclosed refrigerant system includes a compressor having a motor that is cooled by motor cooling fluid provided to the motor from the main refrigerant loop by a motor cooling circuit. The system also includes a sub-cooling circuit to cool the motor cooling fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: DANFOSS A/S
    Inventors: Lin Sun, Paul D. Bishop, Huai Yu Lin, Jose Alvares, Ramesh Veerasurla
  • Patent number: 10081226
    Abstract: Disclosed are climate systems and methods for control the climate systems. A climate system includes a plurality of compressors arranged in parallel, a condenser disposed downstream of the compressors and an evaporator disposed downstream of the condenser. The compressors, the condenser, and the evaporator are fluidly connected by refrigerant lines to form a refrigerant circuit. The climate system also includes a controller that controls the operation of the compressors to draw back lubricant to the compressors without use of an oil equalization system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Bergstrom Inc.
    Inventors: Brett S. Connell, Brett Herrmann, Aaron D. Sullivan, Terry Zeigler
  • Patent number: 9366246
    Abstract: A compressor control apparatus and method, and a refrigerator including the same, are provided. In a refrigerator having two compressors, starting of two compressors may be staggered to reduce an effect of the suction pressure and discharge pressure between the two compressors, to provide for stable operation of the compressors, and improve reliability and power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jaeyoo Yoo, Taewoong Nah
  • Patent number: 9243827
    Abstract: A chiller system including an oil separator and ejector connection through which an oil is separated from a refrigerant discharged from a compressor at the oil separator, a portion of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor and an oil discharged from an evaporator are rejected by the ejector, and the separated oil and the ejected refrigerant and oil are heat exchanged, and return into the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Byeong Su Kim, Jun Hyeon Hwang, Beom Chan Kim, Sang Hoon Yoo, Jung Wook Moon
  • Patent number: 9028707
    Abstract: A composition comprising a refrigerant and a lubricant is disclosed, wherein the refrigerant comprises (i) a fluorocarbon selected from the group consisting of R125, R134a, R32, R152a, R143a, R218 and mixtures thereof, and (ii) a hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of propane, n-butane, isobutane, n-pentane, isopentane, dimethyl ether, and mixtures thereof; the lubricant comprises (iii) a hydrocarbon-based lubricant component; and (iv) a synthetic lubricant component; and the synthetic lubricant component is less than 30% by weight of the total lubricant. Also disclosed are methods of replacing refrigerants in refrigeration or air conditioning systems containing a refrigerant comprising a CFC or HCFC and a lubricant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: E I du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventor: Barbara Haviland Minor
  • Publication number: 20150121946
    Abstract: A capacity-increasing device for a four-way valve, the four-way valve has a first port, a second port, a third port and a fourth port, wherein first port is connected with an output end of a compressor via a first line, second port is connected with an input end of the compressor via a second line, third port is connected with a first heat exchanger via a third line, and fourth port is connected with a second heat exchanger via a fourth line, the capacity-increasing device includes a first bypass line and a first valve, the first bypass line connected between third line and second line, the first valve in the first bypass line, a second bypass line and a second valve, the second bypass line connected between fourth line and second line, the second valve in the second bypass line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventors: Haijun Li, Pan Gao
  • Patent number: 9021830
    Abstract: A compressor (10, 200) for compressing refrigerant, having a power unit arranged in a power unit space (14) which is delimited at least partially by a power unit housing (12), having a suction gas volume (46) and having a high-pressure volume (48) is in fluid communication with the power unit space (14) via a second fluid connection (74), wherein the compressor furthermore has a first fluid connection (54, 254) which can be placed in or is in fluid communication with an oil-conducting volume (205) of a refrigeration plant or of the compressor (10, 200), wherein an oil separator (56) is arranged in the first fluid connection (54, 254).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Gea Bock GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Etter, Arno Goerlich
  • Patent number: 9022230
    Abstract: An oil separation device having an outer cylinder that extends in an axial direction; an inner cylinder that passes through the interior of the outer cylinder in the axial direction; a pair of end plates provided at both ends of the outer cylinder in the axial direction; an inlet port connected to the outer cylinder near one of the end plates and that introduces an oil-containing fluid discharged from a compressor into a space formed between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder so as to swirl about the axis; an outlet port connected to the outer cylinder near the other end plate and that expels the fluid, from which the oil has been centrifugally separated, out of the space; and an oil discharge port, provided in the outer cylinder, for discharging the separated oil out of the space. A partition plate that extends over at least part of a cross-section perpendicular to the axial direction to partition the space in the axial direction is provided in the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriyuki Matsukura, Tatsuru Nagai
  • Patent number: 8966933
    Abstract: A refrigeration apparatus includes a multistage compression mechanism, switching mechanisms, intercoolers, oil separators, and a control unit. The multistage compression mechanism has one high-stage-side compression mechanism and a plurality of low-stage-side compression mechanisms connected in series. The switching mechanisms are connected to blow-out pipes of the low-stage-side compression mechanisms. The switching mechanisms switch between cooling and heating operation cycles. The intercoolers cool refrigerant blown out from the low-stage-side compression mechanisms during the cooling cycle. The oil separators are disposed between the switching mechanisms and the intercoolers. The oil separators separate lubricating oil from refrigerant blown out from the low-stage-side compression mechanisms during the cooling cycle. The control unit controls the multi-stage compression mechanism and the switching mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Okamoto, Kazuhiro Furusho, Ikuhiro Iwata, Guozhong Yang
  • Publication number: 20150052915
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cooling system (2) and a method for oil separation, where a condenser unit (10) contains an oil separator (18,20), from which oil separator oil is lead through a pipeline (24) and back to the compressor (4). It is an object of the invention to collect all condensing functions and oil separation functions into a common pressure container (26). According to the invention, this objective is achieved by a system, the condenser unit and oil separator are integrated in a common pressure tank (26) that contains at least one first oil separator and at least a second secondary oil separator, which pressure tank contains a condenser container (30) which interacts with a third oil separator (22). Hereby, it is attained that condensation and oil separation are integrated in a common pressure tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Danarctica ApS
    Inventor: Flemming Clarence Larsen
  • Publication number: 20150052936
    Abstract: A sealed compressor includes a centrifugal impeller above a rotor to synchronously rotate. A refrigerant rises through a rotor air hole, flows in an upper space, and flows out from a discharge pipe. The centrifugal impeller includes an oil separation plate on the rotor, and plural vanes standing on the oil separation plate, and forms inter-vane flow passages between adjacent vanes, and a vane inner flow passage that guides refrigerant from the rotor air hole to inner entrances of the inter-vane flow passages. Outer exits of the inter-vane flow passages are disposed along an entire circumference, and refrigerant increased in pressure while passing through the inter-vane flow passages flows out from the outer exits to the upper space. The oil separation plate closes a short-circuit passage through which the refrigerant directly flows from the vane inner flow passages to the discharge pipe without passing through the inter-vane flow passages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuhide Yokoyama, Shogo Moroe, Yoshinori Shirafuji, Teruhiko Nishiki, Taro Kato, Hideaki Maeyama, Hiroki Nagasawa, Keisuke Shingu
  • Patent number: 8955323
    Abstract: To improve the exhaust heat recovery efficiency, a compressor includes a heat exchanger for cooling a gas, coolant, water, or oil heated by the compressor during compressor operation by heat exchange with a working fluid, for circulating the working fluid of a Rankine cycle. The Rankine cycle is implemented by the heat exchanger, an expander, a condenser, and a circulating pump to circulate the working fluid through the cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuji Kamiya
  • Patent number: 8931303
    Abstract: A refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus, at least provided with no possibility that a foreign material returns to a compressor from an accumulator at a time of the pipeline-cleaning operation firstly, and provided with a possibility to perform a collecting operation for the foreign material in a short time secondary, is provided. The heat-source side unit includes an accumulator provided with a function to separate and collect the foreign material in an existing pipeline, a collecting container for collecting the foreign material separated by the accumulator, and an oil return pipeline for returning refrigerating machine oil to the compressor via a flow amount adjusting device, installed at a lower portion of the accumulator, and at a time of ordinary cooling or heating operation, the refrigerating machine oil is caused to flow into the oil return pipeline, and at a time of pipeline cleaning and foreign material-collecting operations, the flow amount adjusting device is fully closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Toyoshima, Susumu Yoshimura, Shinichi Wakamoto, Osamu Morimoto
  • Patent number: 8899073
    Abstract: A refrigerant storage device that arranges two end plates to form a cavity and includes a turbulator plate within the cavity. The turbulator plate is arranged within the cavity to reinforce the cavity by providing a plurality of reinforcement portions between the end plates. The cavity is sized and the turbulator plate is configured so a liquid portion of refrigerant flowing through the cavity collects onto the turbulator plate. The device has a rectangular shape that simplifies vehicle packaging and allows the device to be readily integrated into a plate-type refrigerant-to-liquid coolant heat exchanger. The device is formed by a stacking arrangement of parts that provides for a readily scalable design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Scott Vreeland, Frederick Vincent Oddi
  • Publication number: 20140345317
    Abstract: A temperature control apparatus (70) includes a heat exchanger (71) configured to exchange heat with the surroundings using a phase change of a refrigerant, a rotary pump (73) configured to receive the refrigerant from the heat exchanger (71) and fuse the refrigerant with oil contained inside the rotary pump, and an oil water separator (74) configured to receive the refrigerant fused with the oil from the rotary pump (73) and separate the refrigerant from the oil. The temperature control apparatus further includes a refrigeration cycle that implements a cooling function by circulating the refrigerant separated from the oil back to the heat exchanger (71).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Yasuharu Sasaki, Kazuyoshi Matsuzaki
  • Publication number: 20140331699
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device includes: a compressor that constitutes a refrigeration cycle and compresses a supplied refrigerant; a refrigerant-retaining container that retains the refrigerant into which lubricating oil for the compressor is mixed, and which separates the gas refrigerant from the liquid refrigerant, and sends out the gas refrigerant to the compressor; a refrigerant conveying pump that conveys a fluid mixture including the liquid refrigerant and the lubricating oil retained in the refrigerant-retaining container; and an internal heat exchanger that changes the liquid refrigerant conveyed out from the refrigerant-retaining container by the refrigerant conveying pump to the gas refrigerant, and provides the compressor with the gas refrigerant together with the lubricating oil. Since the refrigerant conveying pump conveys the fluid mixture containing the liquid refrigerant and the lubricating oil retained in a refrigerant-retaining container, stable operation is possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinya Higashiiue
  • Publication number: 20140331712
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus capable of storing a surplus of refrigerating machine oil and returning a necessary amount of the refrigerating machine oil to a compressor as required. In an air-conditioning apparatus, a controller determines the amount of refrigerating machine oil that is present in a compressor by measuring power of the compressor and controls opening and closing of a solenoid valve on the basis of the measurement results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentaro Kan, Naomichi Tamura, Kazuhisa Iwasaki
  • Publication number: 20140326008
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an air conditioner in which oils mixed in the refrigerant compressed by a plurality of compressors are separated together and recovered in an efficient manner. An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a plurality of compressors for compressing refrigerant; an oil separator connected to the plurality of compressors so as to separate oils mixed with the refrigerant compressed by the plurality of compressors; an oil discharge pipe connected to the oil separator so as to discharge the oils separated by the oil separator, and a plurality of oil recovery pipes branched from the oil discharge pipe so as to recover the oils separated by the oil separator to the plurality of compressors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: LG ELECTRONICS LTD.
    Inventors: Pil Hyun Yoon, Yong Cheol Sa
  • Patent number: 8826691
    Abstract: An air conditioner includes at least one compressor, an outlet pipe, an inlet pipe, and at least one bypass pipe. Oil and/or refrigerant discharged from the at least one compressor flows through the outlet pipe. The inlet pipe receives the oil and/or refrigerant flown through the outlet pipe and allows the oil and/or refrigerant to flow to the at least one compressor. The at least one bypass pipe is connected to the at least one compressor and allow bypass flows of the oil and/or refrigerant from the at least one compressor to the outlet pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Pil Hyun Yoon, Sai Kee Oh
  • Patent number: 8820103
    Abstract: An air conditioner includes a plurality of compressors, an intake passageway, a bypass unit, and an expansion valve. The intake passageway distributes a fluid to each of the compressors. The bypass unit includes a plurality of bypass pipes connected respectively to the compressors and a common bypass pipe to discharge the fluids from the compressors to the intake passageway. The expansion valve is provided to the bypass unit to control a flow of fluid from the common bypass pipe to the intake unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hojong Jeong, Sedong Chang, Baikyoung Chung, Jiyoung Jang
  • Publication number: 20140238069
    Abstract: An air conditioner outdoor unit includes: a compressor; a heat source-side heat exchanger connected to the compressor; an oil separator disposed between a refrigerant discharge opening of the compressor and the heat source-side heat exchanger configured to separate a refrigerant oil from a refrigerant discharged from the compressor; and a first three-way valve fitted to a refrigerant pipe between the oil separator and the heat source-side heat exchange.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: Fujitsu General Limited
    Inventor: Kuniko Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20140238070
    Abstract: An installation for refrigerating a same application by means of a single refrigerator/liquefier or several refrigerators/liquefiers arranged in parallel, the refrigerator(s)/liquefier(s) using a working gas of the same type having a low molar mass, each refrigerator/liquefier comprising a compression station to compress the working gas, a cold box intended for cooling the working gas at the outlet of the compression station, the compression station comprising only compression machines of the lubricated screw type and systems for removing the oil from the working fluid at the outlet of the compression machines, and the compression station comprises a plurality of compression machines defining several levels of pressure for the working fluid, the compression station comprising at least two compression machines defining at least two levels of pressure increasing above the level of pressure of the fluid at the inlet of the compression station, two main compression machines being arranged in series and defining,
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Inventors: Jean-Marc Bernhardt, Cindy Deschildre, Eric Fauve, David Grillot
  • Publication number: 20140223954
    Abstract: Provided is an oil separator in which a filter member is arranged between inner and outer punching plates and that includes a filter element configured so that a refrigerant gas that has flowed in from an inlet pipe flows into the filter member through inner through-holes provided in the inner punching plate, and flows outside through outer through-holes provided in the outer punching plate, and a shell that houses the filter element therein and has a bottom portion that collects leak oil that has flowed out of the outer through-holes. An auxiliary flow channel plate for the leak oil is provided in the surface of the outer punching plate, and is configured so that the leak oil is discharged to the bottom portion of the shell through the auxiliary flow channel plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Takuya Shimada
  • Publication number: 20140216103
    Abstract: A system may include a compressor, a heat exchanger, an expansion device, a lubricant separator, and a flow path. The compressor includes a compression mechanism. The heat exchanger receives compressed working fluid from the compressor. The expansion device is disposed downstream of the heat exchanger. The lubricant separator receives lubricant and working fluid discharged from the compression mechanism and provides separated lubricant to the compression mechanism. The flow path may receive working fluid from the heat exchanger and may provide working fluid to the heat exchanger. The flow path may extend between a first location disposed between the heat exchanger and the expansion device and a second location disposed between the heat exchanger and the compressor. The working fluid from the flow path may absorb heat from the separated lubricant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kirill M. IGNATIEV, Robert C. STOVER, Michael M. PEREVOZCHIKOV
  • Patent number: 8783059
    Abstract: A refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus, at least provided with no possibility that a foreign material returns to a compressor from an accumulator at a time of the pipeline-cleaning operation firstly, and provided with a possibility to perform a collecting operation for the foreign material in a short time secondary, is provided. The heat-source side unit includes an accumulator provided with a function to separate and collect the foreign material in an existing pipeline, a collecting container for collecting the foreign material separated by the accumulator, and an oil return pipeline for returning refrigerating machine oil to the compressor via a flow amount adjusting device, installed at a lower portion of the accumulator, and at a time of ordinary cooling or heating operation, the refrigerating machine oil is caused to flow into the oil return pipeline, and at a time of pipeline cleaning and foreign material-collecting operations, the flow amount adjusting device is fully closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Toyoshima, Susumu Yoshimura, Shinichi Wakamoto, Osamu Morimoto
  • Patent number: 8769982
    Abstract: A refrigeration system can use a flash tank to separate vapor refrigerant from liquid refrigerant. The refrigeration system can include a liquid-refrigerant injection system that can inject liquid refrigerant into an intermediate-pressure location of the compressor. The injected liquid refrigerant can absorb the heat of compression during the compression process. The refrigeration system can include an economizer system that injects a refrigerant vapor into an intermediate-pressure location of the compressor in conjunction with the injection of the cooling liquid. The refrigeration system can incorporate a cooling-liquid injection system that can inject a cooling liquid into an intermediate-pressure location of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kirill Ignatiev, Jean-Luc M. Caillat
  • Publication number: 20140174112
    Abstract: A vaporizer has: an inlet (72); an oil outlet (90; 94); a vent (120); a hot gas inlet (132); and a cooled gas outlet (134). A gas flowpath (130) extends from the hot gas inlet to the cooled gas outlet. A vaporizer chamber (192) is downstream of the inlet along a primary flowpath. A gas conduit (220) is along the gas flowpath in heat exchange relation with the primary flowpath. A sump (194) is below the vaporizer chamber. A housing (180) encloses the sump and the vaporizer chamber. A passageway extends from the vaporizer chamber to the sump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Anthony S. Molavi
  • Publication number: 20140165646
    Abstract: An oil separation device (14) for separating oil from a refrigerant-oil-mixture in a refrigeration cycle (1), the oil separation device (14) comprises a first refrigerant conduit having at least a first portion (16) with a first diameter (d1); a second refrigerant conduit arranged downstream of and connected to the first refrigerant conduit, the second refrigerant conduit having at least a second portion with a second diameter (d2) being smaller than the first diameter (d1); wherein the second portion (18) of the second refrigerant conduit having the second diameter (d2) extends into the first portion (16) of the first refrigerant conduit forming an oil separation pocket (32) between the outer diameter of the second portion (18) and the inner diameter of the first portion (16); and a suction line (20) having an inlet end (19), which opens into the oil separation pocket (32) and is configured to suck oil from the oil separation pocket (32).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Inventors: Sascha Hellmann, Alexander Tambovtsev
  • Publication number: 20140130539
    Abstract: An oil separator and an air conditioner using the same are provided. The air conditioner may include at least one indoor unit connected to an outdoor unit by a refrigerant tube. The outdoor unit may include a compressor and an oil separator including a plurality of oil recovery tubes introducing oil into the compressor. The oil separator may include a housing, a suction tube guiding oil-mixed refrigerant into the housing, a discharge tube discharging refrigerant separated from the oil-mixed refrigerant, and first and second recovery tubes discharging oil separated from the oil-mixed refrigerant. At least one of the first or second recovery tubes may include an oil valve guiding a movement direction of the oil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Inventors: Pilhyun YOON, Yongcheol Sa