Patent ID: 11898571
Assignee: TRANE INTERNATIONAL INC.
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 12:
13. A lubricant supply system for a compressor in a heat transfer circuit, the compressor configured to compress a first working fluid including a refrigerant, the lubricant supply system comprising:
a lubricant tank configured to contain lubricant discharged from one or more bearings of the compressor;
a lubricant pathway connected to the lubricant tank and configured to supply the lubricant from the lubricant tank to the one or more bearings of the compressor;
a lubricant refrigeration system including a second working fluid including a refrigerant, a lubricant heater configured to heat the lubricant to increase a temperature of the lubricant in the lubricant tank, and a lubricant cooler configured to cool the lubricant flowing through the lubricant pathway with the second working fluid, and
a lubricant separator including:
a housing including one or more inlets, a first outlet, and a second outlet, the one or more inlets configured to receive a mixture of the lubricant and the refrigerant of the first working fluid discharged from the one or more bearings of the compressor, the lubricant heater configured to heat the lubricant within the lubricant separator, and the first outlet configured to discharge the lubricant after being heated by the lubricant heater to the lubricant tank,
a flow director disposed within the housing and blocking a direct path from the one or more inlets to the second outlet, the mixture of the lubricant and the refrigerant of the first working fluid including gaseous refrigerant, liquid lubricant, and gaseous refrigerant dissolved in the liquid lubricant, the flow director configured to direct:
the gaseous refrigerant to flow around the flow director to the first outlet,
the liquid lubricant through the lubricant heater to the first outlet, the lubricant heater heating the liquid lubricant and liberating the gaseous refrigerant dissolved in the liquid lubricant from the liquid lubricant, and
the gaseous refrigerant liberated from the liquid lubricant to the second outlet.