Patent ID: 6779359
Filing Date: 2004-08-24
Classification: B60H,F25B

Abstract:
A refrigerant processing apparatus for collected equipment, for use in a refrigerant recovery system in which an oil-containing refrigerant to be recovered is sucked from collected equipment by a compressor and after an oil has been separated from the oil-containing refrigerant by an oil separator having a heater unit, a resultant refrigerant is regenerated as a liquid refrigerant by a condenser and is recovered into a recovery bomb,the refrigerant processing apparatus for collected equipment comprising: the oil separator having a construction provided with: a separating wall provided in a passage space defined in an upper portion inside a hermetically enclosed evaporating vaporization chamber; a heat exchanging double spiral pipe in which a double pipe made of a central pipe and an external pipe is formed spirally about a vertical central axis, the heat exchanging double spiral pipe being provided in a space below the separating wall, the oil-containing refrigerant being made to collide with the separating wall through the external pipe from below the heat exchanging double spiral pipe to separate the oil-containing refrigerant into a gaseous refrigerant obtained by volatilization or evaporation and an oil-containing liquid refrigerant; and a heating unit for vaporizing the oil-containing liquid refrigerant excluding the oil; an oil recovery channel in which a remaining oil is recovered by heating with the heating unit; a refrigerant regeneration and recovery channel in which a gaseous refrigerant obtained by separating the oil-containing refrigerant and heating the oil-containing liquid refrigerant excluding the oil, and a gaseous refrigerant remaining after regeneration and recovery or being produced by vaporization are passed into a condenser; then a condensed liquid refrigerant from the condenser is passed through the central pipe from above the heat exchanging double spiral pipe and is regenerated as a liquid refrigerant; and then the regenerated liquid refrigerant is recovered into the recovery bomb; and a refrigerant charging channel for charging the collected equipment with the liquid refrigerant regenerated from the gaseous refrigerant; recovery, regeneration and charging processes for the refrigerant to be recovered from the collected equipment being selectively controlled and carried out, the external pipe through which the oil-containing refrigerant passes and the central pipe through which the refrigerant passes being mutually heat-exchanged to heat the oil-containing refrigerant and cool the refrigerant passing through the central pipe, thereby effecting efficient regeneration and recovery of the liquid refrigerant.