Oil separator

Abstract: Oil laden refrigerant is supplied tangentially into an oil separator (10) for a primary removal of oil and then into a coalescer (50) for a secondary removal of oil. Flow between the oil separator (10) and coalescer (50) is controlled by a valve (34) so as to insure that a rapid build up of pressure takes place in the sump (28) to insure adequate lubrication to the compressor.

Description: The present invention is directed to an external oil separator for a refrigeration compressor. There is a natural affinity between oil and refrigerants. As a result, the presence of refrigerant in the lubricating oil may cause outgassing and a failure of the lubricant while oil carried over with the refrigerant interferes with heat transfer and may remove excessive amounts of oil from the oil sump. As exemplified by U.S.-A-4,788,825, oil separators use an inertial/centrifugal separation by changing the direction of the flow path in conjunction with a coalescer. Because an external oil separator includes a sump, the lubricant may not be readily available for compressor lubrication when the compressor is started due to the draining of lubricant when the compressor is idle, the distance to the sump, the mechanism for supplying lubricant, the viscosity of the lubricant, etc. In the abovementioned US-A-4 788 825 there is described an external oil separator means according to the preamble of claim 1. More specifically, US-A-4 788 825 discloses an external oil separator means comprising a shell having dividing means therein dividing the shell into a lower separating means section having a sump located at the bottom thereof and an upper coalescer section. A tangential inlet is connected to the separating section and adapted to be connected to the discharge of a refrigerant compressor whereby oil laden refrigerant gas entering the inlet flows against the shell causing primary removal of oil from the oil laden refrigerant producing separated refrigerant gas. An outlet is connected to the coalescer section and adapted to be connected to the condenser of a refrigerating system. A coalescer means is provided in the coalescer section having a first end secured to the dividing means. A first means covers a second end of the coalescer means. The dividing means has a port therein for providing fluid communication between the separating section and the coalescer section. It is an object of this invention to provide an external oil separator providing a sufficient pressure to induce oil flow for lubrication upon start up. To achieve this, the external oil separator means of the invention is characterized by the features claimed in the characterizing portion of claim 1. According to the invention, the dividing means further includes means defining a bore surrounding and axially spaced from the port and the coalescer means has an annular coalescing portion spaced from and surrounding the means defining the bore. A vortex generator means is located in the separating section having a portion radially inward of the inlet and defining a flow path to the port, and a portion extending axially below the inlet. A valve means in the bore is movable between a first position blocking the port and a second position opening the port. A second covering means coacts with the means defining the bore and the valve means to define a chamber. The said means defining said bore has a further port therein for providing fluid communication between the chamber and the coalescer section. A biasing means in the chamber provides a closing bias to the valve means for closing the port, whereby, upon the build up of sufficient pressure, the separated refrigerant gas causes the valve means to open against the bias of the biasing means and the separated refrigerant gas serially passes through the vortex generator means, the port, the valve means and the coalescer means and out the outlet. A combination vortex and coalescer oil separator is provided in a single vessel. The differential piston is acted upon by the pressure across the compressor and only opens to permit flow of refrigerant through the system after a sufficient pressure is achieved to provide sufficient lubricant. In preferred usage, the present invention will be used in combination with an oil heater and liquid level sensor. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a relief valve is incorporated into the coalescer. The relief valve is to prevent damage to the coalescer due to an excessive pressure differential. Basically oil laden refrigerant is supplied tangentially into the oil separator which provides a primary removal of the oil. The refrigerant will then normally pass axially into a coalescer for a secondary oil removal. However, the passage of refrigerant into the coalescer is controlled by a differential piston responsive to the pressure differential across the compressor and only opens when there is a sufficient pressure to feed the oil for lubrication. The coalescer is provided with a relief valve to prevent damage to the coalescer due to its having too high of a resistance. Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an oil separator of the present invention taken along line 1-1 of Figure 2; Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the differential piston in the open position. In Figures 1 and 2 the numeral 10 generally designates an oil separator having a tangential inlet 11 and an outlet 12. Vortex generator 20 includes a frustoconical portion 21 located radially inward of said inlet 11 and a cylindrical portion 22. Vortex generator 20 is secured to divider member 24 which divides shell 14 into a lower, vortex separator portion 16 and an upper coalescer portion 18. Vortex separator portion 16 is separated from sump 28 by solid plate 26 which has a circumferential gap 27 with shell 14 to permit the passage of separated oil into sump 28 while preventing reetrainment of separated oil. Oil flows from sump 28 via line 29 to the compressor (not illustrated) due to the pressure in vortex separator portion 16. Divider member 24 has a port 25 which forms a continuous flow path with cylindrical portion 22 and frustoconical portion 21. As best shown in Figure 3, port 25 is separated from integral piston bore 32 by annular valve seat 30 which serves as the valve seat for hollow differential piston valve 34. Piston bore 32 is closed at one end by plate 40 and has radial ports 33 which are surrounded by radially spaced, annular deflecting skirt 36. Springs 38 and 39 are located in chamber 42 and provide a seating bias to differential piston valve 34 of a value equal to a desired pressure acting on the oil in sump 28. Port 41 in plate 40 together with line 44 provides fluid communication between the suction side of the compressor (not illustrated) and chamber 42. Referring specifically to Figure 1, differential piston valve 34 is located within and is radially separated from cylindrical coalescer 50 which is closed at one end by divider member 24 and at the other end by plate 52. Plate 52 has a port 53 and serves as a seat for relief valve 54 which has a stem 55 serially extending through port 53, spider 56, spring seat 57 and is threadably received in nut 58. Compression spring 60 surrounds valve stem 55 and is located between spider 56 and spring seat 57 so as to provide a seating bias to relief valve 54. Scavenging line 66 provides fluid communication between secondary sump 128 in coalescer portion 18 and the suction of the compressor (not illustrated). At start up, springs 38 and 39 will tend to bias differential piston valve 34 onto its seat 30 thereby blocking flow between vortex separator section 16 and coalescer section 18. Because chamber 42 is connected to the suction side of the compressor (not illustrated) it will tend to become evacuated. With the discharge of the compressor (not illustrated) being supplied to vortex separator section 16 via inlet 11, the pressure will rapidly build up and act on differential piston valve 34 against the bias of springs 38 and 39 causing it to open. The bias of springs 38 and 39 will insure a sufficient pressure in vortex separator section 16 before valve 34 opens. Because chamber 42 is evacuated, differential piston will bottom out against plate 40 thereby preventing chattering. The buildup of pressure in vortex separator section 16 sufficient to open differential piston valve 34 insures that there is sufficient pressure acting on the oil in sump 28 to supply the oil where needed in the compressor (not illustrated) for lubrication purposes. With a flow path established by the opening of differential piston valve 34, discharge gas from the compressor (not illustrated) laden with oil enters oil separator 10 via tangential inlet 11. Centrifugal forces push the entrained oil droplets to the inner wall of shell 14 in a primary separation and this oil flows downwardly along the inner wall of shell 14, through circumferential gaps 27 into sump 28. Plate 26 isolates the oil in the sump 28 from the gases flowing through the vortex separator section to prevent reentrainment of the separated oil. The plate 26 must be located such that the oil level in sump 28 does not reach plate 26. The oil reduced gas increases in velocity passing serially around and downwardly over the outer portion of vortex generator 20, then passing upwardly through cylindrical portion 22, converging frustoconical portion 21, port 25, and out radial ports 33 into coalescer 50 after striking deflecting skirt 36 which prevents the flow from directly impinging upon coalescer 50. The gas goes through the coalescer 50 which contains fiberous borosilicate with oil coalescing on coalescer 50. The oil free gas then passes from oil separator 10 via outlet 12 to the condenser (not illustrated). Oil coalescing on coalescer 50 passes downwardly on the outer surface of coalescer 50 to the divider member 24 into a secondary sump 128. The oil is drawn from secondary sump 128 via scavenging line 66 which is connected to the suction side of the compressor (not illustrated). Line 66 must be sized properly to withdraw oil from secondary sump 128 without constituting a suction bypass of the compressor. Relief valve 54 will normally be seated on plate 52 under the bias of spring 60. Spring 60 will have a bias of a value corresponding to a permissible pressure differential across coalescer 50. Gas in coalescer 50 will cause valve 54 to open if the internal pressure on coalescer 50 exceeds the external pressure on coalescer 50 by more than the bias of spring 60. Upon the compression of spring 60 valve 54 will move away from port 53 to allow the equalization of the internal and external pressures of coalescer 50 to prevent any damage thereto.

Claims: An external oil separator means comprising: a shell (14) having dividing means (24) therein dividing said shell (14) into a lower , separating section (16) having a sump (28) located at the bottom thereof and an upper coalescer section (18), a tangential inlet (11) connected to said separating section (16) and adapted to be connected to the discharge of a refrigerant compressor, whereby oil laden refrigerant gas entering said inlet (11) flows against said shell (14) causing primary removal of oil from said oil laden refrigerant producing separated refrigerant gas, an outlet (12) connected to said coalescer section (18) and adapted to be connected to the condenser of a refrigerating system, coalescer means (50) in said coalescer section (18) having a first end secured to said dividing means (24), and first covering means (52) covering a second end of said coalescer means (50), said dividing means (24) having a port (25) therein for providing fluid communication between said separating section (16) and said coalescer section (18), characterized in that said dividing means (24) further includes means defining a bore (32) surrounding and axially spaced from said port (25), said coalescer means (50) having an annular coalescing portion spaced from and surrounding said means defining said bore (32), and in further comprising: vortex generator means (20) located in said separating section (16) having a portion (21) radially inward of said inlet (11) and defining a flow path to said port (25), and a portion (22) extending axially below said inlet (11), valve means (34) in said bore (32) movable between a first position blocking said port (25) and a second position opening said port (25), second covering means (40) coacting with said means defining said bore (32) and said valve means (34) to define a chamber (42), said said means defining said bore (32) having a further port (33) therein for providing fluid communication between said chamber (42) and said coalescer section (18), and biasing means (38, 39) in said chamber (42) providing a closing bias to said valve means (34) for closing said port (25), whereby, upon the build up of sufficient pressure, said separated refrigerant gas causes said valve means (34) to open against the bias of said biasing means (38,39) and said separated refrigerant gas serially passes through said vortex generator means (20), said port (25), said valve means (34) and said coalescer means (50) and out said outlet (12). The oil separator means of claim 1, characterized in further including means (44) for evacuating said chamber (42) whereby said valve means (34) bottoms out against said second means (40) upon opening. The oil separator means of claim 1, characterized in further including relief valve means (54) in said coalescer means (50) whereby a predetermined pressure differential across said coalescer means (50) causes said relief valve means (54) to open to reduce said pressure differential and thereby protect said coalescer means (50). The oil separator means of claim 1, characterized in further including means (26, 27) for permitting oil removed in said primary removal to flow into said sump (28) and for preventing reentrainment of oil in said sump (28).

Inventors: FIELD MICHAEL GEORGE, HEITMANN ERIC L, MENSING ARTHUR EDWARD, SHAW DAVID NORTON, FIELD, MICHAEL GEORGE, HEITMANN, ERIC L., MENSING, ARTHUR EDWARD, SHAW, DAVID NORTON
Applicants: CARRIER CORP, CARRIER CORPORATION
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B01D17
IPC codes: B01D17, F25B43, B01D35, F04B39