Vertical oil separator

Abstract

A vertical oil separator for separating oil from a refrigerant gas and oil mixture on the high side of a refrigeration/chiller system comprising, a vertical housing having an upper chamber with a cylindrical sidewall and tangentially oriented inlet for the refrigerant gas and oil mixture, said upper chamber having a refrigerant gas outlet therefrom, said housing also having a lower chamber below the upper chamber with an oil outlet therefrom, a baffle constructed and arranged in said housing to define said upper and lower chamber, at least one oil filter in said upper chamber for removing oil out of the mixture and transferring such oil downwardly from the upper chamber.

1 . A vertical oil separator for removing oil from a refrigerant gas and oil mixture on the high side of a refrigeration/chiller system comprising: 
 a housing having upper and lower sections separated by a baffle, said upper section forming an oil separation chamber above the baffle and having a sidewall with an inlet constructed and arranged to receive the refrigerant gas and oil mixture from the system and produce a circulating flow path around the sidewall of the upper chamber, and a refrigerant gas outlet spaced from the sidewall within the upper chamber,    said lower section forming an oil receiving chamber below the baffle and having an oil outlet therefrom,    a first oil filter device associated with the sidewall in said upper chamber for removing oil from the circulating flow of the gas and oil mixture, and at least one other filter device for removing oil from the circulating flow path upstream of the refrigerant gas outlet from the upper chamber.    
   
   
       2 . The oil separator of  claim 1 , wherein said upper section has upper, intermediate and lower zones, said inlet for the refrigerant gas and oil mixture from the system being disposed in the upper zone and said refrigerant gas outlet being disposed therebelow in the intermediate zone, and said first oil filter device comprising a primary mesh liner extending around the sidewall in the upper zone of the upper section to thereby perform the primary oil separation function of said oil separator.  
   
   
       3 . The oil separator of  claim 2 , wherein said other filter device comprises a secondary mesh liner constructed and arranged in the circulating flow path downstream of the primary mesh liner to supplement the removal of oil before discharging refrigerant gas from the intermediate zone through the gas outlet.  
   
   
       4 . The oil separator of  claim 3 , wherein the refrigerant gas outlet comprises an outlet conduit extending into the intermediate zone of the upper section and having an outlet opening through which refrigerant gas passes into the outlet conduit and downstream to the system, and said secondary mesh liner is constructed and arranged to cover the outlet opening for final oil removal during refrigerant gas discharge therethrough to the system.  
   
   
       5 . The oil separator of  claim 3 , wherein said secondary mesh liner is constructed and arranged as a downwardly tapering funnel member extending from the primary mesh liner at the upper zone through the intermediate zone and below the gas outlet opening therein.  
   
   
       6 . The oil separator of  claim 5 , wherein the secondary mesh liner is formed as a continuation of the primary mesh liner and functions to accelerate the flow rate of the gas and oil mixture in the downwardly circulating flow path impinging thereagainst for secondary oil separation before discharge of refrigerant gas through the gas outlet.  
   
   
       7 . The oil separator of  claim 5 , in which said tapering funnel member has a large upper end connected to the primary mesh liner adjacent to the upper zone sidewall and has an inwardly narrowed lower end spaced from the sidewall at a lower end of the intermediate zone.  
   
   
       8 . The oil separator of  claim 7 , including a structural support constructed and arranged for supporting the secondary mesh liner.  
   
   
       9 . The oil separator of  claim 8 , in which said structural support comprises a funnel-shaped member connected at its top to the sidewall and underlying the secondary mesh liner.  
   
   
       10 . The oil separator of  claim 9 , in which the funnel-shaped member comprises a framework supporting said secondary mesh liner and having openings therethrough to accommodate the passage of oil from the secondary mesh liner.  
   
   
       11 . The oil separator of  claim 3 , in which said secondary mesh liner is constructed and arranged to extend around the sidewall in the upper zone between the primary mesh liner and the sidewall surface to thereby form a double mesh liner extending vertically from the level of the oil and gas mixture inlet downwardly through the upper zone.  
   
   
       12 . The oil separator of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of said mesh liners extends downwardly through the lower zone of said upper section substantially to said baffle.  
   
   
       13 . The oil separator of  claim 2 , wherein said baffle is constructed and arranged to extend across the oil separator between the upper and lower sections thereof, said baffle having an outer peripheral edge with at least one side portion thereof being spaced away from the sidewall to form an oil passageway to the lower section.  
   
   
       14 . The oil separator of  claim 13 , wherein the baffle has an upper top wall accommodating oil flow outwardly around the peripheral edge and downwardly therefrom through the oil passageway to the lower section.  
   
   
       15 . The oil separator of  claim 14 , including other oil passageways for accommodating oil flow in the lower section.  
   
   
       16 . The oil separator of  claim 15 , in which the top wall of the baffle is upwardly domed and asymmetrically mounted in the oil separator with another side portion being attached to the sidewall to thereby locate the one side portion and the oil passageway opposite thereto.  
   
   
       17 . The oil separator of  claim 16 , in which said other oil passageway comprises ports in the top wall adjacent to said another side portion attached to the sidewall.  
   
   
       18 . A vertical oil separator for removing oil from a refrigerant gas and oil mixture on the high side of a refrigeration/chiller system comprising: 
 a housing having an upper section forming an oil separation chamber with a cylindrical sidewall and an inlet constructed and arranged for receiving the refrigerant gas and oil mixture from the system compressor and creating a spiraling flow path around said sidewall in the upper chamber, an oil filter device in the oil separation chamber for removing oil particles from the spiraling flow path of the gas and oil mixture, and a gas outlet spaced from the sidewall within the upper chamber for delivering refrigerant gas to the system condenser,    said housing having a lower section forming an oil receiving chamber below and separated from the upper chamber by a baffle, said lower chamber having an oil outlet therefrom,    said oil filter device including a first filter associated with the sidewall in said upper chamber for removing oil out of the spiraling flow path of the gas and oil mixture, and other filters constructed and arranged for removing oil from the spiraling flow path upstream of the gas outlet from the upper chamber.    
   
   
       19 . The oil separator of  claim 18 , wherein said upper chamber has upper, intermediate and lower zones, said inlet for the refrigerant gas and oil mixture from the system being disposed in the upper zone and said refrigerant gas outlet being disposed therebelow in the intermediate zone, and said first oil filter comprising a primary mesh liner extending around the sidewall in the upper zone of the upper chamber to thereby perform the primary oil separation function of said oil separator, said other filters comprising a secondary mesh liner constructed and arranged to extend around the sidewall in the upper zone between the primary mesh liner and the sidewall surface to thereby form a double mesh liner extending vertically from the level of the oil and gas mixture inlet downwardly through the upper.  
   
   
       20 . The oil separator of  claim 18 , wherein said baffle is constructed and arranged to extend across the oil separator between the upper and lower chambers thereof, said baffle having an outer peripheral edge with at least one side portion thereof being spaced away from the sidewall to form an oil passageway to the lower chamber, the top wall of the baffle being upwardly domed and asymmetrically mounted in the oil separator with another side portion being attached to the sidewall to thereby locate the one side portion and the oil passageway opposite hereto.