Refrigeration chiller with assured start-up lubricant supply
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A refrigeration chiller system comprising:
- a compressor;
a source of compressor lubricant;
a lubricant supply line, said lubricant supply line connecting said lubricant source and said compressor for flow; and
a lubricant reservoir discrete from said lubricant source, said lubricant reservoir being connected to drain into said lubricant supply line.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An assured supply of lubricant to the compressor in a refrigeration chiller is provided by a reservoir that is connected in parallel with the main line by which lubricant is supplied to the compressor. The reservoir is connected to the main lubricant supply line in a manner such that if the lubricant supply line is blown dry, as can occur as a result of an unusual or abnormal chiller shutdown condition, a critical portion of the supply line will be refilled by the reservoir relatively very quickly which assures the immediate availability of lubricant to the compressor from that portion of the lubricant supply line when it next starts up.
27 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A refrigeration chiller system comprising:
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a compressor; a source of compressor lubricant; a lubricant supply line, said lubricant supply line connecting said lubricant source and said compressor for flow; and a lubricant reservoir discrete from said lubricant source, said lubricant reservoir being connected to drain into said lubricant supply line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A refrigeration chiller comprising:
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a screw compressor, said screw compressor defining a working chamber and having at least a first and a second screw rotor, said first and said second screw rotors being disposed in said working chamber; an oil separator, said oil separator receiving refrigerant gas at a discharge pressure and in which lubricant is entrained from said compressor, said oil separator defining a sump and causing the disentrainment of the majority of said entrained lubricant from said compressor discharge gas, lubricant which is disentrained from said discharge gas within said oil separator draining to said sump; an expansion device, said expansion device receiving refrigerant gas from said oil separator; an evaporator, said evaporator receiving refrigerant from said expansion device, refrigerant gas being drawn from said evaporator by said compressor into the working chamber thereof; a lubricant supply line, said lubricant supply line connecting said sump of said oil separator to said compressor; a lubricant reservoir, said lubricant reservoir being discrete from said sump and being connected to deliver lubricant into said lubricant supply line at a predetermined location. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of assuring the supply of lubricant to a compressor in a refrigeration chiller when the compressor starts up, comprising the steps of:
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collecting lubricant in a sump in said chiller; delivering lubricant from said sump to a reservoir; delivering lubricant from said sump to the compressor through a lubricant supply line; draining lubricant out of said reservoir and into said lubricant supply line at a predetermined location in said supply line; and replenishing said reservoir with lubricant sourced from said sump. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification