The present application provides a refrigeration system using a flow of a carbon dioxide refrigerant. The refrigeration system may include a flash tank, a number of temperature suction compressors for a temperature suction cycle, and a flash gas bypass system positioned between the flash tank and the cycle compressors. The flash gas bypass system may include one or more oversized flash gas compressors so as to alternate between the temperature suction cycle and a flash tank suction cycle.

A high water transfer electrochemical compressor is described having a ‘n’ transfer of water through the ion conducting membrane of greater than one. This may be accomplished by reducing the equivalent weight of the ion conducting polymer, such as an ionomer to less than about 900 and/or by reinforcing the low equivalent weight ionomer with a support material, such as an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. This may be accomplished by making components of the electrochemical cell hydrophilic including the electrodes and/or gas diffusion media. This may be accomplished by adding a flow component to a feed fluid or refrigerant, such as an alcohol, acid, or acetone, for example. A flow component may modify an electrode and/or the ion conducting media, by rendering them hydrophilic. A flow component may swell an ion conducting media enable high transport of the working fluid.

A liquid slug protector device for air conditioning and heat pump systems can include a housing having an inlet port, an outlet port, an abutment surface, and a cavity. The device can include a piston disposed in the cavity. The piston can have a primary channel. The device can include a secondary channel. A first refrigerant flow path extending between the inlet port and the outlet port can include the primary channel. A second refrigerant flow path extending between the inlet port and the outlet port can include the secondary channel. The second refrigerant flow path can be closed when the piston abuts against the abutment surface.

An unconventional oil separator includes a vertical design. Generally, a refrigerant enters the vertical oil separator and spins downwards. The oil separator includes plates within the oil separator that either maintain the spin of the refrigerant or reverse the spin of the refrigerant, which causes oil in the refrigerant to separate from the refrigerant. A vertical outlet allows refrigerant that spins towards the bottom of the oil separator to travel back towards the top and out of the oil separator. Separated oil is collected at the bottom of the oil separator.

A multi-stacked heat exchanger comprises a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger. A first end of the first heat exchanger receives a first fluid in a first conduit flowing in a first direction within a plane. A first end of the second heat exchanger receives the first fluid from the first heat exchanger in a second direction flowing opposite to the first direction within the plane. A flow of a second fluid is communicated through the second heat exchanger and then through the first heat exchanger, in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The second fluid is in thermal communication with the first fluid in the second heat exchanger and then in the first heat exchanger. By doubling the flowed first fluid back upon itself, embodiments achieve counterflow between the first fluid and second fluid within a compact space.

Embodiments of the present invention reduce the amount of energy required to operate air-conditioners and refrigerators by providing a vapor-compression system that harnesses a low- or no-cost source of energy, namely, heat, and uses the harnessed heat to power a new kind of compressor, called a “burst compressor” and a new kind of pump, called a “vapor pump.” The heat-driven burst compressor pressurizes the refrigerant, while also providing “push and pull” vapor refrigerant to the vapor pump. The vapor pump, actuated by the high pressure refrigerant in gaseous form provided by the burst compressor, is configured to pump a combination of gaseous, vaporous and liquid refrigerant out of the receiver tank and inject that low pressure refrigerant mix into the burst compressor, where it is heated to change the state of the refrigerant to a heated, pressurized gas. Then the heated, pressurized gas is released in bursts into the other components of the vapor compression cycle. Thus, embodiments of the present invention use heat to provide cold. Because of this arrangement, vapor-compression systems constructed and arranged to operate according to embodiments of the present invention are able to provide air-conditioning and/or refrigeration much more efficiently and with much less expense than traditional vapor compression systems for air-conditioning and refrigeration.

An apparatus includes a first expander, a flash tank, a first load, a first work recovery compressor, a valve, and a first compressor. The first expander expands a refrigerant. The flash tank stores a refrigerant from the expander. The first load uses the refrigerant from the flash tank to cool a space proximate the first load. The work recovery compressor compresses the refrigerant from the first load and is driven by the first expander. The valve reduces the pressure of the refrigerant from the work recovery compressor below a threshold. The first compressor compresses the refrigerant from the valve.

A compressor liquid accumulator and a compressor are provided. The compressor liquid accumulator has a first suction cup and a second suction cup. The surface of the first suction cup, which faces the second suction cup, is provided with a first welding surface. The facing of the second suction cup, which faces the first suction cup, is provided with a second welding surface. The first welding surface and the second welding surface are connected in a welded manner. The first suction cup and the second suction cup define a cavity. The first suction cup is provided with a first extending portion is adjacent to the first welding surface. The first extending portion is located in a part of the cavity defined by the second suction cup.

The present disclosure relates to a compressor including: a motor having a rotating shaft; a first impeller housing forming a first inlet, through which a first refrigerant flows, and having a chamber into which a second refrigerant flows; a first impeller coupled to one end of the rotating shaft, and rotatably received in the first impeller housing; a diffuser spaced apart from an inside of the first impeller housing, and forming a first outlet; a second impeller housing having a second inlet formed therein; a second impeller coupled to the other end of the rotating shaft, and rotatably received in the second impeller housing; a volute case in which a volute is formed; and a motor housing having a connecting passage formed therein and connecting the first outlet and the second inlet.

A centrifugal compressor assembly is provided. The centrifugal compressor assembly includes a scroll assembly having a suction plate defining an inlet fluid passage, a suction plate housing, a diffuser plate, and a collector. The suction plate is detachably coupled to the suction plate housing, the suction plate housing is detachably coupled to the collector, and the diffuser plate is detachably coupled to the collector. The centrifugal compressor assembly further includes an impeller rotatably mounted in the scroll assembly for compressing fluid introduced through the inlet fluid passage, and a variable geometry diffuser system.