A device (100) for separation of oil particles by a coolant for air conditioning systems comprises a hollow container body (110) and an inlet (111) arranged to let enter the hollow container body (110) a coolant with oil particles, mainly in liquid phase and having a temperature Ti. The device (100) also comprises an outlet (112) located at the top wall and arranged to cause regenerated coolant in vapor phase to exit from the hollow container body (110). An heating coil (120) is also provided arranged in the hollow container body (110) and containing fluid at a temperature T.sub.2>>T.sub.1, in such a way that the coolant evaporates when it comes in contact with the heating coil (120) and the oil particles can fall towards the bottom wall. The device (100) also comprises a first oil barrier (130) between said heating unit and said outlet (112) and arranged to prevent said oil particles to splash towards said outlet (112), said first oil barrier (130) arranged at a distance L from said top wall. A second oil barrier 114 is also provided located in the hollow container body (110) at the outlet (112), said second oil barrier (114) comprising holes having a diameter of a predetermined value D configured to prevent that oil particles having diameter larger than the predetermined value D pass through the outlet (112).

This cooling device is equipped with a tank, a pump, an evaporator, and a condenser. The gas phase portion of the tank is filled with a filler gas and is equipped with a volume-changing unit. The volume-changing unit is configured to adjust an evaporation temperature of the refrigerant by changing a pressure of the refrigerant, which is achieved by changing a volume of the gas phase portion to change a pressure of the filler gas.

Disclosed are cascaded refrigeration systems, comprising: a plurality of refrigeration units, each refrigeration unit containing a first refrigeration circuit, each first refrigeration circuit comprising an evaporator and a heat exchanger; and a second refrigeration circuit; wherein each first circuit heat exchanger is arranged to transfer heat energy between its respective first refrigeration circuit and the second refrigeration circuit.

A cooling system partially floods the low temperature low side heat exchangers (e.g., freezers) in the system. An accumulator is positioned between the low temperature low side heat exchangers and the low temperature compressor. The accumulator collects the refrigerant (both liquid and vapor) from the flooded low temperature low side heat exchangers. Refrigerant discharged by the low temperature compressor is fed through the accumulator so that heat can be transferred to the refrigerant collected in the accumulator. As a result, the temperature of the refrigerant discharged by the low temperature compressor drops before that refrigerant reaches the medium temperature compressor.

In a refrigeration cycle apparatus, a refrigerant heat exchanger is provided within a refrigerant container, and the refrigerant heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat between refrigerant flowing through a bypass circuit and refrigerant accumulated in the refrigerant container.

A cascade refrigeration system includes an upper portion. The upper portion includes at least one modular chiller unit that provides cooling to at least one of a low temperature subsystem having a plurality of low temperature loads, and a medium temperature subsystem having a plurality of medium temperature loads. The modular chiller unit includes a refrigerant circuit, an ammonia refrigerant, an ammonia refrigerant accumulator, and an oil separation system. The refrigerant circuit includes at least a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator. The ammonia refrigerant is configured for circulation within the refrigerant circuit. The ammonia refrigerant accumulator is configured to receive the ammonia refrigerant from the evaporator. The oil separation system is configured to remove oil from the ammonia refrigerant. The oil separation system includes an oil separator that is configured to remove oil from the ammonia refrigerant flowing from the compressor to the condenser, an oil drain pot that is configured to collect oil from the evaporator, and an oil reservoir that is configured to collect oil from the oil separator and the oil drain pot.

A refrigeration cycle apparatus avoids refrigerant conditions causing a disproportionation reaction and exhibit high performance with safety even when a refrigerant causing the disproportionation reaction is used in a zeotropic refrigerant mixture. The refrigeration cycle apparatus uses, as a working refrigerant, the zeotropic refrigerant mixture of a first refrigerant and a second refrigerant having a higher boiling point than that of the first refrigerant under the same pressure, and includes at least a main passage sequentially connecting a compressor, a first heat exchanger, an expansion valve, a gas-liquid separator, and a second heat exchanger. The first refrigerant causes the disproportionation reaction. In an initial state after startup of the compressor, the refrigeration cycle apparatus performs an initial operation decreasing a temperature or a pressure of refrigerant discharged from the compressor to be lower than that in a normal operation based on an amount of liquid refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator.

An accumulator heat exchanger comprising: an accumulator vessel with an internal volume; a heat exchange coil disposed within the internal volume of the accumulator vessel wherein the heat exchange coil encloses an axially extending inner volume; a first inlet conduit extending from outside of the accumulator vessel to an inner axial end of the first inlet conduit within the internal volume of the accumulator vessel, and a first outlet conduit extending from within the internal volume of the accumulator vessel to outside of the accumulator vessel; and a second inlet conduit for subcooled refrigerant fluid and a second outlet conduit for subcooled refrigerant fluid. The second inlet conduit and second outlet conduit provide an inlet and outlet flow path for the heat exchange coil. The first inlet conduit comprises a plurality of outlets, each adapted to direct refrigerant fluid towards the heat exchange coil.

A refrigeration system, such as a stand-alone ice maker assembly, having a vapor-compression refrigeration cycle. The refrigeration system includes an accumulator having an inlet receiving refrigerant discharged from the evaporator, a first outlet substantially discharging gas refrigerant to the compressor, and a second outlet substantially discharging oil from the accumulator. The refrigeration system also includes a valve having an inlet receiving the discharged oil from the accumulator and an outlet discharging oil from the valve to the compressor, and a controller to control the valve between an open state and a closed state. Also disclosed are a method of limiting accumulation of compressor oil in an accumulator assembly of a refrigeration system and a stand-alone ice maker assembly having the refrigeration system.

A combination of a refrigerant accumulator and an internal heat exchanger includes a central portion with fluid portions to which the accumulator and heat exchanger are attachable. A connection component includes at least four fluid ports, and components of a refrigerant circuit, in particular an accumulator and/or a heat exchanger, can be mounted thereto on at least two opposite sides.