Experimental investigation on oil-gas separator of air-conditioning systems

The oil-return system plays an important role in the variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems because it ensures the reliable operation of the VRF systems. The oil-gas separator is the most essential component of the oil-return system, and the separation efficiency of the separator directly influences the performance of the VRF systems. Therefore, in this paper, a test rig was built to measure the oil discharge ratio of the compressor and the separation efficiency of the oil-gas separator. A sound velocity transducer was used to measure the oil mass concentration instantaneously, because the sound velocity was changed with the mass ratio of oil to refrigerant. The separation efficiency of the separator could be obtained by comparing the mass fraction of oil to refrigerant before and after the separator was connected to the system.