Portable apparatus for recovery of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants

摘要

A portable apparatus for recovering high-pressure CFC refrigerants in vapor form includes a removable tank for receiving and storing the liquefied refrigerant to be recovered and two refrigeration circuits. The first refrigerant circuit processes the refrigerant to be recovered and includes a compressor and a condenser. The removable tank acts as the evaporator of the first refrigeration circuit. The second refrigeration circuit is included to cool both the condenser of the first refrigeration circuit and the removable tank. This second refrigeration circuit includes a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator, and contains a second refrigerant physically isolated from the refrigerant to be recovered. Both the condenser of the first refrigeration circuit and the evaporator of the second refrigeration circuit are preferably coil shaped, with the condenser coil preferably coaxially arranged within the evaporator coil. The condensing coil/evaporator coil arrangement substantially surrounds the removable tank to assist in cooling that element. The compressor of the first refrigeration circuit is preferably capable of compressing vapor refrigerants to a pressure of at least about 300 psi. Wheels and handles to assist in moving the liquid refrigerant recovery apparatus are also provided.