Direct liquid refrigerant supply and return system

Claim 1

A direct liquid refrigerant supply and return apparatus including an evaporator for use with a refrigeration system having an accumulator-separator, said apparatus comprising a supply header having an inlet at one end for receiving pressurized liquid refrigerant from the accumulator-separator, a plurality of heat exchange pipes located substantially parallel with each other and generally perpendicular to the supply header, each of said heat exchange pipes being connected at one end to said supply header, a return header in spaced generally parallel relationship to said supply header, the opposite end of each of said heat exchange pipes communicating with said return header, said return header having discharge means at one end for discharging vaporized and unevaporated refrigerant therefrom, said discharge means being diametrically opposite said inlet to said supply header so that the refrigerant flow paths from the inlet of said supply header through said heat exchange pipes and said return header are substantially of equal resistance, a vapor-liquid lift apparatus including a receptacle for receiving vaporized and unevaporated refrigerant from the discharge means of said return header, at least one discharge pipe having one end extending into said receptacle and the other end communicating with the accumulator-separator, the unevaporated refrigerant being entrained in the vaporized refrigerant within said receptacle, and means for moving the vaporized refrigerant and the unevaporated refrigerant entrained therein to the accumulator-separator at a velocity to maintain the entrainment of the unevaporated refrigerant.