What are the steps of separation in an impingement style oil separator?

The steps of separation in an impingement style oil separator involve impingement, change of direction, gravity, and coalescing filters, which is encapsulated in the selected choice.

In this context, impingement refers to the process where oil and refrigerant droplets collide with a surface or are deflected by baffles, leading to the separation of the oil from the refrigerant. The change of direction further facilitates separation by causing the oil droplets to move differently compared to the refrigerant, promoting the collection of the separated oil. Gravity plays a critical role as the different densities of the oil and refrigerant allow the oil to settle at the bottom of the separator tank, where it can be easily extracted. Coalescing filters are designed to capture smaller oil droplets by bringing them together to form larger droplets, which can then be effectively separated from the refrigerant based on their weight and size.

The combination of these processes makes the impingement style oil separator an effective mechanism for removing oil from refrigerant, thus ensuring proper system operation and efficiency.