Copeland
Compressors are designed to compress vapours, not liquids. Many systems are subject to the return of excessive quantities of liquid refrigerant, which dilutes the oil, washes out bearings and in some cases leads to complete loss of oil in the crankcase. This results in broken valve reeds, pistons, rods, crankshafts, etc. The purpose of the accumulator is to act as a reservoir to temporarily hold the oil refrigerant mixture and return it at a rate which the compressor can safely handle.
