What type of intercooler mixes liquid refrigerant with discharge vapor from the lower stage compressor?

The open type intercooler plays a crucial role in refrigerant systems by effectively mixing liquid refrigerant with discharge vapor from the lower stage compressor. This process is essential for enhancing the overall efficiency of the refrigeration system.

In an open type intercooler, the refrigerant vapor is allowed to mix directly with the liquid refrigerant as it enters the intercooler. This mixing effectively lowers the temperature of the vapor, allowing for a more efficient transfer of heat and an increase in cooling capacity. The combination of phases—liquid and vapor—helps to facilitate better thermal exchange, which results in cooler and denser vapor entering the next stage of compression.

This design significantly contrasts with other types of intercoolers, such as closed type, shell-and-tube type, and plate type, which may operate under different principles or configurations that do not involve direct mixing of phases. Closed type intercoolers maintain separate fluids, shell-and-tube coolers typically use separate channels for fluids, and plate type coolers involve plates that separate the fluids. Thus, these other types do not fulfill the specification of mixing liquid refrigerant with vapor, making the open type the correct choice for this application in refrigeration systems.