Heat exchanger assembly and method for HVAC system

An HVAC system comprising:

• a compressor;
• a blower;
• and
• a microchannel heat exchanger operable to exchange heat with air in the HVAC system via refrigerant passing through the microchannel heat exchanger, wherein the microchannel heat exchanger includes an array of tubes arranged between a first manifold and a second manifold, the array of tubes includes live tubes coupled to the first manifold and the second manifold in a manner that allows refrigerant to pass between the first manifold and the second manifold via the live tubes, and the array of tubes includes one or more dead tubes that are not coupled to the first manifold and the second manifold in a manner that allows refrigerant to pass between the first manifold and the second manifold via the one or more dead tubes, and wherein each of the one or more dead tubes has ends that are physically unconnected to the first manifold and are physically unconnected to the second manifold, the microchannel heat exchanger includes a first connection for receiving refrigerant into the microchannel heat exchanger and a second connection for outputting refrigerant from the microchannel heat exchanger and is installed in the HVAC system with a bracket or other physical restraint that is attached to the first or second manifold and is independent of both the first connection and the second connection, and the one or more dead tubes include at least one dead tube that reduces thermal stress in the microchannel heat exchanger along the first or second manifold at the bracket or other physical restraint.

A method comprising:

• providing an array of flat microchannel tubes arranged between a first manifold and a second manifold of a microchannel heat exchanger operable to exchange heat with air in an HVAC system via refrigerant passing through the microchannel heat exchanger, wherein the microchannel heat exchanger includes the first manifold, the second manifold, and the array of flat microchannel tubes;
• preventing fluid communication between the first manifold and the second manifold through one or more flat microchannel tubes of the array of flat microchannel tubes while permitting fluid communication between the first manifold and the second manifold through additional flat microchannel tubes of the array of flat microchannel tubes such that each of the one or more flat microchannel tubes does not convey refrigerant between the first manifold and the second manifold and has ends that are physically unconnected to the first manifold and are physically unconnected to the second manifold, and the additional flat microchannel tubes are coupled in fluid communication with the first manifold and the second manifold to convey refrigerant between the first manifold and the second manifold through microchannels of the additional flat microchannel tubes;
• and
• installing the microchannel heat exchanger in the HVAC system with a bracket attached to the first or second manifold such that at least one of the one or more flat microchannel tubes that do not convey refrigerant between the first manifold and the second manifold reduces thermal stress in the microchannel heat exchanger along the first of second manifold at the bracket.