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US 2006/0048537 A1Published application
Fluid diode expansion device for heat pumps
AssigneeCarrier Corporation
InventorsAlexander Lifson, Thomas Dobmeier, Michael Taras
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An expansion device for the heat pump applications consists of a flow resistance device that has a different resistance to refrigerant flow depending on the flow direction through this device. The flow resistance device has no moving parts so that it avoids the damage, wear and contamination problems of the moveable piston in the prior art. The flow resistance device is a fixed obstruction about which the fluid must flow when traveling through the expansion device.
Claims7
A refrigerant system operating as a heat pump comprising:
- a flowing fluid and a compressor communicating with first and second beat exchangers;
- and
- an expansion device communicating via first fluid passages with said first heat exchanger and communicating via second fluid passage with said second heat exchangers said expansion device including a flow resistance device arranged between first and second fluid passages and in fixed relationship thereto, said flow resistance device providing a first fluid resistance for said flowing fluid in a first direction and a second fluid resistance greater than said first resistance for said flowing fluid in a second opposite direction, said flow resistance device defining a circular cross-sectional flow area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.