System and Method of Charge Management
AssigneeTrane International Inc.
InventorsGary Lee Sapp, Darryl Elliott Denton, Jason Thomas LeRoy, John Bailey, Roy Randall Crawford
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Abstract
A heat exchanger has an upper region, a lower region disposed vertically lower than the upper region, and a passive charge management device. The passive charge management device has an internal volume, an upper tube connecting the internal volume to at least one of the upper region and the lower region at a first vertical height, and a lower tube connecting the internal volume to at least one of the upper region and the lower region at a second vertical height that is vertically lower than the first vertical height.
Claims20
A heat exchanger, comprising:
- a upper region;
- a lower region disposed vertically lower than the upper region;
- and
- a passive charge management device comprising:
- an internal volume;
- an upper tube connecting the internal volume to at least one of the upper region and the lower region at a first vertical height;
- and
- a lower tube connecting the internal volume to at least one of the upper region and the lower region at a second vertical height that is vertically lower than the first vertical height.
A method of refrigerant charge management, comprising:
- providing a microchannel heat exchanger;
- introducing liquid phase refrigerant into the microchannel heat exchanger;
- filling the microchannel heat exchanger with refrigerant to a threshold vertical height;
- and
- introducing additional liquid phase refrigerant into the microchannel heat exchanger to exceed the threshold vertical height and to receive liquid phase refrigerant into a passive charge management device.
An HVAC system, comprising:
- a condenser heat exchanger;
- a compressor configured to pump refrigerant to the condenser heat exchanger;
- and
- a passive charge management device in fluid communication with the condenser heat exchanger at least at two different vertical locations, the passive charge management device being configured to receive liquid phase refrigerant from the condenser heat exchanger when a vertical height of liquid refrigerant within the condenser heat exchanger exceeds a threshold vertical height.
The HVAC system of 15, wherein the threshold vertical height is vertically aligned with a lower region of the condenser heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.