Heat exchanger tube circuits
AssigneeThe Trane Company
InventorsDonald C. Welch, Christopher P. Yoerg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Tube circuits for heat exchangers which provide same-end inlet and outlet connections are disclosed, in which each circuit includes conduits of two types. In a preferred embodiment, the first type conduit has two tubes and is generally U-shaped, and the second type conduit has four tubes. The inlets for each conduit are disposed adjacent each other in the assembled heat exchanger, as are the outlets for the conduits. To equalize flow and pressure drop a turbulence promoting device can be disposed in the U-shaped conduit. The circuits can be used for providing same-end connections on coils previously available only in opposite end connection configurations, such as for example, three-row full-circuited and six-row double circuited coils.
Claims20
A multi-row heat exchanger coil having a plurality of substantially horizontal, vertically separated, circuits, each circuit comprising first and second multi-row substantially horizontal conduits, each conduit having a plurality of tubes extending the length of the heat exchanger and having interconnecting end sections disposed between the tubes for providing a continuous path of flow communication between the tubes in each conduit;
- said first conduit having fewer tubes than said second conduit, and having an even number of tubes at least as great as two;
- said second conduit having an even number of tubes at least as great as four;
- one tube of each of said first and second conduits forming inlet tubes for fluid to flow into said first and second conduits, and another of the tubes of each of said first and second conduits forming outlet tubes for fluid to flow from said first and second conduits;
- said inlet tube of the first conduit being disposed adjacent said inlet tube of the second conduit in the assembled coil, and said outlet tube of the first conduit being disposed adjacent said outlet tube of the second conduit in the assembled coil;
- at least one row of said heat exchanger coil being entirely comprised of inlet tubes, and another row of said heat exchanger coil being entirely comprised of outlet tubes.
A tube circuit for a multi-row heat exchanger coil, said tube circuit being substantially horizontal and comprising substantially horizontal conduits of a first and a second type, each conduit forming a generally elongated path for the flow of a fluid;
- inlet and outlet openings for each of said conduits disposed on the same end of the coil;
- said first type conduit having inlet and outlet substantially horizontal tubes and an interconnecting end section therebetween forming a generally U-shaped path for the flow of a fluid therein;
- said second type conduit having an even number of substantially horizontal tubes at least as great as four (4) and having interconnecting end sections between the tubes, the first and last tubes of said second type conduit forming an inlet tube and an outlet tube respectively for fluid flow through said second type conduit;
- said first tubes of said conduits being disposed adjacent each other in the assembled circuit, and said second tube of said first conduit being disposed adjacent the last tube of said second conduit in the assembled coil;
- at least one row of said heat exchanger coil being entirely comprised of inlet tubes, and another row of said heat exchanger coil being entirely comprised of outlet tubes.
A tube circuit for a three-row, full-circuited heat exchange coil comprising conduits of a first and a second type;
- said first type conduit being of a generally U-shaped configuration having first and second tubes disposed in the first and third rows of the coil respectively, and an interconnecting end section therebetween, said first tube being the inlet and said second tube being the outlet of said first conduit;
- said second type conduit having first, second, third and fourth tubes, with interconnecting end sections disposed between the tubes;
- said first tube of said second conduit being the inlet of said second type conduit and being in vertical alignment with said first tube of said first type conduit in the first row of said coil;
- said second and third tubes of said second type conduit being in vertical alignment with each other in said second row of said coil;
- and said fourth tube being the outlet of said second type conduit and being disposed in vertical alignment with said second tube of said first type conduit in said third row of said coil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.