Combination air conditioning accumulator and fuel cooler

A combination air conditioning accumulator and fuel cooler unit comprising:

• an enclosed housing having a fuel inlet and outlet, a casing and a refrigerant inlet and outlet;
• fuel flow means within the housing, for confining a flow of hot fuel from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet;
• heat exchanger means in intimate contact with the fuel flow means within the housing, for drawing heat away from the flowing fuel;
• means defining a refrigerant flow path from the refrigerant inlet to the refrigerant outlet, said refrigerant flow path passing along said heat exchange means so that the refrigerant absorbs the heat drawn from the flowing fuel;
• means for insulating the casing from the flow of refrigerant, said insulating means also serving as a desiccant,
• whereby liquid refrigerant entering the unit is evaporated before leaving the unit.

A combination air conditioning accumulator and fuel cooler unit comprising:

• an enclosed housing having a fuel inlet and outlet, and a refrigerant inlet and outlet, said housing including a cylindrical casing and a plug member at each end of the casing, each plug member having a fuel flow bore coaxially aligned with the casing and a refrigerant flow bore at a location radially spaced from a respective fuel flow bore, the fuel outlet plug member including a funnel-like flow skirt in fluid communication with the refrigerant inlet and adapted to distribute refrigerant substantially radially uniformly inwardly toward the heat exchanger means;
• fuel flow means within the housing, for confining a flow of hot fuel from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet;
• heat exchanger means in intimate contact with the fuel flow means within the housing, for drawing heat away from the flowing fuel;
• means defining a refrigerant flow path from the refrigerant inlet to the refrigerant outlet, said refrigerant flow path passing along said heat exchange means so that the refrigerant absorbs the heat drawn from the flowing fuel;
• whereby liquid refrigerant entering the unit is evaporated before leaving the unit.

A combination air conditioning accumulator and fuel cooler unit comprising:

• an enclosed housing having a fuel inlet and outlet, and a refrigerant inlet and outlet, said housing including a cylindrical casing and a plug member at each end of the casing, each plug member having a fuel flow bore coaxially aligned with the casing and a refrigerant flow bore at a location radially spaced from a respective fuel flow bore, each end plug having an axially outer portion having an outer diameter substantially equal to the casing inner diameter and an axially inner neck portion having a smaller diameter than the outer diameter;
• fuel flow means within the housing, for confining a flow of hot fuel from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet;
• heat exchanger means in intimate contact with the fuel flow means within the housing, for drawing heat away from the flowing fuel;
• means defining a refrigerant flow path from the refrigerant inlet to the refrigerant outlet, said refrigerant flow path passing along said heat exchange means so that the refrigerant absorbs the heat drawn from the flowing fuel;
• whereby liquid refrigerant entering the unit is evaporated before leaving the unit.