Multichannel evaporator with flow mixing multichannel tubes
AssigneeJohnson Controls Technology Company
InventorsMahesh Valiya-Naduvath, Jeffrey Lee Tucker, John T. Knight
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems, heat exchangers, and multichannel tubes are provided which include internal configurations designed to promote mixing. The multichannel tubes include interior walls which form flow channels. The interior walls are interrupted at locations along the multichannel tube in order to provide open spaces between the flow channels where mixing may occur. The mixing that occurs promotes a more homogenous distribution of refrigerant within the multichannel tubes.
Claims21
A heat exchanger comprising:
- a first manifold;
- a second manifold;
- a plurality of multichannel tubes in fluid communication with the first manifold and the second manifold, the multichannel tubes including a plurality of generally parallel flow paths extending along their length and divided from one another by interior walls, the interior walls being interrupted along the length of the multichannel tubes to form mixing sections that permit mixing of fluid from all flow paths through which fluid flows within each multichannel tube.
A multichannel tube for a heat exchanger comprising:
- a channel section with a plurality of generally parallel flow paths extending along the length of the channel section and divided from one another by interior walls;
- and
- an open section disposed where the interior walls are interrupted along the length of the tubes to form an open channel that spans the width of the multichannel tube to permit mixing of fluid exiting the flow paths of the channel section.
A method for promoting heat exchange to or from a fluid comprising:
- introducing the fluid into a first manifold of a heat exchanger;
- flowing the fluid through a plurality of multichannel tubes in fluid communication with the first manifold, the multichannel tubes including a plurality of generally parallel flow paths extending along their length and divided from one another by interior walls, the interior walls being interrupted along the length of the multichannel tubes to form mixing sections that permit mixing of fluid from all separate flow paths through which fluid flows within each multichannel tube;
- and
- collecting the fluid from the multichannel tubes in a second manifold.
A method for promoting heat exchange to or from a fluid comprising:
- introducing a mixed phase fluid into a first manifold of a heat exchanger;
- flowing the fluid through channel sections of a plurality of multichannel tubes in fluid communication with the first manifold, the channel sections including a plurality of generally parallel flow paths extending along their length and divided from one another by interior walls;
- flowing the fluid through open sections where the interior walls are interrupted along the lengths of the tubes to form open channels that span the widths of the multichannel tubes to permit mixing of fluid exiting all of the flow paths of the channel sections through which fluid flows;
- mixing vapor and liquid phase flows in the open sections;
- and
- collecting the fluid from the multichannel tubes in a second manifold.
A heating, ventilating, air conditioning or refrigeration system comprising:
- a compressor configured to compress a gaseous refrigerant;
- a condenser configured to receive and to condense the compressed refrigerant;
- an expansion device configured to reduce pressure of the condensed refrigerant;
- and
- an evaporator configured to evaporate the refrigerant prior to returning the refrigerant to the compressor;
- wherein at least one of the condenser and the evaporator includes a heat exchanger having a first manifold, a second manifold, and a plurality of multichannel tubes in fluid communication with the first manifold and the second manifold, the multichannel tubes including a plurality of generally parallel flow paths extending along their length and divided from one another by interior walls, the interior walls being interrupted along the length of the multichannel tubes to form mixing sections that permit mixing of fluid from all separate flow paths through which fluid flows within each multichannel tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.