Multichannel heat exchanger with dissimilar flow
AssigneeJohnson Controls Technology Company
InventorsMustafa K. Yanik, William L. Kopko, Jose Ruel Yalung de la Cruz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems and heat exchangers are provided that include multichannel tube configurations designed to promote flow of refrigerant within the multichannel tubes near the edges of the tubes that are contacted first by an external fluid. The tube configurations include flow paths of varying cross-sections, spacings, and sizes. Flow control mechanisms, such as inserts, blocking plates, sleeves, crimped sections, and crushed sections, may be employed with the flow paths to favor flow near the edges of the tubes that are contacted first by an external fluid.
Claims14
A heat exchanger comprising:
- a first manifold;
- a second manifold;
- a plurality of multichannel tubes in fluid communication with the first and second manifolds, the multichannel tubes being configured to receive an external fluid flowing across a width dimension extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge;
- and
- a plurality of generally parallel flow paths disposed within each multichannel tube extending lengthwise through each multichannel tube, the flow paths being configured to favor flow of an internal fluid within each multichannel tube near the leading edge.
A multichannel tube for a heat exchanger comprising:
- a leading edge configured to be contacted by an external fluid;
- a trailing edge configured to be contacted by the external fluid after contact with the leading edge;
- and
- two or more generally parallel flow paths extending along the length thereof configured to effect a first flow of an internal fluid within the multichannel tube near the leading edge and a second flow of the internal fluid within the multichannel tube near the trailing edge, the second flow reduced with respect to the first flow.
A method for promoting heat exchange to or from a fluid comprising:
- introducing an internal fluid into a first manifold of a heat exchanger, the first manifold being in fluid communication with a plurality of multichannel tubes each containing a plurality of generally parallel flow paths extending along their length;
- flowing an external fluid across the multichannel tubes from a leading edge to a trailing edge;
- flowing the internal fluid through the flow paths concentrating the flow near the leading edge;
- and
- collecting the internal fluid 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 being configured to receive an external fluid flowing across a width dimension of each multichannel tube extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge and including a plurality of generally parallel flow paths disposed within each multichannel tube extending lengthwise through each multichannel tube, the flow paths being configured to promote flow of an internal fluid within each multichannel tube near the leading edge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.