FINNED HEAT EXCHANGER U-BENDS, MANIFOLDS, AND DISTRIBUTOR TUBES

• US 20200132381A1
• Filed: 12/30/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Kester, Douglas A., Mislak, Nicholas P.
• Granted Patent: US 11,604,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0443 Combination of units extending one beside or one above the other F28D1/0452 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0477 the conduits being bent in a serpentine or zig-zag
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0068 for refrigerant cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/10 Tubular elements and assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with projections, with recesses crimped or corrugated elements F28F1/06, F28F1/08
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/124 and being formed of pins
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/24 and extending transversely F28F1/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2009/0292 with fins
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0275 with multiple branch pipes

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a frame and a plurality of coil passes disposed within the frame. The plurality of coil passes is configured to direct a flow of a refrigerant therethrough to transfer heat with an air flow passing over the heat exchanger. The plurality of coil passes include a U-bend disposed between first and second linear portions of the plurality of coil passes to redirect the refrigerant from a first longitudinal end of the heat exchanger to a second longitudinal end of the heat exchanger. Additionally, a first plurality of fins is disposed on an outer surface the U-bend.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

a frame configured to be disposed within an air handling enclosure of the HVAC system, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of sheets; and

a plurality of coil passes retained by the plurality of sheets, wherein the plurality of coil passes is configured to direct a refrigerant flow therethrough to transfer heat with an air flow passing through the air handling enclosure, and wherein the plurality of coil passes comprises;

a first linear portion and a second linear portion;

a U-bend fluidly coupling the first linear portion and the second linear portion; and

a plurality of fins disposed on an outer surface of the U-bend.

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fins comprises a plurality of ribbon-type fins, and wherein the plurality of ribbon-type fins comprises a metallic strip that extends helically around the outer surface of the U-bend.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fins is disposed within an air flow path of the air flow passing through the air handling enclosure.

4. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fins is injection molded or integrally formed with the U-bend.

5. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises an A-shape, an M-shape, or an N-shape.

6. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sheets extends in a first direction, wherein the first linear portion and the second linear portion each extend in a second direction through corresponding openings of the plurality of sheets, and wherein the first direction is crosswise to the second direction.

7. The heat exchanger of claim 6, wherein a distance between the first linear portion and the second linear portion is defined along the first direction and is at least twice a longitudinal dimension of the plurality of fins.

8. The heat exchanger of claim 1, comprising a header manifold fluidly coupled to the plurality of coil passes, wherein the header manifold is configured to receive the refrigerant flow from the plurality of coil passes, and wherein a plurality of ribbon-type fins is disposed on an additional outer surface of the header manifold.

9. The heat exchanger of claim 1, comprising a distributor fluidly coupled to the plurality of coil passes, wherein the distributor is configured to provide the refrigerant flow to the plurality of coil passes, and wherein a plurality of additional fins is disposed on an additional outer surface of the distributor.

10. The heat exchanger of claim 9, wherein the plurality of additional fins comprises a plurality of ribbon-type fins.

11. A heat exchanger of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

a frame configured to be disposed within an air handling enclosure of the HVAC system, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of sheets;

a plurality of coil passes retained within the frame by the plurality of sheets, wherein the plurality of coil passes is configured to direct a refrigerant flow therethrough to transfer heat with an air flow passing through the air handling enclosure;

a distributor fluidly coupled to the plurality of coil passes, wherein the distributor is configured to provide the refrigerant flow to the plurality of coil passes, and wherein a first plurality of fins is disposed on a first outer surface of the distributor; and

a header manifold fluidly coupled to the plurality of coil passes, wherein the header manifold is configured to receive the refrigerant flow from the plurality of coil passes, and wherein a second plurality of fins is disposed on a second outer surface of the header manifold.

12. The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of fins and the second plurality of fins are disposed within an air flow path of the air flow passing through the air handling enclosure, and wherein the first plurality of fins and the second plurality of fins each comprise a respective plurality of ribbon-type fins.

13. The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein the distributor comprises:

a main distributor tube; and

a plurality of distributor tubes fluidly coupled between the main distributor tube and the plurality of coil passes, wherein each distributor tube of the plurality of distributor tubes is configured to receive a respective portion of the refrigerant flow from the main distributor tube and direct the respective portion to a corresponding parallel circuit of the plurality of coil passes.

14. The heat exchanger of claim 13, wherein a first portion of the first plurality of fins is disposed on the main distributor tube, wherein a second portion of the first plurality of fins is disposed on the plurality of distributor tubes, and wherein the first portion of the first plurality of fins has a first longitudinal dimension that is greater than a second longitudinal dimension of the second portion of the first plurality of fins.

15. The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein the header manifold comprises:

a main header manifold tube; and

a plurality of header manifold tubes fluidly coupled between the plurality of coil passes and the main header manifold tube, wherein each header manifold tube of the plurality of header manifold tubes is configured to receive a respective portion of the refrigerant flow from a corresponding parallel circuit of the plurality of coil passes and direct the respective portion to the main header manifold tube.

16. The heat exchanger of claim 15, wherein the second plurality of fins comprises a plurality of ribbon-type fins, wherein a first portion of the plurality of ribbon-type fins is disposed on the main header manifold tube, and wherein a second portion of the plurality of ribbon-type fins is disposed on the plurality of header manifold tubes.

17. The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein the plurality of coil passes comprises a first linear portion, a second linear portion, a U-bend fluidly coupling the first linear portion and the second linear portion, and a third plurality of fins disposed on a third outer surface of the U-bend.

18. A heating, ventilation, and air condition (HVAC) system, comprising:

an air handling enclosure;

a heat exchanger frame disposed within the air handling enclosure, wherein the heat exchanger frame comprises a plurality of sheets; and

a plurality of heat exchanger coils retained within the heat exchanger frame by the plurality of sheets, wherein, during operation of the HVAC system, the plurality of heat exchanger coils directs a refrigerant flow therethrough to transfer heat with an air flow passing through the air handling enclosure, and wherein the plurality of heat exchanger coils comprises;

a first linear portion and a second linear portion;

a U-bend fluidly coupling the first linear portion and the second linear portion; and

a plurality of ribbon-type fins disposed on an outer surface of the U-bend.

19. The HVAC system of claim 18, comprising a supply fan configured to direct the air flow along an air flow path through the air handling enclosure during operation of the HVAC system, wherein the plurality of ribbon-type fins is disposed within the air flow path.

20. The HVAC system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of ribbon-type fins is formed by a continuous strip that extends in a spiral around the outer surface of the U-bend.

21. The HVAC system of claim 20, wherein the continuous strip is attached to the outer surface of the U-bend.

22. The HVAC system of claim 18, comprising:

a distributor fluidly coupled to the plurality of heat exchanger coils and configured to provide the refrigerant flow to the plurality of heat exchanger coils, wherein a first plurality of fins is disposed on a first outer surface of the distributor; and

a header manifold fluidly coupled to the plurality of heat exchanger coils and configured to receive the refrigerant flow from plurality of heat exchanger coils, wherein a second plurality of fins is disposed on a second outer surface of the header manifold.

23. The HVAC system of claim 22, wherein the plurality of ribbon-type fins is a first plurality of ribbon-type fins, wherein the first plurality of fins comprises a second plurality of ribbon-type fins, and wherein the second plurality of fins comprises a third plurality of ribbon-type fins.