High pressure heat exchanger
First Claim
1. A heat exchanger, comprising:
- refrigerant inlet and outlet header portions;
at least a first serpentine multiport tube defining a plurality of tube runs with a tube bend between adjacent tube runs, said first tube having;
an inlet end on one tube run for receiving refrigerant from said refrigerant inlet header portion, and an outlet end on another tube run for discharging refrigerant into said refrigerant outlet header portion;
a second serpentine multiport tube defining a second plurality of tube runs with a tube bend between adjacent tube runs, said second tube being generally aligned with and behind said first tube and having;
an inlet end on one tube run for receiving refrigerant from said refrigerant inlet header portion, and an outlet end on another tube run for discharging refrigerant into said refrigerant outlet header portion;
a fluid heat exchanger inlet and a fluid heat exchanger outlet;
at least three plate assembly fluid paths each including a pair of spaced plates secured together at their edges to define an enclosed space with a fluid inlet to said one side of said space and a fluid outlet from said other side of said space, whereinthe fluid inlet of a first of said plate assembly fluid paths receives fluid from said fluid heat exchanger inlet, and one plate of said first of said plate assembly fluid paths is positioned against said one tube run of said first tube and is positioned against said one tube run of said second tube, the fluid outlet of a second of said plate assembly fluid paths discharges fluid to said fluid heat exchanger outlet, and one plate of said second of said plate assembly fluid paths is positioned against said another tube run of said first tube and is positioned against said another tube run of said first tube, and a third of said plate assembly fluid paths is positioned between said tube runs of said first tube and is positioned between said tube runs of said second tube.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A heat exchanger including inlet and outlet header portions for a refrigerant (such as CO2), serpentine multiport tubes each with a plurality of aligned tube runs, and at least three plate assembly fluid paths. Each plate assembly fluid path includes a pair of spaced plates secured together at their edges to define an enclosed space with a fluid inlet and fluid outlet on opposite sides of the space. One plate of one fluid path is positioned against first aligned tube runs, one plate of a second of the fluid paths is positioned against second aligned tube runs, and a third fluid path is positioned between the first and second aligned tube runs. The plates may be substantially identical to one another.
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Citations
66 Claims
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1. A heat exchanger, comprising:
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refrigerant inlet and outlet header portions;
at least a first serpentine multiport tube defining a plurality of tube runs with a tube bend between adjacent tube runs, said first tube having;
an inlet end on one tube run for receiving refrigerant from said refrigerant inlet header portion, and an outlet end on another tube run for discharging refrigerant into said refrigerant outlet header portion;
a second serpentine multiport tube defining a second plurality of tube runs with a tube bend between adjacent tube runs, said second tube being generally aligned with and behind said first tube and having;
an inlet end on one tube run for receiving refrigerant from said refrigerant inlet header portion, and an outlet end on another tube run for discharging refrigerant into said refrigerant outlet header portion;
a fluid heat exchanger inlet and a fluid heat exchanger outlet;
at least three plate assembly fluid paths each including a pair of spaced plates secured together at their edges to define an enclosed space with a fluid inlet to said one side of said space and a fluid outlet from said other side of said space, wherein the fluid inlet of a first of said plate assembly fluid paths receives fluid from said fluid heat exchanger inlet, and one plate of said first of said plate assembly fluid paths is positioned against said one tube run of said first tube and is positioned against said one tube run of said second tube, the fluid outlet of a second of said plate assembly fluid paths discharges fluid to said fluid heat exchanger outlet, and one plate of said second of said plate assembly fluid paths is positioned against said another tube run of said first tube and is positioned against said another tube run of said first tube, and a third of said plate assembly fluid paths is positioned between said tube runs of said first tube and is positioned between said tube runs of said second tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A heat exchanger, comprising:
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refrigerant inlet and outlet header portions;
first and second serpentine multiport tubes each defining a plurality of tube runs with a tube bend between adjacent tube runs with said tube runs of said second tube being substantially aligned with said tube runs of said first tube, each tube having an inlet end on one tube run for receiving refrigerant from said refrigerant inlet header portion and an outlet end on another tube run for discharging refrigerant into said refrigerant outlet header portion;
a fluid heat exchanger inlet and a fluid heat exchanger outlet;
first, second, third and fourth plate heat exchangers each including a pair of spaced plates secured together at their edges to define an enclosed space with a fluid inlet to one side of said space and a fluid outlet from the other side of said space, wherein the fluid inlet of said first and second plate heat exchangers receives fluid from said fluid heat exchanger inlet, one plate of said first plate heat exchanger is positioned against one side of said one tube run of said first and second tubes and one plate of said second plate heat exchanger is positioned against the other side of said one tube run of said first and second tubes, the fluid outlet of said third and fourth plate heat exchangers discharges fluid to said fluid heat exchanger outlet, and one plate of said third plate heat exchanger is positioned against one side of said another tube run of said first and second tubes and one plate of said fourth plate heat exchanger is positioned against the other side of said another tube run of said first and second tubes. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A heat exchanger, comprising:
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a refrigerant path including a multiport serpentine tube defining a plurality of tube runs with tube bends on the order of 180 degrees between adjacent spaced tube runs;
a fluid path including a plurality of plate heat exchangers each comprising a pair of plate members each having a rim therearound, said rims being securable together to enclose a space between said plate members, an inlet through at least one of said plate members, and an outlet through at least one of said plate members;
inlets spaced from said rim in at least some of said plate members; and
outlets spaced from said rim in at least some of said plate members;
wherein said plate members are stacked to define a selected fluid path with tube runs of said serpentine tube interleaved between said plate heat exchangers with at least one plate member of a plate heat exchanger disposed against each side of said tube runs. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A heat exchanger, comprising:
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refrigerant inlet and outlet header portions;
at least a first serpentine multiport tube defining a plurality of tube runs with a tube bend between adjacent tube runs, said first tube having;
an inlet end on one tube run for receiving refrigerant from said refrigerant inlet header portion, and an outlet end on another tube run for discharging refrigerant into said refrigerant outlet header portion;
a fluid heat exchanger inlet and a fluid heat exchanger outlet; and
at least three plate assembly fluid paths, each plate assembly fluid path including a pair of spaced plates secured together about their periphery to define an enclosed space with a portion of said plates being interleaved with said tube runs, and inlet and outlet portions of said plates projecting beyond said interleaved portions, said inlet and outlet plate portions including connected aligned openings defining fluid paths between said plate assembly fluid paths. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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Specification