Parallel flow heat exchanger for heat pump applications

• US 8,235,101 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Taras, Michael F., Lifson, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Ciric, Ljiljana
• Application Number:
  US11/794,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20080296005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,406 Days
• Field of Search: 165/48.1, 165/58, 165/96, 165/97, 165/100, 165/101, 165/103, 165/173, 165/174, 165/175, 165/176, 165/299, 622/387, 623/241, 623/246
• US Class Current: 165/299
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 13/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle defrosting cycles F25B47/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 39/00 Evaporators; Condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/20 Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves expansion valves F25B41/31
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/05375 with particular pattern of flow, e.g. change of flow direction F28D1/05391 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/02 for controlling the distribution of heat-exchange media between different channels static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026; arrangements of guide plates or guide vanes F28F9/22, F28F25/12

Abstract

A parallel flow heat exchanger system (10, 50, 100, 200) for heat pump applications in which single and multiple paths of variable length are established via flow control systems which also allow for refrigerant flow reversal within the parallel flow heat exchanger system (10, 50, 100, 200), while switching between cooling and heating modes of operation. Examples of flow control devices are an expansion device (80) and various check valves (70, 72, 74, 76). The parallel flow heat exchanger system may have converging or diverging flow circuits and may constitute a single-pass or a multi-pass evaporator together with and a multi-pass condenser.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger system comprising:

a parallel flow heat exchanger including a plurality of heat exchange tubes aligned in substantially parallel relationship and fluidly connected by a manifold system and said parallel flow heat exchanger having a variable circuit configuration when the flow direction is reversed through the heat exchanger; and

a flow control system comprising at least one flow control device to alter circuit configuration of said parallel flow heat exchanger when flow through the heat exchanger changes direction; and

wherein said flow control system provides for variable circuit length when the flow direction is reversed through said parallel flow heat exchanger.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said manifold system comprises more than two manifolds associated with at least one flow direction.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one flow control device is an expansion device.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said expansion device has a fixed orifice.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said expansion device is a plurality of expansion devices.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said plurality of expansion devices are of a fixed restriction type.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein plurality of expansion devices are selected from the group consisting of an orifice, a capillary tube and an accurator.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein said expansion device is a valve.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said valve is a thermostatic expansion valve.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said valve is electronically controlled.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one flow control device is one of a check valve and a solenoid valve.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein at least two manifolds of said manifold system are chambers within a joint manifold structure.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein a check valve separates said at least two manifold chambers.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one manifold of said manifold system is a separate manifold.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said parallel flow heat exchanger is operated as an evaporator and as a condenser.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein expanded refrigerant lines for the evaporator operation penetrate inside the manifold chamber to face the heat exchange tubes and to form gaps in order to provide improved refrigerant distribution.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said gaps are uniform for all said heat exchange tubes.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein said gaps are non-uniform to further improve refrigerant distribution.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein said parallel flow heat exchanger is operating as a single-pass evaporator and a multi-pass condenser.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said condenser is a two-pass condenser.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said condenser is a three-pass condenser.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the number of condenser circuits is diverging.

23. The system of claim 15 wherein said parallel flow heat exchanger is operating as a multi-pass evaporator and a multi-pass condenser.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the number of evaporator circuits is converging.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the number of condenser circuits is diverging.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein said evaporator is a two-pass evaporator.

27. The system of claim 23 wherein said condenser is a two-pass condenser.

28. The system of claim 23 wherein said condenser is a three-pass condenser.

29. The system of claim 1 wherein the refrigerant is flown through said parallel flow heat exchanger in opposite directions for condenser operation and evaporator operation.

30. The system of claim 1 wherein said parallel flow heat exchanger is a component in a heat pump system.