EP2097701B1 - Kältemittelverteilungsverbesserung in parallelstromwärmetauscherverteilern - Google Patents

Kältemittelverteilungsverbesserung in parallelstromwärmetauscherverteilern Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2097701B1
EP2097701B1 EP06839399.0A EP06839399A EP2097701B1 EP 2097701 B1 EP2097701 B1 EP 2097701B1 EP 06839399 A EP06839399 A EP 06839399A EP 2097701 B1 EP2097701 B1 EP 2097701B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
refrigerant
heat transfer
transfer tubes
condenser
location
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EP06839399.0A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP2097701A4 (de
EP2097701A1 (de
Inventor
Michael F. Taras
Alexander Lifson
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Carrier Corp
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Carrier Corp
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Publication of EP2097701A4 publication Critical patent/EP2097701A4/de
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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
    • F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
    • F28D1/00—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators
    • F28D1/02—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid
    • F28D1/04—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid with tubular conduits
    • F28D1/053—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid with tubular conduits the conduits being straight
    • F28D1/0535—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid with tubular conduits the conduits being straight the conduits having a non-circular cross-section
    • F28D1/05366—Assemblies of conduits connected to common headers, e.g. core type radiators
    • F28D1/05391—Assemblies of conduits connected to common headers, e.g. core type radiators with multiple rows of conduits or with multi-channel conduits combined with a particular flow pattern, e.g. multi-row multi-stage radiators
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B39/00—Evaporators; Condensers
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B43/00—Arrangements for separating or purifying gases or liquids; Arrangements for vaporising the residuum of liquid refrigerant, e.g. by heat
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B2339/00—Details of evaporators; Details of condensers
    • F25B2339/04—Details of condensers
    • F25B2339/044—Condensers with an integrated receiver
    • F25B2339/0444—Condensers with an integrated receiver where the flow of refrigerant through the condenser receiver is split into two or more flows, each flow following a different path through the condenser receiver
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B2400/00—General features or devices for refrigeration machines, plants or systems, combined heating and refrigeration systems or heat-pump systems, i.e. not limited to a particular subgroup of F25B
    • F25B2400/04—Refrigeration circuit bypassing means
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
    • F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
    • F28D21/00—Heat-exchange apparatus not covered by any of the groups F28D1/00 - F28D20/00
    • F28D2021/0019—Other heat exchangers for particular applications; Heat exchange systems not otherwise provided for
    • F28D2021/0068—Other heat exchangers for particular applications; Heat exchange systems not otherwise provided for for refrigerant cycles
    • F28D2021/007—Condensers

Definitions

  • This application relates to multi-pass parallel flow heat exchangers in refrigerant systems, wherein liquid and vapor refrigerant phases are undesirably separated in one or more intermediate manifolds, resulting in refrigerant maldistribution amongst downstream heat transfer tubes and consequent heat exchanger performance degradation.
  • this application relates to re-routing one of the refrigerant phases (the liquid phase for the condensers and the vapor phase for the evaporators) from at least one intermediate manifold to one or more downstream locations, bypassing one or more banks of heat transfer tubes within the parallel flow heat exchanger and subsequently allowing for uniform distribution of remaining predominantly single refrigerant phase (the vapor phase for the condensers and the liquid phase for the evaporators) among parallel heat transfer tubes that are positioned downstream and are in fluid communication with this at least one intermediate manifold. Heat exchanger and overall refrigerant system performance is thus enhanced.
  • Refrigerant systems utilize a refrigerant to condition a secondary fluid, such as air, delivered to a climate-controlled space.
  • a secondary fluid such as air
  • the refrigerant is compressed in a compressor, and flows downstream to a condenser, where heat is typically rejected from the refrigerant to an ambient environment, during heat transfer interaction with this ambient environment.
  • refrigerant flows through an expansion device, where it is expanded to a lower pressure and temperature, and to an evaporator, where during heat transfer interaction with another secondary fluid (e.g., indoor air), the refrigerant is evaporated and typically superheated, while cooling and often dehumidifying this secondary fluid.
  • another secondary fluid e.g., indoor air
  • These heat exchangers are provided with a plurality of parallel heat transfer tubes, typically of a non-round shape, among which refrigerant is distributed and flown in a parallel manner.
  • the heat transfer tubes are orientated generally substantially perpendicular to a refrigerant flow direction in inlet, intermediate and outlet manifolds that are in flow communication with the heat transfer tubes.
  • the primary reasons for the employment of the parallel flow heat exchangers which usually have aluminum furnace-brazed construction, are related to their superior performance, high degree of compactness, structural rigidity and enhanced resistance to corrosion.
  • these heat exchangers When utilized in many condenser and evaporator applications, these heat exchangers are normally designed for a multi-pass configuration, typically with a plurality of parallel heat transfer tubes within each refrigerant pass, in order to obtain superior performance by balancing and optimizing heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics.
  • the refrigerant that enters an inlet manifold travels through a first multi-tube pass across a width of the heat exchanger to an opposed, typically intermediate, manifold.
  • the refrigerant collected in a first intermediate manifold reverses its direction, is distributed among the heat transfer tubes in the second pass and flows to a second intermediate manifold.
  • This flow pattern can be repeated for a number of times, to achieve optimum heat exchanger performance, until the refrigerant reaches an outlet manifold (or so-called outlet header).
  • the individual manifolds are of a cylindrical shape (although other shapes are also known in the art) and are represented by different chambers separated by partitions within the same manifold construction assembly.
  • Heat transfer corrugated and typically louvered fins are placed between the heat transfer tubes for outside heat transfer enhancement and construction rigidity. These fins are usually attached to the heat transfer tubes during a furnace braze operation. Furthermore, each heat transfer tube preferably contains a plurality of relatively small parallel channels for in-tube heat transfer augmentation and structural rigidity.
  • refrigerant maldistribution typically occurs in the microchannel heat exchanger manifolds when the two-phase flow enters the manifold.
  • a vapor phase of the two-phase flow has significantly different properties, moves at different velocities and is subjected to different effects of internal and external forces than a liquid phase. This causes the vapor phase to separate from the liquid phase and flow independently.
  • the separation of the vapor phase from the liquid phase has raised challenges, such as refrigerant maldistribution in parallel flow heat exchangers.
  • refrigerant maldistribution may cause significant heat exchanger and overall system performance degradation over a wide range of operating conditions. Therefore, it would be desirable to reduce or eliminate refrigerant maldistribution in parallel flow heat exchangers.
  • EP 0886113 A2 discloses a system as set out in the precharacterising portion of claim 1.
  • the invention provides a refrigerant system as defined in claim 1 and a method of operating a refrigerant system as defined in claim 14.
  • one of the phases of a two-phase refrigerant mixture which is the liquid phase for condensers and the vapor phase for evaporators, is tapped from a location within a parallel flow heat exchanger, where a liquid phase is likely to separate from a vapor phase and accumulate, causing refrigerant maldistribution in downstream heat transfer tubes that are in fluid communication with this upstream location.
  • Tapped, predominantly single-phase refrigerant which is, once again, liquid for the condensers and vapor for the evaporators, is redirected into a downstream location in a parallel flow heat exchanger, where refrigerant is already in a predominantly single phase (the liquid phase for condensers and the vapor phase for evaporators).
  • a predominantly single-phase refrigerant is tapped from an intermediate manifold and redirected to another downstream intermediate manifold.
  • a predominantly single-phase refrigerant is tapped from an intermediate manifold and redirected to an outlet manifold.
  • a predominantly liquid bypass refrigerant flow in the condenser applications is taken from a location close to the bottom of the manifold of manifold chamber and a predominantly vapor bypass refrigerant flow for the evaporator applications is taken from a location close to the top of the manifold or manifold chamber.
  • a single-phase refrigerant is tapped from a single location within a parallel flow heat exchanger, and in other embodiments, multiple tapping points are used.
  • multiple bypass return points may be driven by design and space limitations and are within the scope of the invention.
  • the bypass line can be placed in the path of the secondary media, such as air, to obtain additional heat transfer and further improve the heat exchanger and overall system performance.
  • the bypass line may have internal and external heat transfer enhancement elements to further improve heat transfer between a predominantly single-phase bypass refrigerant and a secondary fluid. Since a counterflow arrangement is desired, the bypass line is preferably placed upstream of the parallel flow heat exchanger for both condenser and evaporator applications, with respect to the secondary fluid flow.
  • the invention is applicable for any multi-pass parallel flow heat exchanger shape and configuration, with any number of passes, and with a general upward or downward refrigerant flow direction. Further, the invention is beneficial for any parallel flow heat exchanger orientation, including horizontal, vertical and inclined.
  • the tapped refrigerant bypass is arranged by various methods.
  • a float device for the liquid phase bypass
  • check valve for the liquid phase bypass
  • solenoid valve a float device
  • an actual bypass return line is utilized to return refrigerant to a downstream location and a valve may be placed on this bypass return line to control the flow of a predominantly single-phase bypass refrigerant.
  • the disclosed invention can be implemented in parallel flow heat exchanger installations functioning as condensers as well as evaporators.
  • a basic refrigerant system 20 is illustrated in Figure 1 and includes a compressor 22 delivering refrigerant into a discharge line 23 heading to a condenser 24.
  • the condenser 24 is a parallel flow heat exchanger, and in one disclosed embodiment is a microchannel heat exchanger.
  • the heat is transferred in the condenser 24 from the refrigerant to a secondary fluid, such as ambient air.
  • the high pressure, but desuperheated, condensed and typically subcooled, refrigerant passes into a liquid line 25 downstream of the condenser 24 and through an expansion device 26, where it is expanded to a lower pressure and temperature. Downstream of the expansion device 26, refrigerant flows through an evaporator 28 and back to the compressor 22.
  • An evaporator 28 may also be a parallel flow heat exchanger. In the evaporator 28, the heat is transferred from another secondary fluid, such as air delivered to the conditioned environment, to the refrigerant that is evaporated and typically superheated during heat transfer interaction with this secondary fluid.
  • another secondary fluid such as air delivered to the conditioned environment
  • refrigerant that is evaporated and typically superheated during heat transfer interaction with this secondary fluid.
  • the multi-pass condenser 24 has a manifold structure 30 that consists of multiple chambers 30A, 30B and 30C.
  • An inlet manifold chamber 30A receives the refrigerant, typically in a vapor phase, from the discharge line 23.
  • the refrigerant flows into a first bank of parallel heat transfer tubes 32, and then across the condenser core to a chamber 34A of an intermediate manifold structure 34. It should be noted that, in practice, there may be more or less refrigerant passes than the four illustrated passes 32, 36, 38, and 40.
  • each refrigerant pass is represented by a single heat transfer tube, typically there are many heat transfer tubes within each pass amongst which refrigerant is distributed while flowing within the pass, and, in the condenser applications, a number of the heat transfer tubes within each bank (or pass) typically decreases in a downstream direction with respect to a refrigerant flow. For instance, there could be 12 heat transfer tubes in the first bank, 8 heat transfer tubes in a second bank, 5 heat transfer tubes in a third bank and only 2 heat transfer tubes in the fourth bank.
  • a separator plate 42 is placed within the manifold 34 to separate the chamber 34A from a chamber 34B positioned within the same manifold structure 34.
  • the refrigerant is starting to condense while flowing through the first pass along the tubes 32 (due to heat transfer interaction with a secondary fluid) and is in a two-phase thermodynamic state, although typically with a relatively small liquid amount in a two-phase mixture.
  • liquid phase may be starting to separate from the vapor refrigerant, as shown by 35, since liquid and vapor phases have different thermophysical properties and are affected differently by external forces such as gravity and momentum sheer.
  • a float valve 52 and drain orifice 50 are shown to discharge liquid refrigerant into the adjacent chamber 34B, bypassing the downstream second and third banks of heat transfer tubes 36 and 38 respectively.
  • a float valve 52 and drain orifice 50 are shown to discharge liquid refrigerant into the adjacent chamber 34B, bypassing the downstream second and third banks of heat transfer tubes 36 and 38 respectively.
  • favorable conditions are created for uniform distribution of a predominantly single-phase vapor refrigerant among the second bank of heat transfer tubes 36.
  • the refrigerant entering the second bank of heat transfer tubes 36 is predominantly in a vapor phase and is flowing in generally parallel (although counterflow) direction to the refrigerant flow in the first bank of heat transfer tubes 32.
  • a separator plate 42 prevents refrigerant mixing or direct flow communication between the manifold chambers 30A and 30B.
  • the refrigerant is also in a two-phase thermodynamic state but containing lower vapor quality and potentially promoting the conditions for liquid refrigerant accumulation, as shown at 144, at the bottom of the chamber 30B.
  • vapor refrigerant will predominantly flow into the upper portion of the heat transfer tubes of the third pass 38 with liquid refrigerant flowing through the lower portion of the third bank 38 of heat transfer tubes. Therefore, refrigerant maldistribution may have a profound effect on performance of the condenser 24.
  • Another float valve 52 and drain orifice 50 assembly discharges that liquid refrigerant downstream into the adjacent chamber 30C, bypassing the third and forth banks of heat transfer tubes 38 and 40 respectively. Consequently, the uniform distribution of a predominantly single-phase vapor refrigerant among the third bank of heat transfer tubes 38 can be achieved.
  • the predominantly single phase vapor refrigerant flows, for further condensation, from the intermediate chamber 30B of the manifold structure 30 into a third bank of parallel heat transfer tubes 38 generally positioned in parallel arrangement to the first and second banks of heat transfer tubes 32 and 36, across the condenser 24 and into an intermediate chamber 34B of the manifold structure 34.
  • the liquid refrigerant level in the manifold chamber 34B may be even higher than levels 35 and 144, since liquid refrigerant from the intermediate manifold chamber 34A directly enters intermediate manifold chamber 34B through the orifice 50. It should be understood that the liquid levels 35, 144 and 244 may be somewhat exaggerated to illustrate the concept of the present invention as well as may vary with operating and environmental conditions.
  • the refrigerant flowing through the chamber 34B has even lower vapor quality and potentially creating similar maldistribution conditions for the fourth (and last) bank of heat transfer tubes 40.
  • the orifice 50 in the separator plate 42 positioned between the chambers 30B and 30C allows the flow of liquid refrigerant to enter from the intermediate manifold chamber 30B into the intermediate manifold chamber 30C and mix with the refrigerant flow leaving the forth bank of heat transfer tubes 40, while the float valve 52 prevents vapor refrigerant flow between the same chambers.
  • the liquid refrigerant exits condenser 24 through the line 25.
  • corrugated, and typically louvered, fins 33 are located between and attached to the heat transfer tubes (typically during a furnace brazing process) to extend the heat transfer surface and improve structural rigidity of the condenser 24.
  • the heat transfer tubes within the tube banks 32, 36, 38, and 40 may consist of a plurality of parallel channels 100 separated by walls 101.
  • the Figure 2B is cross-sectional view of the heat transfer tubes shown in Figure 2A .
  • the channels 100 allow for enhanced heat transfer characteristics and assist in improved structural rigidity.
  • the cross-section of the channels 100 may take different forms, and although illustrated as a rectangular in Figure 2B , may be, for instance, of triangular, trapezoidal or circular configurations.
  • liquid refrigerant is tapped from the liquid accumulation locations within the two-phase flow portion of the condenser 24 (that may or may not be directly associated with the separator plates 42 dividing the manifold chambers) and directed to the locations downstream where a predominantly single-phase liquid refrigerant is flowing, thus bypassing the region where a two-phase refrigerant is present and avoiding maldistribution conditions for the downstream heat transfer tube bank. Therefore, the parallel flow heat exchanger and overall refrigerant system performance is improved. Alternatively, a heat exchanger of a smaller size can be allowed, if no performance enhancement is required.
  • the float valve 52 is illustrated having a spherical shape, it also may have other configurations such as conical, cylindrical, etc. Further, other type valves, such as a solenoid valve or a check valve, can be employed instead.
  • an internal bypass between the manifold chambers is convenient, it may not always be feasible (e.g., when the manifold chambers are positioned at the opposite ends of the heat exchanger) or desired from a manufacturing complexity point of view. In such circumstances, an external bypass may be established instead, such a bypass line 53 tapping liquid refrigerant from a location 244 close to the bottom of the manifold chamber 34B to a downstream location 54 within the outlet manifold chamber 30C.
  • the three liquid refrigerant flows (leaving the forth bank of heat transfer tubes 40, bypassed from the chamber 30B to the chamber 30C and bypassed from the chamber 34B to the chamber 30C) are mixed.
  • a flow control device such as valve 49, may be positioned on the bypass line 53 and associated with a control 10 to allow the flow of this liquid refrigerant to be pulsed, modulated or completely shutdown. In this manner, a refrigerant system designer can achieve additional precise control over the desired amount of the bypassed liquid refrigerant flow, which can be tailored, for instance, to specific operating conditions, to provide even more uniform distribution of liquid and vapor refrigerant phases amongst the heat transfer tubes.
  • float valves 52 are replaced by solenoid valves
  • a similar type of control can be executed for these valves as well.
  • level measurement devices installed with the liquid refrigerant flow control devices can be positioned in the manifold chambers, if desired or required for proper operation of these liquid refrigerant flow control devices.
  • other locations, rather than intermediate manifold chambers, can be selected for tapping of liquid refrigerant.
  • the bypass line 53 may have internal and external heat transfer enhancement elements and be placed into the path of the secondary media, such as ambient air, flowing across the condenser 24. Further, in order to maintain overall counterflow configuration, the bypass line 53 is preferably placed upstream of the heat transfer core of the condenser 24, in relation to the airflow.
  • Figure 3 shows another embodiment 124 of the parallel flow condenser having three passes and inlet and outlet tubes 23 and 153 respectively positioned on opposite sides of the heat exchanger core, wherein a fixed orifice of a predetermined size 54 replaces the float valve 52 and orifice 50 assembly of the first intermediate manifold chamber 34A shown in Figure 2A .
  • the size of the orifice 54 is to be selected to maintain a liquid seal between the intermediate manifold chambers 34A and 34B at all operating conditions.
  • an orifice 50 and float valve 52 assembly is included to pass the liquid refrigerant from an intermediate manifold chamber 30B into a bypass return line 56, and back to a location 51 and to an outlet tube 153.
  • the Figure 3 embodiment is similar to the Figure 2A embodiment.
  • Figure 4 shows yet another embodiment 224 of a parallel flow condenser having two passes, wherein a single bypass return line 53 redirects predominantly liquid refrigerant from an intermediate manifold 34 to the downstream point 160 and into an outlet manifold chamber 30B, to be combined with the refrigerant exiting a second bank of heat transfer tubes 36.
  • a single bypass return line 53 redirects predominantly liquid refrigerant from an intermediate manifold 34 to the downstream point 160 and into an outlet manifold chamber 30B, to be combined with the refrigerant exiting a second bank of heat transfer tubes 36.
  • the Figure 4 embodiment is similar to the Figure 2A embodiment.
  • Figure 5 shows another embodiment 324 of a parallel flow condenser having four passes, wherein bypass return lines 58 and 62 redirect the predominantly liquid refrigerant from an intermediate manifold chamber 30B into an outlet tube 25 and from an intermediate manifold chamber 34B into an outlet manifold chamber 30C respectively, or to the locations 60 and 64 where a predominantly single-phase liquid refrigerant is already present.
  • bypass return lines 58 and 62 redirect the predominantly liquid refrigerant from an intermediate manifold chamber 30B into an outlet tube 25 and from an intermediate manifold chamber 34B into an outlet manifold chamber 30C respectively, or to the locations 60 and 64 where a predominantly single-phase liquid refrigerant is already present.
  • the refrigerant flow is generally upward but in all other aspects it is similar to the Figure 2A embodiment.
  • Figure 6 shows yet another embodiment 424 of the parallel flow condenser having three refrigerant passes, inlet and outlet manifold chambers on opposite sides of the condenser core and generally upward refrigerant direction, wherein a bypass return line 62 is utilized to redirect liquid refrigerant from an intermediate manifold chamber 30B to an outlet manifold chamber 34B.
  • a bypass return line 62 is utilized to redirect liquid refrigerant from an intermediate manifold chamber 30B to an outlet manifold chamber 34B.
  • the pressure drop through the bypassed bank of heat transfer tubes should be less than the pressure drop through the bypass return line 58 plus hydrostatic head between the chambers 30B and 30C in the Figure 5 embodiment and through the bypass return line 62 plus hydrostatic head between the chambers 30B and 34B in the Figure 6 embodiment.
  • Figure 7 shows another embodiment 524 of a parallel flow condenser having two passes where a bypass return line 70 leads to a point 68 in the outlet manifold chamber 30A where it mixes with the refrigerant exiting the second bank of the heat transfer tubes 36, and includes a float valve 80 and orifice 66.
  • this embodiment is similar to the Figure 5 and Figure 6 embodiments.
  • one of the phases of a two-phase refrigerant mixture which is liquid phase for the condensers and vapor phase for the evaporators, is tapped from a location within a parallel flow heat exchanger where a liquid phase is likely to separate from a vapor phase and accumulate, causing refrigerant maldistribution in downstream heat transfer tubes that are in fluid communication with this upstream location.
  • Tapped, predominantly single-phase refrigerant (once again, liquid for the condensers and vapor for the evaporators), is redirected into a downstream location in a parallel flow heat exchanger, where refrigerant is already in a predominantly single phase (the liquid phase for condensers and vapor phase for the evaporators), bypassing at least some of the downstream heat transfer tube banks (or passes). Therefore, the remaining predominantly single-phase refrigerant (vapor for the condensers and liquid for the evaporators) flowing through the next pass of the parallel flow heat exchanger can be uniformly distributed among parallel heat transfer tubes that are positioned downstream of the redirection (or tap) location and are in fluid communication with this location. As a result, both heat exchanger and overall refrigerant system performance are improved.
  • a predominantly single-phase refrigerant is tapped from an intermediate manifold and redirected to another downstream intermediate manifold, or to an outlet manifold, or to outlet refrigerant line.
  • manifold locations are preferred and the most convenient tapping and bypass return points, other positions in the parallel flow heat exchangers are also feasible and within the scope of the invention.
  • the redirection method can be internal to the heat exchanger design, such as redirection through the plates separating the manifold chambers, or external, such as bypass refrigerant lines.
  • Active flow control devices such as solenoid or float valves, or passive bypass devices, such as orifices or check valves, can be used.
  • a single-phase refrigerant may be tapped from a single location within a parallel flow heat exchanger or from multiple tapping points.
  • a single bypass return point is the most feasible, multiple bypass return points may be driven by design and space limitations and are within the scope of the invention.
  • bypass line can be placed in the path of a secondary media, such as air, to obtain additional heat transfer and further improve the heat exchanger and overall system performance.
  • the bypass line may have internal and external heat transfer enhancement elements to further improve heat transfer between a predominantly single-phase bypass refrigerant and a secondary fluid. Since a counterflow arrangement is desired, the bypass line is preferably placed upstream of the parallel flow heat exchanger core for both condenser and evaporator applications, with respect to the secondary fluid flow.
  • the invention is applicable for any multi-pass parallel flow heat exchanger shape and configuration with any number of passes and with a general upward or downward refrigerant flow direction.
  • the pressure drop through the bypass return line and hydrostatic head should not exceed the pressure drop through the bypassed tube bank for the desired amount of the bypass refrigerant flow.
  • a good liquid seal is important for proper operation and functionality, in the absence of active flow control devices.
  • the invention is beneficial for any parallel flow heat exchanger orientation, including horizontal, vertical and inclined.
  • the tapped single-phase refrigerant may be actively controlled to maintain the liquid seal for improved functionality or to adjust thermodynamic conditions of refrigerant at the heat exchanger exit.
  • sensors such as a liquid level sensor, can be employed in conjunction with these flow control devices. While the main discussion in the invention is focused on condenser applications, refrigerant system evaporators can also benefit from the invention. In the evaporator applications, a predominantly single-phase vapor refrigerant is bypassed around some of the heat transfer tube banks (instead of liquid in condenser applications).
  • a predominantly vapor bypass flow for the evaporator applications is to be taken from the location close to the top of the manifold or manifold chamber (a predominantly liquid bypass flow in condenser applications is to be taken from the location close to the bottom of the manifold or manifold chamber).
  • the invention concept is similar for condenser and evaporator applications.
  • the invention is disclosed for parallel flow heat exchangers, it does have applications for other heat exchanger types, for instance, for the heat exchangers having intermediate manifolds in the condenser applications.
  • the number of passes shown is purely exemplary, and a heat exchanger with any number of passes can equally benefit from the present invention.
  • the manifold constructions 30 and 34 encompassing a number of chambers may have many different design shapes and configurations. Also, the manifold chambers may not necessarily be positioned within the same manifold construction.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
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Claims (15)

  1. Kälteanlage (20), umfassend:
    - einen Kondensator (24; 124; 224; 324; 424; 524);
    - einen Kompressor (22);
    - eine Expansionsvorrichtung (26); und
    - einen Verdampfer (28),
    wobei der Kompressor dazu gedacht ist, ein komprimiertes Kältemittel an den Kondensator abzugeben, wobei das Kältemittel von dem Kondensator durch die Expansionsvorrichtung und von der Expansionsvorrichtung durch den Verdampfer geht und von dem Verdampfer zum Kompressor zurückgeführt wird; und
    wobei mindestens einer von dem Kondensator und dem Verdampfer eine Vielzahl von Wärmeübertragungsröhren (32, 36, 38, 40) aufweist, die ein Kältemittel stromabwärts allgemein parallel durchlassen; und
    wobei mindestens eine Stelle (30B, 34A, 34B, 34) innerhalb des Verdampfers (28) geeignet ist, um getrennte Dampf- und Flüssigkeitsphasen des Kältemittelgemischs aufzunehmen, während das Kältemittel durch die Vielzahl von Wärmeübertragungsröhren fließt, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass mindestens ein Teil einer getrennten Dampfphase an der Stelle abgezapft und an eine stromabwärtige Stelle (30C, 34B; 30; 25) abgegeben wird, wobei er mindestens einige der Wärmeübertragungsröhren umgeht, um die Verteilung eines verbleibenden Kältemittels, das durch die umgangenen Wärmeübertragungsröhren fließt, die in direkter Fluidkommunikation mit dieser Stelle stehen, zu verbessern.
  2. Kälteanlage (20) nach Anspruch 1, umfassend:
    mindestens eine Stelle (30B, 34A, 34B, 34) innerhalb des Kondensators, die geeignet ist, um getrennte Dampf- und Flüssigkeitsphasen des Kältemittelgemischs aufzunehmen, während das Kältemittel durch die Vielzahl von Wärmeübertragungsröhren fließt, und wobei mindestens ein Teil einer getrennten Flüssigkeitsphase an der Stelle abgezapft und an eine stromabwärtige Stelle (30C, 34B; 30; 25) abgegeben wird, wobei er mindestens einige der Wärmeübertragungsröhren umgeht, um die Verteilung eines verbleibenden Kältemittels, das durch die umgangenen Wärmeübertragungsröhren fließt, die in direkter Fluidkommunikation mit dieser Stelle stehen, zu verbessern.
  3. Kälteanlage (20) nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, wobei der mindestens eine von dem Kondensator (24; 124; 224; 324; 424; 524) und dem Verdampfer (28) mindestens eine Verteilerstruktur (30, 34) in Fluidkommunikation mit der Vielzahl von Wärmeübertragungsröhren (32, 36, 38, 40) aufweist, wobei die mindestens eine Verteilerstruktur mit mindestens einem Trennelement versehen ist, das mindestens zwei Kammern (30A, 30B, 30C, 34A, 34B) innerhalb der mindestens einen Verteilerstruktur bereitstellt, und wobei mindestens eine der Kammern die Zapfstelle ist.
  4. Kälteanlage (20) nach Anspruch 3, wobei das Trennelement eines von einer Trennplatte (42), einem Rückschlagventil, einem Schwimmerventil (52; 80), einem Magnetventil, einer Mündung mit einem Flüssigkeitsverschluss und einer Kombination davon ist.
  5. Kälteanlage (20) nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, wobei der mindestens eine von dem Kondensator (24; 124; 224; 324; 424; 524) und dem Verdampfer (28) mindestens eine Verteilerstruktur (30, 34) in Fluidkommunikation mit der Vielzahl von Wärmeübertragungsröhren (32, 36, 38, 40) aufweist, wobei die mindestens eine Verteilerstruktur mit mindestens einem Trennelement versehen ist, das mindestens zwei Kammern (30A, 30B, 30C, 34A, 34B) innerhalb der mindestens einen Verteilerstruktur bereitstellt, und wobei mindestens eine der Kammern die stromabwärtige Stelle (30C, 34B; 30, 25) ist.
  6. Kälteanlage (20) nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, wobei der mindestens eine von dem Kondensator (24; 124; 224; 324; 424; 524) und dem Verdampfer (28) eine Auslass-Kältemittelröhre (25) aufweist, und wobei die Auslass-Kältemittelröhre die stromabwärtige Stelle (30C; 34B; 30; 25) ist.
  7. Kälteanlage (20) nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei das getrennte Kältemittel mindestens teilweise von einer Umgehungsleitung (53; 56; 62; 78) geführt wird.
  8. Kälteanlage (20) nach Anspruch 7, wobei die Umgehungsleitung (53; 56; 62; 78) mindestens eines von externen und internen Elementen zur Verbesserung der Wärmeübertragung aufweist.
  9. Kälteanlage (20) nach Anspruch 7, wobei die Umgehungsleitung (53; 56; 62; 78), die mit mindestens einem von dem Kondensator (24; 124; 224; 324; 424; 524) und dem Verdampfer (28) verknüpft ist, auf dem Luftströmungsweg positioniert ist, der sich über mindestens einen von dem Kondensator und dem Verdampfer bewegt.
  10. Kälteanlage (20) nach Anspruch 9, wobei die Umgehungsleitung (53; 56; 62; 78), die mit mindestens einem von dem Kondensator (24; 124; 224; 324; 424; 524) und dem Verdampfer (28) verknüpft ist, mit Bezug auf die Luftströmung stromaufwärts von mindestens einem von dem Kondensator und dem Verdampfer positioniert ist.
  11. Kälteanlage (20) nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei jede der Vielzahl von Wärmeübertragungsröhren (32, 36, 38, 40) eine Vielzahl von kleinen parallelen internen Kanälen (100) aufweist, die ein Kältemittel auf parallelen Wegen in den Wärmeübertragungsröhren führen, und wobei die parallelen internen Kanäle eine Mikrokanal-Wärmeübertragungsröhre oder eine Minikanal-Wärmeübertragungsröhre erstellen.
  12. Kälteanlage (20) nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei es mehrere Zapfstellen gibt.
  13. Kälteanlage (20) nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei es mehrere stromabwärtige Stellen gibt.
  14. Verfahren zum Betreiben einer Kälteanlage, umfassend folgende Schritte:
    (1) Bereitstellen eines Kompressors (22) zum Abgeben eines komprimierten Kältemittels an einen Kondensator (24; 124; 224; 324; 424; 524), wobei das Kältemittel von dem Kondensator durch eine Expansionsvorrichtung (26) und von der Expansionsvorrichtung durch einen Verdampfer (28) geht und von dem Verdampfer zu dem Kompressor zurückgeführt wird; und
    (2) Bereitstellen mindestens eines von dem Kondensator und dem Verdampfer, der eine Vielzahl von Wärmeübertragungsröhren (32, 36, 38, 40) aufweist, die ein Kältemittel stromabwärts allgemein parallel durchlassen;
    gekennzeichnet durch folgenden Schritt:
    (3) Identifizieren mindestens einer Stelle (30B, 34A, 34B, 34) innerhalb des Verdampfers (28), die geeignet ist, um getrennte Dampf- und Flüssigkeitsphasen des Kältemittelgemischs aufzunehmen, während das Kältemittel durch die Vielzahl von Wärmeübertragungsröhren fließt, und wobei mindestens ein Teil einer getrennten Dampfphase an der Stelle abgezapft und an eine stromabwärtige Stelle (30C, 34B; 30; 25) abgegeben wird, wobei er mindestens einige der Wärmeübertragungsröhren umgeht, um die Verteilung eines verbleibenden Kältemittels, das durch die umgangenen Wärmeübertragungsröhren fließt, die in direkter Fluidkommunikation mit dieser Stelle stehen, zu verbessern.
  15. Verfahren nach Anspruch 14, umfassend folgenden Schritt:
    (4) Identifizieren mindestens einer Stelle (34A, 34B, 30B; 34) innerhalb des Kondensators (24; 124; 224; 324; 424; 524), die geeignet ist, um getrennte Dampf- und Flüssigkeitsphasen des Kältemittelgemischs aufzunehmen, während das Kältemittel durch die Vielzahl von Wärmeübertragungsröhren fließt, und wobei mindestens ein Teil einer getrennten Flüssigkeitsphase an der Stelle abgezapft und an eine stromabwärtige Stelle (30C, 34B; 30; 25) abgegeben wird, wobei er mindestens einige der Wärmeübertragungsröhren umgeht, um die Verteilung eines verbleibenden Kältemittels, das durch die umgangenen Wärmeübertragungsröhren fließt, die in direkter Fluidkommunikation mit dieser Stelle stehen, zu verbessern.
EP06839399.0A 2006-12-15 2006-12-15 Kältemittelverteilungsverbesserung in parallelstromwärmetauscherverteilern Not-in-force EP2097701B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

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PCT/US2006/047950 WO2008073108A1 (en) 2006-12-15 2006-12-15 Refrigerant distribution improvement in parallel flow heat exchanger manifolds

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EP2097701A1 EP2097701A1 (de) 2009-09-09
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US (1) US20100095688A1 (de)
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WO (1) WO2008073108A1 (de)

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CN101563577B (zh) 2012-08-29
US20100095688A1 (en) 2010-04-22
EP2097701A4 (de) 2011-05-11
EP2097701A1 (de) 2009-09-09
HK1137803A1 (en) 2010-08-06
WO2008073108A1 (en) 2008-06-19
ES2440241T3 (es) 2014-01-28
CN101563577A (zh) 2009-10-21

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