Condenser inlet pressure recovery feature for chiller assembly

Abstract

A condenser unit for a chiller assembly is provided. The condenser unit includes a housing having a substantially cylindrical shape, a first tube bundle disposed within the housing, and an inlet line and an outlet line coupled with the housing. The inlet line receives vapor refrigerant and the outlet line discharges liquid refrigerant. The inlet includes a substantially straight portion having a first diameter and a flared lip portion having a second diameter. The second diameter is larger than the first diameter. The condenser unit further includes a baffle plate disposed below the flaring lip portion and above the first tube bundle. The baffle prevents refrigerant entering the housing from directly falling on the first tube bundle and has a substantially plate-like geometry.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the patent application with application number 2018800745504, application date September 24, 2018, international application number PCT / US2018 / 052479, and invention name “Condenser inlet pressure recovery feature for cooler assembly”.

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This application claims the benefit of and priority to International Patent Application No. PCT / CN2017 / 103198 filed on September 25, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0004] Buildings may include heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Summary of the invention

[0005] One embodiment of the present disclosure is a condenser unit for a chiller assembly. The condenser unit includes a shell having a substantially cylindrical shape, a first tube bundle arranged within the shell, and an inlet line and an outlet line coupled to the shell. The inlet line receives vapor refrigerant, and the outlet line discharges liquid refrigerant. The inlet includes a substantially straight portion having a first diameter and a flared lip portion having a second diameter. The second diameter is larger than the first diameter. The condenser unit further includes a baffle arranged below the flared lip portion and above the first tube bundle. The baffle prevents refrigerant entering the shell from falling directly on the first tube bundle and has a substantially plate-like geometry.

[0006] Another embodiment of the present disclosure is a condenser unit for a chiller assembly. The condenser unit includes a shell having a substantially cylindrical shape, a first tube bundle disposed within the shell, and an inlet line and an outlet line coupled to the shell. The inlet line receives vapor refrigerant, and the outlet line discharges liquid refrigerant. The inlet includes a substantially straight portion having a first diameter and a tapered portion having a substantially frustoconical shape and terminating at a second diameter. The second diameter is larger than the first diameter.

[0007] Another embodiment of the present disclosure is a condenser unit for a chiller assembly. The condenser unit includes a shell having a substantially cylindrical shape, a first tube bundle arranged within the shell, and an inlet line and an outlet line coupled to the shell. The inlet line receives vapor refrigerant, and the outlet line discharges liquid refrigerant. The inlet includes a substantially straight portion having a first diameter, a tapered portion terminating at a second diameter, and a flared lip portion terminating at a third diameter. The second diameter is greater than the first diameter, and the third diameter is greater than the second diameter. The condenser unit further includes a baffle arranged below the flared lip portion and above the first tube bundle. The baffle prevents refrigerant entering the shell from falling directly on the first tube bundle, and has a substantially plate-like geometry. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cooler assembly according to some embodiments.

[0009] Figure 2 According to some embodiments Figure 1 Elevation view of the cooler assembly.

[0010] Figure 3 According to some embodiments, Figure 1 A perspective view of a condenser unit used in a chiller assembly.

[0011] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view of a condenser unit having flared inlet tubing according to some embodiments.

[0012] Figure 5 According to some embodiments Figure 4 Detailed view of the flared inlet line.

[0013] Figure 6 is a graph of refrigerant pressure recovery that may be achieved with a straight inlet line and a flared inlet line according to some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 7 is a front view of a condenser unit having a tapered inlet line according to some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 8 According to some embodiments Figure 7 Detailed view of the tapered inlet line.

[0016] Fig. 9 is a graph of refrigerant pressure recovery curves that may be achieved with a straight inlet line and a tapered inlet line with a boss flange according to some embodiments.

[0017] Fig.10According to some embodiments, Figure 1 A perspective view of a condenser unit used in a chiller assembly.

[0018] Fig.11 is a cross-sectional front view of a condenser unit having a flared inlet and a tapered baffle member according to some embodiments.

[0019] Fig.12 According to some embodiments Fig.11 A cross-sectional side view of a condenser unit.

[0020] Fig.13 is a cross-sectional front view of a condenser unit having a flared inlet and angle iron baffle components according to some embodiments.

[0021] Fig.14 According to some embodiments Fig.13 A cross-sectional side view of a condenser unit.

[0022] Fig.15 is a cross-sectional front view of a condenser unit having a flared inlet and a smooth raised baffle member according to some embodiments.

[0023] Fig.16 According to some embodiments Fig.15 A cross-sectional side view of a condenser unit.

[0024] Fig.17 is a cross-sectional front view of a condenser unit having a flared tapered inlet and a tapered baffle member according to some embodiments.

[0025] Fig.18 According to some embodiments Fig.17 A cross-sectional side view of a condenser unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Referring generally to the accompanying drawings, there is shown a condenser unit for a chiller assembly having an inlet having geometric features configured to conserve and / or recover the pressure of a refrigerant vapor. Minimizing any pressure drop in the refrigerant as it flows to the condenser unit can be important because low refrigerant pressure conditions may result in an overall decrease in the performance of the chiller assembly. Minimizing the pressure drop is particularly important when the chiller assembly uses a refrigerant having a lower operating pressure relative to other refrigerants typically used in the chiller assembly.

[0027] Now refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2, depicting an exemplary embodiment of a chiller assembly 100. The chiller assembly 100 is shown to include a compressor 102 driven by a motor 104, a condenser 106, and an evaporator 108. A refrigerant may circulate in a vapor compression cycle through the chiller assembly 100. The chiller assembly 100 may also include a control panel 114 for controlling the operation of the vapor compression cycle within the chiller assembly 100.

[0028] The motor 104 is powered by a variable speed drive (VSD) 110. The VSD 110 receives AC power having a specific fixed line voltage and a fixed line frequency from an alternating current (AC) power source (not shown), and provides power having a variable voltage and frequency to the motor 104. The motor 104 can be any type of electric motor that can be powered by the VSD 110. For example, the motor 104 can be a high-speed induction motor. The compressor 102 is driven by the motor 104 to compress the refrigerant vapor received from the evaporator 108 through the suction line 112 and deliver the refrigerant vapor to the condenser 106 through the discharge line 124. The compressor 102 can be a centrifugal compressor, a screw compressor, a scroll compressor, a turbo compressor, or any other type of suitable compressor.

[0029] The evaporator 108 may include an internal tube bundle, a supply line 120 and a return line 122 for supplying and removing a process fluid to and from the internal tube bundle. The supply line 120 and the return line 122 may be in fluid communication with components within the HVAC system (e.g., an air handler) via conduits that circulate the process fluid. The process fluid is a cooling liquid used to cool a building and may be, but is not limited to, water, ethylene glycol, calcium chloride brine, sodium chloride brine, or any other suitable liquid. The evaporator 108 is configured to reduce the temperature of the process fluid as it passes through the tube bundle of the evaporator 108 and exchanges heat with the refrigerant. Refrigerant vapor is formed in the evaporator 108 from a refrigerant liquid that is delivered to the evaporator 108, exchanges heat with the process fluid, and undergoes a phase change to become a refrigerant vapor.

[0030] The refrigerant vapor delivered to the condenser 106 by the compressor 102 transfers heat to the fluid. Due to the heat transfer with the fluid, the refrigerant vapor condenses into a refrigerant liquid in the condenser 106. The refrigerant liquid from the condenser 106 flows through an expansion device (not shown) and returns to the evaporator 108 to complete the refrigerant cycle of the chiller assembly 100. The condenser 106 includes a supply line 116 and a return line 118 for circulating the fluid between the condenser 106 and an external component of the HVAC system (e.g., a cooling tower). The fluid supplied to the condenser 106 via the return line 118 exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the condenser 106 and is removed from the condenser 106 via the supply line 116 to complete the cycle. The fluid circulating through the condenser 106 can be water or any other suitable liquid.

[0031] The refrigerant may have an operating pressure of less than 400 kPa or about 58 psi. For example, the refrigerant may be R1233zd. R1233zd is a non-flammable fluorinated gas that has a low global warming potential (GWP) relative to other refrigerants used in commercial chiller assemblies. GWP is a measure developed to compare the impact of different gases on global warming by quantifying how much energy the emission of 1 ton of a gas will absorb relative to the emission of 1 ton of carbon dioxide over a certain period of time.

[0032] Now go to Figure 3 , according to an exemplary embodiment, depicts a simplified view of a condenser unit 106. The condenser unit 106 includes a shell 300 having a generally cylindrical geometry. The shell 300 is coupled to both an inlet line 302 configured to receive a refrigerant vapor 306 and an outlet line 304 configured to discharge a liquid refrigerant 308.

[0033] The first tube bundle 310 is arranged within the shell 300 and includes tubes that exchange heat with the refrigerant vapor 306 entering the condenser unit 106, thereby causing the refrigerant to condense into a refrigerant liquid 308. However, before the refrigerant liquid 308 can leave the condenser unit 106, the refrigerant liquid can be further cooled or subcooled to a temperature lower than the saturation temperature of the refrigerant via a tube 312 located within a subcooler section 320. The subcooler section 320 is immersed in a liquid reservoir 324, which has a liquid level 326 higher than the subcooler section 320. The liquid refrigerant passes through a subcooler inlet 322 and through the tube 312 via a central channel 318 and an outer channel 314 having a bottom wall 316 before leaving the condenser unit via the outlet line 304.

[0034] Now refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5, among other things, illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a condenser unit 300 having a flared line inlet 304 . Figure 4 A cross-sectional side view of a condenser unit 400 having a housing 402 is depicted. The housing 402 may include the same Figure 3 The shell 402 may be coupled to a tube bundle (not shown) that is the same or substantially similar to the tube bundle 310 described. The shell 402 may be coupled to both a refrigerant inlet line 404 configured to deliver refrigerant vapor to the condenser unit 400 and a refrigerant outlet line 406 configured to remove liquid refrigerant from the condenser unit 400. The refrigerant inlet line 404 includes a flared end or lip portion 408 that is provided at the bottom of the shell 402. Figure 5 The flared end or lip portion 408 is located above the baffle 414, which is described below with reference to Figures 10 to 18 Described in more detail, the baffle 414 may be a flange plate member fastened to the inner surface of the housing 402 .

[0035] Still refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the flared end 408 gradually increases the diameter of the inlet line 404 from the first diameter 410 to the second diameter 412. This increase in diameter smoothes the flow of the refrigerant vapor and causes some of the kinetic energy of the refrigerant vapor to be converted into pressure energy. These effects can be achieved even if the second diameter 412 is not substantially larger than the first diameter 410. Figure 5 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the second diameter 412 is only approximately (eg, + / - 10%) 1.17 times wider than the first diameter 410. The size of the flared end 408 may alternatively be defined according to an inner radius 416. For example, the inner radius 416 may range from a minimum of 20 mm to a maximum of 100 mm.

[0036] Now go to Figure 6 , the graph 600 depicts the above reference Figure 4 and Figure 5The performance of described flared pipeline inlet and comparable straight pipeline (that is, non-flared) inlet.X-axis 602 represents the dynamic pressure of the refrigerant vapor entering the condenser unit in Pascal (Pa).Y-axis 604 represents the pressure drop experienced by refrigerant vapor in kilopascal (kPa).Trend line 606 depicts the pressure drop experienced by the refrigerant vapor advancing to the condenser unit by the straight pipeline inlet, and trend line 608 depicts the pressure drop experienced by the refrigerant vapor advancing to the condenser unit by the flared pipeline inlet.As shown in the figure, the refrigerant vapor passing through two types of pipeline inlets experiences the opposite relationship between the dynamic pressure and the pressure change experienced by the refrigerant vapor.Along with the dynamic pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the straight pipeline increases, the pressure drop experienced by the refrigerant increases accordingly.On the contrary, along with the dynamic pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the flared pipeline increases, the pressure of the refrigerant recovered instead of the loss increases.

[0037] Now refer to Figure 7 , shows an exemplary condenser unit 700 having a tapered inlet or discharge line. Figure 3 Similar to the depicted condenser unit 106, condenser unit 700 is shown to include a housing 702 and a liquid refrigerant outlet line 708. However, in contrast to condenser unit 106, condenser unit 700 is shown to include two refrigerant vapor inlets 704, each having a tapered discharge portion or line 706.

[0038] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the refrigerant vapor inlet 704 and the tapered discharge inlet line 706 is provided in more detail. Similar to the above-mentioned flared line, the tapered discharge inlet line 706 is used to gradually increase the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path when the refrigerant vapor enters the shell 702 of the condenser unit 700. The gradual increase in the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path is used to make the flow of the refrigerant vapor smoothly transition and gradually decelerate, so that the kinetic energy of the flow is converted into pressure energy. The tapered discharge line 706 has a substantially truncated conical shape and can be formed using any suitable method (e.g., welding of metal plates). In addition, the tapered discharge inlet line 706 can be any size required to achieve the desired amount of pressure energy recovery. For example, the cross-sectional area of ​​the tapered discharge portion 606 at the point where the refrigerant leaves the shell 702 is approximately (e.g., + / -10%) twice the cross-sectional area of ​​the refrigerant at the point where the vapor inlet 704 transitions to the tapered discharge inlet line 706. Additionally, the angle 712 between the slope of the tapered discharge inlet line 706 and the vertical direction can be selected to optimize the pressure recovery of the refrigerant vapor. Figure 8 As shown, angle 712 is approximately (eg, + / - 10%) 8°. In other embodiments, angle 712 ranges between 1° and 4°.

[0039] Baffle 710 is suspended below tapered discharge portion 706 and is coupled to shell 702 via any suitable type of fasteners. Baffle 710 is configured to prevent refrigerant entering condenser unit 700 from falling directly onto tube bundles disposed within shell 702 and causing potentially damaging vibrations to the tube bundles. In some embodiments, baffle 710 comprises a substantially plate-like member having a plurality of holes extending through the plate member.

[0040] Now go to Fig. 9 , as mentioned above Figure 7 and Figure 8 Described, graph 900 depicts the performance of tapered discharge inlet and comparable straight line inlet, and the straight line inlet has a boss flange located in the condenser shell.As used herein, the boss flange is similar to the above-mentioned flared pipe, but, compared with the flared pipe design, the boss flange requires a larger forged portion, which is expensive and hinders the larger portion inside the condenser shell.Similar to the above-mentioned graph 600, the x-axis 902 of graph 900 represents the dynamic pressure of the refrigerant vapor entering the condenser unit in kilopascals (kPa), and the y-axis 904 represents the pressure drop of the refrigerant vapor in kilopascals (kPa).Trend line 906 depicts the pressure drop experienced by the refrigerant vapor advancing through the straight pipe with boss flange, and trend line 908 depicts the pressure drop experienced by the refrigerant vapor advancing through the tapered discharge inlet. As shown, as the dynamic pressure of the refrigerant increases, the refrigerant vapor traveling through both the tapered discharge inlet and the straight line inlet with the boss flange recovers more pressure, but the effect of the tapered discharge inlet is more obvious, resulting in better overall chiller performance achieved by the use of the tapered discharge inlet.

[0041] Now refer to Fig.10, depicts another exemplary embodiment of a condenser unit 1000 having an inlet line having a pressure recovery feature. The condenser unit 1000 includes a shell 1002 having a generally cylindrical geometry, the shell being coupled to an inlet line 1004 and an outlet line (not shown). The inlet line 1004 may terminate at a flared end 1006 to increase the pressure recovery of the refrigerant entering the shell 1002. The flared end 1006 may be disposed within the shell 1002. A baffle 1010 may be disposed within the shell 1002 and below the flared end 1006. The baffle 1010 may be detachably coupled to the inner surface of the shell 1002 and may have a substantially plate-like geometry to aid in recovering the dynamic pressure of the refrigerant entering the shell 1002. In various embodiments, the baffle 1010 may be a flange plate to ensure sufficient baffle stiffness. The baffle 1010 may include a space 1008 reserved for a baffle feature for directing refrigerant flow from the inlet line 1004 onto the baffle 1010 and into the shell 1002. In various embodiments, the space 1008 reserved for the baffle feature may be centered below the flared end 1006 of the inlet line 1004.

[0042] Now go to Figures 11 to 16 , depicts various embodiments of condenser units with various baffle features in cross-sectional front and cross-sectional side views. Figures 11 to 16 A condenser unit including a flared inlet line is depicted, but in other embodiments, a tapered inlet line may be used instead of a flared inlet line. Fig.11 and Fig.12 , describes a condenser unit 1100 having a flared inlet line 1104 and a tapered baffle member 1106. The flared inlet line 1104 can be similar to the condenser unit 1100 of the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The tapered baffle member 1106 may be the same or substantially similar to the flared inlet line described above. The tapered baffle member 1106 may extend vertically from the baffle 1110 toward the flared inlet line 1104 to smoothly guide the flow of refrigerant from the flared inlet line 1104 into the shell 1102 before the refrigerant flows onto a tube bundle (not shown) located within the shell 1102. In various embodiments, the tapered baffle member 1106 may be integrally formed with the baffle 1110 or detachably coupled to the baffle 1110.

[0043] The position of the baffle 1110 and the size of the tapered baffle member 1106 can be controlled to ensure that adequate pressure recovery is achieved. For example, the distance 1118 between the terminal edge of the flared inlet line 1104 and the upper surface of the baffle 1110 can be as follows:

[0044]

[0045] In the above equation, D in is the inner diameter 1112 of the flared inlet pipe 1104, D lip is the outer diameter 1114 of the terminating edge of the flared inlet conduit 1104, and H is the distance 1118. Similarly, the minimum distance 1108 between the conical baffle member 1106 and the tangent point 1116 on the inner surface of the flared inlet may be as follows:

[0046]

[0047] In the above equation, D in is the inner diameter 1112 of the flared inlet line 1104 , and L is the minimum distance 1108 .

[0048] Now refer to Fig.13 and Fig.14 , depicting a condenser unit 1300 having a flared inlet line 1304 and an angle iron baffle member 1306. The condenser unit 1300 may be substantially similar to the condenser unit 1300 described above with reference to Fig.11 and Fig.12 The condenser unit 1100 is described and is shown to include a shell 1302 and a flared inlet pipe 1304. An angle iron baffle member 1306 may extend vertically from the baffle 1308 toward the flared inlet pipe 1304 and may include a structural rod made of iron or steel with an L-shaped cross-section. Fig.14 , angle iron guard member 1306 is shown extending substantially the entire length of guard plate 1308 and coupled to housing 1302 and guard plate 1308 at attachment point 1310. In various embodiments, angle iron guard member 1306 and guard plate 1308 may be positioned within housing 1302 according to the equations for minimum distance 1108 and distance 1118 included above.

[0049] Similar to Figures 11 to 14 , Fig.15 and Fig.16 A condenser unit 1500 is depicted having a flared inlet line 1504 and a smooth protruding baffle member 1506. The condenser unit 1500 can be substantially similar to the condenser units 1100 and 1300 described above, and is shown as including a shell 1502 and a flared inlet line 1504. The smooth protruding baffle member 1506 can extend vertically from the baffle 1508 and can include a substantially conical geometry having a plurality of rounded or smooth outer surfaces that contact the refrigerant entering the shell 1502. In various embodiments, the smooth protruding baffle member 1506 can be integrally formed with the baffle 1508 or removably coupled to the baffle 1508.

[0050] Now refer to Fig.17 and Fig.18 , shows an embodiment of a condenser unit 1700 having a combined flared and tapered inlet line 1704 in cross-sectional front and side views. Figures 10 to 16 In the depicted embodiment, the condenser unit 1700 is shown to include a housing 1702, a baffle 1708, and a tapered baffle member 1706 extending from an upper surface of the baffle 1708 toward an inlet line 1704. Figures 10 to 16 Unlike the depicted inlet lines 1004, 1104, 1304, and 1504, the inlet line 1704 is shown as including both a tapered portion 1710 and a flared lip 1712. The tapered portion 1710 can have a substantially frustoconical shape that gradually increases in diameter as the refrigerant travels downward into the shell 1702. In various embodiments, the dimensions of the tapered portion 1710 can conform to the dimensional requirements of the tapered discharge inlet line 706, as described above with reference to Figure 7 and Figure 8 Similarly, the size of the flared lip 1712 can conform to the size requirements of the flared end 408, as described above with reference to Figure 4 and Figure 5 Although the condenser unit 1700 is shown as including a tapered baffle member 1706, another type of baffle member (eg, angle iron, smooth protrusion) may be utilized.

[0051] The construction and arrangement of the system and method as shown in each exemplary embodiment are only illustrative. Although only several embodiments are described in detail in the present disclosure, many modifications are possible (for example, the size, dimensions, structure, shape and ratio of various elements, the value of parameters, the installation arrangement, the use of materials, the color, the orientation, etc.). For example, the position of the element can be reversed or otherwise changed, and the property or quantity or position of the discrete element can be changed or changed. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included in the scope of the present disclosure. The order or sequence of any process or method step can be changed or reordered according to alternative embodiments. Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions can be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments.

Claims

1. A condenser unit for a chiller assembly, the condenser unit comprising: a housing having a substantially cylindrical shape; a first tube bundle, the first tube bundle being arranged in the shell; an inlet line coupled to the shell and configured to receive vapor refrigerant, wherein the inlet line includes a substantially straight portion having a first cross-sectional area and a tapered portion having a substantially frustoconical shape, wherein the tapered portion extends from the substantially straight portion to the shell, an end of the tapered portion coupled to the shell having a second cross-sectional area, and the second cross-sectional area is greater than the first cross-sectional area; a baffle disposed within and coupled to the housing, wherein the baffle is suspended below the tapered portion and above the first tube bundle, and the baffle comprises a substantially plate-like member; and An outlet line is coupled to the shell and is configured to discharge liquid refrigerant.

2. The condenser unit according to claim 1, wherein: The refrigerant is R1233zd.

3. The condenser unit of claim 1, further comprising an angle iron member coupled to the baffle.

4. The condenser unit of claim 1, wherein the baffle is independent of and separate from the inlet line.

5. The condenser unit of claim 1, further comprising a smooth raised baffle member coupled to a top surface of the baffle.

6. A condenser unit for a chiller assembly, the condenser unit comprising: a housing having a substantially cylindrical shape; a first tube bundle, the first tube bundle being arranged in the housing; an inlet line coupled to the shell and configured to receive vapor refrigerant, wherein the inlet line includes a substantially straight portion and a tapered portion extending from the substantially straight portion, the substantially straight portion and the tapered portion being exterior to the shell, the tapered portion having a substantially frustoconical shape, an end of the tapered portion opposite the substantially straight portion being attached to the shell and configured to direct the vapor refrigerant into the shell, the substantially straight portion having a first diameter, the end of the tapered portion having a second diameter greater than the first diameter, and the tapered portion defining an angle relative to a vertical axis; a baffle suspended within the housing below the inlet conduit and above the first tube bundle, wherein the baffle comprises a substantially plate-like member; and An outlet line is coupled to the shell and is configured to discharge liquid refrigerant.

7. The condenser unit according to claim 6, wherein: The substantially straight portion has a first cross-sectional area, the end of the tapered portion attached to the housing has a second cross-sectional area, and the second cross-sectional area is approximately twice the first cross-sectional area.

8. The condenser unit of claim 6, wherein: The tapered portion is formed using a welding process.

9. The condenser unit of claim 6, wherein the baffle includes a plurality of holes extending through the substantially plate-like member, and the baffle is configured to prevent refrigerant entering the shell from directly landing on the first tube bundle.

10. The condenser unit of claim 6, further comprising a tapered member coupled to the baffle.

11. The condenser unit of claim 6, further comprising an angle iron member coupled to the baffle.

12. The condenser unit of claim 6, wherein: The refrigerant is R1233zd.

13. The condenser unit of claim 6, wherein: The angle is approximately 8 degrees.

14. The condenser unit of claim 6, wherein: The angle ranges between 1 degree and 4 degrees.

15. A condenser unit for a chiller assembly, the condenser unit comprising: a housing having a substantially cylindrical shape; a first tube bundle, the first tube bundle being arranged in the housing; an inlet line coupled to the shell and configured to receive vapor refrigerant, wherein the inlet line includes a first portion and a second portion extending from the first portion, the first portion being substantially straight and defining a first cross-sectional area, the second portion having a substantially frustoconical shape, an end of the substantially frustoconical shape being attached to the shell, the end of the substantially frustoconical shape defining a second cross-sectional area, and the second cross-sectional area is approximately twice the first cross-sectional area; a baffle disposed within the shell below the inlet line and above the first tube bundle, wherein the baffle is configured to prevent refrigerant entering the shell from directly falling on the first tube bundle, and the baffle comprises a substantially plate-shaped member; as well as An outlet line is coupled to the shell and is configured to discharge liquid refrigerant.

16. The condenser unit of claim 15, further comprising a tapered member coupled to the baffle.

17. The condenser unit of claim 15, further comprising an angle iron member coupled to the baffle.

18. The condenser unit of claim 15, wherein the inlet line includes a flared portion extending from the end of the substantially frustoconical shape, the flared portion includes a terminal edge, and the terminal edge defines a third cross-sectional area that is larger than the second cross-sectional area.

19. The condenser unit of claim 18, wherein the first portion and the second portion are disposed outside the housing and the flared portion is disposed inside the housing.

20. A condenser unit for a chiller assembly, comprising any one or any combination of the technical features of claims 15-19.

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