Microchannel heat exchanger

Abstract

The invention relates to a micro-channel heat exchanger. Specifically, a heat exchanger is disclosed. The heat exchanger includes: an inlet header including a first compartment separated by a first wall; a plurality of microchannel tubes extending between the first compartment and the outlet header of the heat exchanger and fluidly connected with the first compartment and the outlet header of the heat exchanger; and a first distributor including an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports. A plurality of supply tubes are disposed between the first compartments of the inlet header and the outlet ports of the first distributor such that each of the first compartments remains fluidly connected to one of the outlet ports of the first distributor by one of the supply tubes to allow an equal volume of fluid to flow from the first distributor into each of the first compartments. Further, a second distributor is disposed within the inlet header to mix the fluid and allow the fluid to flow into each of the first compartments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a microchannel heat exchanger. Summary of the invention

[0002] A heat exchanger is described herein. The heat exchanger includes: an inlet header including a first compartment separated by a first wall; a plurality of microchannel tubes extending between the first compartment and an outlet header of the heat exchanger and being fluidly connected to the first compartment and the outlet header of the heat exchanger; a first distributor including an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports, wherein a plurality of supply tubes are arranged between the first compartment of the inlet header and the outlet port of the first distributor, so that each of the first compartments remains fluidly connected to one of the outlet ports of the first distributor through one of the supply tubes to allow an equal volume of fluid to flow from the first distributor into each of the first compartments; and a second distributor arranged in the inlet header or in the first compartment, the second distributor being configured to mix the fluid and allow the fluid to flow uniformly into each of the microchannel tubes of the first compartment.

[0003] In one or more embodiments, the first distributor includes a shell of a predetermined shape, which includes an inlet port at a first end of the shell and a plurality of outlet ports at a second end of the shell, wherein the inlet port is fluidly connected to the plurality of outlet ports via a plurality of fluid passages extending within the shell.

[0004] In one or more embodiments, the first distributor has a solid conical shape including a substantially circular base and a curved side surface extending from a vortex end of the first distributor to the circular base, wherein the first distributor includes an inlet port at the vortex end, and a plurality of outlet ports are configured circumferentially around the circular base and are fluidly connected to the inlet port via a plurality of fluid passages.

[0005] In one or more embodiments, the inlet header is a hollow component having a first compartment, and the outlet header is a hollow component having a second compartment separated by a second wall, wherein first ends of a plurality of tubes are fluidly connected to at least one of the first compartments of the inlet header and second ends of corresponding tubes are fluidly connected to at least one of the second compartments of the outlet header.

[0006] In one or more embodiments, the heat exchanger comprises a fluid collector fluidly connected to the second compartments of the outlet header, wherein the collector device is configured to receive and collect fluid from each of the second compartments.

[0007] In one or more embodiments, the inlet header and the outlet header are configured in a vertical orientation with a plurality of tubes extending between the inlet header and the outlet header.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, a supply tube associated with each of the first compartments is connected to a bottom end of the corresponding first compartment.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, the plurality of tubes are in a single pass configuration.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the plurality of tubes are in a multi-pass configuration including a predetermined number of passes and a predetermined number of turns.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the number of tubes in a subsequent pass of the predetermined number of passes is less than the number of tubes in a corresponding previous pass.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the number of tubes in a subsequent pass of the predetermined number of passes is greater than the number of tubes in a corresponding previous pass.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, adjacent passes in the predetermined number of passes are fluidly connected by a flow mixing device.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the heat exchange section includes a plurality of circuits, wherein each of the circuits includes a tube bank that is a subset of the total number of the plurality of tubes.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the tube banks associated with each of the refrigerant circuits include a predetermined number of passes and a predetermined number of turns.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, a first end of a tube set associated with each of the circuits is fluidly connected to one of the first compartments of the inlet header, and a second end of a tube set associated with each of the circuits is fluidly connected to one of the second compartments of the outlet header.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the outlet ports of the first distributor are non-uniformly sized such that different volumes of fluid are provided in the first compartment of the inlet manifold.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the supply tube has a non-uniform predetermined diameter and a predetermined length such that a predetermined target pressure drop is achieved in the supply tube.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the second distributor includes a distribution tube extending longitudinally through the first compartment, the distribution tube including a plurality of cavities extending longitudinally along the length of the distribution tube and configured radially around a central axis of the distribution tube, wherein each of the cavities includes one or more ports opening in each of the first compartments.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the second distributor includes an elongated member extending through the first compartment within an inlet manifold, the elongated member including a plurality of fluid passages that are substantially parallel to each other and extend longitudinally along the length of the elongated member, and a plurality of outlet ports disposed on a face of the elongated member and fluidly connected to at least one of the outlet ports, wherein at least one of the outlet ports opens in each of the first compartments.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the second distributor includes a plurality of distribution tubes extending longitudinally through the inlet header such that each of the distribution tubes extends up to and remains fluidly connected to one of the first compartments of the inlet header.

[0022] In one or more embodiments, the inlet header and / or the outlet header includes one or more orifice plates coaxially disposed within the corresponding compartment.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, the heat exchanger includes a plurality of fins in thermal contact with the plurality of tubes.

[0024] In one or more embodiments, the heat exchanger is associated with one or more of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling (HVAC) system and a transport refrigeration unit.

[0025] Further described herein is a fluid distributor for a manifold, the manifold comprising compartments separated by walls. The fluid distributor comprises a housing of a predetermined shape, the housing comprising an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports in fluid communication with the inlet port via a plurality of fluid passages extending within the housing. The fluid distributor further comprises a plurality of supply tubes, wherein a first end of the supply tube is fluidly connected to one of the outlet ports of the housing, wherein a second end of a corresponding supply tube is configured to be fluidly connected to one of the compartments of the manifold to allow an equal volume of fluid to flow from the distributor into each of the compartments.

[0026] In one or more embodiments, the shell has a solid conical shape including a substantially circular base and a curved side surface extending from a vortex end of the distributor to the circular base, wherein the shell includes an inlet port at the vortex end, and a plurality of outlet ports are configured circumferentially around the circular base and are fluidly connected to the inlet port via a plurality of fluid passages.

[0027] The foregoing summary is exemplary only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition to the exemplary aspects, embodiments, and features described above, other aspects, embodiments, features, and techniques of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description in conjunction with the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0029] In the drawings, similar components and / or features may have the same reference label. In addition, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label with a second label that distinguishes the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description applies to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label, regardless of the second reference label.

[0030] Figure 1A An exemplary view of a heat exchanger having a single pass configuration according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] Figure 1B An exemplary view of a single circuit heat exchanger having a multi-pass configuration according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0032] Figure 1C An exemplary view of a multi-circuit heat exchanger having a multi-pass configuration according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0033] Figure 1D An exemplary view of a heat exchanger including distribution tubes extending internally within an inlet header is shown according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 1E An exemplary view of a multi-circuit heat exchanger having a multi-pass configuration including an orifice plate within a first compartment for fluid mixing according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0035] Figure 2A and 2B An exemplary view of a first dispenser according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0036] Figure 3 An exemplary view of a first distributor configured with a supply tube according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0037] Figure 4 An exemplary view of a heat exchanger having a V-coil configuration according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The following is a detailed description of the embodiments depicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are described in such detail in order to clearly convey the present disclosure. However, the amount of detail provided is not intended to limit the intended variations of the embodiments; on the contrary, it is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0039] Various terms are used herein. If a term used in a claim is not defined below, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have given that term as reflected in printed publications and issued patents at the time of filing.

[0040] In the specification, when depicting the device in the accompanying drawings, reference may be made to the spatial relationship between the various components and the spatial orientation of various aspects of the components. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art after reading this disclosure in its entirety, the components of the present invention described herein can be positioned in any desired orientation. Therefore, the use of terms such as "above", "below", "upper", "lower", "first", "second" or other similar terms to describe the spatial relationship between the various components or to describe the spatial orientation of aspects of these components should be understood to describe the relative relationship between the components or the spatial orientation of aspects of these components, respectively, because the inlet header, outlet header, first distributor, multi-channel tubes, heat exchanger, supply tubes and corresponding components described herein can be oriented in any desired direction.

[0041] Microchannel heat exchangers (MCHX), also known as parallel flow heat exchangers using microchannel tubes, are important components in many applications including heat pump systems, facilitating efficient heat transfer between different fluid streams. Microchannel heat exchangers use a large number of parallel refrigerant flow channels configured as flat tubes, with the refrigerant distributed and flowing in a parallel manner between the flow channels. The heat exchange tubes are oriented substantially perpendicular to the direction of the refrigerant in the inlet manifold, intermediate manifold, and outlet manifolds that are in flow communication with the heat exchange tubes. These heat exchangers are used in a wide range of applications, including residential and commercial heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) systems. The main reasons for deploying MCHX technology relate to its superior performance, high compactness, low cost, and low power usage. MCHX is now used in both condenser and evaporator applications for a variety of product and system designs and configurations. Evaporator applications, while promising greater benefits and returns, are also more challenging and problematic. An important challenge in the design and operation of MCHX as an evaporator is the uniform distribution of the working fluid (refrigerant) across all microchannels and tubes to ensure optimal heat transfer performance and capacity. The working fluid may be two phases (vapor and liquid). When two phases are present, they must be mixed evenly for efficient distribution.

[0042] It is well known that maldistribution of refrigerant in parallel flow heat exchangers occurs due to unequal pressure fields inside the channels and in the inlet and outlet manifolds. In the manifolds, differences in the length of the refrigerant path, phase separation, and gravity are the main factors causing maldistribution. Inside the tube channels, variations in heat transfer rate, airflow distribution, non-uniformity of channel hydraulic diameter, and gravity are the main factors. Maldistribution of the working fluid within the MCHX can lead to significant imbalances in thermal properties and a reduction in overall heat transfer efficiency. One of the main concerns associated with maldistribution is the variation in heat transfer coefficient between the vapor and liquid phases. Due to the lower heat transfer coefficient of the vapor phase, maldistribution can lead to reduced heat transfer in local areas, resulting in reduced capacity and overall performance of the heat pump system.

[0043] In refrigeration systems utilizing microchannel heat exchangers, the inlet manifold or header and the outlet manifold or header typically have a conventional cylindrical shape, with flat tubes inserted laterally so that the tube axis is substantially perpendicular to the header axis. When the two-phase flow enters the header, the vapor phase typically separates from the liquid phase due to the various factors mentioned above. Because the vapor phase occupies a much larger space than the liquid and the two phases flow independently, uneven refrigerant distribution often occurs.

[0044] The header (or manifold) forms a conduit for delivering the working fluid to the heat exchange tubes. The header may be vertical, horizontal, or some intermediate angle between vertical and horizontal. The header includes a compartment dedicated to a heat exchange tube group, which is a subset of the total number of heat exchange tubes. Typically, a distribution tube is located within the header to provide working fluid to the microchannel tubes of the compartment. The distribution tube may have a cavity that opens in the compartment to provide working fluid to the compartment of the header. Another embodiment of an internal distributor may be a tube with spaced ports on the tube body.

[0045] However, the maldistribution problem becomes more severe when the header of the MCHX is configured vertically. In such a configuration, the effect of gravity acts to cause separation between the vapor and liquid phases due to their different densities. This vapor-liquid separation can lead to increased maldistribution of the fluid across the microchannel tubes and compromise the overall heat transfer efficiency of the system. In addition, the maldistribution phenomenon can cause a two-phase (zero superheat) condition at the outlet of some tubes, facilitating potential flooding of the compressor suction, which can quickly lead to compressor failure.

[0046] A solution is needed to address the challenges posed by maldistribution in an MCHX, particularly in an MCHX with vertical headers, by providing an improved and efficient fluid distribution system to help the MCHX achieve a more uniform distribution of the working fluid phase across all microchannel tubes, thereby enhancing the overall thermal performance of the MCHX.

[0047] refer to Figures 1A to 1E, the heat exchanger 100 may include an inlet header 102, which includes one or more hollow compartments 104-1 to 104-N (collectively referred to herein as first compartments 104), which are separated by one or more first walls 106-1 to 106-N (collectively referred to herein as first walls or first partitions 106). In addition, the heat exchanger may also include an outlet header 110, which may or may not include separated compartments. In addition, the heat exchanger 100 may include a heat exchange section, which includes a plurality of microchannel tubes (collectively referred to herein as MCHX tubes 108), which extend between at least one of the first compartments 104-1 to 104-N and the outlet header 110 and are fluidly connected to at least one of the first compartments 104-1 to 104-N and the outlet header 110. In addition, the heat exchange section of the heat exchanger 100 may include a plurality of heat dissipation fins (F) in thermal contact with the plurality of tubes 108 to increase the exchange / transfer area of ​​the tubes 108 and correspondingly enhance heat exchange. In one or more embodiments, the heat exchanger may be associated with one or more of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and cooling (HVAC) system and a transport refrigeration unit, but is not limited thereto.

[0048] In one or more embodiments, the inlet header 102 and the outlet header 110 may be configured in a vertical orientation with the plurality of tubes 108 extending therebetween. However, the inlet header 102 and the outlet header 110 may also be horizontal, or some intermediate angle between vertical and horizontal.

[0049] In one or more embodiments, the heat exchanger 100 may include an external fluid distributor 200 (also referred to herein as a first distributor) including an inlet port 202 and a plurality of outlet ports 204 (eg, Figure 2A and 2B ), wherein the inlet port 202 of the first distributor 200 may be fluidly connected to an expansion valve (EV) associated with the heat exchanger 100 to receive a fluid (two-phase refrigerant). In addition, the heat exchanger assembly 100 may include a plurality of supply pipes 206 (collectively referred to herein as supply pipes 206), which are arranged between the first compartment 104 of the inlet header 102 and the outlet port 204 of the first distributor 200, so that each of the first compartments 104 remains fluidly connected to one of the outlet ports 204 of the first distributor 200 through one of the supply pipes 206 to allow an equal volume of fluid (two-phase refrigerant supplied by the expansion valve EV) to flow from the first distributor 200 into each of the first compartments 104.

[0050] In one or more embodiments, the first distributor 200 may include a shell of a predetermined shape, which may include an inlet port 202 at a first end of the shell and a plurality of outlet ports at a second end of the shell. In addition, the inlet port 202 may be in fluid communication with the plurality of outlet ports 204 via a plurality of fluid passages extending within the shell. In one or more embodiments, the outlet ports 204 of the first distributor 200 may be non-uniformly sized so that different volumes of fluid may be provided in different first compartments 104 of the inlet manifold 102. This may overcome the effects of uneven airflow distribution on a heat exchanger involving a fan, where the position or orientation of the fan relative to the heat exchanger may cause uneven airflow distribution. Reference Figure 4 , a heat exchanger 400 having a V-coil configuration is shown. The heat exchanger 400 may include a fan 402, which may cause uneven airflow distribution. For example, section 'A' of the heat exchanger 400 may receive less airflow than section 'B' of the heat exchanger 400. However, the uneven size of the outlet port 204 of the first distributor 200 may cause different volumes of fluid to flow into different first compartments 104 of the inlet header 102, so that the negative effects of uneven airflow distribution can be mitigated. Similarly, the uneven size of the outlet port 204 of the first distributor 200 may also mitigate the negative effects of uneven airflow distribution in heat exchangers having other configurations.

[0051] refer to Figure 2A and 2B In one or more embodiments, the first distributor 200 may have a solid conical shape, which may include a substantially circular base 208-1, and a curved side surface 208-3 extending from the vortex end 208-1 of the first distributor 200 to the circular base 208-1. The conical distributor 200 may include an inlet port 202 at the vortex end 208-2, and a plurality of outlet ports 204 are configured to circumferentially surround the circular base 208-1 and are in fluid communication with the inlet port via a plurality of fluid passages to form a showerhead-type configuration. In addition, referring to Figure 3 , the supply tube 206 may extend from the outlet port 204 at the base 208-1 of the tapered header 200 and may be further fluidly connected to the first compartment 104 of the inlet header 102, such as Figures 1A to 1C In one or more embodiments, the diameter and length of the supply tubes 206 may be non-uniform, with a predetermined diameter and a predetermined length such that a predetermined target pressure drop is achieved in the supply tubes 206. In one or more embodiments, the predetermined diameter and the predetermined length may be selected such that an equal pressure drop is achieved in all of the supply tubes 206 to supply an equal volume of fluid through each of the supply tubes 206.

[0052] It will be clear to those skilled in the art that although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with respect to a first distributor 200 having a conical shape or a shower head type configuration, the teachings of the present disclosure are equally applicable to first distributors 200 having different shapes or types, as long as the outlet port of the first distributor 200 is connected to each first compartment of the inlet manifold via a supply pipe to supply an equal volume of fluid including a liquid-vapor mixture from the expansion valve to the first compartment, and all such embodiments are appropriately within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0053] In one or more embodiments, the supply tube 206 associated with each of the first compartments 104 may be connected to the bottom end of the corresponding first compartment 104 to prevent fluid from accumulating or forming a fluid column in the first compartment 104 of the manifold 102, and further facilitate uniform distribution of the fluid into the tube 108. However, the supply tube 206 associated with each of the first compartments 104 may also be connected to the middle end or the upper end or other positions of the corresponding first compartment 104, as long as no fluid column is formed in the compartment of the inlet manifold 102.

[0054] Thus, the fluid (two-phase refrigerant) supplied by the expansion valve EV can be received by the first distributor 200 at the inlet port 202, and the outlet port 204 can further meter an equal or predetermined volume of fluid into each of the first compartments 104 of the inlet header 102. In addition, the smaller volume of the first compartment 104 (compared to an inlet header of the same size and without any partitions) can allow the fluid (received from the first distributor 200 via the supply tube 206) to be uniformly mixed and uniformly distributed into the ports of the microchannel tubes 108 associated with the corresponding compartments 104. In addition, an internal flow mixer or distribution device may be present. Therefore, the heat exchanger 100 can achieve a more uniform distribution of the fluid across all the microchannel tubes 108, thereby enhancing the overall thermal performance of the heat exchanger 100.

[0055] In one or more embodiments, the outlet header 110 may further include one or more hollow compartments 112-1 to 112-N (collectively referred to herein as second compartments 112), which are separated by one or more second walls 114-1 to 114-N (collectively referred to herein as second walls or partitions 114). The inlet header 102 and the outlet header 110 may be hollow members having parallel walls spaced a predetermined distance apart to form compartments therein. In one or more embodiments, the inlet header 102 and the outlet header 110 may have a cylindrical profile or a substantially curved profile with flat bases at two opposite portions, but are not limited thereto. Reference Figure 1CIn one or more embodiments, the heat exchanger 100 can include a fluid collector device 116 fluidly connected to the second compartments 112 of the outlet header 110. The collector device 116 can be configured to receive and collect fluid from each of the second compartments 112.

[0056] In one or more embodiments, the first compartment 104 and / or the second compartment 112 may have equal volumes, or the volumes may vary. When the compartment volumes vary, the number of microchannel tubes 108 associated with the corresponding compartments 104, 112 may also vary. In one or more embodiments, the heat exchange section may include a plurality of loops 108-A to 108-N, wherein each loop 108-A to 108-N may include a tube 108 group, and the tube 108 group may be a subset of the total number of multiple tubes 108 based on the volume of the corresponding compartment 104. In addition, the tube group associated with each refrigerant loop 108-A to 108-N may include a predetermined number of passes and a predetermined number of turns.

[0057] In one or more embodiments, in a single pass configuration, the outlet header 110 may not have any partitions. In addition, the first end of the group of tubes 108 associated with each of the circuits may be fluidly connected to one of the first compartments 104 of the inlet header 102, and the second end of the corresponding group of tubes 108 associated with each of the circuits may be fluidly connected to the outlet header 110.

[0058] In one or more embodiments, in a multi-pass configuration, the outlet header 110 may include a second compartment 112. Further, a first end of the set of tubes 108 associated with each of the circuits may be fluidly connected to one of the first compartments 104 of the inlet header 102, and a second end of a corresponding set of tubes 108 associated with each of the circuits may be fluidly connected to one of the second compartments 112 of the outlet header 110. Further, the set of tubes 108 associated with each of the circuits may include a predetermined number of passes and a predetermined number of turns.

[0059] In one or more embodiments, when the heat exchanger 100 is configured as an evaporator, the number of tubes 108 in a subsequent pass of the predetermined number of passes may be greater than the number of tubes 108 in a corresponding previous pass. Figure 1C As shown in , the number of tubes in pass P1 can be greater than the number of tubes in pass P2. In addition, the number of tubes in pass P2 can be greater than the number of tubes in pass P3.

[0060] In one or more embodiments, when the heat exchanger 100 is configured as a condenser, the number of tubes 108 in a subsequent pass in the predetermined number of passes may be less than the number of tubes 108 in the corresponding previous pass. Figure 1CAs shown in , the number of tubes 108 in pass P1 may be less than the number of tubes 108 in pass P2. In addition, the number of tubes 108 in pass P2 may be less than the number of tubes 108 in pass P3.

[0061] In one or more embodiments, each of the passes associated with the circuit (not shown) may be fluidly connected by a flow mixing device or an internal flow distribution device. The outlet end of the tube 108 associated with the previous pass may be connected to the inlet of the flow mixing device, and the inlet end of the tube 108 associated with the subsequent pass may be connected to the outlet of the flow mixing device. In addition, in one or more embodiments, the flow mixing device may be disposed in each of the second compartments 112 associated with the outlet header 110, however, the flow mixing device may also be maintained outside the outlet header 110.

[0062] refer to Figure 1D In one or more embodiments, the second distributor of the inlet manifold 102 may include a distribution tube 118, which may be spaced or unspaced, extending longitudinally through the first compartments 104-1 to 104-N over the entire length of the inlet manifold 102. The distribution tube 118 may include a plurality of cavities extending longitudinally along the length of the distribution tube 118, wherein the cavities may include one or more ports opening in each of the first compartments. The distribution tube 118 may include a plurality of cavities extending longitudinally along the length of the distribution tube 118 and configured radially around the central axis of the distribution tube, wherein each of the cavities may include a port opening in each of the first compartments 104-1 to 104-N. Additionally (not shown), the cavities of the distribution tube may be in the form of concentric rings, wherein the exterior of the distribution tube may have a stepped shape, which is caused by the rings terminating after the port opened in the target compartment 104. Therefore, the distribution tube 118 can serve as an internal fluid distributor for the inlet manifold 102, which can receive fluid from the expansion valve (EV) and supply the fluid to each of the compartments 104, and further evenly distribute the fluid to the microchannel tubes associated with the corresponding compartment 104.

[0063] In one or more embodiments, the second distributor of the inlet header 102 may include a plurality of distribution tubes extending longitudinally through the inlet header 102, such that each of the distribution tubes extends until and remains fluidly connected to one of the first compartments 104-1 to 104-N, thereby fluidly connecting the expansion valve (EV) to each of the first compartments 104-1 to 104-N of the inlet header 102. Accordingly, each of the distribution tubes may serve as an internal fluid distributor for one of the first compartments 104 of the inlet header 102, which may receive fluid from the expansion valve (EV) and supply the fluid to the corresponding first compartment 104, and further evenly distribute the fluid to the microchannel tubes associated with the corresponding first compartment 104.

[0064] refer to Figure 1E In one or more embodiments, in a multi-pass configuration, each of the first compartment 104 of the inlet header 102 and the second compartment 112 of the outlet header 110 may include an orifice plate 120 having an opening. The orifice plate 120 may be coaxially disposed within the inlet header 102. In addition, a first end of a group of tubes 108 associated with each of the loops may be fluidly connected to one of the first compartments 104 of the inlet header 102, and a second end of a corresponding group of tubes 108 associated with each of the loops may be fluidly connected to one of the second compartments 112 of the outlet header 110, so that the fluid may flow between the first compartment 104 and the second compartment 112 while flowing through the orifice plate 120, and finally flow out of the outlet header 110 into the fluid collector device 116.

[0065] It will be clear to those skilled in the art that, although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with respect to a header having a specific number of compartments and a refrigerant circuit having a specific configuration and number of passes for purposes of simplicity and better illustration, the teachings of the present disclosure are equally applicable to headers having a different number of compartments and refrigerant circuits having a different number of passes and configurations, and all such embodiments are properly within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0066] Thus, the present invention overcomes the disadvantages, limitations and deficiencies associated with prior art heat exchangers and corresponding fluid distributors by providing an improved, efficient and compact solution which helps the heat exchanger to supply equal volumes of fluid into the compartments of the inlet header and further helps to achieve a more uniform distribution of the fluid phase across all microchannel tubes, thereby enhancing the overall thermal performance of the heat exchanger.

[0067] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for its elements without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. The teachings of the present disclosure may be modified to accommodate specific circumstances or materials without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but that the present disclosure includes all embodiments that fall within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0068] In interpreting the specification, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" should be interpreted as referring to elements, components or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components or steps may exist or be utilized or combined with other elements, components or steps not explicitly referenced. When the specification claims to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C... and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, rather than A plus N, or B plus N, etc.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger, comprising: an inlet header including a first compartment separated by a first wall; a plurality of microchannel tubes extending between and fluidly connected to the first compartment and an outlet header of the heat exchanger; as well as a first distributor comprising an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports, wherein a plurality of supply tubes are disposed between the first compartments of the inlet manifold and the outlet ports of the first distributor such that each of the first compartments remains fluidly connected to one of the outlet ports of the first distributor via one of the supply tubes to allow equal volumes of fluid to flow from the first distributor into each of the first compartments; as well as A second distributor is disposed within the inlet header or in the first compartment, the second distributor being configured to mix the fluid and allow the fluid to flow uniformly into the microchannel tubes of each of the first compartments.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein: The first distributor includes a housing of a predetermined shape including an inlet port at a first end of the housing and a plurality of outlet ports at a second end of the housing, wherein the inlet port is in fluid communication with the plurality of outlet ports via a plurality of fluid passages extending within the housing.

3. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein: The first distributor has a solid conical shape, comprising a substantially circular base, and a curved side surface extending from a vortex end of the first distributor to the circular base, wherein the first distributor comprises the inlet port at the vortex end, and the plurality of outlet ports are configured to circumferentially surround the circular base and be fluidically connected to the inlet port via a plurality of fluid passages.

4. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The inlet header is a hollow member having the first compartment and the outlet header is a hollow member having a second compartment separated by a second wall, and Wherein first ends of the plurality of tubes are fluidly connected to at least one of the first compartments of the inlet header, and second ends of corresponding tubes are fluidly connected to at least one of the second compartments of the outlet header.

5. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The heat exchanger comprises a fluid collector fluidly connected to the second compartments of the outlet header, wherein a collector device is configured to receive and collect fluid from each of the second compartments.

6. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The inlet header and the outlet header are configured in a vertical orientation with the plurality of tubes extending between the inlet header and the outlet header.

7. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The supply tube associated with each of the first compartments is connected to a bottom end of the corresponding first compartment.

8. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The plurality of tubes are in a single pass configuration.

9. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The plurality of tubes are in a multi-pass configuration including a predetermined number of passes and a predetermined number of turns.

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein: The number of tubes in a subsequent pass of the predetermined number of passes is less than the number of tubes in a corresponding previous pass.

11. The heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein: The number of tubes in a subsequent pass of the predetermined number of passes is greater than the number of tubes in a corresponding preceding pass.

12. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein: Adjacent passes of the predetermined number of passes are fluidly connected by a flow mixing device.

13. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein: The heat exchange section comprises a plurality of circuits, wherein each of the circuits comprises a tube bank that is a subset of the total number of the plurality of tubes.

14. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein: The tube bank associated with each of the refrigerant circuits includes a predetermined number of passes and a predetermined number of turns.

15. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein: A first end of the tube set associated with each of the circuits is fluidly connected to one of the first compartments of the inlet header, and a second end of the tube set associated with each of the circuits is fluidly connected to one of the second compartments of the outlet header.

16. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein: The outlet ports of the first distributor are non-uniformly sized so as to provide different volumes of fluid in the first compartment of the inlet manifold.

17. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein: The supply pipe has a non-uniform predetermined diameter and a predetermined length such that a predetermined target pressure drop is achieved in the supply pipe.

18. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein: The second distributor includes a distribution tube extending longitudinally through the first compartment, the distribution tube including a plurality of cavities extending longitudinally along the length of the distribution tube and configured radially around a central axis of the distribution tube, wherein each of the cavities includes one or more ports opening in each of the first compartments.

19. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein: The second distributor includes an elongated member extending through the first compartment within the inlet manifold, the elongated member including a plurality of fluid passages extending substantially parallel to each other and longitudinally along the length of the elongated member, and a plurality of outlet ports disposed on a face of the elongated member and fluidly connected to at least one of the outlet ports, wherein at least one of the outlet ports opens in each of the first compartments.

20. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein: The second distributor includes a plurality of distribution tubes extending longitudinally through the inlet header such that each of the distribution tubes extends up to and remains fluidly connected to one of the first compartments of the inlet header.

21. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein: The inlet header and / or the outlet header includes one or more orifice plates coaxially arranged in the corresponding compartment.

22. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein: The heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat dissipating fins in thermal contact with the plurality of tubes.

23. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein: The heat exchanger is associated with one or more of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling (HVAC) system and a transport refrigeration unit.

24. A fluid distributor for a manifold, the manifold comprising compartments separated by walls, the fluid distributor comprising: a housing of a predetermined shape, the housing comprising an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports in fluid communication with the inlet port via a plurality of fluid passages extending within the housing; as well as a plurality of supply tubes, wherein a first end of the supply tube is fluidly connected to one of the outlet ports of the housing, Wherein the second end of the corresponding supply tube is configured to be fluidly connected to one of the compartments of the manifold to allow an equal volume of fluid to flow from the distributor into each of the compartments.

25. The fluid dispenser of claim 23, wherein: The housing has a solid conical shape including a substantially circular base and a curved side surface extending from a vortex end of the distributor to the circular base, wherein the housing includes an inlet port at the vortex end, and the plurality of outlet ports are configured to circumferentially surround the circular base and are in fluid communication with the inlet port via the plurality of fluid passages.

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