Flat-tube evaporator with micro-distributor
View Patent ↗A flat-tube evaporator and a refrigeration system including a flat-tube evaporator. The flat-tube evaporator can include an inlet manifold, an outlet manifold separated a distance from the inlet manifold, a distributor tube positioned within the inlet manifold and fluidly connected to the common distributor, and a plurality of flat tubes positioned to fluidly connect the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold. The distributor tube can include a plurality of orifices, each of the plurality of orifices positioned to direct the refrigerant into the inlet manifold in a first direction. Each of the plurality of flat tubes can be positioned to direct the refrigerant from the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold in a second direction, the second direction being substantially opposite the first direction.
1. A flat-tube evaporator comprising:
an inlet manifold;
an outlet manifold separated a distance from the inlet manifold;
a distributor tube positioned within the inlet manifold and fluidly connected to a source of refrigerant, the distributor tube including a plurality of orifices arranged in a substantially linear configuration along the length of the distributor tube, each of the plurality of orifices directing refrigerant into the inlet manifold in a first direction; and
a plurality of flat tubes fluidly connecting the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold, each of the plurality of flat tubes defining a second direction of fluid flow from the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold, the second direction being substantially opposite to the first direction.
2. The flat-tube evaporator of claim 1 , wherein refrigerant is substantially only directed from the distributor tube into the inlet manifold in the first direction.
3. The flat-tube evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the second direction is directly opposite the first direction.
4. The flat-tube evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the second direction is oriented at an angle with respect to the first direction, and wherein the angle ranges from about 135 degrees to about 225 degrees.
5. The flat-tube evaporator of claim 4 , wherein the angle is about 180 degrees.
6. The flat-tube evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the inlet manifold has a diameter of less than about ½″.
7. The flat-tube evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the inlet manifold has a diameter of at least about ⅛″.
8. The flat-tube evaporator of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of orifices has a diameter of at least about 0.020″.
9. The flat-tube evaporator of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of orifices has a diameter of less than about 0.150″.
10. The flat-tube evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of flat tubes includes a plurality of microchannels.
11. The flat-tube evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the inlet manifold has a first diameter and each of the plurality of orifices has a second diameter, and wherein the ratio of the first diameter to the second diameter ranges from about 3:1 to about 10:1.
12. A flat-tube evaporator comprising:
an inlet manifold;
an outlet manifold separated a distance from the inlet manifold;
a distributor tube positioned within the inlet manifold and in fluid communication with a refrigerant source, the distributor tube including a plurality of orifices through which refrigerant is directed into the inlet manifold, the plurality of orifices arranged to direct refrigerant into the inlet manifold in a first direction, wherein refrigerant is substantially only directed from the distributor tube into the inlet manifold in the first direction; and
a plurality of flat tubes positioned to fluidly connect the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold, the plurality of flat tubes positioned to direct the refrigerant from the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold in a second direction, the second direction being substantially opposite the first direction.
13. A refrigeration system comprising:
a common distributor fluidly connected to a refrigerant source;
a plurality of flat-tube evaporators, each of the plurality of flat-tube evaporators including
an inlet manifold,
an outlet manifold separated a distance from the inlet manifold;
a distributor tube positioned within the inlet manifold and fluidly connected to the common distributor, the distributor tube including a plurality of orifices positioned along the length of the distributor tube, each of the plurality of orifices positioned to direct the refrigerant into the inlet manifold in a first direction;
a plurality of flat tubes positioned to fluidly connect the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold, each of the plurality of flat tubes positioned to direct the refrigerant from the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold in a second direction, the second direction being substantially opposite the first direction.
14. The refrigeration system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of flat-tube evaporators are connected in a fluid parallel configuration.
15. The refrigeration system of claim 13 , further comprising an expansion valve positioned upstream of the common distributor.
16. The refrigeration system of claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of expansion valves positioned downstream of the common distributor, each of the plurality of expansion valves being in fluid communication with one of the plurality of flat-tube evaporators.
17. The refrigeration system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of orifices in at least one of the distributor tubes is aligned in a substantially linear configuration.
18. The refrigeration system of claim 13 , wherein the second direction is oriented at an angle with respect to the first direction, and wherein the angle ranges from about 135 degrees to about 225 degrees.
19. The refrigeration system of claim 18 , wherein the angle is about 180 degrees.
20. The refrigeration system of claim 13 , wherein the refrigerant is substantially only directed from the distributor tube into the inlet manifold in the first direction.