REFRIGERANT DISTRIBUTOR FOR HEAT EXCHANGER AND HEAT EXCHANGER
A refrigerant distributor for a heat exchanger is disclosed. The distributor comprises: a pipe having an inlet disposed generally at one end of the pipe, refrigerant flows into and through the pipe through the inlet. The cross-section of a flow passage within the pipe gradually decreases from the one end to the other end of the pipe. With the above configuration, the refrigerant can be distributed relatively uniformly from the distributor.
1 . A refrigerant distributor for a heat exchanger, comprising:
a pipe having an inlet disposed generally at one end of the pipe for receiving refrigerant flowing into the pipe,
wherein a cross-section of a flow passage within the pipe gradually decreases from the one end to the other end of the pipe.
2 . The refrigerant distributor for a heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the pipe is configured in such a manner that a cylindrical pipe is divided into a plurality of segments and is at least partially pressed so that a cross-section of one of the plurality of segments is narrower than that of the preceding one of the plurality of segments from the one end to the other end of the pipe.
3 . The refrigerant distributor for a heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the pipe comprises a plurality of segments, and a cross-section area of one of the plurality of segments is less than that of the preceding one of the plurality of segments from the one end to the other end of the pipe.
4 . The refrigerant distributor for a heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the pipe comprises a plurality of pipes having different lengths, the first one of the plurality of pipes having the shortest length and is used for distributing refrigerant in a range from the inlet to an end of said first pipe away from the inlet, the lengths of the remaining pipes being increased successively from the second one to the last one, and each of the remaining pipes being used for distributing refrigerant in a range from an end of the preceding smaller length pipe away from the inlet to its end away from the inlet.
5 . The refrigerant distributor for a heat exchanger according to claim 4 , wherein the pipe comprises three pipes.
6 . The refrigerant distributor for a heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the pipe is a tapered pipe.
7 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
a refrigerant distributor disposed at a side of the heat exchanger to distribute refrigerant,
wherein the refrigerant distributor is the distributor according to claim 1 .
8 . The heat exchanger according to claim 7 , wherein the heat exchanger is a micro-channel heat exchanger.
9 . The heat exchanger according to claim 7 , wherein the pipe is configured in such a manner that a cylindrical pipe is divided into a plurality of segments and is at least partially pressed so that a cross-section of one of the plurality of segments is narrower than that of the preceding one of the plurality of segments from the one end to the other end of the pipe.
10 . The heat exchanger according to claim 7 , wherein the pipe comprises a plurality of segments, and a cross-section area of one of the plurality of segments is less than that of the preceding one of the plurality of segments from the one end to the other end of the pipe.
11 . The heat exchanger according to claim 7 , wherein the pipe comprises a plurality of pipes having different lengths, the first one of the plurality of pipes having the shortest length and is used for distributing refrigerant in a range from the inlet to an end of said first pipe away from the inlet, the lengths of the remaining pipes being increased successively from the second one to the last one, and each of the remaining pipes being used for distributing refrigerant in a range from an end of the preceding smaller length pipe away from the inlet to its end away from the inlet.
12 . The heat exchanger according to claim 11 , wherein the pipe comprises three pipes.
13 . The heat exchanger according to claim 7 , wherein the pipe is a tapered pipe.