Multichannel heat exchanger tubes with flow path inlet sections
View Patent ↗The present disclosure is directed to multichannel tubes with flow path inlet sections that allow refrigerant to enter the flow paths through an outer wall of the multichannel tubes. In certain embodiments, a portion of the outer wall is removed to expose the flow paths to a distribution chamber within an inlet manifold divided into an inlet section and a distribution section by a distributor. According to certain embodiments, the inlet section may be designed to have a relatively small cross-sectional area that promotes mixed phase flow of liquid and vapor refrigerant. The multichannel tubes extend into the distribution section to partition the distribution section into a series of distribution chambers defined by a pair of adjacent tubes, the distributor, and the inlet manifold. Within each distribution chamber, the refrigerant may be directed into the multichannel tubes through the flow path inlet sections of the multichannel tubes.
1. A heat exchanger tube, comprising:
at least one flow path extending along a length of the heat exchanger tube from a first end to a second end opposite of the first end;
a fluid flow section in which the at least one flow path is enclosed within the heat exchanger tube and surrounded by a top wall of the heat exchanger tube, a bottom wall of the heat exchanger tube, and a pair of partitions extending between the top wall and the bottom wall;
an inlet section in which the bottom wall of the heat exchanger tube and the pair of partitions abut the at least one flow path, wherein the top wall does not extend along the at least one flow path in the inlet section to allow fluid to flow into the at least one flow path, and wherein the inlet sections is spaced from the first end and the second end; and
a second flow path extending along the length of the heat exchanger tube from the first end to the second end, wherein a portion of the top wall is removed within the inlet sections to expose the second flow path to allow the fluid to flow into the second flow path, and the top wall is not removed for one or more flow paths disposed between the at least one flow path and the second flow path.
2. A heat exchanger tube, comprising:
a top wall;
a bottom wall disposed generally opposite from the top wall;
a pair of side walls extending between the top and bottom walls and separated by a width of the heat exchanger tube;
a plurality of generally parallel flow paths spaced from one another along the width by partitions extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, and extending along a length of the heat exchanger tube from a first end to a second end opposite of the first end, wherein the plurality of generally parallel flow paths are enclosed by the top wall, the bottom wall, and the side walls, and wherein each of the plurality of generally parallel flow paths is surrounded by the top wall, the bottom wall, and at least one partition of the partitions in a fluid flow section of the heat exchanger tube; and
an inlet section comprising a first section in which the top wall is removed along the width to expose a group of flow paths of the plurality of generally parallel flow paths within the inlet section that are defined by the bottom wall and a first set of the partitions and a second section in which the bottom wall is removed along the width to expose another group of flow paths of the plurality of generally parallel flow paths within the inlet section that are defined by the top wall and a second set of the partitions.
3. The heat exchanger tube of claim 2 , wherein the bottom wall extends between the pair of side walls within the first section.
4. The heat exchanger tube of claim 2 , wherein the first section comprises a slanted tube end where the bottom wall extends past the top wall.
5. The heat exchanger tube of claim 2 , wherein the inlet section is disposed at the first end.
6. The heat exchanger tube of claim 2 , wherein the inlet section is disposed between adjacent sections of the top wall.
7. A heat exchanger tube, comprising
a top wall;
a bottom wall disposed generally opposite from the top wall;
a pair of side walls extending between the top and bottom walls and separated by a width of the heat exchanger tube;
a plurality of generally parallel flow paths spaced from one another along the width and extending along a length of the heat exchanger tube from a first end to a second end opposite of the first end, wherein the plurality of generally parallel flow paths are enclosed by the top wall, the bottom wall, and the side walls in a fluid section of the heat exchanger tube, and are separated from one another by partitions extending along the length, and wherein each of the plurality of generally parallel flow paths is surrounded by the top wall, the bottom wall, and at least one partition of the partitions in the fluid flow sections; and
an inlet section comprising a slanted tube end, wherein the bottom wall extends past the top wall, and wherein the partitions comprise angled ends that connect the bottom wall to the top wall within the inlet section, wherein the slanted tube end comprises a first section in which only a portion of the bottom wall is removed along a width of the inlet section to expose a group of flow paths of the plurality of generally parallel flow paths within the inlet section.
8. The heat exchanger tube of claim 7 , wherein the partitions extend generally perpendicular to the bottom wall along the length of the heat exchanger tube.
9. The heat exchanger tube of claim 7 , wherein the first end comprises the slanted tube end, and wherein the second end comprises an additional slanted tube end.