Heat exchanger

The application is directed to shell and tube heat exchangers. The application relates more particularly to a flooded evaporator having a tube arrangement that permits reduced refrigerant levels to be used.

Shell and tube flooded evaporators may be used in vapor compression systems. In a typical vapor compression system, there is an evaporator that cools a process fluid at the expense of boiling a liquid; a compressor that compresses the boiled off liquid, i.e., a vapor, to an elevated pressure and temperature; a condenser that condenses the compressed vapor to liquid phase; and an expansion device that lowers the pressure of the condensed liquid which then enters the evaporator to repeat the above cycle.

In a flooded evaporator, the process fluid is dispersed into and through numerous tubes that pass through a tank, or shell, containing the liquid refrigerant. The process fluid is cooled while some of the liquid is boiled away as described above. Depending on the level of cooling to be achieved, the process fluid may make multiple passes through the liquid.

Flooded evaporators may use several different quantities of tubes with the same shell diameter to obtain commonality in manufacturing. However, current multi-pass flooded evaporators are arranged so that process fluid passes through groups of tubes in a vertically upward, bottom-to-top fashion through the shell. As a result, regardless of the number of tubes used within a particular shell of a multi-pass flooded evaporator, the shell needs to be filled with the maximum or near-maximum level of liquid to ensure that all of the tubes remain immersed within the liquid to accomplish the desired heat transfer.

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger having a shell with a first process fluid box at one end and a second process fluid box at an opposed end. A plurality of tubes are disposed in the shell and extend from the first process fluid box to the second process fluid box. The plurality of tubes has a first set of tubes and a second set of tubes; the second set of tubes are laterally displaced from the first set of tubes. The first process fluid box and the second process fluid box are configured to direct a process fluid through the first set of tubes in a first direction and to direct the process fluid through the second set of tubes in a second direction opposite the first direction.

In one exemplary embodiment, the first process fluid box has an inlet nozzle configured to receive the process fluid, an outlet nozzle configured to discharge the process fluid, and a partition positioned between the inlet nozzle and the outlet nozzle. The partition is configured to direct the process fluid from the inlet nozzle into the first set of tubes and to direct the process fluid from the second set of tubes into the outlet nozzle.

In another exemplary embodiment, the first process fluid box comprises a first partition and an inlet nozzle configured to receive the process fluid, the partition is configured to direct the process fluid from the inlet nozzle into the first set of tubes and to direct the process fluid from the second set of tubes into a third set of tubes of the plurality of tubes, the third set of tubes being laterally displaced from the second set of tubes. The second process fluid box has a second partition and an outlet nozzle configured to discharge the process fluid, the second partition is configured to direct the process fluid from the first set of tubes into the second set of tubes and to direct the process fluid from the third set of tubes to the outlet nozzle.

The present invention further relates to an evaporator having a shell with a first header at one end and a second header at an opposed end. A plurality of tubes are disposed in the shell and extend from the first header to the second header. The plurality of tubes has a first set of tubes and a second set of tubes; the second set of tubes are laterally displaced from the first set of tubes. A first partition is positioned in the first header, the first partition has a generally vertical orientation to direct flow of the process fluid through the plurality of tubes in a generally lateral direction.

According to exemplary embodiments, by rearranging the fluid boxes so that process fluid passes in a sideways manner through the tubes in the shell, the tubes in the shell can be used from the bottom up. As a result, when fewer tubes are used, the level of refrigerant required in the shell can likewise be reduced. A reduction in the level of refrigerant may result in substantial cost savings to the end user, who can purchase less refrigerant, which is often very expensive. Further, environmental benefits associated with lower refrigerant usage may be obtained. Thus, exemplary embodiments of the application may arrange the tubes, and the partitions, which direct process fluid into the tubes, in a way that permits the refrigerant level to be varied based on the number of tubes actually used in a particular flooded evaporator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary environment for a chilled liquid system.

FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of an exemplary vapor compression system that is part of a chilled liquid system.

FIG. 3 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of a vapor compression system.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of a two-pass evaporator.

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of a three-pass evaporator.

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a two-pass evaporator taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 shows an end view of an exemplary embodiment of a process fluid box for a two-pass evaporator.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary embodiment of tube supports positioned on an evaporator inlet distributor.

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Refrigerator and operating method of the same
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