Interlaced heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019368817-A1
Application number	US-201816040269-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 19, 2018
Priority date	May 30, 2018
Publication date	Dec 5, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a climate management system that includes a heat exchanger having a first set of microchannel coils fluidly coupled to a first circuit of the climate management system and a second set of microchannel coils fluidly coupled to a second circuit of the climate management system, where the first circuit and the second circuit are fluidly separate from one another, and where the first set of microchannel coils and the second set of microchannel coils are disposed in an alternating arrangement along a length of the heat exchanger such that the first set of microchannel coils and the second set of microchannel coils are interlaced in the heat exchanger.

First claim

1 . A climate management system, comprising:
a heat exchanger comprising a first set of microchannel coils fluidly coupled to a first circuit of the climate management system and a second set of microchannel coils fluidly coupled to a second circuit of the climate management system, wherein the first circuit and the second circuit are fluidly separate from one another, and wherein the first set of microchannel coils and the second set of microchannel coils are disposed in an alternating arrangement along a length of the heat exchanger such that the first set of microchannel coils and the second set of microchannel coils are interlaced in the heat exchanger.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a header coupled to a first header connection of a first microchannel coil of the first set of microchannel coils and a second header connection of a second microchannel coil of the second set of microchannel coils.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the header comprises a first passage fluidly coupled to the first header connection, a second passage fluidly coupled to the second header connection, and a divider fluidly separating the first passage and the second passage from one another.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the header comprises a first slot fluidly coupled with the first header connection and a second slot fluidly coupled with the second header connection.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the first header connection is twisted with respect to a body portion of the first microchannel coil.

6 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the first passage, the second passage, or both comprises a semi-circular cross-sectional shape.

7 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the first microchannel coil extends through the second passage, through a slot of the divider, and into the first passage.

8 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a first header fluidly coupled to a first header connection of a first microchannel coil of the first set of microchannel coils and a second header fluidly coupled to a second header connection of a second microchannel coil of the second set of microchannel coils.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the first header and the second header are offset from one another along an axis defining a flow of air across the heat exchanger.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the first header connection is twisted with respect to a body portion of the first microchannel coil.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the second header connection is twisted with respect to an additional body portion of the second microchannel coil.

12 . The system of claim 9 , comprising a third header fluidly coupled to a third header connection of the first microchannel coil and a fourth header fluidly coupled to a fourth header connection of the second microchannel coil.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a first microchannel coil of the first set of microchannel coils and a second microchannel coil of the second set of microchannel coils, and wherein the first microchannel coil overlaps with the second microchannel coil at a common location along the length of the heat exchanger.

14 . The system of claim 13 , comprising a plurality of fins, wherein a fin of the plurality of fins is coupled to the first microchannel coil and the second microchannel coil.

15 . An interlaced heat exchanger, comprising:
a first set of microchannel tubes fluidly configured to fluidly couple to a first working fluid circulation loop; a second set of microchannel tubes configured to fluidly couple to a second working fluid circulation loop, wherein the first working fluid circulation loop and the second working fluid circulation loop are fluidly separate from one another, and wherein the first set of microchannel tubes and the second set of microchannel tubes are disposed in an alternating arrangement along a length of the interlaced heat exchanger such that the first set of microchannel tubes and the second set of microchannel tubes are interlaced; and a header fluidly coupled to a first header connection of a first microchannel tube of the first set of microchannel tubes and fluidly coupled to a second header connection of a second microchannel tube of the second set of microchannel tubes.

16 . The interlaced heat exchanger of claim 15 , comprising an additional header fluidly coupled to a third header connection of the first microchannel tube and fluidly coupled to a fourth header connection of the second microchannel tube.

17 . The interlaced heat exchanger of claim 15 , wherein the header comprises a first passage fluidly coupled to the first header connection and a second passage fluidly coupled to the second header connection, wherein the first passage and the second passage are fluidly separated by a divider of the header.

18 . The interlaced heat exchanger of claim 17 , wherein the first microchannel tube extends through the second passage, through a slot of the divider, and into the first passage.

19 . The interlaced heat exchanger of claim 15 , wherein the first microchannel tube overlaps with the second microchannel tube at a common location along the length of the interlaced heat exchanger.

20 . The interlaced heat exchanger of claim 19 , comprising a plurality of fins, wherein a fin of the plurality of fins is coupled to the first microchannel tube and the second microchannel tube.

21 . A climate management system, comprising:
a first working fluid circulation loop configured to circulate a first working fluid through a first set of microchannel coils of a heat exchanger; and a second working fluid circulation loop configured to circulate a second working fluid through a second set of microchannel coils of the heat exchanger, wherein the first working fluid circulation loop and the second working fluid circulation loop are fluidly separate from one another, and wherein the first set of microchannel coils and the second set of microchannel coils are disposed in an alternating arrangement along a length of the heat exchanger such that the first set of microchannel coils and the second set of microchannel coils are interlaced in the heat exchanger.

22 . The system of claim 21 , comprising a fan configured to direct an airflow across the first set of microchannel coils and the second set of microchannel coils.

23 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the fan is configured to direct the airflow across the first set of microchannel coils and the second set of microchannel coils during operation of the first working fluid circulation loop and during non-operation of the second working fluid circuit.

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Huang Zhiwei
• Gupte Neelkanth S

Classifications

• F24F1/00

  Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station · CPC title

• F28F1/022

  with multiple channels · CPC title

• F28F1/126

  consisting of zig-zag shaped fins (F28F1/105 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28F9/0214

  having only longitudinal partitions · CPC title

• F28D1/0471

  the conduits having a non-circular cross-section (F28D1/0473, F28D1/0476, F28D1/0478 take precedence) · CPC title