Heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger for use in a vehicle air conditioning system is provided. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchanger registers adapted to transfer heat from an air flow passing thereby to a refrigerant flowing therethrough. The heat exchanger further includes a plurality of junction elements in fluid communication with the heat exchanger registers. Each of the junction elements is disposed between one of a pair of top collector lines and a pair of bottom connector lines of the heat exchanger registers. The junction elements have a hydraulic flow area that militates against pressure losses over the heat exchanger. A heat exchanger having an arrangement of three heat exchanger registers and a vehicle air conditioning system including the heat exchanger are also provided.

1 . A heat exchanger for use in a vehicle air conditioning system, the heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of heat exchanger registers, each of the heat exchanger registers having a first collector line and a second collector line, one of the heat exchanger registers having a first port adapted to receive a refrigerant fluid from a refrigerant circuit and an other of the heat exchanger registers having a second port adapted to deliver the refrigerant fluid to the refrigerant circuit, the heat exchanger registers adapted to transfer heat from air flowing therearound to the refrigerant fluid flowing therethrough;   a plurality of tubes disposed between the first collector lines and the second collector lines adapted to provide fluid communication therebetween; and   a plurality of junction elements, each of the junction elements disposed between one of a pair of the first collector lines and a pair of the second connector lines to provide fluid communication therebetween.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein a hydraulic flow area of one of the junction elements is at least 60% of a hydraulic flow area of one of the first collector lines and the second collector lines. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein a hydraulic flow area of one of the junction elements is between about 75% and about 110% of a hydraulic flow area of one of the first collector lines and the second collector lines. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the junction elements is a 180° tube bend disposed at an end of one of the pair of the first collector lines and the pair of the second connector lines. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the junction elements is a junction tube socket in fluid communication with openings formed in one of the pair of the first collector lines and the pair of the second collector lines. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanging tubes are multiple-channel flat tube evaporators. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising a port extension line in communication with one of the first port and the second port, the port extension line adapted to dispose one of the first port and the second port adjacent an other of the first port and the second port. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first collector lines and the second collector lines is formed in a collector block, the collector block having a plurality of port sockets formed therein adapted to receive the tubes and provide a fluid communication between at least one of the first collector lines and the second collector lines and the tubes. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , wherein the collector lines are formed by one of drilling and milling. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the junction elements is a junction hole formed in the collector block. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , further comprising a junction plate disposed at an end of the collector block, at least one of the junction elements formed as a junction channel in a junction plate. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , further comprising an end plate disposed adjacent the junction plate adapted to seal the junction channel. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , further comprising an end block disposed at an end of the collector block, one of the first ports and the second ports formed in the end block. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant fluid is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the tubes is coupled to at least one of the first collector lines and the second collector lines by one of soldering and brazing. 
     
     
         16 . A vehicle air conditioning system, comprising:
 a refrigerant circuit; and   a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the refrigerant circuit, the heat exchanger further comprising:
 a plurality of heat exchanger registers, each of the heat exchanger registers having a first collector line and a second collector line, one of the heat exchanger registers having a first port adapted to receive a refrigerant fluid from the refrigerant circuit and an other of the heat exchanger registers having a second port adapted to deliver the refrigerant fluid to the refrigerant circuit, the heat exchanger registers are adapted to transfer heat from air flowing therearound to the refrigerant fluid flowing therethrough; 
 a plurality of tubes disposed between the first collector lines and the second collector lines adapted to provide fluid communication therebetween; and 
 a plurality of junction elements, each of the junction elements disposed between one of a pair of the first collector lines and a pair of the second connector lines to provide fluid communication therebetween. 
   
     
     
         17 . The vehicle air conditioning system of  claim 16 , wherein the refrigerant fluid is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicle air conditioning system of  claim 16 , wherein a flow of air is in a direction opposite a direction of a flow of the refrigerant fluid. 
     
     
         19 . A heat exchanger for use in a vehicle air conditioning system, the heat exchanger comprising:
 a first heat exchanger register having a first collector line and a second collector line, the first heat exchanger having a first port adapted to receive a refrigerant fluid from a refrigerant circuit;   a second heat exchanger register having a first collector line and a second collector line, in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger register;   a third heat exchanger register having a first collector line and a second collector line in fluid communication with the second heat exchanger register, the first collector line having a second port adapted to deliver the refrigerant to the refrigerant circuit;   a plurality of tubes disposed between the first collector line and the second collector line, adapted to provide fluid communication therebetween; and   a plurality of junction elements, each of the junction elements disposed between one of a pair of the first collector lines and a pair of the second connector lines to provide fluid communication therebetween.   
     
     
         20 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 19 , wherein the first port of the first heat exchanger register and the second port of the third heat exchanger register are arranged diagonally from one another, whereby the ports of each of the first heat exchanger register and the third heat exchanger register are configured to be connected to the refrigerant circuit.