Multi-circuit heat exchanger

Abstract

A baffle assembly is disposed within a manifold of a multi-circuit heat exchanger for dividing the interior volume of that manifold into a first chamber associated with one circuit and a second chamber associated with another circuit. The baffle assembly includes a pair of baffle members that extend generally transversely across the interior volume of the manifold are disposed in spaced apart relationship thereby forming a void space therebetween. The void space is in fluid communication with a region exterior of that manifold whereby any fluid leaking from either of the first or second chamber into the void space will be vented therefrom.

1 . A multi-circuit heat exchanger comprising:
 first and second spaced apart and longitudinally extending manifolds, each manifold of the first and second manifolds defining an interior volume;   a plurality of heat exchange tubes arrayed in parallel relationship and extending traversely between the first manifold and the second manifold, each heat exchange tube defining at least one fluid flow passage between the first manifold and the second manifold, a first set of the plurality of heat exchange tubes defining a first heat exchange circuit and a second set of the plurality of heat exchange tubes defining a second heat exchange circuit;   a baffle assembly disposed within at least one of the first and second manifolds for dividing the interior volume of said one of the first and second manifolds into a first chamber and a second chamber, said baffle assembly including a first flow impervious member and a second flow impervious member, each baffle member extending generally transversely across the interior volume of said one of the first and second manifolds, said first baffle member and said second baffle member disposed in spaced apart relationship thereby forming a void space within the interior volume of said one of the first and second manifolds between said first baffle member and said second baffle member; said void space being in fluid communication with a region exterior of said one of the first and second manifolds.   
     
     
         2 . A method of preventing fluid cross-contamination between independent heat exchange circuits in a multi-circuit heat exchanger having a common manifold defining an interior volume having a first chamber associated with a first heat exchange circuit and a second chamber associated with a second heat exchange circuit, said method comprising the steps of:
 establishing a void space within the interior volume of said common manifold between the first chamber therein and the second chamber therein; and   providing a vent passage between said void space and a region exterior of said common manifold.   
     
     
         3 . A multi-circuit heat exchanger comprising:
 a first generally vertically disposed, longitudinally extending manifold defining an interior volume, the interior volume divided into a first chamber and a second chamber; the first chamber subdivided into a first inlet chamber and an first outlet chamber, the second chamber subdivided into a second inlet chamber and a second outlet chamber;   a second generally vertically disposed, longitudinally extending manifold defining an interior volume, the interior volume divided into a first chamber and a second chamber;   a first heat exchange circuit formed by a first plurality of heat exchange tubes arrayed in parallel relationship and extending generally horizontally between the first inlet chamber of the first manifold and the first chamber of the second manifold and a second plurality of heat exchange tubes arrayed in parallel relationship and extending generally horizontally between the first chamber of the second manifold and the first outlet chamber of the first manifold;   a second heat exchange circuit formed by a third plurality of heat exchange tubes arrayed in parallel relationship and extending generally horizontally between the second inlet chamber of the first manifold and the second chamber of the second manifold and a fourth plurality of heat exchange tubes arrayed in parallel relationship and extending generally horizontally between the second chamber of the second manifold and the second outlet chamber of the first manifold;   a baffle assembly disposed within the interior volume of the first manifold for separating the interior volume to form the first chamber and the second chamber of the first manifold, said baffle assembly including a first flow impervious member and a second flow impervious member, each baffle member extending generally transversely across the interior volume of the first manifold, said first baffle member and said second baffle member disposed in spaced apart relationship and forming a void space within the interior volume of said one of the first and second manifolds between said first baffle member and said second baffle member; and   a vent opening through the first manifold into said void space thereby establishing an open flow path between said void space and a region exterior of the first manifold.   
     
     
         4 . A method of safeguarding a refrigeration system having a multiple independent refrigerant circuits having a multi-circuit heat exchanger in common, including a first refrigerant circuit having a first compressor for circulating refrigerant through a first heat exchange circuit of the heat exchanger and a second refrigerant circuit having a second compressor for circulating refrigerant through a second heat exchange circuit of the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having a common manifold defining an interior volume having a first chamber associated with the first heat exchange circuit and a second chamber associated with the second heat exchange circuit, said method comprising the steps of:
 establishing a void space within the interior volume of said common manifold between the first chamber therein and the second chamber therein;   venting refrigerant that may leak from the first chamber or the second chamber into the void space to a region exterior of the common manifold;   sensing a refrigerant pressure within each of the first refrigerant circuit and the second refrigerant circuit;   terminating operation of the first compressor in the event the sensed refrigerant pressure in the first refrigerant circuit drops below a specified low pressure limit; and   terminating operation of the second compressor in the event the sensed refrigerant pressure in the second refrigerant circuit drops below a specified low pressure limit.   
     
     
         5 . A refrigerant vapor compression system having a first refrigeration circuit, a second refrigerant circuit, and a heat exchanger having a first heat exchange circuit associated with the first refrigeration circuit and a second heat exchange circuit associated with the second refrigeration circuit; said multi-circuit heat exchanger comprising:
 first and second spaced apart and longitudinally extending manifolds, each manifold of the first and second manifolds defining an interior volume;   a plurality of heat exchange tubes arrayed in parallel relationship and extending traversely between the first manifold and the second manifold, each heat exchange tube defining at least one fluid flow passage between the first manifold and the second manifold, a first set of the plurality of heat exchange tubes defining the first heat exchange circuit and a second set of the plurality of heat exchange tubes defining the second heat exchange circuit;   a baffle assembly disposed within at least one of the first and second manifolds for dividing the interior volume of said one of the first and second manifolds into a first chamber and a second chamber, said baffle assembly including a first flow impervious member and a second flow impervious member, each baffle member extending generally transversely across the interior volume of said one of the first and second manifolds, said first baffle member and said second baffle member disposed in spaced apart relationship thereby forming a void space within the interior volume of said one of the first and second manifolds between said first baffle member and said second baffle member; said void space being in fluid communication with a region exterior of said one of the first and second manifolds.   
     
     
         6 . A multi-circuit heat exchanger comprising:
 first and second spaced apart and longitudinally extending manifolds, each manifold of the first and second manifolds defining an interior volume;   a plurality of heat exchange tubes arrayed in parallel relationship and extending traversely between the first manifold and the second manifold, each heat exchange tube defining at least one fluid flow passage between the first manifold and the second manifold, a first set of the plurality of heat exchange tubes defining a first heat exchange circuit and a second set of the plurality of heat exchange tubes defining a second heat exchange circuit;   a baffle assembly disposed within the first manifold for dividing the interior volume of the first manifold into a first chamber and a second chamber, said baffle assembly including a first flow impervious member and a second flow impervious member, each baffle member extending generally transversely across the interior volume of the first manifold, said first baffle member and said second baffle member disposed in spaced apart relationship thereby forming a void space within the interior volume of the first manifold between said first baffle member and said second baffle member; said void space being in fluid communication with a region exterior of the first manifold; and   a baffle assembly disposed within the second manifold for dividing the interior volume of the second manifold into a first chamber and a second chamber, said baffle assembly including a first flow impervious member and a second flow impervious member, each baffle member extending generally transversely across the interior volume of the second manifold, said first baffle member and said second baffle member disposed in spaced apart relationship thereby forming a void space within the interior volume of the second manifold between said first baffle member and said second baffle member; said void space being in fluid communication with a region exterior of the second manifold.   
     
     
         7 . A baffle assembly for dividing a manifold into a first chamber and a second chamber, said baffle assembly comprising:
 a first flow impervious member and a second flow impervious member, each baffle member extending generally transversely across the interior volume of the manifold, said first baffle member and said second baffle member disposed in spaced apart relationship thereby forming a void space within the interior volume of the manifold between said first baffle member and said second baffle member; said void space being in fluid communication with a region exterior of the manifold.