Low refrigerant high performing subcooler

Abstract

A refrigerant displacement device is used to reduce subcooler refrigerant charge while enhancing heat transfer performance, e.g. by maintaining and/or increasing subcooler performance. The refrigerant displacement device physically takes up volume of the subcooler that would normally be occupied by refrigerant. The refrigerant displacement device can be a baffle structure with orifices through which the subcooler's heat exchange tubes are allowed to be inserted. Refrigerant is still allowed, however, to flow through the remaining volume of the subcooler and through openings constructed as, e.g. annuluses, between the tube(s) and the refrigerant displacement device, so as to allow refrigerant flow from an inlet of the subcooler to an outlet of the subcooler.

1 . A refrigerant displacement device suitable for use in a subcooler of an HVAC unit, comprising one or more baffles, each baffle includes:
 a main body suitable to be placed inside a subcooler, along a direction that heat exchange tubes would extend inside the subcooler, the main body is configured to physically prevent refrigerant from occupying volume or free flow areas within the subcooler that would otherwise be occupied by refrigerant;   a number of orifices extending through the main body, and through which heat exchange tubes may be suitably inserted; and   one or more standoffs to create space between an outer diameter of heat exchange tubes inserted through the orifices and surfaces on the baffle created by the orifices,   wherein during unit, system, and/or component operation, refrigerant is allowed to flow through the orifices between the baffle and the heat exchange tubes, and refrigerant is directed to flow proximate the heat exchange tubes.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is constructed and arranged as a series of baffles, each of the baffles had the same or different depth. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the baffle is a single extrusion that extends along a majority of the length through subcooler. 
     
     
         4 . An HVAC system comprising: a condenser; a subcooler as part of the condenser; and the refrigerant displacement device of  claim 1  suitably incorporated inside the subcooler, wherein the subcooler is constructed as a discrete envelopment inside the condenser or is constructed by utilizing a portion of the condenser shell walls. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A method of operating a subcooler in an HVAC unit or system, comprising:
 causing refrigerant to enter an inlet of a subcooler;   causing the refrigerant to flow through orifices of a refrigerant displacement device;   causing the refrigerant to be directed by the refrigerant displacement device to flow proximate the heat exchange tubes in areas between surfaces of the baffle created by the orifices and the outer surface of the heat exchange tubes;   causing refrigerant to not be physically present at areas in the subcooler that are away from the heat exchange tubes and toward the enclosure of the subcooler, and not proximate the heat exchange tubes; and   subcooling the refrigerant, while reducing refrigerant charge through the subcooler and increasing flow velocity proximate the heat exchange tubes.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprises causing the refrigerant to flow through annularly shaped spaces created by standoffs on the orifices of the baffle, so that refrigerant flows between the orifices of the baffle and heat exchange tubes inserted therein.