Microchannel heat exchanger

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a heat exchanger that has a microchannel heat exchanger tube that may flow a refrigerant therethrough. The microchannel heat exchanger tube may extend from a first end of the microchannel tube to a second end of the microchannel tube, and the microchannel heat exchanger tube may have a sinusoidal configuration between the first end and the second end.

1 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a microchannel heat exchanger tube configured to flow a refrigerant therethrough, wherein the microchannel heat exchanger tube extends from a first end of the microchannel heat exchanger tube to a second end of the microchannel heat exchanger tube, and the microchannel heat exchanger tube has a sinusoidal configuration between the first end and the second end.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the microchannel heat exchanger tube has a tube body and a plurality of microchannels formed in the tube body, wherein the tube body has a corresponding sinusoidal configuration that corresponds to the sinusoidal configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein each microchannel of the plurality of microchannels has the sinusoidal configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the first end is configured to couple to a first manifold of the heat exchanger, and the second end is configured to couple to a second manifold of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , comprising a condenser having the microchannel heat exchanger tube. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the microchannel heat exchanger tube is a first microchannel heat exchanger tube, and wherein the heat exchanger comprises a second microchannel heat exchanger tube extending from a third end of the second microchannel heat exchanger tube to a fourth end of the second microchannel heat exchanger tube, wherein the second microchannel heat exchanger tube has the sinusoidal configuration between the third end and the fourth end. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 6 , comprising a heat exchanger fin disposed between and coupled to the first microchannel heat exchanger tube and the second microchannel heat exchanger tube. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 7 , wherein the sinusoidal configuration is a first sinusoidal configuration, and the heat exchanger fin has a second sinusoidal configuration different from the first sinusoidal configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the sinusoidal configuration has two crests and two troughs between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the sinusoidal configuration has three crests and two troughs between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         11 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a plurality of microchannel heat exchanger tubes, each microchannel heat exchanger tube of the plurality of microchannel heat exchanger tubes being configured to flow refrigerant therethrough and extending from a first end of each microchannel heat exchanger tube to a second end of each microchannel heat exchanger tube, wherein each microchannel heat exchanger tube of the plurality of microchannel heat exchanger tubes comprises a tube body and a plurality of microchannels formed in the tube body, and wherein each tube body and each microchannel of the plurality of microchannels has a respective sinusoidal configuration.   
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 11 , wherein the respective sinusoidal configuration of each tube body is a first sinusoidal configuration and the respective sinusoidal configuration of each microchannel of the plurality of microchannels is a second sinusoidal configuration, and wherein the first sinusoidal configuration and the second sinusoidal configuration are different. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 11 , wherein each respective sinusoidal configuration has at least one crest and at least one trough. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 13 , wherein the tube body of each microchannel heat exchanger tube of the plurality of microchannel heat exchanger tubes has an axis, and wherein the at least one crest of the sinusoidal configuration of the tube body is offset from the center axis by a first distance and the at least one trough of the sinusoidal configuration of the tube body is offset from the center axis by a second distance. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger of  claim 14 , wherein the first distance is substantially equal to the second distance. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger of  claim 11 , comprising a first manifold and a second manifold, wherein the first end of each microchannel heat exchanger tube of the plurality of microchannel heat exchanger tubes is coupled to the first manifold, and the second end of each microchannel heat exchanger tube of the plurality of microchannel heat exchanger tubes is coupled to the second manifold. 
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger of  claim 11 , comprising a plurality of heat exchanger fins, wherein each heat exchanger fin of the plurality of heat exchanger fins is disposed between and coupled to adjacent microchannel heat exchanger tubes of the plurality of microchannel heat exchanger tubes. 
     
     
         18 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a plurality of microchannel tubes, wherein each microchannel tube of the plurality of microchannel tubes is configured to flow refrigerant therethrough and extends from a first end of each microchannel tube to a second end of each microchannel tube, wherein each microchannel tube of the plurality of microchannel tubes has a tube body and a plurality of microchannels formed in the tube body; and   a plurality of fins, wherein each fin of the plurality of fins is disposed between and coupled to adjacent microchannel tubes of the plurality of microchannel tubes,   wherein each tube body, each microchannel of the plurality of microchannels, and each fin of the plurality of fins has a respective sinusoidal configuration.   
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger of  claim 18 , comprising an additional fin coupled to an outer microchannel tube of the plurality of microchannel tubes. 
     
     
         20 . The heat exchanger of  claim 18 , wherein the respective sinusoidal configuration of each tube body is a first sinusoidal configuration, the respective sinusoidal configuration of each microchannel of the plurality of microchannels is a second sinusoidal configuration, and the respective sinusoidal configuration of each fin of the plurality of fins is a third sinusoidal configuration, and wherein at least two of the first sinusoidal configuration, the second sinusoidal configuration, and the third sinusoidal configuration are different from one another. 
     
     
         21 . The heat exchanger of  claim 20 , wherein the third sinusoidal configuration has more crests and more troughs than the first sinusoidal configuration. 
     
     
         22 . The heat exchanger of  claim 18 , comprising:
 a distribution manifold configured to receive refrigerant from a refrigerant flow circuit; and   a collection manifold configured to receive refrigerant from the plurality of microchannel tubes,   wherein the first end of each microchannel tube of the plurality of microchannel tubes is coupled to the distribution manifold, and the second end of each microchannel tube of the plurality of microchannel tubes is coupled to the collection manifold.   
     
     
         23 . The heat exchanger of  claim 22 , wherein the distribution manifold and the collection manifold are fluidly coupled to a vapor compression system having the refrigerant circuit. 
     
     
         24 . The heat exchanger of  claim 22 , wherein the heat exchanger is an evaporator.