Water box mixing manifold

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system includes a heat exchanger with a shell having a first pass configured to place a fluid in a heat exchange relationship with a first refrigerant and a second pass configured to place the fluid in a heat exchange relationship with a second refrigerant. The heat exchanger also includes a water box coupled to the shell and configured to direct the fluid from the first pass to the second pass. The HVAC&R system also includes a fluid mixing manifold disposed within the water box, where the fluid mixing manifold is configured to collect and mix a plurality of flows of the fluid from within the water box to generate a mixed fluid, and a sensor coupled to the fluid mixing manifold, where the sensor is configured to measure a parameter of the mixed fluid.

1 . A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system, comprising:
 a heat exchanger comprising a shell, a first fluid pass extending through the shell, a second fluid pass extending through the shell, and a water box coupled to the shell, wherein the water box is configured to direct a fluid from the first fluid pass to the second fluid pass; and   a fluid mixing manifold disposed within the water box, wherein the fluid mixing manifold comprises:
 a plurality of channels configured to collect a plurality of flows of the fluid from within the water box; and 
 a mixing junction configured to receive the plurality of flows of the fluid from the plurality of channels and generate a mixed fluid via the plurality of flows of the fluid; and 
 a discharge port extending from the mixing junction and configured to discharge the mixed fluid into the water box. 
   
     
     
         2 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid mixing manifold comprises a sensor port extending from the mixing junction, and the sensor port is configured to receive a sensor configured to detect a parameter of the mixed fluid. 
     
     
         3 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor port extends through a body of the water box. 
     
     
         4 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , wherein each channel of the plurality of channels extends from the mixing junction in a respective direction, and the respective directions of the plurality of channels are different from one another. 
     
     
         5 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 4 , wherein:
 a first channel of the plurality of channels extends from the mixing junction in a first direction, and   a second channel of the plurality of channels extends from the mixing junction in a second direction,   wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite one another.   
     
     
         6 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 5 , wherein:
 a third channel of the plurality of channels extends from the mixing junction in a third direction, and   the discharge port extends from the mixing junction in a fourth direction,   wherein the third direction and the fourth direction are opposite one another.   
     
     
         7 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid mixing manifold comprises a plurality of conduits extending from the mixing junction, and each conduit of the plurality of conduits defines a respective channel of the plurality of channels. 
     
     
         8 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of conduits is offset from an inner surface of the water box. 
     
     
         9 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one channel of the plurality of channels comprises a respective inlet facing a first direction, the discharge port comprises an outlet facing a second direction, and the first direction and the second direction are opposite one another. 
     
     
         10 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , wherein the water box defines an inner volume, the fluid mixing manifold is disposed within the inner volume, the plurality of channels is configured to collect the plurality of flows of the fluid from a first portion of the inner volume aligned with the first fluid pass of the heat exchanger, relative to a longitudinal axis of the heat exchanger, and the discharge port is configured to discharge the mixed fluid into a second portion of the inner volume aligned with the second fluid pass of the heat exchanger, relative to the longitudinal axis of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         11 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a first channel of the plurality of channels is configured to collect a first flow of the plurality of flows of the fluid at a first height within the water box,   a second channel of the plurality of channels is configured to collect a second flow of the plurality of flows of the fluid at a second height within the water box, and   a third channel of the plurality of channels is configured to collect a third flow of the plurality of flows of the fluid at a third height within the water box,   wherein the first height, the second height, and the third height are different from one another.   
     
     
         12 . A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system, comprising:
 a fluid mixing manifold configured to be disposed within an inner volume of a water box of a heat exchanger, wherein the fluid mixing manifold comprises:
 a plurality of channels configured to collect a plurality of flows of a fluid from a plurality of locations within the water box; 
 a mixing junction fluidly coupled to each channel of the plurality of channels, wherein the mixing junction is configured to mix the plurality of flows of the fluid received via the plurality to channels to generate a mixed fluid; and 
 a discharge port fluidly coupled to the mixing junction and configured to discharge the mixed fluid into the water box, 
 wherein each channel of the plurality of channels is configured to collect a respective flow of the fluid of the plurality of flows of the fluid from a respective location of the plurality of locations within the water box and direct the respective flow of the fluid to the mixing junction. 
   
     
     
         13 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 a first channel of the plurality of channels extends from the mixing junction in a first direction,   a second channel of the plurality of channels extends from the mixing junction in a second direction,   a third channel of the plurality of channels extends from the mixing junction in a third direction, and   the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are different from one another.   
     
     
         14 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 13 , wherein the discharge port extends from the mixing junction in a fourth direction different from the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction. 
     
     
         15 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 12 , wherein the fluid mixing manifold comprises a plurality of tubular structures extending from the mixing junction, and each tubular structure of the plurality of tubular structures defines a respective channel of the plurality of channels. 
     
     
         16 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 12 , wherein the fluid mixing manifold comprises a sensor port extending from the mixing junction, the sensor port is configured to receive a sensor configured to detect a parameter of the mixed fluid, and the sensor port is configured to extend through a main body of the water box to mount the fluid mixing manifold to the water box and position the plurality of channels within the inner volume and offset from the main body of the water box. 
     
     
         17 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 16 , wherein each channel of the plurality of channels comprises a respective inlet port configured to collect the respective flow of the fluid at the respective location of the plurality of locations, wherein a respective position of each location of the plurality of locations along a height of the water box is different from one another. 
     
     
         18 . A fluid mixing manifold for a heat exchanger of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system, wherein the fluid mixing manifold comprises:
 a mixing junction;   a plurality of sampling conduits extending from the mixing junction, wherein the plurality of sampling conduits comprises:
 a first sampling conduit comprising a first inlet configured to receive a first flow of fluid from within a water box of the heat exchanger, wherein the first sampling conduit is configured to direct the first flow of fluid to the mixing junction; 
 a second sampling conduit comprising a second inlet configured to receive a second flow of fluid from within the water box, wherein the second sampling conduit is configured to direct the second flow of fluid to the mixing junction; and 
 a third sampling conduit comprising a third inlet configured to receive a third flow of fluid from within the water box, wherein the third sampling conduit is configured to direct the third flow of fluid to the mixing junction; and 
   a discharge port extending from the mixing junction,   wherein the mixing junction is configured to mix the first flow of fluid, the second flow of fluid, and the third flow of fluid to generate a mixed fluid, and the discharge port is configured to discharge the mixed fluid into the water box.   
     
     
         19 . The fluid mixing manifold of  claim 18 , comprising:
 sensor port extending from the mixing junction, wherein the sensor port is configured to receive a sensor configured to detect a parameter of the mixed fluid; and   a plurality of support extensions, wherein each support extension of the plurality of support extensions extends from a respective sampling conduit of the plurality of sampling conduits,   wherein the sensor port and the plurality of support extensions are configured to couple to a main body of the water box to mount the fluid mixing manifold to the water box and suspend the mixing junction and the plurality of sampling conduits within an inner volume of the water box.   
     
     
         20 . The fluid mixing manifold of  claim 18 , wherein the discharge port and each sampling conduit of the plurality of sampling conduits extends from the mixing junction in respective direction different from one another.