Heat exchanger assemblies for climate control systems and related methods

Abstract

An embodiment of a heat exchanger assembly of a climate control system for conditioning an airflow provided to an interior space includes an inlet line for receiving a substantially liquid refrigerant. In addition, the heat exchanger assembly includes an expansion device positioned along the inlet line to expand the refrigerant. Further, the heat exchanger assembly includes a heat exchanger positioned downstream of the expansion device that is to transfer heat from the airflow to the refrigerant and discharge the refrigerant in a substantially gaseous state. Still further, the heat exchanger assembly includes a discharge line configured to receive the refrigerant from the heat exchanger. The inlet and discharge line are arranged to define a superheater configured to transfer heat from (i) the refrigerant within the inlet line upstream of the expansion device to (ii) the refrigerant in the discharge line to thereby superheat the refrigerant in the discharge line.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger assembly of a climate control system that is configured to condition an airflow that is provided to an interior space, the heat exchanger assembly comprising:
 an inlet line for receiving a refrigerant in a substantially liquid phase;   an expansion device positioned along the inlet line, the expansion device configured to expand the refrigerant; and   a heat exchanger positioned downstream of the expansion device, the heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the airflow to the refrigerant and discharge the refrigerant in a substantially gaseous state; and   a discharge line configured to receive the refrigerant from the heat exchanger,   wherein the inlet line and the discharge line are arranged to define a superheater that is configured to transfer heat from (i) the refrigerant within the inlet line upstream of the expansion device to (ii) the refrigerant in the discharge line to thereby superheat the refrigerant in the discharge line.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a length of the inlet line upstream of the expansion device is abutted along a length of the discharge line to define the superheater. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the discharge line comprises a header, and wherein the inlet line passes within the header to define the superheater. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a micro-channel heat exchanger comprising a plurality of channels configured to discharge the refrigerant into the header. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the inlet line passes into a first end of the header, bends substantially 180°, and returns out of the first end of the header. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 5 , further comprising a distributor coupled between the expansion device and the heat exchanger, the distributor configured to divide the refrigerant among the plurality of channels. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the expansion device comprises a thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) or an orifice. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 (a) expanding a substantially liquid refrigerant stream with an expansion device into a mixed phase refrigerant stream;   (b) boiling the mixed phase refrigerant stream with a heat exchanger to produce a substantially gaseous refrigerant stream; and   (c) superheating the substantially gaseous refrigerant stream downstream of the heat exchanger by use of heat of the substantially liquid refrigerant stream.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 (d) receiving the substantially liquid refrigerant stream in an inlet line; and   (e) receiving the substantially gaseous refrigerant stream from the heat exchanger in a discharge line,   wherein (c) further comprises transferring heat from the substantially liquid refrigerant stream to the substantially gaseous refrigerant stream via the inlet line and the discharge line.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein (b) further comprises:
 (b1) flowing the mixed phase refrigerant stream through a plurality of micro-channels of the heat exchanger;   (b2) boiling the mixed phase refrigerant stream to produce the substantially gaseous refrigerant stream in the plurality of micro-channels during (b1); and   (b3) flowing the substantially gaseous refrigerant stream into a header of the discharge line.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein (c) further comprises flowing the substantially liquid refrigerant stream through a portion of the inlet line that passes into the header. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein (c) further comprises flowing the substantially liquid refrigerant stream, via the inlet line:
 (c1) into a first end of the header; and then   (c2) out of the first end of the header.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein (a) further comprises expanding the substantially liquid refrigerant stream after flowing the substantially liquid refrigerant stream within the header via the inlet line during (c). 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein (b1) comprises distributing the mixed phase refrigerant stream into the plurality of micro-channels with a distributor after (a). 
     
     
         15 . A climate control system for conditioning an airflow provided to an interior space, the climate control system comprising:
 a compressor that is configured to compress a refrigerant;   a condenser that is arranged to receive the refrigerant from the compressor; and   an evaporator assembly comprising:
 an inlet line configured to receive the refrigerant from the condenser; 
 an expansion device positioned along the inlet line that is configured to expand the refrigerant; 
 a micro-channel heat exchanger downstream of the expansion device and configured to transfer heat from the airflow to the refrigerant; and 
 a discharge line arranged to receive the refrigerant from the micro-channel heat exchanger and discharge the refrigerant toward the compressor, wherein the inlet line and discharge line are arranged to define a superheater that is configured to transfer heat from (i) the refrigerant in the inlet line upstream of the expansion device to (ii) the refrigerant in the discharge line to thereby superheat the refrigerant in the discharge line. 
   
     
     
         16 . The climate control system of  claim 15 , wherein the discharge line comprises a header that is configured to receive the refrigerant from the micro-channel heat exchanger, and wherein the inlet line passes within the header to define the superheater. 
     
     
         17 . The climate control system of  claim 16 , wherein the expansion device is positioned along the inlet line downstream of the header. 
     
     
         18 . The climate control system of  claim 17 , wherein the expansion device comprises a thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) or an orifice. 
     
     
         19 . The climate control system of  claim 18 , further comprising a distributor coupled between the expansion device and the micro-channel heat exchanger, the distributor configured to divide the refrigerant among a plurality of channels of the micro-channel heat exchanger. 
     
     
         20 . The climate control system of  claim 15 , wherein a length of the inlet line upstream of the expansion device is abutted along a length of the discharge line to define the superheater.