Patent ID: 6237677
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: F25B,F28D,F28F

Abstract:
An air conditioning system refrigerant condenser (24) having opposed, substantially parallel, vertically oriented, elongated header tanks (12', 14') of substantially uniform internal cross sectional area, including an inlet tank (12') and a return tank (14'), with a plurality of generally parallel flow tubes (16') extending between the inlet tank (12') and return tank (14'), generally perpendicular thereto, said flow tubes (16') having substantially equal sized ends opening unrestricted into each header tank (12', 14'), said condenser (24) also having a refrigerant inlet (20') into the inlet tank (12') and a refrigerant outlet (22') out of the return header tanks (14'), so that a refrigerant vapor flows through the inlet (20') into the inlet tank (12'), across the flow tubes (16') into the return header tank (14') and then out of the outlet (22') and in which at least the refrigerant inlet (20') is sufficiently distant from a number of flow tubes (16') so as to create a refrigerant flow surplus in the flow tubes (16') nearer the refrigerant inlet (20') and a refrigerant flow deficit (22') through the flow tubes (16') farther from the inlet (20'), characterized by;a flow restriction (26) located in the return tank (14') that restricts the flow, through the return tank (14'), of refrigerant flowing from the surplus flow tubes (16') to the refrigerant outlet (22'), so as to create a back pressure in said return tank (14') that indirectly shifts fluid flow within the inlet tank (12'), away from the surplus flow tubes and toward the deficit flow tubes, thereby better balancing the refrigerant flow through all flow tubes (16') to improve overall condenser efficiency.