Patent ID: 6293112
Filing Date: 2001-09-25
Classification: F25B,F28D

Abstract:
A refrigeration system comprising:a refrigerant gas compressor;a condenser, said condenser receiving compressed gas from said compressor and condensing said gas to the liquid state;a first expansion device, said expansion device being downstream of said condenser and creating a two-phase mixture of refrigerant gas and liquid refrigerant; anda falling film evaporator, said evaporator having a shell, a tube bundle, a vapor outlet and a refrigerant distributor, said vapor outlet being connected for flow to said compressor and the tubes of said tube bundle running horizontally in said shell, said refrigerant distributor being disposed above said tube bundle within said shell and receiving liquid refrigerant from said expansion device, said distributor depositing liquid refrigerant vertically downward, generally unassisted by pressure, onto the top of said tube bundle, said tube bundle having at least two tube sections and defining at least one vapor lane, said vapor lane being an essentially unobstructed flow path between said tube sections that is sized to facilitate the conduct of refrigerant gas out of the interior of said tube bundle to an exterior side thereof at a velocity and in a manner such that the flow of liquid refrigerant downward through said tube bundle and across said vapor lane is generally unaffected by the cross-flow of refrigerant vapor out of the interior of said tube bundle through said vapor lane.