Patent ID: 8833096
Filing Date: 2014-09-16
Classification: F24D,F25B,H05K,Y02B

Abstract:
1. A heat exchange assembly comprising; a coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger comprising a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet coupled to a coolant loop for passing a liquid coolant therethrough, and a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet coupled to a vapor-compression refrigeration loop for separately passing a refrigerant therethrough, the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger cooling the liquid coolant passing therethrough by dissipating heat from the liquid coolant passing therethrough to the refrigerant passing therethrough, wherein the refrigerant ingressing through the refrigerant inlet comprises, at least in part, liquid refrigerant; a heater integrated with the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger for applying an auxiliary heat load to the refrigerant passing through the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the auxiliary heat load applied by the heater ensuring that a total heat load transferred by the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger to the refrigerant is at least a specified minimum heat load, the specified minimum heat load being a pre-specified value which ensures that the refrigerant egressing from the refrigerant outlet of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger is in vapor state; and wherein the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger comprises a plurality of coolant flow channels defining a plurality of coolant flow paths extending, at least in part, in a U-shape around a central region of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger and disposed between the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet, and a plurality of refrigerant flow channels defining a plurality of refrigerant flow paths extending, at least in part, in a U-shape around the central region of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, and disposed between the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet, and wherein the plurality of coolant flow channels are interleaved in a stack with the plurality of refrigerant flow channels within the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, and the heater is disposed in the central region of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the central region being a central region of the stack of interleaved coolant flow channels and refrigerant flow channels.