Patent ID: 6892805

Claim:
A fluid flow distribution device for use in a heat exchanger having multiple heat exchange units that receive a fluid flow from a fluid inlet; the device comprising: a plurality of tortuous flow path units to direct the fluid flow from the inlet to said heat exchange units, said tortuous flow path units lying in a common plane, each tortuous flow path unit comprising a pair of flow chamber plates, an orifice plate sandwiched between the flow chamber plates, and a tortuous flow path, the tortuous flow path comprising a series of orifices extending through said orifice plate, a first pattern of first flow chambers formed in one of said flow chamber plates and aligned with sequential pairs of said orifices, and a second pattern of second flow chambers formed in the other of said flow chamber plates and offset with respect to said first pattern and said pairs of orifices, each pair of said orifices aligned with one of said first flow chambers and with a pair of said second flow chambers to direct said fluid flow to said one of said first chambers from one of said pair of said second chambers via one of the orifices of the pair of said orifices and from said one of said first chambers to the other of said pair of said second chambers via the other orifice of said pair of said orifices such that the fluid flow travels along said tortuous flow path passing sequentially through said series of orifices while alternating between said first and second flow chambers.