Patent ID: 8302426

Claim:
A heat exchanger for use in a vapor compression system comprising: a shell; a first tube bundle configured to operate in a falling film mode; a hood; and a distributor; the first tube bundle comprising a plurality of tubes extending substantially horizontally in the shell; the hood overlies and substantially laterally surrounds substantially all of the tubes of the first tube bundle; the distributor is configured and positioned to distribute fluid onto at least one tube of the plurality of tubes; the shell comprises a first process fluid box at one end of the shell and a second process fluid box at an opposed end of the shell; the plurality of tubes of the first tube bundle extend from the first process fluid box to the second process fluid box, the plurality of tubes comprising at least a first set of tubes and a second set of tubes, the second set of tubes being spaced from the first set of tubes; the first process fluid box and the second process fluid box each being configured to direct a process fluid through the first set of tubes in a first direction and to direct the process fluid through the second set of tubes in a second direction opposite the first direction.