Heat Exchanger Arrangement

Abstract

A refrigeration system includes a compressor for driving a refrigerant along a flow path in at least a first mode of system operation; a first heat exchanger along the flow path downstream of the compressor in the first mode; a second heat exchanger along the flow path upstream of the compressor in the first mode; and a pressure regulator or expansion device in the flow path downstream of the first heat exchanger and upstream of the second heat exchanger in the first mode, wherein the first heat exchanger is positioned within a housing which defines a flow path for heat exchange fluid and the housing defines a zone of reduced flow area along the flow path, and wherein the first heat exchanger is positioned in the zone of reduced flow area.

1 . A refrigeration system comprising:
 a compressor for driving a refrigerant along a flow path in at least a first mode of system operation;   a first heat exchanger along the flow path downstream of the compressor in the first mode;   a second heat exchanger along the flow path upstream of the compressor in the first mode; and   a pressure regulator or expansion device in the flow path downstream of the first heat exchanger and upstream of the second heat exchanger in the first mode,   wherein the first heat exchanger is positioned within a housing which defines a flow path for heat exchange fluid and the housing defines a zone of reduced flow area along the flow path, and wherein the first heat exchanger is positioned in the zone of reduced flow area.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger comprises a wire-on-tube heat exchanger. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of substantially parallel refrigerant flow path segments, and wherein the heat exchange fluid is directed in counter flow with respect to refrigerant in the first heat exchanger, and substantially transverse to the refrigerant flow path segments. 
   
   
       4 . A refrigeration system comprising:
 a compressor for driving a refrigerant along a flow path in at least a first mode of system operation;   a first heat exchanger along the flow path downstream of the compressor in the first mode;   a second heat exchanger along the flow path upstream of the compressor in the first mode; and   a pressure regulator or expansion device in the flow path downstream of the first heat exchanger and upstream of the second heat exchanger in the first mode,   wherein the first heat exchanger comprises a plurality of substantially parallel refrigerant flow path segments, and wherein heat exchange fluid for the first heat exchanger is directed in counter flow substantially transverse to the refrigerant flow path segments.   
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the refrigerant flow paths have an upstream end and a downstream end with respect to refrigerant flow from the compressor, and wherein the heat exchange fluid is directed from the downstream end to the upstream end of the refrigerant flow path segments to provide the counter flow. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising structure for guiding flow of the heat exchange fluid substantially transverse to the refrigerant flow path segments. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the refrigerant flow path segments are defined by at least one refrigerant flow path in a serpentine arrangement. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the refrigerant flow path segments are defined by a plurality of heat exchange modules arranged in series with respect to refrigerant flow and in counter flow with the heat exchange fluid. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein each heat exchange module comprises a plurality of substantially parallel refrigerant flow path segments. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 4  wherein:
 the refrigerant comprises, in major mass part, CO 2 ; and   the first and second heat exchangers are refrigerant-air heat exchangers.   
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the system is adapted to operate in a transcritical vapor compression mode. 
   
   
       12 . A beverage cooling device comprising the system of  claim 4 . 
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the beverage cooling device comprises a housing having an inlet and an outlet for the heat exchange fluid, wherein the housing defines a flow restriction between the inlet and the outlet, and wherein the first heat exchanger is positioned at the flow restriction. 
   
   
       14 . A method for exchanging heat between a refrigerant and a heat exchange fluid, comprising:
 operating a compressor to drive a refrigerant from the compressor to a heat exchanger in a housing which defines a flow path for heat exchange medium, wherein the housing defines a zone of decreased flow area for the heat exchange medium, and wherein the heat exchanger is positioned in the zone; and   passing a heat exchange fluid over the heat exchanger in the zone in a direction which is substantially transverse to the substantially parallel flow paths.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of substantially parallel flow path segments. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising
 feeding the substantially parallel flow path segments sequentially so as to define at least one upstream flow path and at least one downstream flow path with respect to refrigerant flow from the compressor, and   wherein the passing step comprises passing heat exchange fluid over the substantially parallel flow path segments from the downstream flow path to the upstream flow path.