Evaporator with improved condensate collection

Abstract

An evaporator is made up of a plurality of heat exchange modules each in turn made up of an elongated lower header 30 of non rectangular cross section and having a plurality of tubes 40 mounted by the header 30 along its length and extending therefrom in side by side relation. The tubes 40, in the direction transversely of the header 30 are stacked and assembled together with the lower headers in sealing abutment with each other and defining upwardly opening channels 56. Sets of serpentine fins 44 can extend between adjacent tubes 40 in each module and/or between the plurality of modules.

We claim:  
     
       1. An evaporator comprising: 
       a plurality of heat exchanger modules each comprised of an elongated lower header of non rectangular cross section and a plurality of tubes mounted by the header along its length and extending therefrom in side by side relation;  
       said tubes, in the direction transversely of the header, having a lesser dimension than the header;  
       said modules being stacked and assembled together with said lower headers in sealing abutment with each other and defining upwardly open channels at their interfaces, and with the corresponding tubes in the modules in alignment with each other; and  
       sets of serpentine fins extending between adjacent tubes in each module.  
     
     
       2. The evaporator of claim  1  wherein said serpentine fins are individual to each module. 
     
     
       3. The evaporator of claim  1  wherein said sets of serpentine fins additionally extend between said plurality of modules. 
     
     
       4. The evaporator of claim  1  wherein said headers are defined by header tubes and said sealing abutment is defined by a braze between adjacent header tubes along the length thereof. 
     
     
       5. The evaporator of claim  4  wherein said header tubes are of generally circular cross section. 
     
     
       6. An evaporator comprising: 
       two spaced headers each made up of a plurality of header tubes of non rectangular cross section in side by side abutting relation;  
       means sealing the interfaces of said header tubes;  
       a plurality of substantially identical, spaced rows of flattened tubes, the tubes of each row extending between and being in fluid communication with associated header tubes in each of said headers; and  
       a plurality of rows of serpentine fins extending generally transverse to and between said rows of flattened tubes, each serpentine fin that is interior within its row being in heat exchange relation with two of said flattened tubes in each of the rows thereof;  
       whereby condensate on said flattened tubes may flow toward a lower one of said headers through the spaces between the rows of flattened tubes to be collected at the interfaces of said header tubes and flow therealong to a point of disposal.  
     
     
       7. The evaporator of claim  6  wherein the plurality of header tubes forming at least one of said headers and said means sealing the interfaces of said header tubes is defined by a single extrusion. 
     
     
       8. The evaporator of claim  6  wherein said header tubes are defined by individual tubes. 
     
     
       9. The evaporator of claim  6  wherein at least some of said flattened tubes are defined by an extrusion with the space between the rows thereof being defined by concave areas in said extrusion. 
     
     
       10. The evaporator of claim  6  wherein said flattened tubes are defined by individual tubes. 
     
     
       11. An evaporator comprising: 
       two spaced headers each made up of a plurality of header tubes of circular cross section in side by side abutting relation;  
       bonding means bonding said header tubes together along their length and sealing the interface of said header tubes;  
       a plurality of substantially identical rows of flattened tubes, the tubes of each row extending between and being in fluid communication with associated header tubes in each of said headers; and  
       each of said rows of flattened tubes being slightly spaced from adjacent ones of said rows of flattened tubes;  
       a plurality of rows of serpentine fins extending generally transverse to and between said rows of flattened tubes, each serpentine fin that is interior within its row being in heat exchange relation with two of said flattened tubes in each of the rows thereof;  
       whereby condensate on said flattened tubes may flow toward a lower one of said headers through the spaces between the rows of flattened tubes to be collected at the interfaces of said header tubes and flow therealong to a point of disposal.  
     
     
       12. The evaporator of claim  11  wherein said bonding means comprises braze metal. 
     
     
       13. An evaporator comprising: 
       two spaced headers each made up of a plurality of header tubes of non rectangular cross sections in side by side abutting relation;  
       braze means assembling said header tubes to each other and sealing the interface of said header tubes;  
       a plurality of substantially identical, spaced rows of flattened tubes, the tubes of each row extending transversely between and being in fluid communication with associated header tubes in each of said headers; and  
       a plurality of rows of serpentine fins extending generally transverse to and between said rows of flattened tubes, and transversely to said header tubes, each serpentine fin that is interior within its row being in heat exchange relation with two of said flattened tubes in each of the rows thereof;  
       whereby condensate on said flattened tubes may flow toward a lower one of said headers through the spaces between the rows of flattened tubes to be collected at the interfaces of said header tubes and flow therealong to a point of disposal.  
     
     
       14. An evaporator comprising: 
       a lower header comprised of a plurality of elongated side by side, abutting header tubes of non rectangular cross section;  
       a means defining a plurality of fluid passages for a fluid to be evaporated in fluid communication with said header tubes;  
       means sealing the interfaces of said header tubes along the lengths thereof to define upwardly opening condensate receiving channels; and  
       means holding said header tubes in assembled relation.  
     
     
       15. The evaporator of claim  14  wherein said sealing means is additionally said holding means. 
     
     
       16. The evaporator of claim  15  wherein said sealing means is a bonding means. 
     
     
       17. The evaporator of claim  14  further including a manifold, said manifold including a tube extending through said plurality of abutting header tubes in generally transverse relation thereto and being sealed thereto, said manifold tube including apertures in its side walls in fluid communication with the interior of at least some of said abutting header tubes. 
     
     
       18. The evaporator of claim  14  wherein said plurality of abutting header tubes, said sealing means and said holding means are all defined by a single extrusion. 
     
     
       19. A heat exchanger comprising: 
       
         a plurality of heat exchange units in side by side relation, each said unit comprising first and second spaced headers and a plurality of generally parallel, spaced tubes extending between the headers and in fluid communication therewith so that fluid may flow from one header to the other through said parallel tubes;  
       
       
         fins in heat exchange relation with said tubes;  
       
       
         first and second spaced manifolds, said first headers being associated with an in fluid communication with said first manifold and said second headers being associated with and in fluid communication with said second manifold;  
       
       
         an inlet in one of said manifolds; and,  
       
       
         an outlet in one of said manifolds;  
       
       
         whereby fluid in said manifolds is distributed to all of the headers associated therewith which in turn distribute fluid to the plurality of tubes in each of said units.  
       
     
     
       20. The heat exchanger of claim  19  further including at least one plug in one of said manifolds to define a multiple pass heat exchanger.  
     
     
       21. The heat exchanger of claim  19  wherein said headers and said manifolds are tubes and further including at least one plug in one of said tubes to define a multiple pass heat exchanger.  
     
     
       22. The heat exchanger of claim  19  wherein said headers are formed of tubes and said manifolds are attached to the ends of the corresponding tubes.  
     
     
       23. The heat exchanger of claim  22  wherein said manifolds are on the same side of said heat exchanger.  
     
     
       24. The heat exchanger of claim  19  wherein said manifolds are attached to corresponding ends of the corresponding headers and are on the same side of said heat exchanger.  
     
     
       25. The heat exchanger of claim  19  wherein said units are substantially identical.  
     
     
       26. The heat exchanger of claim  19  wherein said tubes are flattened tubes.  
     
     
       27. A multiple pass evaporator comprising: 
       
         At least two heat exchange units in side by side relation, each unit having first and second spaced headers and a plurality of tubes extending between and in fluid communication with the respective first and second headers;  
       
       
         an inlet to the first header of one of said units;  
       
       
         an outlet from the first header of another of said units; and  
       
       
         means establishing fluid communication between the second headers of said one and said another units;  
       
       
         whereby fluid entering said inlet first flows through said one unit to said second header thereof and then to said another unit and said first header thereof and subsequently from said outlet in a multiple pass flow path for said fluid;  
       
       
         wherein a manifold extends between said first headers of said one and said another units and said inlet and said outlet are disposed on said manifold in spaced relation to one another, and further including a plug in said manifold between said and said outlet and between the first headers of said one and said another units.  
       
     
     
       28. A heat exchanger comprising: 
       
         first and second cores aligned parallel to each other, each of said cores including a plurality of flat tubes disposed in parallel with a space therebetween, and a plurality of corrugated fins located in and extending through the spaces between said flat tubes in each of said first and second cores, said corrugated fins including a plurality of slits located between said first and second cores;  
       
       
         header pipes connected to opposite ends of said flat tubes of said first and second cores;  
       
       
         said header pipes being in fluid communication with said flat tubes; and  
       
       
         first and second means disposed on the upper and lower ends of said first and second cores to securely fix said first and second cores together.  
       
     
     
       29. The heat exchanger according to claim  28  wherein said corrugated fins are common to both of said cores.  
     
     
       30. A heat exchanger comprising: 
         a first core having a plurality of fluid - conducting tubes and a plurality of fins associated therewith;    
         a second core having a plurality of fluid - conducting tubes and a plurality of fins associated therewith wherein at least a portion of said fins are common to and connected to said first and second cores; and    
       
         means disposed between said first and second cores for reducing the direct heat transfer between said first and second cores.  
       
     
     
       31. The heat exchanger according to claim  30  wherein said common fins extend from the front of said first core to the rear of said second core.  
     
     
       32. The heat exchanger according to claim  30  wherein all of said fins are common to said first and second cores.  
     
     
       33. A heat exchanger comprising: 
       
         a plurality of heat exchanger cores each having a pair of header pipes extending in parallel relation to each other, a plurality of flat heat transfer tubes disposed between each pair of header pipes in parallel relation to one another and connected to and communicating with said pair of header pipes at their end portions, and a plurality of fins provided on the sides of said heat transfer tubes, said plurality of heat exchanger cores being integrally assembled in parallel relation to one another;  
       
       
         an inlet means and an outlet means for conveying fluid to and from said heat exchanger cores; and  
       
       
         means for connecting and communicating between one of said pair of header pipes of a heat exchanger core of said plurality of heat exchanger cores and one of said pair of header pipes of another heat exchanger core of said plurality of heat exchanger cores, said connecting and communicating means including a manifold connected to said inlet means to distribute a heat medium introduced through said inlet means to at least two of said heat exchanger cores, and said heat exchanger further comprising another said connecting and communicating means including a manifold connected to said outlet means to join said heat medium passed through said plurality of heat exchanger cores and directs that heat medium to said outlet means.  
       
     
     
       34. The heat exchanger according to claim  33 , wherein said plurality of heat exchanger cores are substantially the same size.  
     
     
       35. A heat exchanger comprising: 
       
         a plurality of heat exchanger cores each having a pair of header pipes extending in parallel relation to each other, a plurality of flat heat transfer tubes disposed between each pair of header pipes in parallel relation to one another and connected to and communicating with said pair of header pipes at their end portions, and a plurality of fins provided on the sides of said flat heat transfer tubes, said plurality of heat exchanger cores being integrally assembled in parallel relation to one another;  
       
       
         means for connecting and communicating between one of said pair of header pipes of a heat exchanger core of said plurality of heat exchanger cores and one of said pair of header pipes of another head exchanger core of said plurality of heat exchanger cores;  
       
       
         an inlet means for a heat medium connected to and communicating with one of said pair of header pipes of at least one of said plurality of heat exchanger cores; and  
       
       
         an outlet means for said heat medium connected to and communicating with another one of said pair of header pipes of at least one of said plurality of heat exchanger cores, said inlet means and said outlet means being disposed on the same side of the respective heat exchanger cores to be connected to said inlet means and said outlet means, said inlet means and said outlet means being positioned at substantially the same height, and said inlet means and said outlet means being connected to said one of said pair of header pipes and said another one of said pair of header pipes, respectively, via a manifold.  
       
     
     
       36. A heat exchanger comprising: 
       
         a plurality of heat exchanger cores each having a pair of header pipes extending in parallel relation to each other, a plurality of flat heat transfer tubes disposed between said pair of header pipes in parallel relation to one another and connected to and communicating with said pair of header pipes at their end portions, and a plurality of fins provided on the sides of said flat heat transfer tubes, said plurality of heat exchange cores being integrally assembled in parallel relation to one another, said flat heat transfer tubes each defining a longitudinal axis, and each of said plurality of fins extending through at least two of said heat exchanger cores in a direction transverse to said longitudinal axis of said heat transfer tubes;  
       
       
         means for connecting and communicating a heat medium between one of said header pipes of a heat exchanger core of said plurality of heat exchanger cores and one of said pair of header pipes of another heat exchanger core of said plurality of heat exchanger cores;  
       
       
         an inlet means of said heat medium connected to and communicating with one of said pair of header pipes of at least one of said plurality of heat exchanger cores; and  
       
       
         an outlet means for said heat medium connected to and communicating with another one of said pair of header pipes of at least one of said plurality of heat exchanger cores.