Abstract: A heat exchanger for use with a two-phase refrigerant includes an inlet header, an outlet header, and a plurality of refrigerant tubes hydraulically connecting the headers. A distributor tube has a plurality of orifices disposed in the inlet header, the end of the refrigerant tubes opposite the outlet header extends inside the inlet header and abuts a surface of the distributor tube, a portion of an inner surface of the inlet header facing the surface of the distributor tube and the surface of the distributor tube defining a first chamber. A gap separates at least a portion of the distributor tube and the inlet header, the gap extending from at least the orifices to the first chamber, wherein at least one partition having at least one opening formed therethrough spanning the gap, the partition separating the orifices from the first chamber.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a heat exchanger which optimizes the heat exchanger capacity, including a first manifold and a second manifold. A fluid drawing device is provided in the second manifold. The fluid drawing device is in fluid communication with an outlet, the fluid drawing device drawing liquid refrigerant from a lowest vertical portion of the second manifold, permitting only liquid refrigerant located near the lowest vertical portion to flow into the fluid drawing device and creating a continuous liquid seal, allowing the second manifold to behave as a receiver and orifice, allowing excess liquid refrigerant to continually accumulate in the second manifold. Vertically oriented tubes extend in fluid communication between the first manifold and the second manifold. The heat exchanger is capable of operating in either a condenser mode or an evaporator mode with virtually no adverse effect on system performance.