Abstract: A heat exchanger may be a refrigeration heat exchanger including a plurality of fins having a fin density greater than ten fins per inch, or may be a heat pump heat exchanger having a fin density of greater than eighteen fins per inch. Either heat exchanger includes a hydrophobic coating disposed on the plurality of fins for limiting the accumulation of frost.

Abstract: An air-temperature conditioning system includes a frost resistant heat exchanger that has an exterior heat transfer surface covered by a hydrophobic coating. An anti-frost device of the air-temperature conditioning system is constructed and arranged to mitigate frost accumulation on the heat exchanger by leveraging characteristics of the hydrophobic coating.

Abstract: A heat exchanger is provided including an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold arranged generally parallel to the inlet manifold and being spaced therefrom by a distance. A plurality of rows of microtubes is aligned in a substantially parallel relationship. The plurality of rows of microtubes is configured to fluidly couple the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold. Each of the plurality of rows includes a plurality of microtubes.

Abstract: A heat exchanger is provided including a plurality of parallel stacked plates defining at least one flow passage there between. A manifold having a generally hollow interior is arranged adjacent the plurality of parallel plates. An opening is disposed between adjacent stacked plates. The opening is configured to fluidly couple the hollow interior of the manifold and the at least one flow passage. A distributor assembly including an insert is disposed at least partially within the hollow interior of the manifold. The insert includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced axial flow channels and a plurality of radial connecting channels arranged in fluid communication with the axial flow channels. The radial flow channels are fluidly coupled to the at least one flow passage via the opening.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a distribution manifold, a plurality of longitudinally spaced tubes having inlet ends opening into the manifold, and a longitudinally extending distributor body disposed within the manifold. The distributor body has a first surface juxtaposed in spaced relationship with the inlet ends of the plurality of tubes and a second surface interfacing with the manifold inner wall. A plurality of discrete flow passages extend from an inlet end of the distributor body and open through the first surface of the distributor body. The plurality of discrete flow passages includes a plurality of longitudinally extending flow passages formed by channels or grooves extending along the interface of the second surface of the distributor body with the inner wall of the distributor manifold.

Abstract: A plate heat exchanger includes a plurality of main plates stacked to define a first cavity to direct a first fluid therethrough and a second cavity to direct a second fluid therethrough, the second fluid different from and kept separated from the first fluid. Each main plate has one or more peaks and one or more valleys formed therein. A ratio of wavelength between adjacent peaks or between adjacent valleys of the main plate to an amplitude between a peak and an adjacent valley of the main plate is equal to or greater than 7.0.

Abstract: A method of operating a heat exchanger is disclosed in which an electric field is applied to a hydrophobic surface having condensed water droplets thereon to reduce a contact angle between the individual droplet surfaces and the hydrophobic surface, and to increase droplet surface energy to a second surface energy level. The electric field is removed to increase the contact angle between the individual droplet surfaces and the hydrophobic surface, and to reduce droplet surface energy to a third surface energy level. The third surface energy level is greater than the first surface energy level and greater than a surface energy level for a free droplet. A portion of the droplet surface energy is converted to kinetic energy to detach droplets from the hydrophobic surface. The detached droplets are removed from the heat rejection side fluid flow path.

Abstract: An ejector mixer has a convergent section and a downstream divergent section downstream of the convergent section. The downstream divergent section has a divergence half angle of 0.1-2.0° over a first span of at least 3.0 times a minimum diameter of the mixer.

Abstract: An ejector (38) has ports (40, 42, 44) for receiving a motive flow and a suction flow and discharging a combined flow. The ejector has a motive flow inlet, a suction flow inlet (42), and an outlet (44). A suction flow flowpath extends from the suction flow inlet. A motive flow flowpath extends from the motive flow inlet to join the suction flow flowpath and form a combined flowpath exiting the outlet. The ejector comprises a plurality of motive flow nozzles (100, 302, 402, 602, 702, 802) along the motive flow flowpath. The motive flow nozzles are oriented to impart a tangential velocity component to the motive flow. A plurality of diffusers (130, 304, 404, 604, 704, 804) are along the combined flowpath and are oriented to recover the tangential velocity from the combined flow.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a distribution manifold, a plurality of longitudinally spaced tubes having inlet ends opening into the manifold, and a longitudinally extending distributor body disposed within the manifold. The distributor body has a first surface juxtaposed in spaced relationship with the inlet ends of the plurality of tubes and a second surface interfacing with the manifold inner wall. A plurality of discrete flow passages extend from an inlet end of the distributor body and open through the first surface of the distributor body. The plurality of discrete flow passages includes a plurality of longitudinally extending flow passages formed by channels or grooves extending along the interface of the second surface of the distributor body with the inner wall of the distributor manifold.

Abstract: A falling film evaporator includes a plurality of evaporator tubes through which a volume of thermal energy transfer medium is flowed, and a distributor to distribute a flow of liquid refrigerant over the plurality of evaporator tubes. The distributor includes a distributor box and a distribution sheet positioned at a bottom surface of the distributor box having a plurality of peaks and valleys, with sidewalls extending between each peak and each valley. A plurality of ports is located in the sidewalls to distribute the flow of liquid refrigerant downwardly over the plurality of evaporator tubes.

Abstract: A heat exchanger is described comprising a distributor having an outer housing and including a plurality of substantially parallel plates disposed within the housing and configured to partition an input two-phase flow into a series of primarily single-phase layers. A heat exchanger is described comprising a distributor having an outer housing including a plurality of substantially parallel channels disposed therein, each channel configured to uniformly and independently convey a portion of a homogenous input two-phase flow from an input of the distributor to an output of the distributor.

Abstract: A heat exchanger distribution assembly includes a channel guide comprising an outer surface. Also included is an outer shell comprising a hollow portion and a plurality of distribution holes, wherein the channel guide is at least partially disposed within the hollow portion. Further included is a plurality of channel grooves disposed between an inner surface of the outer shell and the outer surface of the channel guide, wherein the plurality of channel grooves are configured to convert circumferentially spaced flow passages to axially spaced flow passages to route the fluid to a plurality of layers of a heat exchanger.

Abstract: A multi-chamber heat exchanger header includes a header housing and an insert. The header housing has a first wall and a second wall generally opposite the first wall where the first and second walls define a track. The insert is positioned to engage with the track such that the insert separates the header into first and second manifold chambers. A method for forming a multi-chamber heat exchanger header includes extruding a header housing having first and second manifold chambers and a track, positioning an insert in the header housing to engage with the track, and welding or brazing the insert to the header housing.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a plurality of tubes conveying a first fluid flow therethrough disposed substantially transverse to a direction of a second fluid flow through the heat exchanger and arranged in a plurality of tube rows extending substantially along the direction of the second fluid flow. The heat exchanger further includes a web sheet having a plurality of webs and a plurality of tube recesses disposed between the webs of the plurality of webs. Each tube of the plurality of tubes is secured to a tube recess of the plurality of tube recesses. Forming a heat exchanger includes forming a web sheet having a plurality of webs and a plurality of tube recesses located between the webs. A plurality of tubes are formed and configured to convey a first fluid flow therethrough. The plurality of tubes are inserted into the plurality of tube recesses.

Abstract: An ejector (200; 300; 400; 600) has a primary inlet (40), a secondary inlet (42), and an outlet (44). A primary flowpath extends from the primary inlet to the outlet. A secondary flowpath extends from the secondary inlet to the outlet. A mixer convergent section (114) is downstream of the secondary inlet. A motive nozzle (100) surrounds the primary flowpath upstream of a junction with the secondary flowpath. The motive nozzle has an exit (110). The mixer has a downstream divergent section down-stream of the convergent section and having a divergence half angle of 0.1-2.0 over a first span of at least 3.0 times a minimum diameter of the mixer.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a plurality of tubes positioned substantially transverse to a direction of airflow through the heat exchanger and arranged in a plurality of tube rows extending substantially along the direction of airflow. The heat exchanger further includes a plurality of webs substantially integral to two or more tubes of the plurality of tubes, each web extending between and connected to adjacent tubes of the plurality of tubes. At least one tube of the plurality of tubes has a cross section with an aspect ratio greater than 1:1, relative to a substantially horizontal web.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a first header, a second header and heat exchange tubes that extend between the first header and the second header. A fin is located between two adjacent heat exchange tubes, and the fin includes fin plates each having louvers. Each of the louvers includes a first louver section, a second louver section and a third louver section between the first louver section and the second louver section. The third louver section includes a drain portion that extends downwardly relative to the first louver section and the second louver section.

Abstract: A heat exchanger is described comprising a distributor having an outer housing and including a plurality of substantially parallel plates disposed within the housing and configured to partition an input two-phase flow into a series of primarily single-phase layers. A heat exchanger is described comprising a distributor having an outer housing including a plurality of substantially parallel channels disposed therein, each channel configured to uniformly and independently convey a portion of a homogenous input two-phase flow from an input of the distributor to an output of the distributor.

Abstract: An ejector (38) has ports (40, 42, 44) for receiving a motive flow and a suction flow and discharging a combined flow. The ejector has a motive flow inlet, a suction flow inlet (42), and an outlet (44). A suction flow flowpath extends from the suction flow inlet. A motive flow flowpath extends from the motive flow inlet to join the suction flow flowpath and form a combined flowpath exiting the outlet. The ejector comprises a plurality of motive flow nozzles (100, 302, 402, 602, 702, 802) along the motive flow flowpath. The motive flow nozzles are oriented to impart a tangential velocity component to the motive flow. A plurality of diffusers (130, 304, 404, 604, 704, 804) are along the combined flowpath and are oriented to recover the tangential velocity from the combined flow.