Abstract: The invention is essentially characterized in that in a first step a substrate is provided, which is coated with defined pattern of protrusions of a coating layer of a different material, so that an interface is defined between the substrate and the coating layer. As an example, the patterned coating layer can be applied by first forming an essentially homogeneous coating layer, which is then partially removed by means of photolithographic and etching techniques, leaving nanometer sized protrusions in that layer. As a next step, the surface provided with these structures is modified by selectively removing protrusions by means of a micro-device. Such a micro-device can be formed in a similar way to a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip. The presence or absence of a protrusion represents a readable data bit information.

Abstract: An applicator apparatus for controlling the uniform (or predetermined non-uniform) application of a treating fluid to a traveling fabric, web or other substrate includes one or more fluid applicators, each having spaced apart housing or body walls interconnected by a body edge preferably of a generally parabolic shape. Each applicator includes a fluid inlet in one body wall and a transversely elongated fluid outlet in the opposite body wall. The body walls define a fluid distribution chamber extending substantially equally and oppositely relative to the fluid inlet, with the chamber being divided by a plate member having preferably generally parabolically shaped peripheral edges substantially corresponding in shape with and spaced inwardly from the body edge.

Abstract: A multiblock heat-transfer system including a first heat-transfer unit and at least a second heat transfer unit mounted onto the first heat-transfer unit. The first heat transfer unit contains a first heat-transfer tubular block with at least a first collecting chamber at the side. The second heat-transfer unit contains a second heat-transfer tubular block with at least a second collecting chamber at the side. The first and second collecting chamber each consist of their own collecting pipe, and both collecting pipes are inserted into each other at their front faces and are connected in a fluid-tight manner. In the pipe connection area, the external diameter of one of the collecting pipes approximately matches the internal diameter of the other collecting pipe, and a transverse partition is provided for separating the two collecting chambers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of refrigerant level monitoring in a refrigerant circuit of an air-conditioning or heat-pump system having a compressor and a refrigerant which may, depending on the operating point, be operated in the supercritical range. The method includes standstill level monitoring with the compressor switched off and/or in-operation level monitoring with the compressor switched on. In the case of in-operation level monitoring, the refrigerant overheat (dTü) at the evaporator is registered and, in the event of excessive overheat, it is concluded that there is underfilling. At a standstill, the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant are registered, and it is concluded that there is an improper refrigerant filling level if the pressure (pKM) lies below a minimum pressure value (pmin) or the temperature (TKM) lies above a maximum saturation temperature value (Ts) with the pressure being outside a predefinable intended pressure range ([pu,po]).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for forming at least one flat-tube insertion slot in a header tube. A sawcut is introduced into the header tube during a sawing step, and the slot is configured, during a subsequent punching step, by means of a slot punch, which punches into the region of the sawcut. A rimmed opening can be configured during the punching step by using a slot punch with a larger width and/or length relative to the sawcut. The sawcut is preferably introduced to a depth less that the wall thickness of the header tube. The respective web region(s) between chamber of a multi-chamber header tube can be compressed during the punching operation to a level lower than that of a header-tube wall region functioning as a flat-tube insertion stop, in order to form a chamber-connecting duct.

Abstract: The invention relates to an air conditioning unit with a coolant circuit which consists of a compressor, an evaporator, a collector located at the low pressure side between the evaporator and the compressor and an inner heat transfer unit with a beat transfer channel located at the high pressure side and a low pressure side beat transfer channel. According to the invention, the inner heat transfer unit has an at least segmentally spiraling and/or spiral-shaped steps between the outer and inner pipe of a coaxial pipe system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for forming at least one flat-tube insertion slot in a header tube. A sawcut is introduced into the header tube during a sawing step, and the slot is configured, during a subsequent punching step, by means of a slot punch, which punches into the region of the sawcut. A rimmed opening can be configured during the punching step by using a slot punch with a larger width and/or length relative to the sawcut. The sawcut is preferably introduced to a depth less that the wall thickness of the header tube. The respective web region(s) between chamber of a multi-chamber header tube can be compressed during the punching operation to a level lower than that of a header-tube wall region functioning as a flat-tube insertion stop, in order to form a chamber-connecting duct.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of refrigerant level monitoring in a refrigerant circuit of an air-conditioning or heat-pump system having a compressor and a refrigerant which may, depending on the operating point, be operated in the supercritical range. The method includes standstill level monitoring with the compressor switched off and/or in-operation level monitoring with the compressor switched on. In the case of in-operation level monitoring, the refrigerant overheat (dTü) at the evaporator is registered and, in the event of excessive overheat, it is concluded that there is underfilling. At a standstill, the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant are registered, and it is concluded that there is an improper refrigerant filling level if the pressure (pKM) lies below a minimum pressure value (pmin) or the temperature (TKM) lies above a maximum saturation temperature value (TS) with the pressure being outside a predefinable intended pressure range ([pu,po]).

Abstract: The invention relates to a serpentine heat exchanger having a first serpentine tube block (12a) comprising one or more adjacent first serpentine tube sections with parallel through-flow and a second serpentine tube block (12b) disposed behind the first and comprising one or more adjacent second serpentine tube sections with parallel through-flow. According to the invention, at least one of the second serpentine tube sections is connected in series for flow purposes via a diversion section (10, 11) to a first serpentine tube section lying adjacent thereto.

Abstract: An applicator apparatus for controlling the uniform (or predetermined non-uniform) application of a treating fluid to a traveling fabric, web or other substrate includes one or more fluid applicators, each having spaced apart housing or body walls interconnected by a body edge preferably of a generally parabolic shape. Each applicator includes a fluid inlet in one body wall and a transversely elongated fluid outlet in the opposite body wall. The body walls define a fluid distribution chamber extending substantially equally and oppositely relative to the fluid inlet, with the chamber being divided by a plate member having preferably generally parabolically shaped peripheral edges substantially corresponding in shape with and spaced inwardly from the body edge.

Abstract: An air-conditioning system is designed at least for an air-conditioning mode for cooling a thermal control medium (13) and a heat-pump mode for heating the thermal control medium. The system comprises a refrigerant circuit with a compressor (1) and an evaporator (8), a coolant circuit with a heat-generating unit (10) to be cooled and a heater (12) for heating the thermal control medium, and also a first refrigerant/coolant heat exchanger (3) functioning on the refrigerant side as a condenser/gas cooler. The evaporator is formed by a second refrigerant/coolant heat exchanger (8). A cooling body (14) for cooling the thermal control medium is connected downstream of heat exchanger (8) on the coolant side.

Abstract: A safety device limits the pressure in an axial-piston compressor with variable piston displacement. The compressor has as wobble plate or swash plate whose tilt angle can be variably controlled by the pressure differential between the high pressure in the discharge pressure zone and the pressure in the piston-drive chamber. The safety device consists of a valve arranged in a connector channel between the discharge pressure zone and the pressure zone of the piston-drive chamber. When the discharge pressure exceeds a given pressure limit, the safety device responds by allowing an increased flow of pressure medium from the discharge pressure zone to the piston-drive chamber. The influx of pressure medium into the piston-drive chamber causes a reduction of the tilt angle of the swash plate or wobble plate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a heat transmission unit for a motor vehicle, comprising a fan cowling (12) and at least one heat exchanger (14) connected thereto. In order to provide an improved heat transmission unit which can be especially produced in an economical manner an which enables easy connection to the heat exchanger to the fan cowling especially during pre-assembly of the cooling module, the heat exchanger (14) is maintained on the fan cowling (12) by means of its manifolds (18, 20).

Abstract: An optimized CO2 air-conditioning system for a vehicle has individual components designed and/or matched to one another in such a way that if the high pressures in the high-pressure section deviate by up to ±30% from the optimum high pressures, the associated optimum performance figures are reduced by no more than 20%. The individual components include a controllable compressor, a gas cooler, an internal heat exchanger, an evaporator and an accumulator. As a result, a fixed throttle expansion member can be used between the high-pressure and low-pressure sections of the system.

Abstract: A flat tube for use in a heat exchanger includes a reversal bend section connected between parallel extending tube sections. The reversal bend section extends from a plane of the tube sections by a distance less than a width of the tube sections. The tube sections can be straight or serpentine. A plurality of the flat tubes can be stacked and connected to collector tubes to form a heat exchanger for use as an evaporator in a vehicle air conditioning system. Corrugated ribs are positioned between adjacent flat tubes for increased heat conduction.

Abstract: An air-conditioning system operated with CO2 for a vehicle has a high-pressure section that is connected to the output of a compressor and includes a gas cooler, a low-pressure section that is connected to the suction side of the compressor and includes an evaporator, and an expansion member connecting the high-pressure section and the low-pressure section. The expansion member has a fixed restrictor with a throttle opening of predetermined length and diameter connected between an inlet from the high-pressure section and an outlet to the low-pressure section whereby under all operating conditions of the system, a pressure of refrigerant in the high-pressure section of the system is limited to values of less than 14 MPa. The restrictor can be connected in parallel with a pressure limiting valve and can include two or more different throttle openings that can be selectively connected for refrigerant flow.

Abstract: A heat exchanger block includes a plurality of block units, located one behind the other, each having a plurality of stacked tube units with tube ducts extending transverse to the block depth and height. The tube ducts are connected at ends to associated collector ducts extending in the block height direction. The tube units can be formed from a multichamber flat tube. At least one collector-duct connection is provided between adjacent block units to form a meandering flow path through the heat exchanger block. The heat exchanger block can be used as an evaporator in a motor vehicle air-conditioning system.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying a chemical foam to a traveling substrate in which a plurality of shut-off valves are spaced along a foam conduit between a foam generator and an applicator head to form the conduit into isolated sections when the valves are simultaneously closed upon stoppage of the traveling substrate, thereby maintaining pressure differential along the length of the conduit in readiness for resumption of operation when the substrate resumes travel and the valves are opened. To avoid decomposition of the foam in the applicator head during stoppage, a small by-pass conduit is connected to the valved conduit upstream and downstream of the valves to allow a small quantity of foam to continue to flow to the applicator head during stoppage of the substrate. A discharge valve at a discharge outlet of the applicator head opens during substrate stoppage to allow foam to discharge from the applicator head and maintain circulation of foam therein.

Abstract: An optimized CO2 air-conditioning system for a vehicle has individual components designed and/or matched to one another in such a way that if the high pressures in the high-pressure section deviate by up to ±30% from the optimum high pressures, the associated optimum performance figures are reduced by no more than 20%. The individual components include a controllable compressor, a gas cooler, an internal heat exchanger, an evaporator and an accumulator. As a result, a fixed throttle expansion member can be used between the high-pressure and low-pressure sections of the system.

Abstract: An air-conditioning system operated with CO2 for a vehicle has a high-pressure section that is connected to the output of a compressor and includes a gas cooler, a low-pressure section that is connected to the suction side of the compressor and includes an evaporator, and an expansion member connecting the high-pressure section and the low-pressure section. The expansion member has a fixed restrictor with a throttle opening of predetermined length and diameter connected between an inlet from the high-pressure section and an outlet to the low-pressure section whereby under all operating conditions of the system, a pressure of refrigerant in the high-pressure section of the system is limited to values of less than 14 MPa. The restrictor can be connected in parallel with a pressure limiting valve and can include two or more different throttle openings that can be selectively connected for refrigerant flow.