Abstract: An apparatus for treating refrigerant which passes through a high pressure side and a low pressure side in which the refrigerant has a different temperature circulating in a transcritical air conditioning loop having a heat exchanger with a collecting tube. A longitudinal vessel is connected to the heat exchanger collecting tube and defines a heat exchanger chamber and an accumulator chamber, wherein both of the chambers extend parallel over at least a significant portion of the length of the vessel. The vessel includes at least one longitudinal wall having an opening allowing the refrigerant to flow through the chambers. A flat multi-chamber tube extends through the heat exchanger chamber of the vessel, wherein refrigerant on one side flows through the tube and refrigerant on the other side flows through the vessel to exchange heat between refrigerant in the sides.

Abstract: An intermediate heat exchanger for refrigerant which passes through a high pressure side and a low pressure side in which the refrigerant has a different temperature circulating in an air conditioning loop. The heat exchanger includes a thin pressure-stable vessel defining at least one longitudinal compartment therein, and a flat multi-chamber tube through which refrigerant on one side flows. The tube extends through the at least one compartment and is spaced from at least two opposing walls of the compartment. Heat exchange ribs roughly fill the compartment between the tube and the two opposing walls, wherein refrigerant on the other side flows through the compartment between the tube and the two opposing walls.