Orientation insensitive refrigerant distributor tube

摘要

A heat exchanger assembly (10) having an inlet header (12a), an outlet header (12b) spaced from the inlet header (12a), a plurality of refrigerant tubes (14) hydraulically connecting the inlet header (12a) with the outlet header (12b). A distributor tube (20) having a plurality of orifices (22) disposed in the inlet header (12a), wherein the orifices (22) are arranged along the distributor tube (20) such that at least one orifice is oriented in the liquid phase (24) of the refrigerant pressed against the internal surface of the distributor tube (20) regardless of orientation of the evaporator. The orifices(22) may be arranged in a random order about the distributor tube (20), positioned in groups of at least two at predetermined locations, or spiraled along the distributor tube (20).