REFRIGERANT DISTRIBUTION DEVICE AND METHOD

摘要

A refrigerant distribution device 10 situated in an inlet header 12 of a multiple tube heat exchanger 14 of a refrigeration system 20 . The device 10 includes an inlet passage 32 that is in communication with an expansion device. Small diameter conduits 34 are disposed within the inlet header 12 and are in fluid communication with the inlet passage 32 . A two-phase refrigerant fluid in the inlet passage 32 has a refrigerant liquid-vapor interface 38 . The conduits 34 have inlet ports 40 that lie below the refrigerant liquid-vapor interface 38 . Vapor emerging from the nozzles 34 create a homogeneous refrigerant that is uniformly delivered to the multiple tubes. The invention also includes a method for delivering a uniform distribution of a homogeneous liquid mixture of liquid and vaporous refrigerant through the heat exchanger tubes.