Condenser

Abstract

A condenser including an inlet header and an outlet header spaced apart from each other and extending vertically, a plurality of flat refrigerant tubes arranged one above another in parallel at a spacing between the two headers and jointed at opposite ends thereof to the respective headers, and fins between respective adjacent pairs of refrigerant tubes. The inlet header admits a refrigerant into interior thereof therethrough, and the outlet header causes the refrigerant to flow out therethrough. The refrigerant admitted into the inlet header flows through the refrigerant tubes toward the outlet header. The number of refrigerant tubes positioned below the center of the refrigerant inlet with respect to the vertical direction is up to 21, preferably up to 16, more preferably up to 7. The condenser can be prevented from becoming impaired in condensation performance when the refrigerant has a compressor lubricant incorporated therein.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is an application filed under 35 U.S.C. §111(a) claiming the benefit pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e)(1) of the filing date of Provisional Application No. 60 / 540,335 filed Feb. 2, 2004 pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §111(b).TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present invention relates to condensers, for example, for use in motor vehicle air conditioners which a rerefrigeration cycles to be installed in motor vehicles.[0003]In this description and the appended claims, the upper and lower sides and the left- and right-hand sides of the drawings will be referred to respectively as “upper,”“lower”, “left” and “right.”BACKGROUND ART[0004]Refrigeration cycles providing motor vehicle air conditioners have a compressor, condenser, pressure reducer (expansion valve) and evaporator. A gaseous refrigerant having a high temperature and high pressure and compressed by the compressor is condensed by the condenser to a liquid refrigerant, which is then expand...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]To solve the above problem, we have conducted intensive research and found that with the condenser disclosed in the above publication, the number of refrigerant tubes positioned below the center of the refrigerant inlet with respect to the vertical direction exerts influence on the impairment of condensation performance in the case where the refrigerant contains the compressor lubricant admixed therewith. Stated more specifically, if the -number of refrigerant tubes is excessive, the compressor lubricant settles to the lower portion of the inlet header to flow mainly into the refrigerant tubes positioned in the lower portion, consequently reducing the amount of refrigerant flowing through the tubes in the lower portion and decreasing the number of refrigerant tubes contributing to the condensation.

Problems solved by technology

The presence of the compressor lubricant in the refrigerant entails the problem of impairing the condensation performance to lower the refrigeration efficiency of the refrigeration cycle.

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