Ford Motor Company Limited

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Richard G Gibbons, Jr

Henry Mehraban

Chao A Zhang

Teodor Urdea

Gary J Blankenberger

An accumulator with an internal heat exchanger for use in an air conditioning or refrigeration system having a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator is disclosed. In operation, the accumulator is placed in the system so high pressure, high temperature refrigerant flowing from the condenser and low pressure, low temperature refrigerant flowing from the evaporator simultaneously enter and flow through the heat exchanger disposed in the accumulator whereby the low pressure, low temperature refrigerant absorbs heat and thereby cools the high pressure, high temperature refrigerant. In one embodiment, the heat exchanger comprises a tube having at least one high temperature channel and one low temperature channel extending through the interior of the tube. In a second embodiment, the heat exchanger comprises a single spirally wound coaxial tube having an outer tube and an inner tube positioned within the outer tube. In a third embodiment, the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of coaxial tubes, each coaxial tube having an outer tube and an inner tube positioned in the outer tube wherein the inner tubes are fluidly connected.

Accumulator with internal heat exchanger

A heat exchanger for an automotive vehicle comprising a manifold assembly, a plurality of tubular elements, a plurality of fin elements is described. The heat exchanger further includes a sealing apparatus for sealing the manifold assemblies and for providing a mounting attachment for securing the heat exchanger in the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Fraser, MI, United States of America

Richard G Gibbons, Jr