Trane International Inc.

Steven Erwin Meloling

Daoud Ali Jandal

Brian Thomas Sullivan

Jon Phillip Hartfield

H Kenneth Ring

Harry Kenneth Ring

Benjamin Elias Dingel

Steven Joseph Pitts

Matthew Aron Witt

Damion Scott Plymesser

Reginald Loyd Berry

Raymond Scott Schafer

Steven E Wolfgram

Ronald Allen Boldt

James M McCool

Alain Fleurette

Robert A Harris

Raghu Kumar

Kishore Prabakaran

Florian Weber

Bradley S Wickersham

Fred Eickstaedt

Ronald E Schlicht

A bolted hinge assembly is provided for a waterbox cover (a 'waterbox hinge assembly'). The waterbox hinge assembly generally does not require welding on the waterbox cover or the heat exchanger in an HVAC system ('HVAC unit' hereinafter). Further, the waterbox hinge assembly may be installable to the HVAC unit without removing the heat exchange fluids (e.g., water, refrigerant, etc.) from the HVAC unit. In some cases, the waterbox hinge assembly can be installed on an HVAC unit without removing any bolts from the waterbox cover. Once installed, the waterbox hinge assembly can be left in place so that it can be reused anytime the HVAC unit is serviced.

Hinged waterbox cover

A suction duct is disposed within a shell and tube heat exchanger. The suction duct is located relatively high and above the tube bundle so as to not entrain liquid or droplets that may be splashing and spraying upward. The suction duct is configured with an area schedule in fluid communication with a flow path inside the suction duct. The flow path is in fluid communication with an outlet of the shell. This is advantageous relative to traditional top of the shell outlets which generally have higher vertical footprints. The area schedule of the suction duct can facilitate and/or maintain relatively smooth vapor flow within the shell. The area schedule can achieve vapor flows that have some uniformity along the length of the shell, which can manage and/or avoid localized vapor flow and/or local currents, such as where high velocity may be present and where entrainment can result.

Suction duct and multiple suction ducts inside a shell of a flooded evaporator

A heat exchanger, for example a shell and tube flooded evaporator, has a refrigerant distributor that is positioned at an angle between the bottom of the shell and the sides of the shell, and includes an inlet that is welded to an inlet piping, where the inlet and inlet piping are in fluid communication with the refrigerant distributor, and are in a generally corresponding position orientation. Tubes of a tube bundles may extend proximate the bottom of the shell.

Side mounted refrigerant distributor in a flooded evaporator and side mounted inlet pipe to the distributor

Generally, apparatuses, systems, and methods are described to vent refrigerant vapor from the refrigerant pump line using a vent line, such as during priming of the pump and/or during a startup of the compressor, directed to a relatively reduced volute casing mass of the refrigerant pump, and/or directed to returning refrigerant to an economizer or chiller component other than the condenser.

Refrigerant cooling and lubrication system with refrigerant vapor vent line

Embodiments described in this specification are generally directed to a bolted hinge assembly for a waterbox cover (a 'waterbox hinge assembly'). The waterbox hinge assembly generally does not require welding on the waterbox cover or the heat exchanger in an HVAC system ('HVAC unit' hereinafter). Further, the waterbox hinge assembly may be installable to the HVAC unit without removing the heat exchange fluids (e.g., water, refrigerant, etc.) from the HVAC unit. In some embodiments, the waterbox hinge assembly can be installed on an HVAC unit without removing any bolts from the waterbox cover. Once installed, the waterbox hinge assembly can be left in place so that it can be reused anytime the HVAC unit is serviced.

Hinged waterbox cover method

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La Crosse, WI, United States of America

Steven Erwin Meloling