ASYMMETRIC HEAT EXCHANGER

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from and the benefit of India Provisional Patent Application No. 20/231,1067913, entitled “ASYMMETRIC HEAT EXCHANGER,” filed Oct. 10, 2023, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are utilized in residential, commercial, and industrial environments to control environmental properties, such as temperature, humidity, and/or air quality, for occupants of the respective environments. HVAC systems may regulate environmental properties of environments via delivery of a conditioned air flow to the environment. For example, the HVAC system may generally include a fan or blower that is operable to direct an air flow across a heat exchanger of the HVAC system. As such, the blower and heat exchanger may facilitate transfer of thermal energy between the air flow and a working fluid directed through the heat exchanger to generate the conditioned air flow for delivery to a suitable space within a building or other structure serviced by the HVAC system. Due to a design and/or position of the blower within an enclosure including the heat exchanger, the blower may draw, direct, or otherwise provide non-uniform air flow through or across the heat exchanger. As a result, non-uniform heat transfer and/or a pressure drop may be induced as the air flow is directed across the heat exchanger, resulting in one or more inefficiencies.

SUMMARY

A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.

The present disclosure relates to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system including an enclosure and a heat exchanger disposed within the enclosure, where the heat exchanger includes a first slab and a second slab, the first slab includes a first configuration, and the second slab includes a second configuration, different from the first configuration. The HVAC system further includes a blower disposed within the enclosure, where the blower may direct an air flow across the heat exchanger, and the blower includes a motor to operate the blower, where the motor is aligned with the first slab, relative to a direction of the air flow through the enclosure. The blower also includes an intake to receive the air flow, where the intake is aligned with the second slab, relative to the direction of the air flow through the enclosure.

The present disclosure also relates to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system including a first slab including a first plurality of coils, where the first slab is configured to impart a first air flow resistance to an air flow directed across the heat exchanger via a blower. The HVAC system also includes a second slab including a second plurality of coils, where the second slab is configured to impart a second air flow resistance to the air flow directed across the heat exchanger via the blower and the second air flow resistance is greater than the first air flow resistance. The first slab and the second slab may couple to one another, and the heat exchanger may be disposed within an enclosure and in alignment with the blower, relative to a direction of the air flow through the enclosure, in an installed configuration of the heat exchanger.

The present disclosure further relates to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system including an enclosure including a first wall and a second wall; a blower disposed within the enclosure and configured to induce an air flow through the enclosure, where the blower includes a motor disposed adjacent to the first wall and an air intake disposed adjacent to the second wall. The HVAC system also includes heat exchanger disposed within the enclosure, where the heat exchanger includes a first slab and a second slab, the first slab is aligned with the motor, relative to a direction of the air flow through the enclosure, the second is aligned with the air intake, relative to the direction of the air flow through the enclosure, the first slab may impart a first air flow resistance to the air flow, and the second slab may impart a second air flow resistance, greater than the first air flow resistance, to the air flow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a building incorporating a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in a commercial setting, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a packaged HVAC unit, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a split, residential HVAC system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system used in an HVAC system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic of an embodiment of a portion of an HVAC system having a heat exchanger and a blower, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a schematic of an embodiment of a portion of an HVAC system having a heat exchanger and a blower, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a heat exchanger, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a heat exchanger, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a heat exchanger, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematic of an embodiment of a portion of an HVAC system having a heat exchanger and a blower, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 11 is a schematic of an embodiment of a heat exchanger, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. These described embodiments are examples of the presently disclosed techniques. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

As used herein, the terms “approximately,” “generally,” and “substantially,” and so forth, are intended to convey that the property value being described may be within a relatively small range of the property value, as those of ordinary skill would understand. For example, when a property value is described as being “approximately” equal to (or, for example, “substantially similar” to) a given value, this is intended to mean that the property value may be within +/−5%, within +/−4%, within +/−3%, within +/−2%, within +/−1%, or even closer, of the given value. Similarly, when a given feature is described as being “substantially parallel” to another feature, “generally perpendicular” to another feature, and so forth, this is intended to mean that the given feature is within +/−5%, within +/−4%, within +/−3%, within +/−2%, within +/−1%, or even closer, to having the described nature, such as being parallel to another feature, being perpendicular to another feature, and so forth. Further, it should be understood that mathematical terms, such as “planar,” “slope,” “perpendicular,” “parallel,” and so forth are intended to encompass features of surfaces or elements as understood to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art, and should not be rigidly interpreted as might be understood in the mathematical arts. For example, a “planar” surface is intended to encompass a surface that is machined, molded, or otherwise formed to be substantially flat or smooth (within related tolerances) using techniques and tools available to one of ordinary skill in the art. Similarly, a surface having a “slope” is intended to encompass a surface that is machined, molded, or otherwise formed to be oriented at an angle (e.g., incline) with respect to a point of reference using techniques and tools available to one of ordinary skill in the art.

As briefly discussed above, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system may be used to thermally regulate a space within a building, home, or other suitable structure. For example, the HVAC system may include a vapor compression system that operates to transfer thermal energy between a working fluid, such as a refrigerant, and a fluid to be conditioned, such as air. The vapor compression system includes heat exchangers, such as a condenser and an evaporator, which are fluidly coupled to one another via one or more conduits of a working fluid loop or circuit. A compressor may be used to circulate the working fluid (e.g., refrigerant) through the conduits and other components of the working fluid circuit (e.g., heat exchangers, expansion device) and thereby enable the transfer of thermal energy between components of the working fluid circuit (e.g., between the condenser and the evaporator) and one or more thermal loads (e.g., an environmental air flow, a supply air flow).

In some instances, the heat exchanger may be positioned within an enclosure or housing with a blower (e.g., fan) aligned with the heat exchanger (e.g., relative to a direction of air flow through the enclosure). For example, the blower may be positioned adjacent to one or more heat exchange components (e.g., slabs, coils) of the heat exchanger (e.g., condenser, evaporator). The blower may draw or direct air flow across the heat exchanger (e.g., slabs, coils) to enable thermal energy transfer between the air flow and a working fluid circulated through the heat exchanger to create a conditioned air flow for supply to a suitable environment or space.

Unfortunately, existing blowers may include asymmetric or uneven features that may cause asymmetric air flow through the enclosure and across the heat exchanger (e.g., across the slabs or coils of the heat exchanger). For example, the blower may include a motor positioned within one portion of the enclosure and an intake or discharge positioned within another portion of the enclosure. The portion of the enclosure aligned with the intake or discharge of the blower may experience increased air flow compared to the portion of the enclosure aligned with the motor of the blower, resulting in asymmetric or uneven air flow through the enclosure. The asymmetric (e.g., uneven, non-uniform) air flow through the enclosure may also flow across the heat exchanger in an uneven or non-uniform manner. For example, certain portions, section, and/or regions (e.g., coils, slabs) of the heat exchanger may receive different amounts of air flow during operation of the HVAC system. As a result, the HVAC system may operate with certain inefficiencies, such as inefficiencies of the blower and/or inefficient thermal energy transfer via the heat exchanger.

Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure include a heat exchanger including asymmetric features configured to enable more uniform (e.g., efficient) heat transfer via the heat exchanger. Different portions of the heat exchanger may have different features to enable improved operation and heat transfer via different amounts of air flow that may be directed across the heat exchanger and that may be caused by an arrangement of the blower and blower motor within an enclosure having the heat exchanger. For example, in certain embodiments, the heat exchanger may include an “A” slab configuration generally defined by two slabs (e.g., heat exchanger slabs) oriented within the enclosure at an angle relative to one another to define an open-ended triangle, or an “A” shape configuration. In accordance with the present techniques, the two slabs may include one or more different features or configurations to create an asymmetric configuration. For example, a first slab may include a slab thickness generally smaller than a second slab, and/or the first slab may include fewer coil passes (e.g., tube passes) than the second slab. By providing asymmetry between the slabs of the heat exchanger, asymmetric or uneven air flow from the blower may be accommodated, and the heat exchanger and/or the blower may operate with improved efficiency. For example, the blower may direct air flow across the heat exchanger with reduced pressure drop and/or the heat exchanger may operate with increased efficiency (e.g., heat transfer efficiency).

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for environmental management that employs one or more HVAC units in accordance with the present disclosure. As used herein, an HVAC system includes any number of components configured to enable regulation of parameters related to climate characteristics, such as temperature, humidity, air flow, pressure, air quality, and so forth. For example, an “HVAC system” as used herein is defined as conventionally understood and as further described herein. Components or parts of an “HVAC system” may include, but are not limited to, all, some of, or individual parts such as a heat exchanger, a heater, an air flow control device, such as a fan, a sensor configured to detect a climate characteristic or operating parameter, a filter, a control device configured to regulate operation of an HVAC system component, a component configured to enable regulation of climate characteristics, or a combination thereof. An “HVAC system” is a system configured to provide such functions as heating, cooling, ventilation, dehumidification, pressurization, refrigeration, filtration, or any combination thereof. The embodiments described herein may be utilized in a variety of applications to control climate characteristics, such as residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, or other applications where climate control is desired.

In the illustrated embodiment, a building 10 is air conditioned by a system that includes an HVAC unit 12 with a reheat system in accordance with present embodiments. The building 10 may be a commercial structure or a residential structure. As shown, the HVAC unit 12 is disposed on the roof of the building 10; however, the HVAC unit 12 may be located in other equipment rooms or areas adjacent the building 10. The HVAC unit 12 may be a single package unit containing other equipment, such as a blower, integrated air handler, and/or auxiliary heating unit. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may be part of a split HVAC system, such as the system shown in FIG. 3, which includes an outdoor HVAC unit 58 and an indoor HVAC unit 56.

The HVAC unit 12 is an air-cooled device that implements a vapor compression cycle to provide conditioned air to the building 10. Specifically, the HVAC unit 12 may include one or more heat exchangers across which an air flow is passed to condition the air flow before the air flow is supplied to the building. In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 12 is a rooftop unit (RTU) that conditions a supply air stream, such as environmental air and/or a return air flow from the building 10. After the HVAC unit 12 conditions the air, the air is supplied to the building 10 via ductwork 14 extending throughout the building 10 from the HVAC unit 12. For example, the ductwork 14 may extend to various individual floors or other sections of the building 10. In certain embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may be a heat pump that provides both heating and cooling to the building with one vapor compression circuit configured to operate in different modes. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may include one or more vapor compression circuits for cooling an air stream and a furnace for heating the air stream.

A control device 16, one type of which may be a thermostat, may be used to designate the temperature of the conditioned air. The control device 16 also may be used to control the flow of air through the ductwork 14. For example, the control device 16 may be used to regulate operation of one or more components of the HVAC unit 12 or other components, such as dampers and fans, within the building 10 that may control flow of air through and/or from the ductwork 14. In some embodiments, other devices may be included in the system, such as pressure and/or temperature transducers or switches that sense the temperatures and pressures of the supply air, return air, and so forth. Moreover, the control device 16 may include computer systems that are integrated with or separate from other building control or monitoring systems, and even systems that are remote from the building 10.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the HVAC unit 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 12 is a single package unit that may include one or more independent vapor compression circuits and components that are tested, charged, wired, piped, and ready for installation. The HVAC unit 12 may provide a variety of heating and/or cooling functions, such as cooling only, heating only, cooling with electric heat, cooling with dehumidification, cooling with gas heat, or cooling with a heat pump. As described above, the HVAC unit 12 may directly cool and/or heat an air stream provided to the building 10 to condition a space in the building 10.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2, a cabinet 24 encloses the HVAC unit 12 and provides structural support and protection to the internal components from environmental and other contaminants. In some embodiments, the cabinet 24 may be constructed of galvanized steel and insulated with aluminum foil faced insulation. Rails 26 may be joined to the bottom perimeter of the cabinet 24 and provide a foundation for the HVAC unit 12. In certain embodiments, the rails 26 may provide access for a forklift and/or overhead rigging to facilitate installation and/or removal of the HVAC unit 12. In some embodiments, the rails 26 may fit into “curbs” on the roof to enable the HVAC unit 12 to provide air to the ductwork 14 from the bottom of the HVAC unit 12 while blocking elements such as rain from leaking into the building 10.

The HVAC unit 12 includes heat exchangers 28 and 30 in fluid communication with one or more vapor compression circuits. Tubes within the heat exchangers 28 and 30 may circulate a working fluid, such as R-410A, through the heat exchangers 28 and 30. The tubes may be of various types, such as multichannel tubes, conventional copper or aluminum tubing, and so forth. Together, the heat exchangers 28 and 30 may implement a thermal cycle in which the working fluid undergoes phase changes and/or temperature changes as it flows through the heat exchangers 28 and 30 to produce heated and/or cooled air. For example, the heat exchanger 28 may function as a condenser where heat is released from the working fluid to ambient air, and the heat exchanger 30 may function as an evaporator where the working fluid absorbs heat to cool an air stream. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may operate in a heat pump mode where the roles of the heat exchangers 28 and 30 may be reversed. That is, the heat exchanger 28 may function as an evaporator and the heat exchanger 30 may function as a condenser. In further embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may include a furnace for heating the air stream that is supplied to the building 10. While the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2 shows the HVAC unit 12 having two of the heat exchangers 28 and 30, in other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may include one heat exchanger or more than two heat exchangers.

The heat exchanger 30 is located within a compartment 31 that separates the heat exchanger 30 from the heat exchanger 28. Fans 32 draw air from the environment through the heat exchanger 28. Air may be heated and/or cooled as the air flows through the heat exchanger 28 before being released back to the environment surrounding the HVAC unit 12. A blower assembly 34, powered by a motor 36, draws air through the heat exchanger 30 to heat or cool the air. The heated or cooled air may be directed to the building 10 by the ductwork 14, which may be connected to the HVAC unit 12. Before flowing through the heat exchanger 30, the conditioned air flows through one or more filters 38 that may remove particulates and contaminants from the air. In certain embodiments, the filters 38 may be disposed on the air intake side of the heat exchanger 30 to prevent contaminants from contacting the heat exchanger 30.

The HVAC unit 12 also may include other equipment for implementing the thermal cycle. Compressors 42 increase the pressure and temperature of the working fluid before the working fluid enters the heat exchanger 28. The compressors 42 may be any suitable type of compressors, such as scroll compressors, rotary compressors, screw compressors, or reciprocating compressors. In some embodiments, the compressors 42 may include a pair of hermetic direct drive compressors arranged in a dual stage configuration 44. However, in other embodiments, any number of the compressors 42 may be provided to achieve various stages of heating and/or cooling. As may be appreciated, additional equipment and devices may be included in the HVAC unit 12, such as a solid-core filter drier, a drain pan, a disconnect switch, an economizer, pressure switches, phase monitors, and humidity sensors, among other things.

The HVAC unit 12 may receive power through a terminal block 46. For example, a high voltage power source may be connected to the terminal block 46 to power the equipment. The operation of the HVAC unit 12 may be governed or regulated by a control board 48. The control board 48 may include control circuitry connected to a thermostat, sensors, and alarms. One or more of these components may be referred to herein separately or collectively as the control device 16. The control circuitry may be configured to control operation of the equipment, provide alarms, and monitor safety switches. Wiring 49 may connect the control board 48 and the terminal block 46 to the equipment of the HVAC unit 12.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a residential heating and cooling system 50, also in accordance with present techniques. The residential heating and cooling system 50 may provide heated and cooled air to a residential structure, as well as provide outside air for ventilation and provide improved indoor air quality (IAQ) through devices such as ultraviolet lights and air filters. In the illustrated embodiment, the residential heating and cooling system 50 is a split HVAC system. In general, a residence 52 conditioned by a split HVAC system may include working fluid conduits 54 that operatively couple the indoor unit 56 to the outdoor unit 58. The indoor unit 56 may be positioned in a utility room, an attic, a basement, and so forth. The outdoor unit 58 is typically situated adjacent to a side of the residence 52 and is covered by a shroud to protect the system components and to prevent leaves and other debris or contaminants from entering the unit. The working fluid conduits 54 transfer working fluid between the indoor unit 56 and the outdoor unit 58, typically transferring primarily liquid working fluid in one direction and primarily vaporized working fluid in an opposite direction.

When the system shown in FIG. 3 is operating as an air conditioner, a heat exchanger 60 in the outdoor unit 58 serves as a condenser for re-condensing vaporized working fluid flowing from the indoor unit 56 to the outdoor unit 58 via one of the working fluid conduits 54. In these applications, a heat exchanger 62 of the indoor unit functions as an evaporator. Specifically, the heat exchanger 62 receives liquid working fluid, which may be expanded by an expansion device, and evaporates the working fluid before returning it to the outdoor unit 58.

The outdoor unit 58 draws environmental air through the heat exchanger 60 using a fan 64 and expels the air above the outdoor unit 58. When operating as an air conditioner, the air is heated by the heat exchanger 60 within the outdoor unit 58 and exits the unit at a temperature higher than it entered. The indoor unit 56 includes a blower or fan 66 that directs air through or across the indoor heat exchanger 62, where the air is cooled when the system is operating in air conditioning mode. Thereafter, the air is passed through ductwork 68 that directs the air to the residence 52. The overall system operates to maintain a desired temperature as set by a system controller. When the temperature sensed inside the residence 52 is higher than the set point on the thermostat, or the set point plus a small amount, the residential heating and cooling system 50 may become operative to cool additional air for circulation through the residence 52. When the temperature reaches the set point, or the set point minus a small amount, the residential heating and cooling system 50 may stop the vapor compression cycle temporarily.

The residential heating and cooling system 50 may also operate as a heat pump. When operating as a heat pump, the roles of heat exchangers 60 and 62 are reversed. That is, the heat exchanger 60 of the outdoor unit 58 will serve as an evaporator to evaporate working fluid and thereby cool air entering the outdoor unit 58 as the air passes over the outdoor heat exchanger 60. The indoor heat exchanger 62 will receive a stream of air blown over it and will heat the air by condensing the working fluid.

In some embodiments, the indoor unit 56 may include a furnace system 70. For example, the indoor unit 56 may include the furnace system 70 when the residential heating and cooling system 50 is not configured to operate as a heat pump. The furnace system 70 may include a burner assembly and heat exchanger, among other components, inside the indoor unit 56. Fuel is provided to the burner assembly of the furnace 70 where it is mixed with air and combusted to form combustion products. The combustion products may pass through tubes or piping in a heat exchanger, separate from heat exchanger 62, such that air directed by the blower 66 passes over the tubes or pipes and extracts heat from the combustion products. The heated air may then be routed from the furnace system 70 to the ductwork 68 for heating the residence 52.

FIG. 4 is an embodiment of an embodiment of a vapor compression system 72 that can be used in any of the systems described above. The vapor compression system 72 may circulate a working fluid through a circuit starting with a compressor 74. The circuit may also include a condenser 76, an expansion valve(s) or device(s) 78, and an evaporator 80. The vapor compression system 72 may further include a control panel 82 that has an analog to digital (A/D) converter 84, a microprocessor 86, a non-volatile memory 88, and/or an interface board 90. The control panel 82 and its components may function to regulate operation of the vapor compression system 72 based on feedback from an operator, from sensors of the vapor compression system 72 that detect operating conditions, and so forth.

In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 72 may use one or more of a variable speed drive (VSDs) 92, a motor 94, the compressor 74, the condenser 76, the expansion valve or device 78, and/or the evaporator 80. The motor 94 may drive the compressor 74 and may be powered by the variable speed drive (VSD) 92. The VSD 92 receives alternating current (AC) power having a particular fixed line voltage and fixed line frequency from an AC power source, and provides power having a variable voltage and frequency to the motor 94. In other embodiments, the motor 94 may be powered directly from an AC or direct current (DC) power source. In such embodiments, the vapor compression system 72 may not include the VSD 92. The motor 94 may include any type of electric motor that can be powered by a VSD or directly from an AC or DC power source, such as a switched reluctance motor, an induction motor, an electronically commutated motor, or another suitable motor.

The compressor 74 compresses a working fluid vapor and delivers the vapor to the condenser 76 through a discharge passage. In some embodiments, the compressor 74 may be a centrifugal compressor. The working fluid vapor delivered by the compressor 74 to the condenser 76 may transfer heat to a fluid passing across the condenser 76, such as ambient or environmental air 96. The working fluid vapor may condense to a working fluid liquid in the condenser 76 as a result of thermal heat transfer with the environmental air 96. The liquid working fluid from the condenser 76 may flow through the expansion device 78 to the evaporator 80.

The liquid working fluid delivered to the evaporator 80 may absorb heat from another air stream, such as a supply air stream 98 provided to the building 10 or the residence 52. For example, the supply air stream 98 may include ambient or environmental air, return air from a building, or a combination of the two. The liquid working fluid in the evaporator 80 may undergo a phase change from the liquid working fluid to a working fluid vapor. In this manner, the evaporator 80 may reduce the temperature of the supply air stream 98 via thermal heat transfer with the working fluid. Thereafter, the vapor working fluid exits the evaporator 80 and returns to the compressor 74 by a suction line to complete the cycle.

In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 72 may further include a reheat coil. In the illustrated embodiment, the reheat coil is represented as part of the evaporator 80. The reheat coil is positioned downstream of the evaporator heat exchanger relative to the supply air stream 98 and may reheat the supply air stream 98 when the supply air stream 98 is overcooled to remove humidity from the supply air stream 98 before the supply air stream 98 is directed to the building 10 or the residence 52.

It should be appreciated that any of the features described herein may be incorporated with the HVAC unit 12, the residential heating and cooling system 50, or other HVAC systems. Additionally, while the features disclosed herein are described in the context of embodiments that directly heat and cool a supply air stream provided to a building or other load, embodiments of the present disclosure may be applicable to other HVAC systems as well. For example, the features described herein may be applied to mechanical cooling systems, free cooling systems, chiller systems, or other heat pump or refrigeration applications. Furthermore, although the discussion below describes the present techniques as incorporated with HVAC systems configurated as a split system (e.g., residential heating and cooling system 50), it should be appreciated that the present techniques may be similarly incorporated in other HVAC system configurations, such as packaged units, rooftop units, air handlers, and so forth. Indeed, any suitable HVAC system having a blower motor configured to drive operation of the blower may incorporate one or more of the features described herein.

As noted above, HVAC systems typically include a blower or fan 66 configured to provide an air flow directed across one or more slabs or coils (e.g., heat exchanger slabs, heat exchanger coils) of a heat exchanger (e.g., heat exchanger 62, condenser 76, evaporator 80). Unfortunately, traditional arrangements of blowers and heat exchangers within an HVAC system may provide an asymmetrical, uneven, or non-uniform air flow across the heat exchanger, resulting in heat transfer and/or energy inefficiencies. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward an asymmetrical configuration of a heat exchanger configured to accommodate and/or compensate for non-uniform air flows that may be directed across the heat exchanger via the blower 66. In this way, the present techniques enable increased heating efficiency and reduced pressure loss while maintaining or improving blower performance.

With the foregoing in mind, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an HVAC system 100 including an embodiment of a heat exchanger 104 that can be used in any suitable HVAC system (e.g., HVAC unit), such as the HVAC unit 12 of FIG. 1, the residential heating and cooling system 50 of FIG. 3, and/or the vapor compression system 72 of FIG. 4. Indeed, it should be noted that the portion of the HVAC system 100 may operate as a condenser (e.g., condenser 76) or an evaporator (e.g., evaporator 80) based on an operating mode of the HVAC system 100 and/or a desired conditioning air flow temperature. In any case, the portion of the HVAC system 100 may include an enclosure or housing 108 configured to receive and accommodate the heat exchanger 104 and a blower or fan 112 (e.g., blower 66). In the illustrated embodiment, the blower 112 is generally aligned with the heat exchanger 104 (e.g., along an axis 114) within the enclosure 108, and the blower 112 is configured to draw an air flow 116 through an inlet 120 of the enclosure 108 and direct the air flow 116 across the heat exchanger 104 along the axis 114. Upon transfer of heat to and/or from the air flow 116 via the heat exchanger 104, the air flow 116 may be converted to a conditioned air flow 124 that may be directed to a suitable location for conditioning, such as building 10 of FIG. 1.

In a different embodiment, the blower 112 and the heat exchanger 104 may be arranged in other configurations within the enclosure 108. For example, the blower 112 may be disposed upstream of the heat exchanger 104 (e.g., relative to a direction of the air flow 116 through the enclosure 108, and the blower 112 may be configured to direct or force the air flow 116 across the heat exchanger 104 to create the conditioned air flow 124. The conditioned air flow 124 may be heated or cooled, based on the operation of the heat exchanger 104 and/or the HVAC system 100 generally. Further, the air flow 116 may originate from any suitable location, such as an ambient environment (e.g., outdoor environment), a conditioned space as return or recycled air flow, another location of the HVAC system 100, or any combination thereof. Indeed, the source of air flow 116 and/or the temperature of the conditioned air flow 124 (e.g., cooled, heated) may depend on an operating condition of the HVAC system 100, a set point temperature, and/or an ambient temperature.

In any case, the blower 112 may include a motor 128 (e.g., blower motor, three-phase motor, brushless direct current motor, electronically commutated motor) configured to drive (e.g., rotate) or otherwise operate the blower 112 to induce the air flow 116 across or through heat exchanger 104. Further, the blower 112 may include an intake 130 (e.g., air flow inlet) configured to draw the air flow 116 into the blower 112 and thereby draw the air flow 116 across the heat exchanger 104. In other configurations, the blower 112 may be configured to discharge the air flow 116 from the blower 112 and through or across the heat exchanger 104. In some embodiments, the motor 128 may be an electronically commutated motor (ECM) (e.g., constant air flow motor, constant torque motor, constant speed motor), and the motor 128 may be configured to control operation of the blower 112 at variable speeds. As will be appreciated, the motor 128 may include components, such as a rotor (e.g., permanent magnet rotor, shaft) and stator, configured to drive rotation of the blower 112. The HVAC system 100 may also include a controller 132 (e.g., circuitry, printed circuit board, control system, blower controller) configured to regulate operation of the motor 128. To this end, the controller 132 includes processing circuitry 136, such as a microprocessor, which may execute software for controlling the motor 128. The processing circuitry 136 may include multiple microprocessors, one or more “general-purpose” microprocessors, one or more special-purpose microprocessors, and/or one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICS), or some combination thereof. For example, the processing circuitry 136 may include one or more reduced instruction set (RISC) processors. In an embodiment, the controller 132 may include the control panel 82 or may be a component of the control panel 82. In other embodiments, the controller 132 may be standalone, such as a separate controller of the motor 128.

The controller 132 also includes a memory device 140 (e.g., a memory) that may store information, such as executable instructions, control software, look up tables, configuration data, etc. The memory device 140 may include a volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), and/or a nonvolatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM). The memory device 140 may store a variety of information and may be used for various purposes. For example, the memory device 140 may store processor-executable instructions including firmware or software for the processing circuitry 136 to execute, such as instructions for controlling components of the motor 128 (e.g., to adjust a speed, torque, and/or air flow rate value of the motor 128). In some embodiments, the memory device 140 is a tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium that may store machine-readable instructions for the processing circuitry 136 to execute. The memory device 140 may include ROM, flash memory, a hard drive, or any other suitable optical, magnetic, or solid-state storage medium, or a combination thereof. The memory device 140 may store data, instructions, and any other suitable data. For example, the memory device 140 may include a database configured to store one or more reference values, operating parameter values, and/or any other suitable data to enable operation of the motor 128 in accordance with the presently disclosed techniques. As will be discussed further below, the controller 132 may be configured to control or adjust one or more parameters (e.g., working fluid temperature) of the heat exchanger 104 based on an operating parameter of the motor 128 (e.g., speed).

In the illustrated embodiment, the motor 128 of the blower 112 is positioned adjacent to a first side 144 (e.g., lateral side, within a first portion) of the enclosure 108 and the intake 130 of the blower 112 is positioned adjacent to a second side 148 (e.g., lateral side, within a second portion) of the enclosure 108. In some embodiments, blower 112 may include an additional or second intake positioned on an opposite side of the blower 112 relative to intake 130, and about the motor 128. In such case, air flow 116 may be inhibited or may experience increased air flow resistance due to the shared space with the motor 128. In any case, air flow 116 may be induced through one side (e.g., intake 130 side) of the enclosure 108 at a greater rate (e.g., velocity, mass flow rate) than a second side (e.g., motor 128 side) of the enclosure 108. In some instances, the blower 112 may be disposed within the enclosure 108 such that the blower 112 is off-center relative to the first and second sides 144, 148 of the enclosure 108. For example, the blower 112 may be closer to the first side 144 of the enclosure 108 compared to the second side 148. In other embodiments, the blower 112 may be closer to the second side 148 of the enclosure 108 compared to the first side 144. Indeed, the single-sided intake of traditional blowers and the positioning of the blower 112 relative to the heat exchanger 104 may result in uneven or non-uniform air flow 116 directed across the heat exchanger 104.

As briefly discussed above, the heat exchanger 104 may include one or more slabs 152 (e.g., heat exchanger slabs, heat exchange components, heat exchanger coils, coil slabs) configured to condition (e.g., cool, heat) air flow 116 during operation of the heat exchanger 104. For example, the slabs 152 may include (e.g., support) coils 156 (e.g., tubes, heat exchange tubes) configured to circulate working fluid through the slabs 152. The air flow 116 may pass across the coils 156 to transfer heat to or from the working fluid, depending on the configuration and/or active operating mode of the HVAC system 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the heat exchanger 104 may include a first slab 152A and a second slab 152B generally oriented as an open-ended triangle or an “A” shape configuration. That is, the first and second slabs 152A, 152B may be oriented at an angle relative to the inlet 120 of the enclosure 108 such that the heat exchanger 104 defines an opening 160 configured to receive the air flow 116 from the inlet 120 of the enclosure 108. The first and second slabs 152A, 152B may converge and contact at a convergence point (e.g., vertex, intersection) such that the air flow 116 directed across the heat exchanger 104 may not bypass the coils 156 of the slabs 152A, 152B, thereby increasing thermal energy transfer between the working fluid and the air flow 116. Although the heat exchanger 104 is discussed in the present disclosure as related to a fluid heat exchanger (e.g., air-to-liquid heat exchanger), the description herein is non-limiting, and the present techniques may be applied to other forms or configurations of heat exchangers, such as an electric heat exchanger (e.g., infrared heat exchanger, induction heat exchanger) and/or other types of heat exchangers.

Present embodiments relate to asymmetry between the slabs 152A, 152B of the heat exchanger 104. For example, the first slab 152A may include a different configuration, different features, different dimensions, different quantity of components, different material, and/or any combination thereof compared to that of the second slab 152B. As discussed above, the configuration and orientation of the blower 112 within the enclosure 108 and/or relative to the heat exchanger 104 may produce uneven or non-uniform air flow 116 through the enclosure 108 and across the heat exchanger 104. For example, the air flow 116 may be biased to one side of the enclosure 108 (e.g., intake 130 side) compared to another side (e.g., motor 128 side). As a result of the non-uniform air flow 116 through the enclosure 108, each slab 152 may receive a different amount and/or portion (e.g., flow rate, volumetric flow rate, mass flow rate, velocity) of the air flow 116 directed through the enclosure 108, undesirably increasing pressure drop and reducing heat transfer efficiency. In accordance with the present techniques, the different (e.g., variable) design or configuration of the first slab 152A may alter or change the air flow resistance through the first slab 152A enabling increased air flow 116 therethrough (e.g., compared to that of the second slab 152B). For instance, one or more characteristics of the first slab 152A may decrease the air flow resistance through one side of the heat exchanger 104 (e.g., corresponding to the first slab 152A) compared to another side (e.g., corresponding to the second slab 152bB). By decreasing the air flow resistance of the first slab 152A, compared to the second slab 152B, non-uniform air flow 116 through the heat exchanger 104 may be accommodated, and an overall increase in heat transfer efficiency. For example, due to the blower 112 and heat exchanger 106 arrangement discussed above, a lesser amount of air flow 116 traveling generally along a first path 164 (e.g., first air flow path, first enclosure 108 portion, aligned with the first slab 152A) across the first slab 152A may experience less air flow resistance, compared to a greater amount of air flow 116 traveling generally along a second path 168 (e.g., second air flow path, second enclosure 108 portion, aligned with the second slab 152B) through the second slab 152B.

In other words, by incorporating the first slab 152A (e.g., aligned with the motor 128 of the blower 112 along the axis 114) having features configured to provide a reduced air flow resistance compared to that of the second slab 152B (e.g., aligned with the intake 130 of the blower 112 along the axis 114), non-uniform air flow 116 may be accommodated, and increased overall heat transfer efficiency via the heat exchanger 104 may be achieved while also maintaining or increasing blower 112 performance.

Now referring to FIG. 6, a cross-sectional view of a portion of an embodiment of the HVAC system 100 including an embodiment of the heat exchanger 104 that can be used in any suitable HVAC system is illustrated. The portion of the HVAC system 100 may include similar elements and element numbers to the portion of the HVAC system 100 depicted in FIG. 5. That is, the portion of the HVAC system 100 may include the blower 112 positioned within the enclosure 108 and configured to draw or direct the air flow 116 across or through the heat exchanger 104 to produce the conditioned air flow 124 to be directed to a suitable location. As similarly discussed above, the blower 112 may include the motor 128 positioned adjacent or proximate the first side 144 (e.g., within a first portion) of the enclosure 108 and the intake 130 positioned adjacent or proximate the second side 148 (e.g., within second portion, different from the first portion) of the enclosure 108. Due to the asymmetrical design of the blower 112 and/or the arrangement of the blower 112 relative to the heat exchanger 104 within the enclosure 108, the air flow 116 may be directed to and/or drawn to the heat exchanger 104 in a non-uniform manner. For example, a lesser amount of the air flow 116 may travel generally along the first path 164 (e.g., along a first portion within the enclosure 108 aligned with the motor 128 along the axis 114) compared to a greater amount of air flow 116 traveling generally along the second path 168 (e.g., along a second portion within the enclosure 108, offset from the motor 128 relative to the axis 114).

As will be appreciated, the heat exchanger 104 may include multiple different slab configurations that may alter characteristics of the air flow 116 directed across the heat exchanger 104 and/or may affect thermal energy transfer to and/or from the air flow 116 via the heat exchanger 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the heat exchanger 104 may include a first slab 170A, a second slab 170B, and a third slab 170C generally oriented in an “N” shape configuration. That is, the second and third slabs 170B, 170C may be oriented at an angle relative to the inlet 120 of the enclosure 108, such that the heat exchanger 104 defines an opening 172 configured to receive at least a portion of the air flow 116 from the inlet 120 of the enclosure 108. The second and third slabs 170B, 170C may converge and contact at a convergence point (e.g., vertex, intersection) to define an open-ended triangle. The second and third slabs 170B, 170C may overlap or be aligned with (e.g., along the axis 114 and/or direction of the air flow 116) a portion of the inlet 120 of the enclosure 108, whereas the first slab 170A may extend at an angle from the second slab 170B to overlap or be aligned with a remaining portion of the inlet 120. In this way, the first slab 170A, the second slab 170B, and the third slab 170C may form an “N” shape or “N” coil configuration. As such, the air flow 116 may be directed across or through at least one slab 170 of the heat exchanger 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the first slab 170A is generally aligned with the motor 128 of the blower 112 (e.g., relative to the axis 114, along a direction of the air flow 116 through the enclosure 108) and the second and third slabs 170B, 170C may be substantially aligned with (e.g., relative to the axis 114, along a direction of the air flow 116 through the enclosure 108) the intake 130 portion of the blower 112. As such, the air flow 116 may be generally drawn toward the intake 130 during operation of the blower 112 and may not be drawn toward the motor 128. Therefore, the first slab 170A may receive a lesser amount of the air flow 116 traveling generally along the first path 164, and the second and third slabs 170B, 170C may receive a greater amount of the air flow 116 traveling generally along the second path 168.

As discussed above, one or more of the slabs 170 may include a different configuration, different features, different quantity of components, different dimensions, different material, and/or any combination thereof compared to the other slabs 170 of the heat exchanger 104. For example, the first slab 170A may include a different design or configuration (e.g., compared to the second and third slabs 170B, 170C) to alter or change the air flow resistance across the first slab 170A, thereby enabling an increased rate of the air flow 116 therethrough. In another example, the first and second slabs 170A, 170B may include different designs or configurations compared to the third slab 170C to alter or change air flow resistance across the first and second slabs 170A, 170B, thereby enabling an increased rate of the air flow 116 therethrough. In some embodiments, all three slabs 170A, 170B, 170C, may include different designs, configurations, features and/or characteristics. For example, the first slab 170A may be configured to provide a first air flow resistance (e.g., due to decreased components, decreased width, etc.), the second slab 170B may be configured to provide a second air flow resistance, greater than the first air flow resistance, and the third slab 170C may be configured to provide a third air flow resistance, greater than the first and second air flow resistances. In this way, as the air flow 116 flow rate increases from the motor 128 side of the enclosure 108 to the intake 130 side of the enclosure 108 (e.g., in a direction cross-wise to the direction of the air flow 116 through the enclosure 108), resistance may increase, compensating for the non-uniform airflow 116 produced by the blower 112 within the enclosure 108.

As will be appreciated, the HVAC system 100 configurations and heat exchanger 104 orientations described herein are non-limiting, and the HVAC system 100 and/or heat exchanger 104 may include any suitable configuration/orientation in accordance with the present techniques. For example, the blower 112 may be positioned above the heat exchanger 104, below the heat exchanger 104, and/or adjacent to the heat exchanger 104 (e.g., laterally adjacent). Further, the heat exchanger 104 may include any suitable slab 170 (e.g., slab 152) configuration, such as the “A” configuration (e.g., illustrated in FIG. 5), the “N” configuration (e.g., illustrated in FIG. 6), an “M” configuration including four slabs, another suitable configuration, and so forth. Indeed, the number of slabs 170, 152 may depend on the HVAC system 100 size (e.g., dimensions), an operating and/or load demand of the HVAC system 100, other design considerations, or any combination thereof.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the heat exchanger 104 that can be used in any suitable HVAC system 100, in accordance with one or more aspects of this disclosure. The illustrated heat exchanger 104 may include similar elements and element numbers as the heat exchanger 104 depicted in FIG. 5. Certain elements of the components are omitted in the illustrated embodiment for clarity, but it should be appreciated that the components of the heat exchanger 104 in the illustrated embodiment may be similar to those described above with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 and/or may include similar elements.

For example, the heat exchanger 104 may include the “A” configuration with the first and second slabs 152A, 152B, oriented at an angle relative to the inlet 120 of the enclosure 108, such that the heat exchanger 104 defines the opening 160 configured to receive the air flow 116. The first and second slabs 152A, 152B may converge to a convergence point such that air flow 116 may not bypass heat transfer within the heat exchanger 104. That is, the heat exchanger 104 may include coils 156 (e.g., heat exchange coils) configured to circulate working fluid through a frame 174 of the heat exchanger 104, where the frame 174 is configured to support or house the coils 156 in the “A” configuration or another suitable configuration. The first slab 152A may include one or more first coils 156A, and the second slab 152B may include one or more second coils 156B, where the first and second coils 156A, 156B may be fluidly coupled or may be fluidly separate from one another (e.g., relative to working fluid flow therethrough). For example, a distributor of the HVAC system 100 may direct a first portion of working fluid through the first coils 156A and a second portion of working fluid through the second coils 156B. The working fluid within the coils 156 may be placed in a heat exchanging relationship with the air flow 116 to produce the conditioned air flow 124, which may be further directed to a suitable location to be conditioned (e.g., building 10).

In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second slabs 152A, 152B each include a first end 178 (e.g., upper end), a second end 182 (e.g., lower end), an inner side wall 186, an outer side wall 190, a first edge 194 (e.g., first lateral end), and a second edge 198 (e.g., second lateral end). The first ends 178, second ends 182, inner side walls 186, outer side walls 190, first edges 194, and second edges 198 may define the frame 174 configured to support the coils 156. In illustrated embodiment, the first ends 178, second ends 182, inner side walls 186, outer side walls 190, first edges 194, and second edges 198 may define a rectangular shaped frame 174 for each slab 152A, 152B. However, it will be appreciated other shapes or configurations of the frame 174 may be defined in other embodiments.

In an embodiment, the first and second slabs 152A, 152B may include one or more rows 202 of coils 156, where the rows 202 may include or define one or more coil passes 206 (e.g. tube passes). For example, a first row 202A of the first slab 152A may be positioned adjacent to the outer side wall 190 of the first slab 152A, and a second row 202B may be positioned adjacent to the inner side wall 186 of the first slab 152A. In the illustrated embodiment, the first row 202A includes six coil passes 206 disposed in a staggered configuration, as compared to five coil passes 206 of the second row 202B. In this way, bypass of the air flow 116 may be reduced, thereby increasing thermal energy transfer and operating efficiency. Similarly, a third row 202C on the second slab 152B may be positioned adjacent to the outer side wall 190 of the second slab 152B, and a fourth row 202D may be positioned adjacent to the inner side wall 186 of the second slab 152B. The third row 202C includes seven coil passes 206 (e.g., more coil passes 206 than the first row 202A) disposed in a staggered configuration, as compared to six coil passes 206 of the fourth row 202D (e.g., more coil passes 206 than the second row 202B). In other words, the first slab 152A may include a lessor amount of coil passes 206 compared to that of the second slab 152B. In this way, the heat exchanger 104 may have an asymmetric design or configuration. As a result, the first slab 152A may provide a reduced resistance of the air flow 116 as the blower 112 induces the air flow 116 across the heat exchanger 104. As such, the asymmetric design of the heat exchanger 104 may compensate for the non-uniform air flow 116 produced by the blower 112 as discussed above. As will be appreciated, any number of coil passes 206 and/or rows 202 may be used within the slabs 152 to achieve a desired conditioned air flow 124. Further, any desired difference in rows 202 and/or coil passes 206 may be selected between the first and second slabs 152A, 152B to achieve a more uniform air flow 116 and/or conditioned air flow 124. For example, the difference between the coil passes 206 of the first slab 152A and the coils passes 206 of the second slab 152B may be one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, or more.

In an embodiment, the overall row lengths 200 of the first and second slabs 152A, 152B may be substantially the same. That is, the first row 202A may include substantially the same row length 200 as the third row 202C and the second row 202B may include substantially the same row length 200 as the fourth row 202D. As such, the space (e.g., coil spacing, heat exchange tube spacing) between each coil pass 206 of the first and second rows 202A, 202B may be larger compared to a space between each coil pass 206 of the third and fourth row 202C, 202D. Thus, air flow resistance of the first slab 152A may be reduced relative to the second slab 152B.

As shown, the first slab 152A may include substantially the same dimensions as the second slab 152B. In the illustrated embodiment, the number of coil passes 206 is different between the first and second slabs 152A, 152B. However, as will be appreciated, other differences may be implemented between the first and second slabs 152A, 152B. For example, the coils 156 may include fins 210 (e.g., heat transfer fins) extending substantially cross-wise to the coils 156 and configured to increase a surface area for heat transfer of the first and second slabs 152A, 152B. In an embodiment, the first slab 152A may include a different number (e.g., density), different size, and/or different type of fins 210A compared to fins 210B of the second slab 152B. For example, the first slab 152A may include a decreased amount (e.g., decreased density) of fins 210, a decreased size (e.g., length, width), and/or a different material of fin to decrease air flow resistance through the first slab 152A and increase conditioning efficiency.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the heat exchanger 104 that can be used in any suitable HVAC system, in accordance with one or more aspects of this disclosure. The illustrated heat exchanger 104 may include similar elements and element numbers to the heat exchanger 104 depicted in FIGS. 5 and 7. Certain elements of the components are omitted in the illustrated embodiment for clarity, but it should be appreciated that the components of the heat exchanger 104 in the illustrated embodiment may be similar to those described above with reference to FIG. 7 and/or may include similar elements.

In an embodiment, the first slab 152A may include a different number of rows 202 than the second slab 152B. For example, the first slab 152A may include a lessor number (e.g., one, two, three, four, etc.) of rows 202 compared to the number of rows 202 of the second slab 152B. In the illustrated embodiment, the first slab 152A may include one row 202A, and the second slab 152B may include two or more rows 202C, 202D. Indeed, the number of rows 202 in the first and second slabs 152A, 152B, or a difference in the number of rows 202 may depend on or may partially be based on a size of the HVAC system 100, a capacity of the heat exchanger 104, a type or configuration of the blower 112, a speed of the blower 112, and/or another suitable parameter. In any case, the fewer number of rows 202 of the first slab 152A compared to that of the second slab 152B may reduce the resistance imparted to the air flow 116 directed across the heat exchanger 104 on one side of the enclosure 108 (e.g., motor 128 side), thereby increasing air flow 116 uniformity across the heat exchanger 104.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the heat exchanger 104 that can be used in any suitable HVAC system 100, in accordance with one or more aspects of this disclosure. The illustrated heat exchanger 104 may include similar elements and element numbers to the heat exchanger 104 depicted in FIGS. 5, 7, and 8. Certain elements of the components are omitted in the illustrated embodiment for clarity, but it should be appreciated that the components of the heat exchanger 104 in the illustrated embodiment may be similar to those described above with reference to FIG. 7 and/or may include similar elements.

In an embodiment, the first slab 152A may include a different size (e.g., different dimensions) than the second slab 152B. For example, the first slab 152A may include a thickness or width 214A, and the second slab 152B may include a width 214B, where the width 214A of the first slab 152B may be less than or smaller than the width 214B of the second slab 152B. In an example, the width 214A of the first slab 152A may be approximately 90 percent, 80 percent, 70 percent, 60 percent, or 50 percent of the width 214B of the second slab 152B. Indeed, the widths 214A, 214B and/or a difference in widths 214A, 214B may depend on or may partially be based on a size of the HVAC system 100, an operating capacity of the heat exchanger 104, a type or configuration of the blower 112, a speed of the blower 112, and/or another suitable parameter. In any case, the smaller width 214A of the first slab 152A, compared to that of the second slab 152B may reduce the resistance imparted to the air flow 116 across the heat exchanger 104 on one side of the enclosure 108 (e.g., motor 128 side), thereby increasing the air flow 116 uniformity through the heat exchanger 104.

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a portion of the HVAC system 100, illustrating an embodiment of the heat exchanger 104 that can be used in any suitable HVAC system 100, in accordance with one or more aspects of this disclosure. The illustrated heat exchanger 104 may include similar elements and element numbers the heat exchanger 104 depicted in FIGS. 5, 7, 8, and 9. Certain elements of the components are omitted in the illustrated embodiment for clarity, but it should be appreciated that the components of the heat exchanger 104 in the illustrated embodiment may be similar to those described above with reference to FIG. 7 and/or may include similar elements.

In an embodiment, the first slab 152A may include a different coil spacing 218 (e.g., intra-coil spacing) than that of the second slab 152B. For example, the first and second rows 202A, 202B of the first slab 152A may include a first coil spacing 218A, and the third and fourth rows 202C, 202D of the second slab 152B may include a second coil spacing 218B, where the first coil spacing 218A of the first slab 152A may be more than or greater than the second coil spacing 218B of the second slab 152B. In an example, the first coil spacing 218A of the first slab 152A may be approximately 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent, 100 percent, 200 percent, 300 percent, or greater than the second coil spacing 218B of the second slab 152B. Indeed, the coil spacings 218A, 218B and/or a difference in coil spacings 218A, 218B may depend on and/or may partially be based on a size of the HVAC system 100, an operating capacity of the heat exchanger 104, a type or configuration of the blower 112, a speed of the blower 112, and/or another suitable parameter. In any case, the larger coil spacing 218A of the first slab 152A may reduce the resistance imparted to the air flow 116 across the heat exchanger 104 on one side of the enclosure 108 (e.g., motor 128 side), thereby increasing air flow 116 uniformity through the heat exchanger 104. Although one configuration is illustrated, it will be appreciated that the coil spacing 218 may vary through rows 202 and/or coil passes 206. For example, the first row 202A may include a different coil spacing 218 compared to the second row 202B of the first slab 152A or vice versa.

In an embodiment, the coils 156A of the first slab 152A may include a different coil diameter 222 than the coils 156B of the second slab 152B. For example, the coils 156A of the first slab 152A may include a first coil diameter 222A, and the coils 156B of the second slab 152B may include a second coil diameter 222B, where the first coil diameter 222A of the first slab 152A may be less than or smaller than the second coil diameter 222B of the second slab 152B. In an example, the first coil diameter 222A of the first slab 152A may be approximately 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent, or smaller than the second coil diameter 212B of the second slab 152B. Indeed, the coil diameter 222A, 222B and/or a difference in coil diameters 222A, 222B may depend on or may partially be based on a size of the HVAC system 100, an operating capacity of the heat exchanger 104, a type or configuration of the blower 112, a speed of the blower 112, and/or another suitable parameter. In any case, the smaller coil spacing 218A of the first slab 152A may reduce the resistance imparted to the air flow 116 across the heat exchanger 104 on one side of the enclosure 108 (e.g., motor 128 side), thereby increasing air flow 116 uniformity through the heat exchanger 104.

In an embodiment, an amount of working fluid directed through the coils 156A of the first slab 152A may be different than an amount of working fluid directed through the coils 156B of the second slab 152B. As briefly discussed above, the HVAC system 100 may include a distributor or another distribution device configured to direct respective portions of working fluid to both the first slab 152A and the second slab 152B. In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, the overall volume of working fluid within the first slab 152A may be smaller than the overall volume of working fluid within the second slab 152B. Taking the illustrated embodiment as an example, due to the decreased number of coil passes 206A within the first slab 152A, a decreased amount of working fluid may flow through the coils 156A, compared to that directed through the coils 156B of the second slab 152B. As such, the distributor or the distribution device of the HVAC system 100 may be configured to provide an increased amount of working fluid to the second slab 152B, compared to the first slab 152A.

Due to the decreased working fluid flow within the first slab 152A, the HVAC system 100 may be configured to provide a working fluid with a different temperature to the first slab 152A, compared to the working fluid of the second slab 152B. That is, due to the decreased surface area of the coils 156A of the first slab 152A and/or due to one or more different characteristics amongst the coils 156 (e.g., decreased coil passes 206A, decreased rows 202A, decreased coil diameter 222A, increased coil spacing 218A, etc.), a decreased amount of heat transfer may be realized. To compensate for the decreased surface area of the coils 156A, the HVAC system 100 may provide hotter or colder working fluid to the first slab 152A compared to the second slab 152B to create uniform heat transfer throughout the heat exchanger 104.

For example, in an embodiment providing heated working fluid to the heat exchanger 104, the coils 156A of the first slab 152A may be fluidly coupled or connected to a first working fluid circuit (e.g., a first heat pump) and the coils 156B of the second slab 152B may be fluidly coupled or connected to a second working fluid circuit (e.g., a second heat pump). The first working fluid circuit may be configured to provide a working fluid with a first temperature to the coils 156A of the first slab 152A, the second working fluid circuit may be configured to provide a working fluid with a second temperature to the coils 156B of the second slab 152B, and the first temperature may be different than the second temperature. In this way, as the air flow 116 is directed across the first slab 152A including a decreased heat exchanging area compared to the second slab 152B, the air flow 116 may be conditioned to a substantially similar temperature to the air flow 116 directed across the second slab 152B, due to the different working fluid temperature. In this way, the heat exchanger 104 may provide increased heat transfer efficiency while maintaining a desired and/or improved performance of the blower 112 directed the air flow 116 across the heat exchanger 104. Indeed, the described techniques may be utilized to enable more uniform heating of the air flow 116, more uniform cooling of the air flow 116, more uniform dehumidification of the air flow 116, or any combination thereof.

In an embodiment, the temperature of the first or second working fluids provided by the first or second working fluid circuits may depend on or may be at least partially based on a speed of the blower 112. As discussed above, the blower 112 may be communicatively coupled to the controller 132, and the controller 132 may be configured to change an operating state of the blower 112 (e.g., speed). As will be appreciated, an increased speed of the blower 112 may result in an increase flow rate of the air flow 116, while a decreased speed of the blower 112 may result in a decreased flow rate of the air flow 116. The flow rate of the air flow 116 may affect the heat transfer provided via the first slab 152A and/or the second slab 152B. As such, the controller 132 may be configured to adjust the temperature of the first or second working fluid through the first or second slabs 152A, 152B based on the speed of the blower 112 to provide a more uniformly conditioned air flow 124. For example, the controller 132 may be configured to operate, adjust, or otherwise control one or more components (e.g., compressor, reversing valves) of the HVAC system 100 or an additional HAC system, based on the blower 112 speed.

In some cases, the flow rate of the air flow 116 may affect the heat transfer provided via the first slab 152A and/or the second slab 152B differently or at a different rate as the speed of the blower 112 (e.g., air flow 116) changes. For example, in embodiments where the first slab 152A is configured to provide a decreased air flow resistance (e.g., due to one or more characteristic differences) than that of the second slab 152B, as the flow rate of the air flow 116 increases across the heat exchanger 104 (e.g., due to an increased blower 112 speed), the heat transfer provide via the first and second slabs 152A, 152B may increase at different rates. Likewise, as the flow rate of the air flow 116 decreases across the heat exchanger 104 (e.g., due to a decreased blower 112 speed), the heat transfer provide via the first and second slabs 152A, 152V may decrease at different rates. To accommodate a difference in heat transfer rates as the blower 112 speed changes, the controller 132 may be configured to adjust the temperature of the first working fluid and the second working fluid differently or in a non-linear manner. For example, the memory device 140 may store one or more algorithms (e.g., executable instructions and/or code) or look up charts that may be executed and/or referenced by the processing circuitry 136 to determine the first working fluid temperature based on the blower 112 speed and the second working fluid temperature based on the blower 112 speed, where the first working fluid temperature may be different (e.g., warmer, colder) than the second working fluid temperature.

In an embodiment, the different working fluid temperatures may be realized using additional heating or cooling components coupled to a common working fluid circuit fluidly coupled to both the first and second slabs 152A, 152B. For example, a single working fluid circuit may be configured to direct a first portion of the working fluid to the first slab 152A and a second portion of the working fluid to the second slab 152B. Additional heating or cooling components may be configured to heat or cool the first or second portions of the working fluid, thereby creating a difference in working fluid temperatures through the first slab 152A and the second slab 152B. In this way, as the air flow 116 is directed across the first slab 152A including a decreased heat exchanging area compared to that of the second slab 152B, the air flow 116 may be conditioned to a substantially similar temperature to the air flow 116 directed across the second slab 152B.

FIG. 11 is a side view schematic of an embodiment of the heat exchanger 104 that can be used in any suitable HVAC system 100, in accordance with one or more aspects of this disclosure. The illustrated heat exchanger 104 may include similar elements and element numbers the heat exchanger 104 depicted in FIGS. 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Certain elements of the components are omitted in the illustrated embodiment for clarity, but it should be appreciated that the components of the heat exchanger 104 in the illustrated embodiment may be similar to those described above with reference to FIG. 7 and/or may include similar elements.

In an embodiment, the first slab 152A may include a different size or dimension than the second slab 152B. For example, the first slab 152A may include a first length 226A, and the second slab 152B may include a second length 226B, where the first length 226A of the first slab 152A may be less than or smaller than the second length 226B of the second slab 152B. In an example, the first length 226A of the first slab 152A may be approximately 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent, or smaller than the second length 226B of the second slab 152B. Indeed, the first or second length 226A, 226B and/or a difference in the lengths 226A, 226B may depend on and/or may partially be based on a size of the HVAC system 100, an operating capacity of the heat exchanger 104, a type or configuration of the blower 112, a speed of the blower 112, and/or another suitable parameter. In any case, the smaller length 226A of the first slab 152A may impart a reduced resistance to the air flow 116 directed across the heat exchanger 104 on one side of the enclosure 108 (e.g., motor 128 side), thereby increasing air flow 116 uniformity across the heat exchanger 104. In some embodiments, an additional support member may be provided to support the first slab 152A and mitigate, block, and/or reduce bypass of the air flow 116 across (e.g., around) the heat exchanger 104.

In an embodiment, the first slab 152A and the second slab 152B may be oriented at different angles relative to a direction 230 of the air flow 116 and/or the axis 114 extending through a convergence point 238 of the first and second slabs 152A, 152B. For example, the first slab 152A may be oriented at a first angle 242A relative to the direction 230 and/or the axis 114, and the second slab 152B may be oriented at a second angle 242B relative to the direction 230 and/or the axis 234, where the first angle 242A and the second angle 242B may be different. That is, in embodiments where the first slab 152A includes the length 226A smaller than the second length 226B of the second slab 252B, the first slab 152A may be oriented at a larger angle relative to the direction 230 and/or axis 114 (e.g., first angle 242A). In this way, the first slab 152A may contact the enclosure 108 to reduce or block the air flow 116 bypassing the heat exchanger 104. Further, by increasing the first angle 242A of the first slab 152A, the resistance imparted to the air flow 116 directed across the heat exchanger 104 on one side of the enclosure 108 (e.g., motor 128 side) may be reduced, thereby increasing air flow 116 uniformity across the heat exchanger 104.

Though FIGS. 6-10 are described with respect to the motor 128 adjacent to the first side 144 of the enclosure 108, it will be appreciated that the motor 128 may be arranged within the enclosure 108 in other configurations, such as adjacent to the second side 148. As such, the configurations of the present disclosure discussed above may be reversed. Further, it will be appreciated that any of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be utilized with any suitable heat exchanger 104 and/or slab 152 configuration, such as the “A” configuration, “M” configuration, “N” configuration, and so forth. Furthermore, the orientation of the blower 112 relative to the heat exchanger 104 is not limited to the illustrated embodiments, and aspects of the present disclosure may be applied to configurations where the blower 112 is arranged within the enclosure 108 in a different configuration and/or orientation relative to the heat exchanger 104.

While only certain features and embodiments have been illustrated and described, many modifications and changes may occur to those skilled in the art, such as variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, such as temperatures and pressures, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, and so forth, without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited in the claims. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the disclosure.

Furthermore, in an effort to provide a concise description of the exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not have been described, such as those unrelated to the presently contemplated best mode, or those unrelated to enablement. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation specific decisions may be made. Such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure, without undue experimentation.

The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112 (f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112 (f).

ASYMMETRIC HEAT EXCHANGER

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