US 12,339,076 B2
Heat exchanger assembly and method for HVAC system
Michael F. Taras, Spring, TX (US); Auston Green, Cypress, TX (US); and Anal Prakhar Sharma, Houston, TX (US)
Assigned to Goodman Manufacturing Company, L.P., Waller, TX (US)
Filed by Goodman Manufacturing Company, L.P., Waller, TX (US)
Filed on Dec. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/561,520.
Prior Publication US 2023/0204297 A1, Jun. 29, 2023
Int. Cl. F28F 9/02 (2006.01); F28D 1/053 (2006.01)
CPC F28F 9/0209 (2013.01) [F28D 1/05325 (2013.01); F28F 2260/02 (2013.01); F28F 2270/02 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
a microchannel heat exchanger operable to exchange heat with air in an HVAC system via refrigerant passing through the microchannel heat exchanger, the microchannel heat exchanger including:
a first manifold;
a second manifold; and
an array of flat tubes arranged between the first manifold and the second manifold, wherein the array of flat tubes includes multiple tubes coupled in fluid communication with the first manifold and the second manifold to convey refrigerant between the first manifold and the second manifold through microchannels of the multiple tubes, and the array of flat tubes also includes one or more dead tubes that do not convey refrigerant between the first manifold and the second manifold, and wherein each of the one or more dead tubes has ends that are physically unconnected to the first manifold and are physically unconnected to the second manifold, the microchannel heat exchanger is installed in the HVAC system with a bracket attached to the first or second manifold, and the one or more dead tubes include at least one dead tube that reduces thermal stress in the microchannel heat exchanger along the first or second manifold at the bracket.