Final answer:
A distributor is the device that evenly distributes the refrigerant between the TEV and multiple evaporator circuits. An evaporator converts liquid refrigerant to gas, whereas a condenser turns gas back into a liquid in a refrigeration cycle.
Step-by-step explanation:
The device used to evenly distribute mixtures of liquid and vapor refrigerant leaving the Thermostatic Expansion Valve (TEV) to multiple evaporator circuits is called a distributor. The evaporator has the function of converting liquid refrigerant into gas, absorbing heat in the process. During this phase change, the refrigerant releases the heat it has absorbed previously in the evaporator. The compressor then increases the temperature and pressure of the gas before it moves into the condenser coils. In a typical refrigeration cycle, like that of a heat pump the four main components - the evaporator, compressor, condenser, and expansion valve - work together to transfer heat from one space to another.