KR20210055338A - Heat exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

An internal space is formed, a first header into which the refrigerant flows, an internal space is formed, the refrigerant flows out, a second header disposed to face the first header at a certain distance, and a plurality of plates processed with a specific shape By coupling members, the first header and the second header are connected to each other to form a tube through which a refrigerant flows and a fin to receive heat from the refrigerant flowing through the tube, wherein the heat exchange unit is spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. A plurality of heat exchangers are introduced which are arranged side by side, and are arranged so that the positions of the tubes are shifted from each other.

Description

Heat Exchanger {HEAT EXCHANGER}

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger having a form capable of minimizing the discharge pressure loss of air passing through the heat exchanger.

In general, the heat exchanger may be used in a place where fast heat exchange is required, such as a heat pump cycle, and may be used as a condenser or an evaporator. Air can be heated or cooled by passing air through a condenser or evaporator using a fan and performing heat exchange in the process. Air heated or cooled by a heat exchanger may be utilized for cooling or heating, and this may be referred to as an air conditioner.

Recently, an energy consumption efficiency rating system has been implemented in which a rating is divided according to a ratio of performance and energy consumed, and a lot of research is being conducted to develop an electronic device having a better energy consumption rating. As one of them, research on a technology for reducing the power of a fan supplying air by increasing the heat exchange efficiency of a heat exchanger is being actively conducted.

The shape of the tube or fin that passes through the heat exchanger and exchanges heat with air may affect the flow of air, and the greater the degree of obstruction of the air flow, the lower the air pressure between the heat exchanger and the communication, resulting in a greater loss of air pressure. Thermal bridge efficiency can be lowered. Accordingly, various shapes of tubes and fins that can reduce the influence on the flow of air passing through the heat exchanger and effectively heat exchange have been studied.

The present invention has been proposed to solve this problem, and is to provide a heat exchanger that minimizes the effect on the flow of air by reducing the diameter of the tube in the fin-tube type heat exchanger.

In addition, it is to provide a heat exchanger structure capable of minimizing thermal resistance by integrating a tube and a fin.

In addition, by integrating the tube and the fin, it is to provide a structure that is easy to manufacture and can be produced at low cost.

In the heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention, an internal space is formed, a first header into which a refrigerant flows in, an internal space is formed, a refrigerant flows out, and a second header disposed to face the first header at a predetermined interval. A heat exchanger that connects the first header and the second header to form a tube through which a refrigerant flows and a fin receiving heat from the refrigerant flowing through the tube by combining a header and a plurality of plate-like members processed with a specific shape. And a plurality of the heat exchange units are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval, and may be arranged so that the positions of the tubes are shifted from each other.

In addition, in the heat exchange part, a plurality of tubes and fins may be integrally formed.

In addition, the heat exchange part may form a tube by combining concave portions processed by a specific shape to face each other, and the remaining portions are bonded to each other to form a fin.

In addition, the tube of the heat exchange part may have a shape connecting the first header and the second header in a straight line.

In addition, a cross section of the tube of the heat exchange part may have a symmetrical shape with respect to a virtual plane crossing the plate-like member.

In addition, the cross section of the tube of the heat exchange part may have an oval shape.

In addition, the cross section of the tube of the heat exchange part may be streamlined.

In addition, a cross section of the tube of the heat exchange part may have an asymmetric shape based on an imaginary plane crossing the plate-like member.

In addition, the cross section of the tube of the heat exchange part may have an airfoil shape.

In the heat exchanger according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, since the tube is integrally formed, there is no contact resistance at the connection portion between the fin and the tube, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency.

The heat exchanger according to various embodiments of the present invention can be manufactured to have a very thin diameter by forming a tube by joining a plate-like member having a specific shape pre-processed.

The heat exchanger according to various embodiments of the present invention may minimize the influence on the flow of air through the heat exchanger by variously modifying the shape of the tube cross section, such as an ellipse, a streamline, or an airfoil shape.

In the heat exchanger according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the pressure loss of air passing through the heat exchanger is small, and thus the use of power of a fan added to the heat exchanger can be reduced.

1 is a perspective view showing the outer shape of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram conceptually showing a cross section of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view showing a structure in which a tube and a fin of a heat exchanger are formed according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a view showing a cross section of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a view showing a flow pattern of air in a heat exchange unit according to an embodiment of the present invention compared with other heat exchange units.
6 is a view showing a cross section of a heat exchanger according to another embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a view showing a flow pattern of air in a heat exchange unit according to another embodiment of the present invention compared with other heat exchange units.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but identical or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals regardless of reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "unit" for constituent elements used in the following description are given or used interchangeably in consideration of only the ease of preparation of the specification, and do not have meanings or roles that are distinguished from each other by themselves. In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, when it is determined that a detailed description of related known technologies may obscure the subject matter of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical idea disclosed in the present specification is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention It should be understood to include equivalents or substitutes.

Terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component.

When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that it may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in the middle. It should be. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there is no other component in the middle.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In the present application, terms such as "comprises" or "have" are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features. It is to be understood that the presence or addition of elements or numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof does not preclude in advance.

1 is a perspective view showing the outer shape of a heat exchanger 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In describing the heat exchanger 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a direction may be defined and used to aid understanding. For example, the front is a direction perpendicular to the surface of the fins 137 of the heat exchange unit 130 and may mean the lower left side based on the state shown in FIG. 1. The rear can mean the opposite direction to the front. The left direction refers to a direction in which the fins 137 and the tubes 135 of the heat exchange unit 130 are sequentially passed through, and may mean an upper left side based on the state shown in FIG. 1. The right direction may mean a direction opposite to the left direction. The upper direction refers to the longitudinal direction of the tube 135 of the heat exchange unit 130 and may mean an upward direction based on the illustrated state of FIG. 1. Downward can mean the opposite direction to the upside.

The direction definition as described above is for aiding understanding of the present invention and is not absolute, and when any one direction reference is changed, the other direction reference may be changed in response thereto.

The heat exchanger 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a first header 110, a second header 120, and a heat exchange unit 130.

The first header 110 according to an embodiment may form an internal space to receive a refrigerant from the outside, and the supplied refrigerant may flow through the internal space of the first header 110.

The second header 120 according to an embodiment is disposed to be spaced apart from the first header 110 by a predetermined distance, and forms an internal space to allow the refrigerant to flow.

The heat exchange unit 130 according to an embodiment may connect the first header 110 and the second header 120 and allow the refrigerant to circulate through the first header 110 and the second header 120. The heat exchange part 130 may be formed by combining plate-shaped members processed with a specific shape to face each other. A plurality of heat exchange units 130 may be disposed, and may be disposed side by side at predetermined intervals with respect to a direction perpendicular to the surface of the plate-like member. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a plurality of the first headers 110 and the second headers 120 may be connected to each other by being spaced at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction and arranged side by side. Air passes through the space between the plurality of heat exchange units 130 arranged in the front and rear direction from left to right or right to left, and heat exchange with the heat exchange unit 130 may be performed.

The heat exchange unit 130 according to an embodiment may include a tube 135 and a fin 137. The heat exchange unit 130 may include a plurality of tubes 135 and a plurality of fins 137 and may be formed integrally. As the tube 135 and the fin 137 are integrally formed, there is no thermal resistance between the tube 135 and the fin 137, and heat of the refrigerant can be more effectively transferred to the tube 135 and the fin 137.

The tube 135 according to an embodiment may provide a path for the refrigerant to flow by connecting the first header 110 and the second header 120. Both ends of the tube 135 may extend longer than the fin 137 and protrude from the fin 137. The protruding portion of the tube 135 may be combined with the first header 110 or the second header 120 to provide a flow path of the refrigerant. The tube 135 may connect the first header 110 and the second header 120 in a straight line.

The fin 137 according to an exemplary embodiment may receive heat from a refrigerant flowing through the tube 135 and increase an area capable of exchanging heat with air passing therethrough. In addition, the space between the tube 135 and the tube 135 may be connected. By connecting the tube 135 and the tube 135, it is possible to adjust the temperature imbalance that may occur due to various causes, such as a temperature imbalance between the refrigerant flowing inside the tube 135 or the direction of air flowing into the heat exchanger 100. .

The heat exchanger 100 according to an embodiment may receive a refrigerant through one end of the first header 110, pass through the tube 135, and discharge the refrigerant through the second header 120. In FIG. 1, in order to help the understanding of the heat exchanger 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a case inflow through the first header 110 and outflow through the second header 120 has been described as an example. It may be configured to flow in through the header 120 and flow out through the first header 110.

A distribution chamber (not shown) may be included in the first header 110 and the second header 120 according to an embodiment to correspond to the plurality of heat exchange units 130. Each distribution chamber may communicate with the tube 135 of the heat exchange unit 130. By distributing the incoming refrigerant corresponding to the number of the plurality of heat exchange units 130, the heat exchange efficiency between the refrigerant and air may be increased.

2 is a diagram conceptually showing a cross section of a heat exchange unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The heat exchange unit 130 according to an exemplary embodiment may have a shape in which a plurality of heat exchange units 130 are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals with respect to a direction perpendicular to the plane of the plate-like members 131 and 133 (see FIG. 3 ). However, the positions of the tubes 135 may be arranged so as to deviate from each other. Through this, the heat exchange unit 130 can be arranged more densely even within the same space. In addition, it is possible to prevent a sudden change in the width of the air flow path passing between the plurality of heat exchange units 130. For example, air passes from left to right or from right to left based on the state shown in FIG. 2. If the positions of the tubes 135 are arranged in alignment with each other, the air flow path rapidly at the position of the tube 135. The narrower can act as a major obstacle to the flow of air. That is, the loss of air pressure generated as it passes through the tube 135 may be very large. Accordingly, by arranging the tubes 135 so that the positions of the tubes 135 are shifted from each other as shown in FIG. 2, a sudden change of the air flow path can be prevented, and the air can induce a laminar flow through the surface of the tube 135 and in a form of riding over. Air pressure loss can be minimized. In addition, a change in air pressure loss may occur according to the cross-sectional shape of the tube 135. This will be described later together with FIGS. 4 to 7.

3 is a view showing a structure in which the tube 135 and the fin 137 of the heat exchange unit 130 are formed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The heat exchange unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be formed by bonding a pair of plate-like members 131 and 133 processed in a specific shape. Specifically, the tube 135 may be formed by bonding the concave portions processed by a specific shape to face each other, and the remaining flat portions may be bonded to form the pins 137. The heat exchange unit 130 may be made of plate-like members 131 and 133 made of a material having excellent thermal conductivity, and for example, a thin plate made of a metal material may be used. A specific shape may be formed on the thin metal plate through press processing, and the tube 135 may be airtight by bonding through a brazing method.

4 is a view showing a cross-section of the heat exchange unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a view comparing air flow patterns according to the cross-sectional shape of the heat exchange unit 130.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5B, the tube 135 of the heat exchange unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention may have a cross-sectional shape in an airfoil shape. When the air flows from the left to the right based on the illustrated state of FIG. 4, the air may be formed to smoothly ride over the surface of the tube 135 as possible.

When turbulence T occurs while air passes through the surface of the tube 135, the corresponding portion may be formed to be a region that is substantially low in air pressure and does not heat exchange with the tube 135 or the fin 137.

FIG. 5A is a view showing the flow of air in the case of the tube 135 having a circular cross section, and FIG. 5B is a tube 135 having a cross section in the form of an airfoil according to an embodiment of the present invention. ) Indicates the flow of air. Referring to FIGS. 5A to 5B, a tail-shaped area formed on the right side with respect to the tube 135 may mean a turbulence area T. The turbulent flow region T may be a region in which air pressure is formed to be low, thereby causing a loss of air pressure, and substantially not performing heat exchange with the tube 135 or the fin 137.

In the heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention, by forming the cross-sectional shape of the tube 135 into an airfoil shape, turbulent flow (T) is generated in the process of passing air through the tube 135 as shown in FIG. 5B. It is possible to increase heat exchange efficiency by minimizing the occurrence and minimizing the loss of air pressure.

6 is a view showing a cross-section of a heat exchange unit 530 according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a view comparing air flow patterns according to the cross-sectional shape of the heat exchange unit 530. In describing the heat exchange unit 530 of FIGS. 6 to 7, the difference will be mainly described compared to the heat exchange unit 130 of FIGS. 4 to 5. As compared with the heat exchange unit 130 of FIGS. 4 to 5, the same or similar parts may use the same or similar reference numbers.

Referring to FIG. 6, the tube 535 of the heat exchange unit 530 according to an embodiment of the present invention may have an elliptical cross-sectional shape. FIG. 7A is a view showing the flow of air in the case of the tube 535 having a circular cross section, and FIG. 7B is a tube 535 having an elliptical cross section according to another embodiment of the present invention. ) Indicates the flow of air.

Referring to FIGS. 7A to 7B, a tail-shaped area formed on the right side of the tube 535 may mean a turbulence area T. Compared to (b) of FIG. 5, the turbulence region T may be somewhat wider. However, there may be a characteristic of being formed in a symmetrical shape with respect to an imaginary plane that is replaced with a plate-like member of the heat exchange part 530. In other words, the left and right shapes may be formed to be symmetric based on the state shown in FIG. 5B. This may not be affected by the installation direction of the heat exchange unit 530 or the direction of air passing through the heat exchanger 100. In addition, a pair of plate-like members 131, 133 (refer to FIG. 3) forming the heat exchange part 130 are separated as shown in FIG. 5(b) (for example, the upper plate-like member 131, the lower plate-like member 133) Since it does not need to be produced with a single shape, the production cost can be lowered and assembly can be facilitated.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the tube 535 of the heat exchange unit 530 may have a cross-sectional shape formed in a streamlined shape. In particular, it may have a streamlined shape symmetrical with respect to a virtual plane that is replaced with the plate-shaped member of the heat exchange part 530. In this case, while minimizing the generation of the turbulent flow region T as shown in FIG. 5B, it is possible to avoid being affected by the direction of air passing through the heat exchanger 100 as shown in FIG. 7B.

It is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential features of the present invention.

The above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in all respects and should be considered as illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

100: heat exchanger 110: first header
120: second header 130: heat exchange part
135: tube 137: fin

Claims (9)

A first header in which an internal space is formed and a refrigerant is introduced;
A second header having an internal space formed therein, a refrigerant flowing out, and disposed to face the first header and spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval; And
A heat exchanger configured to form a tube through which a refrigerant flows and a fin receiving heat from the refrigerant flowing through the tube by connecting the plurality of plate-shaped members having a specific shape to be processed; Including,
A heat exchanger in which a plurality of the heat exchange units are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval, and are arranged side by side, and the positions of the tubes are shifted from each other. The method of claim 1,
In the heat exchange part,
A heat exchanger in which a plurality of tubes and fins are integrally formed. The method of claim 2,
The heat exchange part,
A heat exchanger in which a specific shape is processed and concave portions are joined to face each other to form a tube, and the remaining portions are joined to each other to form a fin. The method of claim 3,
The heat exchanger tube has a shape connecting the first header and the second header in a straight line. The method of claim 4,
A heat exchanger having a symmetrical cross-section of the tube of the heat exchanger with respect to an imaginary plane crossing the plate-like member. The method of claim 5,
The cross section of the tube of the heat exchange part is an elliptical heat exchanger. The method of claim 5,
A heat exchanger having a streamlined cross section of the tube of the heat exchanger. The method of claim 4,
A heat exchanger having an asymmetrical cross section of the tube of the heat exchanger with respect to an imaginary plane crossing the plate-like member. The method of claim 8,
The cross section of the tube of the heat exchange part is a heat exchanger having an airfoil shape.

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