CN108885075B - Heat exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

The heat exchanger of the present invention comprises: a plate fin laminate in which plate fins having flow paths in which a 1 st fluid flows are laminated; and a supply and discharge pipe through which the 1 st fluid flowing through the flow path of each plate fin in the plate fin laminate passes, and which allows the 2 nd fluid to flow between the laminates of the plate fin laminate, thereby performing heat exchange between the 1 st fluid and the 2 nd fluid. The plate fin includes: a flow path region having a plurality of straight 1 st fluid flow paths so that the 1 st fluid flows in parallel; and a header area having a header flow path for communicating the 1 st fluid flow path of the flow path area with the supply and discharge pipe. The outer wall of the header flow path is in contact with the outer wall of the header flow path of the plate fin adjacent to the plate fin stacked body in the stacking direction.

Description

Heat exchanger

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger, and more particularly to a heat exchanger having stacked plate-fins formed by stacking plate-like plate fins through which a refrigerant flows.

Background

Heat exchangers for exchanging heat energy between fluids having different heat energies are used by a large number of devices. In particular, heat exchangers of laminated plate fins are widely used in, for example, air conditioners for home use and for vehicles, computers, and various electric devices.

A heat exchanger having stacked plate fins is a type in which heat is exchanged between a fluid (refrigerant) flowing through flow paths formed in plate-shaped plate fins and a fluid (air) flowing between the stacked plate fins.

In the field of the above-described heat exchanger having laminated plate fins, various structures have been proposed for the purpose of weight reduction, size reduction, and efficiency of heat exchange (see, for example, patent documents 1 and 2).

As described above, in the field of heat exchangers in which plate fins are laminated, it has been proposed to form the plate fins from a material having a small thickness and high thermal conductivity for the purpose of weight reduction, size reduction, and efficiency. In order to improve the heat exchange performance of the heat exchanger, it has been also considered that a fluid (refrigerant) flows through the flow paths formed in the plate fins at a higher pressure than in the conventional heat exchanger.

In the field of heat exchangers, it is advantageous to form plate fins from a material having a small thickness and high thermal conductivity in terms of weight reduction, size reduction, and efficiency, but there is a possibility that the plate fins have a problem in terms of reliability. In particular, in the case of providing a structure in which a high-pressure refrigerant flows through the flow paths formed in the plate fins, the flow paths of the refrigerant in the plate fins are deformed, and variations occur in the flow rate and flow velocity of the refrigerant, which may deteriorate the performance as a heat exchanger. In addition, in some cases, the refrigerant leaks from the refrigerant flow paths in the thin plate fins.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 3965901

Patent document 2: utility model registration No. 3192719

Disclosure of Invention

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger which can be reduced in weight, size, and efficiency, and has high structural reliability even when a high-pressure refrigerant flows therethrough.

A heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a plate fin laminate in which plate fins having flow paths in which a 1 st fluid flows are laminated; and a supply and discharge pipe through which the 1 st fluid flowing through the flow path of each plate fin in the plate fin laminate passes, and which allows the 2 nd fluid to flow between the laminates of the plate fin laminate, thereby performing heat exchange between the 1 st fluid and the 2 nd fluid. The plate fin includes: a flow path region having a plurality of straight 1 st fluid flow paths so that the 1 st fluid flows in parallel; and a header area having a header flow path for communicating the 1 st fluid flow path of the flow path area with the supply and discharge pipe. The outer wall of the header flow path is in contact with the outer wall of the header flow path of the plate fin adjacent to the plate fin stacked body in the stacking direction.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a heat exchanger which is lightweight, compact, and efficient, and has high structural reliability even when a high-pressure refrigerant flows therethrough.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a laminated plate-fin heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing plate fins in the laminated plate-fin heat exchanger according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view showing a part of the structure of the plate fins in the stacked plate-fin heat exchanger according to the present embodiment in an enlarged manner.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing various cross-sectional shapes of the refrigerant flow path in the laminated plate-fin heat exchanger according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a part of the plate fins in the plate fin stacked body in the stacked plate-fin heat exchanger according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a cross section of the plate-fin laminate shown in fig. 5 taken along line VI-VI.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the header region or the refrigerant flow path formed by processing plate materials having different thicknesses in the present embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a view showing a plate fin laminate in which different plate fins are laminated in the present embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a cross section of the plate-fin stacked body shown in fig. 8, taken along line IX-IX.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which a positioning pin is attached to the plate-fin stacked body in the present embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the plate-fin stacked body to which the positioning pin is attached according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a plan view showing a plate fin according to a modification of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a plan view showing a plate fin according to a modification of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a plan view showing a plate fin according to a modification of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing an upper end plate provided at an upper end of the plate-fin stacked body according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing a lower end plate provided at the lower end of the plate-fin stacked body in the present embodiment.

Fig. 17 is an enlarged perspective view of a header region and an upper end plate of the plate-fin stacked body according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 18 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state of joining the plate-fin stacked body and the lower end plate in the present embodiment.

Fig. 19 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state of joining the plate-fin stacked body and the lower end plate according to a modification of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 20 is a plan view showing the upper surface of the lower end plate shown in fig. 19.

Fig. 21 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state of joining the plate-fin stacked body and the lower end plate according to a modification of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 22A is a top view of the lower endplate shown in fig. 21.

Fig. 22B is a side view of the lower endplate shown in fig. 21.

Fig. 23 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state of joining the plate-fin stacked body and the lower end plate according to a modification of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 24A is a top view of the lower endplate shown in fig. 23.

Fig. 24B is a side view of the lower endplate shown in fig. 23.

Fig. 25 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state of joining the plate-fin stacked body and the lower end plate according to a modification of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 26 is a perspective view showing a plate-fin stacked body according to a modification of the embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

A heat exchanger according to claim 1 of the present invention includes: a plate fin laminate in which plate fins having flow paths in which a 1 st fluid flows are laminated; and a supply and discharge pipe through which the 1 st fluid flowing through the flow path of each plate fin in the plate fin laminate passes, and which allows the 2 nd fluid to flow between the laminates of the plate fin laminate, thereby performing heat exchange between the 1 st fluid and the 2 nd fluid. The plate fin includes: a flow path region having a plurality of straight 1 st fluid flow paths so that the 1 st fluid flows in parallel; and a header area having a header flow path for communicating the 1 st fluid flow path of the flow path area with the supply and discharge pipe. The outer wall of the header flow path is in contact with the outer wall of the header flow path of the plate fin adjacent to the plate fin stacked body in the stacking direction.

In a heat exchanger according to claim 2 of the present invention, the header flow path in claim 1 includes a multi-branch flow path for allowing the refrigerant passing through the supply/discharge tube to flow through each of the 1 st fluid flow paths in the flow path region.

In the heat exchanger according to claim 3 of the present invention, in the 2 nd aspect, the multi-branch flow passage abuts against an outer wall of the multi-branch flow passage in the plate fin adjacent to the plate fin stacked body in the stacking direction.

A heat exchanger according to claim 4 of the present invention is such that, in the header region according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the tube wall of the header flow path is formed thicker than other portions.

A heat exchanger according to claim 5 of the present invention is such that, in the flow passage region according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the tube wall of the flow passage is formed thicker than other portions.

A heat exchanger according to claim 6 of the present invention is the plate fin according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the header regions are provided on both sides, and the header flow paths of the header regions on both sides have a symmetrical shape.

A heat exchanger according to claim 7 of the present invention is such that, in the 6 th aspect, in the plate fins having the header regions provided on both sides thereof, each of the header flow paths includes a bypass flow path that communicates the supply/discharge tube and the multi-branch flow path, and the bypass flow path and the multi-branch flow path arranged on both sides of the plate fins have a point-symmetric shape with the center of the plate fin as a center of symmetry.

A heat exchanger according to claim 8 of the present invention is a heat exchanger in which the plate fins provided on both sides in the header region according to any one of claims 1 to 7 are formed with a plurality of header region support portions that protrude different from the flow paths in the header region, and the header region support portions arranged on both sides of the plate fins have a point-symmetric shape with the center of the plate fin as the center of symmetry.

A heat exchanger according to claim 9 of the present invention is the plate fin according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the header region is provided at one end side, and the tube supply and discharge tubes are provided at positions corresponding to the header region.

A heat exchanger according to a 10 th aspect of the present invention is the heat exchanger according to any one of the 1 st to 9 th aspects, wherein a plurality of header region support portions that protrude different from the flow paths are formed in the header region of the plate fins, and the header region support portions abut against the header regions of the plate fins adjacent in the stacking direction in the plate fin stacked body to form a predetermined space between the plate fins adjacent in the stacking direction.

A heat exchanger according to claim 11 of the present invention is such that a header region support portion provided in the header region according to claim 10 has a through hole, which serves as a positioning hole.

A heat exchanger according to claim 12 of the present invention is characterized in that a positioning pin is fixed to the positioning hole of claim 11.

A heat exchanger according to claim 13 of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the 1 st to 12 th aspects, a flow path region support portion protruding different from the flow path is formed in the flow path region of the plate fin, and the flow path region support portion abuts against the flow path region of the plate fin adjacent in the stacking direction of the plate fin stacked body to form a predetermined space between the stacked layers.

A heat exchanger according to claim 14 of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the 1 st to 13 th aspects, the plate fin laminate is formed by laminating plate fins having different flow path shapes.

A heat exchanger according to claim 15 of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of claims 1 to 13, the plate fin laminate is formed by alternately laminating plate fins having two types of flow channel shapes.

In a heat exchanger according to claim 16 of the present invention, in the plate fin laminate according to claim 15, the flow paths in the plate fins stacked alternately are arranged in a staggered manner in a cross section orthogonal to the 1 st fluid flow direction in the flow path region.

A heat exchanger according to claim 17 of the present invention is such that, in the 14 th or 15 th aspect, a flow path support portion protruding differently from the flow path is formed in the flow path region of the plate fin, and the flow path support portion abuts against the tube wall of the 1 st fluid flow path in the flow path region of the plate fin adjacent in the stacking direction in the plate fin stacked body.

A heat exchanger according to claim 18 of the present invention is such that the flow path support portions provided so as to protrude from the plate fins according to claim 17 are arranged so as to be staggered with respect to the flow direction of the 2 nd fluid flowing between the stacked layers of the plate fin stacked body.

In the heat exchanger according to claim 19 of the present invention, the number of the flow path support portions provided so as to protrude from the plate fin according to claim 17 is set so that the leeward side is more than the windward side in the flow direction of the 2 nd fluid B.

A heat exchanger according to a 20 th aspect of the present invention is the plate fin according to the 15 th aspect having two types of flow channel shapes, wherein a protruding flow channel region convex portion different from the flow channel is formed in the flow channel region of one plate fin, a flow channel region concave portion is formed in the flow channel region of the other plate fin at a position corresponding to the flow channel region convex portion, and the flow channel region convex portions of the adjacent plate fins in the stacking direction in the plate fin laminate are engaged with the flow channel region concave portions to hold a predetermined space between the adjacent plate fins.

A heat exchanger according to claim 21 of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of claims 1 to 20, at least the flow channels in the flow channel region of the plate fins have a rectangular cross section perpendicular to the 1 st fluid flow direction in the flow channels.

A heat exchanger according to claim 22 of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of claims 1 to 20, at least the flow channels in the flow channel region of the plate fins have a circular shape in cross section orthogonal to the 1 st fluid flow direction in the flow channels.

A heat exchanger according to claim 23 of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the aspects 1 to 22, the flow channels in at least the flow channel region of the plate fins are formed so as to protrude only on one side in the stacking direction of the plate fin stacked body.

A heat exchanger according to claim 24 of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the aspects 1 to 22, the flow channels of at least the flow channel region of the plate fins are formed so as to protrude on both sides in the stacking direction of the plate fin laminate.

A laminated plate-fin heat exchanger as an embodiment of the heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The heat exchanger according to the present invention is not limited to the structure of the laminated plate-fin heat exchanger described in the following embodiments, and includes a structure of a heat exchanger equivalent to the technical idea described in the following embodiments. The embodiment described below is an example of the present invention, and the structures, functions, operations, and the like described in the embodiment are examples, and do not limit the present invention. Among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not recited in the independent claims indicating the uppermost concept will be described as arbitrary components.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a laminated plate-fin heat exchanger (hereinafter simply referred to as a heat exchanger) 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 1, a heat exchanger 1 of the present embodiment includes: a feed pipe (inlet header) 4 for supplying the refrigerant as the 1 st fluid; a plate fin laminate 2 formed by laminating a plurality of plate fins 2a having a rectangular plate shape; and a discharge pipe (outlet header) 5 that discharges the refrigerant flowing in the flow paths formed in the plate fins 2 a. In the present embodiment, the supply pipe 4 and the discharge pipe 5 are collectively referred to as a supply/discharge pipe.

Further, end plates 3a, 3b having substantially the same shape as the rectangular plate fins 2a in plan view are provided at both ends (upper and lower ends) in the stacking direction of the plate fin stacked body 2 formed by stacking a plurality of plate fins 2 a. The end plates 3a and 3b are formed of a rigid plate material, and are formed by, for example, grinding a metal material such as aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or stainless steel to perform metal processing. The end plates 3a, 3b are arranged so as to sandwich the stacked plate fins 2a from above and below, and the stacked layers of the stacked plate fins 2a are reliably held at predetermined intervals.

In the present embodiment, the stacking direction of the plate-fin stacked body 2 is the vertical direction, and the supply and discharge pipes 4, 5 are provided in the upper end plate 3a disposed at the upper end of the plate-fin stacked body 2. Further, in the upper end plate 3a, a supply pipe 4 and a discharge pipe 5 are provided in the vicinity of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the plate-fin laminated body 2, respectively. Therefore, the refrigerant as the 1 st fluid fed from the feeding tube 4 flows in the horizontal direction in the plurality of flow paths formed inside the respective plate fins 2a and is discharged from the discharge tube 5.

In the heat exchanger 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the refrigerant as the 1 st fluid flows in parallel in the longitudinal direction through the plurality of flow paths inside the respective plate fins 2a of the plate fin stacked body 2. On the other hand, air as the 2 nd fluid passes through the gaps between the stacked layers of the plate fins 2a formed in the plate fin stacked body 2. The heat exchanger 1 configured as described above exchanges heat between the 1 st fluid and the 2 nd fluid in the plate-fin stacked body 2.

The plate fin laminate 2 in the heat exchanger 1 of the present embodiment is formed by laminating plate fins 2a (6, 7) having two types of flow path structures. The 1 st plate fins 6 and the 2 nd plate fins 7 of the two plate fins 2a are alternately arranged in the plate fin laminate 2.

First, the 1 st plate fin 6 used in the heat exchanger 1 of the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the first plate fin 6. As shown in fig. 2, the 1 st plate fin 6 has flow path regions P formed between the header regions H formed on both sides in the longitudinal direction and the header regions H formed on both sides.

Header openings 8 through which the refrigerant from the supply tube 4 or the refrigerant to the discharge tube 5 flows are formed in the header regions H formed on both sides of the 1 st plate fin 6. In the header region H, header flow paths 10 through which the refrigerant from the header openings 8 or the refrigerant to the header openings 8 flows are formed, and the header flow paths 10 formed on both sides of the 1 st plate fin 6 have a symmetrical shape. In the present embodiment, the header flow paths 10 disposed on both sides of the 1 st plate fin 6 have a point-symmetric shape with the center of the 1 st plate fin 6 as the center of symmetry in a plan view, as will be described later.

In the 1 st plate fin 6, a plurality of refrigerant flow paths (1 st fluid flow paths) 11 for passing a refrigerant from the supply tube 4 to the discharge tube 5 are formed in the flow path regions P formed between the header regions H on both sides. The plurality of refrigerant passages 11 are formed in parallel in the longitudinal direction and communicate with the header passages 10 of the header regions H on both sides.

As shown in fig. 2, a header opening 8, which is a circular through hole, is formed at substantially the center of each of the header regions H on both sides, and a header flow path 10 through which a refrigerant flows is formed around the header opening 8. The header flow path 10 includes: an outer peripheral flow path 10a formed in the outer periphery of the header opening 8 so as to bulge upward and downward; one bypass flow path 10b extending in the short-side direction from the flow path region P side of the outer peripheral flow path 10a (the center side of the 1 st plate fin 6); and a multi-branch flow path 10c connecting the bypass flow path 10b to each refrigerant flow path 11 in the flow path region P. The header flow paths 10 provided on both sides of the 1 st plate fin 6 have a symmetrical shape. For example, the bypass channel 10b of the left header channel 10 shown in fig. 2 extends from the channel region P side of the outer peripheral channel 10a toward one side in the lateral direction (upward direction in fig. 2), and the bypass channel 10b of the right header channel 10 extends from the channel region P side of the outer peripheral channel 10a toward the other side in the lateral direction (downward direction in fig. 2). That is, the header flow paths 10 provided on both sides of the 1 st plate fin 6 have a point-symmetric shape with the center of the 1 st plate fin 6 as the center of symmetry in a plan view.

In the header flow path 10, the bypass flow path 10b extending in the short side direction of the 1 st plate fin 6 is connected to a multi-branch flow path 10c branched and communicated to the plurality of refrigerant flow paths 11 arranged in the flow path region P. The position where the bypass flow path 10b is connected to the multi-branch flow path 10c extends from the flow path of the refrigerant flow path 11 located at the outermost end in the transverse direction of the 1 st plate fin 6. Therefore, as shown in fig. 2, the manifold channel 10 is formed in a U shape by the bypass channel 10b and the multi-branch channel 10c extending from the outer peripheral channel 10a, and is formed so as to be folded back by the bypass channel 10b and the multi-branch channel 10 c. That is, the bypass flow paths 10b and the multi-branch flow paths 10c on both sides of the 1 st plate fin 6 have a point-symmetric shape with the center of the 1 st plate fin 6 as the center of symmetry in a plan view. In the header flow path 10 configured as described above, the refrigerant passing through the bypass flow paths 10b is sequentially sent from the refrigerant flow path 11 at the outermost end in the transverse direction of the 1 st plate fin 6 to the refrigerant flow paths 11 arranged side by side.

As shown in fig. 2, a plurality of projections 12(1 st tenon 12a and 2 nd tenon 12b) are formed at predetermined intervals in the flow path region P so as to be adjacent to the refrigerant flow path 11. The above-described projections 12(12a, 12b) have two shapes (in particular, different projection lengths). The 1 st tongue 12a is a flow passage region support portion, and is provided to protrude from an edge portion (lower edge portion in fig. 2) of the flow passage region P. The 1 st tenon 12a abuts against the edge of the flow path region P in the plate fin 2a adjacent in the stacking direction in the plate fin stacked body 2. In this way, the 1 st dovetail 12a abuts on the edge of the flow path region P of the adjacent plate fin 2a, and the distance between the stacked layers of the adjacent plate fins 2a can be reliably defined to a predetermined length.

The 2 nd tenon 12b is a passage support portion, and is disposed between passages of the refrigerant passages 11 arranged in parallel in the passage region P at a predetermined interval. In the present embodiment, the 2 nd tenon 12b is arranged along the flow direction of the 2 nd fluid (air) together with the 1 st tenon 12 a. The 2 nd tenon 12b is disposed so as to face the refrigerant flow paths 11 in the plate fins 2a adjacent in the stacking direction in the plate-fin stacked body 2, and abuts against pipe walls (outer walls) of the refrigerant flow paths 11 in the adjacent plate fins 2 a. In this way, since the 2 nd dovetail 12b abuts against the outer wall of the refrigerant flow path 11 of the adjacent plate fin 2a, the gap between the adjacent plate fin 2a and the refrigerant flow path 11 can be reliably defined to a predetermined length.

The 1 st tenons 12a and the 2 nd tenons 12B may be arranged so as to be staggered with respect to the flow direction of the 2 nd fluid (air: B in fig. 2) flowing between the stacked layers of the plate-fin stacked body 2, or may be arranged so as to be at least staggered with respect to the flow direction of the 2 nd fluid (air) flowing between the stacked layers of the plate-fin stacked body 2

The 2 nd tenons 12b are arranged in a staggered manner with respect to the flow direction of the 2 nd fluid. With the above configuration, the 2 nd fluid flowing between the stacked layers of the plate fin stacked body 2 becomes turbulent, so that a flow path can be ensured and the heat transfer rate can be improved.

In the 1 st plate fin 6, each header region H is formed with 2 positioning holes 13 as positioning through-holes. The positioning hole 13 is a positioning hole for stacking the plurality of plate fins 2a (6, 7), and a positioning pin is attached to the positioning hole 13 to accurately hold the stacking position with the other plate fins 2 a. The positioning pins may be fixedly attached to the positioning holes in a state inserted into the positioning holes, or may be configured to enhance rigidity of the heat exchanger. On the other hand, the positioning pins may be finally pulled out from the heat exchanger for the purpose of weight reduction of the heat exchanger and the like.

Further, a positioning outer peripheral portion 13a bulging upward and downward is formed in an outer peripheral portion of the positioning hole 13. The positioning outer peripheral portion 13a forms a space different from a flow path through which the refrigerant flows. The positioning outer peripheral portions 13a abut against the adjacent plate fins 2a (6, 7) in the stacking direction as described later, and serve as header region support portions having a header region support function of maintaining a predetermined interval between the adjacent plate fins 2a in the stacking direction.

The header flow paths 10(10a, 10b, 10c) formed in the header region H and the positioning outer peripheral portion 13a formed around the positioning hole 13 are formed to protrude with a predetermined height from the upper and lower surfaces of the 1 st plate fin 6. The header flow paths 10(10a, 10b, and 10c) and the projection surfaces (upper and lower end surfaces) of the positioning outer peripheral portion 13a are formed as flat surfaces. Therefore, the vertical cross-sectional shape of the header flow path 10(10a, 10b, 10c) perpendicular to the flow direction has a rectangular shape with flat protruding portions (upper end portion and lower end portion).

In the present embodiment, the height of the header flow channel 10 and the positioning outer peripheral portion 13a is formed to be half the length (1/2 pitch) of the gap (distance) between the adjacent plate fins 2a in the stacking direction in the plate fin laminate 2. Therefore, in the header regions H of the plate fins 2a adjacent in the stacking direction, the tube wall (outer wall) and the positioning outer peripheral portion 13a of the header flow path 10 are in contact with the tube wall (outer wall) and the positioning outer peripheral portion 13a of the header flow path 10 facing each other, respectively. Since the outer wall of the header flow path 10 in contact with each other is a flat surface, it is a surface that is reliably fixed by brazing or the like, for example. Therefore, the header regions H of the respective plate fins 2a in the plate fin laminated body 2 are reliably laminated at predetermined intervals.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view showing a part of the structure of the 1 st plate fin 6 in the plate fin laminate 2 in an enlarged manner. The 1 st plate fin 6 is formed of a metal plate of aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or the like. In the plate fin laminate 2, the 2 nd plate fins 7 alternately laminated with the 1 st plate fins 6 are also formed of the same material as the 1 st plate fins 6.

As shown in fig. 3, the 1 st plate fin 6 is formed by laminating a 1 st plate-like member 6a obtained by press working a plate material having at least one brazing material layer formed on a core material and a 2 nd plate-like member 6b obtained by press working a plate material having the same structure. In the 1 st plate-like member 6a and the 2 nd plate-like member 6b, the header flow passage 10 in the header region H, the positioning outer peripheral portion 13a formed around the positioning hole 13, the refrigerant flow passage 11 in the flow passage region P, and the protrusion (the 1 st tenon 12a and the 2 nd tenon 12b)12 are press-formed into the respective shapes.

As described above, the header flow paths 10, which are composed of the outer peripheral flow paths 10a, the bypass flow paths 10b, and the multi-branch flow paths 10c formed in the header region H, and the positioning outer peripheral portions 13a formed around the positioning holes 13, are formed so as to protrude from the upper and lower surfaces of the 1 st plate fins 6, and each have the same height as half the distance (1/2 pitch) between the plate fins 2a adjacent in the stacking direction. The outer peripheral flow path 10a, the bypass flow path 10b, and the multi-branch flow path 10c in the header flow path 10 are formed wider than the refrigerant flow paths 11 arranged in parallel in the flow path region P, and have a rectangular shape in a vertical cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the flow direction. On the other hand, the coolant flow field 11 formed in the flow field region P preferably has a hydraulic diameter of 1mm or less.

In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the refrigerant flow path 11 (cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the direction in which the refrigerant flows) is a circular shape, but the present invention is not limited to a circular shape. Further, in the present invention, the circular shape includes a circular shape, an oval shape, and a compound curve shape formed by a closed curve. As shown in fig. 4, the cross-sectional shape of the refrigerant flow path 11 in the present invention, which is perpendicular to the direction in which the refrigerant flows, includes a shape that protrudes only to one side in the stacking direction, or a structure that protrudes to both sides in the stacking direction, such as a rectangular shape, in addition to a circular shape. In fig. 4 showing various cross-sectional shapes of the refrigerant flow path, the refrigerant flow path 11 is shown in a divided state to show that the refrigerant flow path 11 is formed of 2 plate-like members, but actually 2 plate-like members are in contact with each other to form the refrigerant flow path 11 having a predetermined cross-sectional shape.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the vicinity of the header region H of the 1 st plate fin 6 in the plate fin laminate 2. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a cross section of the plate-fin stacked body 2 shown in fig. 5 taken along line VI-VI. As shown in the plate fin laminate 2 of fig. 6, the plate fin laminate 2 is formed by alternately laminating the 1 st plate fin 6 and the 2 nd plate fin 7. Fig. 6 shows a state in which 4 plate fins (6, 7) are stacked, but this is only a part, and in the plate fin stacked body 2, a plurality of plate fins (6, 7) are alternately stacked.

In the plate fin laminate 2, the outer walls (flat surfaces) of the header flow paths 10 in the header regions H of the 1 st plate fin 6 and the 2 nd plate fin 7 are in contact with the outer walls (flat surfaces) of the header flow paths 10 of the plate fins (6, 7) adjacent in the stacking direction. Fig. 6 shows that the flat surface of the outer wall of the outer peripheral channel 10a abuts against the flat surface of the outer wall of the outer peripheral channel 10a of the plate fins (6, 7) adjacent in the stacking direction. In the present embodiment, although a high pressure is applied to the header flow path 10 by the refrigerant flowing through the header flow path 10, since the tube wall (outer wall) of the header flow path 10 is fixed (closely attached) to the tube wall (outer wall) of the header flow path 10 of the adjacent plate fin (6, 7), bulging of the tube wall in the header flow path 10 can be restricted, and a pressure-resistant structure can be formed. Therefore, in the configuration of the present embodiment, the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the header flow passage 10 can be set high, and highly efficient heat exchange can be performed with high reliability.

Further, only the tube wall of the header flow path 10 in the header region H is formed as a thick portion having a thickness larger than other portions. Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing a part of a header region H formed by press forming plate materials having different thicknesses. As shown in fig. 7, the tube wall portion of the header flow path 10 in the header region H is formed of a thick portion having a thickness larger than that of the other portion, and the heat exchanger is configured to be able to reliably cope with a high-pressure refrigerant.

As shown in fig. 7, only the pipe wall of the refrigerant flow path 11 in the flow path region P is formed of a thick portion having a thickness larger than other portions. With the above configuration, the refrigerant flow path 11 can be configured to accommodate a refrigerant of a higher pressure.

As shown in fig. 6, in the plate fin laminate 2 of the present embodiment, the 1 st plate fins 6 and the 2 nd plate fins 7 are alternately laminated. The 2 nd plate fin 7 has substantially the same structure and shape as the 1 st plate fin 6, but the refrigerant flow path 11 and the projection 12 (the 1 st tenon 12a and the 2 nd tenon 12b) in the flow path region P are formed at different positions from the 1 st plate fin 6.

Fig. 8 is a view showing a plate fin laminate 2 in which the 1 st plate fin 6 and the 2 nd plate fin 7 are laminated. As shown in fig. 8, in the 2 nd plate fin 7, the refrigerant flow paths 11 of the flow path region P are located opposite to the 2 nd tenons 12b of the 1 st plate fin 6. That is, the refrigerant flow channels 11 in the flow channel regions P of the 2 nd plate fin 7 are arranged so as to oppose the positions between the refrigerant flow channels 11 in the flow channel regions P of the 1 st plate fin 6. In the plate fin laminate 2 in which the 1 st plate fin 6 and the 2 nd plate fin 7 are laminated, the 2 nd tenon 12b as a flow path support portion reliably abuts against the pipe wall (outer wall) of the refrigerant flow path 11 facing each other.

In the plate fin laminate 2 of the present embodiment, the refrigerant flow paths 11 of the 1 st plate fin 6 and the 2 nd plate fin 7 alternately laminated are configured to be staggered in a cross section orthogonal to the direction in which the 1 st fluid a flows in the flow path region P. As a specific structure of the staggered arrangement, refer to fig. 18 described later.

The 1 st tenon 12a, which is a flow path region support portion formed at the edge portion of the flow path region P of the 2 nd plate fin 7, is brought into contact with and fixed to the edge portion of the flow path region P of the adjacent 1 st plate fin 6. Therefore, the protruding height of the 1 st pin 12a as the flow passage area support portion is higher than the protruding height of the 2 nd pin 12b as the flow passage support portion by the height of the refrigerant flow passage 11.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a cross section of the plate-fin stacked body 2 shown in fig. 8, taken along line IX-IX. In the plate fin laminated body 2 shown in fig. 9, only 4 plate fins of the 1 st plate fin 6, the 2 nd plate fin 7, the 1 st plate fin 6, and the 2 nd plate fin 7 are laminated in this order from the top. As shown in fig. 9, the 1 st tenon 12a of the flow path region P in the 1 st plate fin 6 abuts against the edge of the flow path region P in the opposing 2 nd plate fin 7. Further, the 1 st tenon 12a of the flow path region P in the 2 nd plate fin 7 abuts against the edge of the flow path region P in the 1 st plate fin 6 opposed thereto.

On the other hand, the 2 nd tenons 12b of the flow path regions P in the 1 st plate fin 6 are in contact with the pipe walls (outer walls) of the refrigerant flow paths 11 of the flow path regions P in the opposing 2 nd plate fin 7. Further, the 2 nd tenons 12b of the flow path regions P in the 2 nd plate fin 7 are in contact with the pipe walls (outer walls) of the refrigerant flow paths 11 of the flow path regions P in the 1 st plate fin 6 which are opposed to each other.

In the present invention, the structure in which the stacked plate fins 2a (6, 7) in the plate-fin stacked body 2 are fixed by brazing has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this structure, and other fixing methods having heat resistance, for example, a mechanical connecting method or a fixing method using a chemical bonding member, may be used.

As described above, in the plate-fin laminate 2 of the present embodiment, the 1 st pin 12a of the flow path region P reliably supports the edge of the flow path region P of the fin plates (6, 7) facing each other, and a predetermined gap can be ensured between the laminates. In the present embodiment, the 1 st pin 12a of the flow channel region P serves as a flow channel region support portion in the plate fin laminate 2.

In addition, since the 2 nd tenon 12b of the flow path region P abuts against the pipe wall (outer wall) of the refrigerant flow path 11 of the fin plate (6, 7) facing each other, a predetermined interval can be maintained between the stacked fin plates (6, 7) and the refrigerant flow path 11 in the plate-fin stacked body 2. In the present embodiment, the 2 nd plug 12b of the flow path region P is a flow path support portion in the plate fin laminated body 2.

In the above embodiment, the 1 st tenon 12a of the flow path region P is described as being in contact with the edge of the flow path region P of the fin plates (6, 7) facing each other, but other configurations can be adopted. For example, the 1 st tenon 12a as a flow path region support portion formed at the edge of the flow path region P may be a flow path region convex portion, a flow path region concave portion may be formed at the edge of the flow path region P of the opposing fin plates (6, 7), and the flow path region convex portion and the flow path region concave portion may be fitted.

[ lamination with positioning pins ]

In the plate fin laminated body 2 of the present embodiment, the positioning pins 9 are attached so that the plurality of plate fins 2a (6, 7) can be easily and reliably laminated at predetermined positions. Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the positioning pins 9 are attached to the plate-fin stacked body 2. Fig. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the plate-fin stacked body 2 to which the positioning pins 9 are attached. The cross-sectional view of fig. 11 is a view cut by a plane denoted by reference numeral XI-XI in fig. 10.

In the present embodiment, the positioning pins 9 are inserted into positioning holes 13, which are through holes, formed in the header regions H of the respective plate fins 2a (6, 7) and brazed. Therefore, the plate-fin laminated body 2 has a structure in which the mechanical structure is reinforced and the pressure resistance against the refrigerant is particularly reinforced. In the present embodiment, an aluminum metal rod can be used as the positioning pin 9.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, the 1 st pin 12a as a flow passage area support and the 2 nd pin 12B as a flow passage support formed in the flow passage area P are arranged in parallel with the flow direction of the air as the 2 nd fluid B. As described above, since the plurality of protrusions are arranged in a row between the stacked layers, the flow path resistance to the 2 nd fluid (air) B flowing between the stacked layers in the plate fin stacked body 2 can be reduced. With the above configuration, in the plate fin laminate 2 of the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the noise generated when the 2 nd fluid flows between the laminates.

[ modification of plate Fin ]

Further, as a modification of the plate fin 2a in the plate fin stacked body 2 of the heat exchanger of the present invention, the arrangement of the protrusions 12(12a, 12b) is changed. For example, the following structure may be adopted: by arranging the plurality of protrusions 12(12a, 12B) provided between the stacked layers in the plate fin stacked body 2 in a staggered manner, turbulence is generated in the 2 nd fluid B passing between the stacked layers, and the heat exchange efficiency is improved. Fig. 12 is a plan view of a plate fin 2b having a structure in which a plurality of projections 12(12a, 12b) are arranged in a staggered manner between stacked layers in the plate fin stacked body 2. In this configuration, the 1 st tenon 12a as a flow passage region support portion abuts on the edge of the opposite flow passage region P, and the 2 nd tenon 12b as a flow passage support portion abuts on the pipe wall (outer wall) of the refrigerant flow passage 11 of the opposite flow passage region P.

In addition, by forming the plurality of projections 12 between the stacked layers much more on the leeward side than on the windward side, turbulence is generated in the 2 nd fluid B passing through the stacked layers, and the heat exchange efficiency can be improved. However, at least the number of the 1 st pins 12a among the projections 12 may be larger on the leeward side than on the windward side in the flow direction of the 2 nd fluid B (air). By providing the protrusions 12 on the leeward side more than on the windward side in this manner, the heat transfer rate on the leeward side where the flow velocity is slow can be increased. Fig. 13 is a plan view of the plate fin 2c showing a structure in which the number of the protrusions 12 on the leeward side is larger than that of the protrusions 12 on the windward side in the flow direction of the air as the 2 nd fluid B. In this configuration, the 1 st tenon 12a as a flow passage region support portion abuts on the edge of the opposite flow passage region P, and the 2 nd tenon 12b as a flow passage support portion abuts on the pipe wall (outer wall) of the refrigerant flow passage of the opposite flow passage region P.

As described above, the arrangement structure of the plurality of protrusions 12 provided between the stacked layers of the plate fin stacked body 2 in the present embodiment can exhibit various structures, and an optimum structure can be selected according to the specification and structure of the heat exchanger and the user's desire.

Further, another modification of the plate-fin stacked body 2 in the heat exchanger 1 will be described. In the plate fin laminate 2 in the above embodiment, the supply tube 4 and the discharge tube 5 are connected to the vicinity of both end portions in the longitudinal direction, and header regions H are formed on both sides of each plate fin 2a and 2 header openings 8 are provided (see fig. 2).

Fig. 14 is a view showing a modification of the plate-fin stacked body, and is a plan view showing the plate fins 2d constituting the plate-fin stacked body. As shown in fig. 14, the header region H is formed only on one end side (left side in fig. 14) of the plate fins 2d, and the other region is the flow path region P. That is, in the plate-fin laminated body of this modification, the supply pipe and the discharge pipe are connected to a region near one end in the longitudinal direction. In the plate fin 2d shown in fig. 14, both the feed-side header opening 8a and the discharge-side header opening 8b are formed in the header region H shown on the left side.

The plate fin 2d of fig. 14 has a diameter in which the opening shape of the header opening 8a on the feed side is larger than the opening shape of the header opening 8b on the discharge side. This is because the heat exchanger is used as a condenser, but in this case, the volume of the refrigerant after heat exchange becomes small. The refrigerant from the header opening 8a on the feed side flows through a plurality of refrigerant flow paths 11a arranged side by side in the flow path region P, and turns around near the end (near the right end in fig. 14) of the plate fin 2 d. In the flow path region P, a refrigerant flow path 11a into which the refrigerant flows from the header opening 8a on the feed side and a refrigerant flow path 11b through which the refrigerant is turned back near the end portion and flows to the header opening 8b on the discharge side are formed. In the case where the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, the inlet and outlet are reversed from the above case.

As shown in fig. 14, the number of the refrigerant flow paths 11b arranged side by side through which the refrigerant flows to the discharge-side header opening 8b is set to be smaller than the number of the refrigerant flow paths 11a arranged side by side through which the refrigerant flows from the feed-side header opening 8 a. This is the same reason as the difference in diameter between the header openings 8a and 8b, because the volume of the refrigerant after heat exchange becomes smaller.

In the plate fin 2d having the structure shown in fig. 14, a plurality of openings 16 are formed between a region where the refrigerant flow paths 11a into which the refrigerant flows from the header opening 8a on the feed side are formed and a region where the refrigerant flow paths 11b flowing to the header opening 8b on the discharge side are formed, in order to reduce the heat conduction (heat insulation) between the refrigerants in the plate fin.

[ end plate ]

Next, the end plates (3a, 3b) provided at both ends (upper and lower ends) in the stacking direction of the plate-fin stacked body 2 in the heat exchanger 1 of the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing an upper end plate 3a provided at an upper end of the plate fin laminate 2 in the stacking direction, and fig. 16 is a perspective view showing a lower end plate 3b provided at a lower end of the plate fin laminate 2 in the stacking direction. Fig. 17 is an enlarged perspective view showing a joined state of the header region H and the upper end plate 3a in the plate-fin stacked body 2.

In the present embodiment, as described above, the 1 st plate fin 6 and the 2 nd plate fin 7 constituting the plate fin laminate 2 are each formed by laminating 2 plate-like members (6a and 6b, 7a and 7 b). That is, the 1 st plate fin 6 is formed by bonding the 1 st plate-like member 6a and the 2 nd plate-like member 6b that have been press-formed, and the 2 nd plate fin 7 is formed by bonding the 1 st plate-like member 7a and the 2 nd plate-like member 7b that have been press-formed.

In the plate fin laminate 2 of the present embodiment, the 1 st plate fins 6 and the 2 nd plate fins 7 are alternately laminated, and only the 2 nd plate-like member 6b, which is one side of the 1 st plate fins 6, is disposed at the uppermost end portion of the plate fin laminate 2 (see fig. 17). Therefore, the uppermost end surface of the plate fin laminate 2 has a recess serving as a fine groove for forming a flow path, and most of the uppermost end surface is formed of a flat surface. Therefore, the flat surface of the uppermost end surface of the plate-fin stacked body 2 serves as a bonding surface (brazing surface) that is a contact surface with the lower surface of the upper end plate 3a, and the bonding area increases.

As shown in fig. 17, the end plate protrusions 30 are formed on the surface of the upper end plate 3a disposed on the uppermost end surface of the plate fin laminate 2 that faces the plate fin laminate 2. The end plate convex portions 30 have a shape corresponding to the concave portions for forming the flow paths in the opposing 2 nd plate-like member 6 b. Therefore, when the upper end plate 3a is disposed on the uppermost surface of the plate-fin laminate 2, the end plate protrusions 30 of the upper end plate 3a fit into the recesses in the 2 nd plate-like member 6b that form the flow channels.

Further, as the plate convex portions 30 formed in the upper end plate 3a, only wide concave portions for forming flow paths may be formed in the header region H. This is because the width of the recess (groove) for forming the flow path in the flow path region P is narrow, and a sufficient contact surface can be ensured. In the present embodiment, as a specific example, the 2 nd plate-like member 6b in which the 1 st plate fin 6 is disposed on the uppermost surface of the plate-fin laminate 2 has been described, but this is merely an example, and the uppermost surface of the plate-fin laminate 2 may be configured by one side of either the 1 st plate fin 6 or the 2 nd plate fin 7 in accordance with the stacking order.

Fig. 18 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which the lowermost end surface of the plate-fin stacked body 2 and the lower end plate 3b are joined to each other. As shown in fig. 18, in the present embodiment, only the 1 st plate-like member 7a, which is one side of the 2 nd plate fin 7, is disposed at the lowermost end portion of the plate fin laminate 2. Therefore, although the lowermost end surface of the plate fin laminate 2 has a recessed portion for forming a flow path, most of the lowermost end surface is constituted by a flat surface. Therefore, a sufficient joint area can be ensured between the lowermost end surface of the plate-fin laminated body 2 and the lower end plate 3 b.

[ modification of plate-fin laminate and end plate ]

Fig. 19 to 25 are views showing various modifications of the plate-fin stacked body and the end plate.

Fig. 19 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which the lowermost end surface of the plate-fin stacked body 2 and the lower end plate 31b are joined to each other. As shown in fig. 19, the 1 st plate-like member 7a, which is the sheet side of the 2 nd plate fin 7, is disposed at the lowermost end of the plate fin laminate 2. The lowermost end surface of the plate-fin laminated body 2 is formed by a surface of the 1 st plate-like member 7a constituting a concave surface facing downward, which the 1 st fluid flow passage concave portion 11a having in the upper half of the refrigerant flow passage 11 as the 1 st fluid flow passage has. The concave surface (groove) of the 1 st fluid flow channel concave portion 11a faces downward and contacts the upper surface of the lower end plate 31 b.

Fig. 20 is a plan view showing the upper surface of the lower end plate 31 b. As shown in fig. 19 and 20, a flow path region P and a header region H having the same configuration as the 1 st plate-like member 7a facing the lower end plate 31b are disposed on the upper surface of the lower end plate 31 b. That is, the header regions H are formed on both sides of the lower end plate 31b in the longitudinal direction, and the flow channel region P is formed in the central portion sandwiched by the header regions H.

As shown in fig. 20, a header flow passage recess 32 is formed in the header region H of the upper surface of the lower end plate 31b, and a plurality of straight refrigerant flow passage recesses (grooves) 33 are formed in parallel in the flow passage region P. The header flow passage recess 32 of the header region H in the lower end plate 31b is formed by a bottomed recess having a circular shape substantially identical to the circular shape of the header opening 8 in the plate fins (6, 7). The header flow path concave portion 32 closes the refrigerant in the header opening 8 communicating with the supply and discharge pipes.

As described above, the refrigerant flow path concave portions (grooves) 33 formed in the flow path region P of the lower end plate 31b have the same shape at the same positions as the refrigerant flow path concave portions 11a formed in the 1 st plate-like member 7a, which is one side of the opposing 2 nd plate fin 7. Therefore, in the lower end plate 31b, a header flow path as a refrigerant reservoir is formed in the header region H by the 1 st plate-like member 7a facing the lower end plate 31b, and a refrigerant flow path similar to the refrigerant flow path 11 in the plate-fin laminated body 2 is formed in the flow path region P. As a result, in the heat exchanger configured as described above, the refrigerant flow path is formed by the lower end plate 31b and the lowermost 1 st plate-like member 7a, and the heat exchange efficiency can be further improved.

In the configuration of the lowermost end surface of the plate fin laminate 2 and the lower end plate 31b shown in fig. 19 and 20, the same configuration is applied to the uppermost end surface of the plate fin laminate 2 and the lower surface of the upper end plate, and a refrigerant flow path can be formed between the uppermost end surface of the plate fin laminate 2 and the lower surface of the upper end plate.

Fig. 21 and 22A, B show another structure of the plate-fin stacked body 21 and the lower end plate 34 b. Fig. 21 is an enlarged perspective view showing a joined state of the lowermost end of the plate-fin stacked body 21 and the lower end plate 34 b. Fig. 22A is a plan view showing the upper surface of the lower end plate 34 b. Fig. 22B is a side view of the lower end plate 34B. In the structure shown in fig. 21, the 2 nd plate fin 7 is disposed at the lowermost end of the plate fin laminate 21. That is, in this modification, the plate-fin stacked body 21 is configured by alternately stacking the 1 st plate fin 6 and the 2 nd plate fin 7, which are formed by bonding 2 plate-like members (6a and 6b, and 7a and 7 b). Therefore, in the present modification, either the 1 st plate fin 6 or the 2 nd plate fin 7 is arranged at the lowermost end of the plate fin stacked body 21 in the stacking order.

As shown in fig. 22A, B, a plurality of projections (35, 36) are formed on the upper surface of the lower end plate 34b, and support the 2 nd plate fin 7, for example, which is the lowermost end of the plate fin laminate 21. The plurality of projections (35, 36) formed on the upper surface of the lower end plate 34b are divided into flow path supporting projections 35 for supporting the refrigerant flow paths 11 of the 2 nd plate fin 7 and flow path region supporting projections 36 for supporting the flow path regions P of the 2 nd plate fin 7. As shown in fig. 21, the flow path supporting projection 35 and the flow path region supporting projection 36 have two shapes (in particular, different projection lengths).

The flow channel region supporting protrusions 36 of the lower end plate 34b abut against the edge of the flow channel region P in the 2 nd plate fin 7. As described above, the distance between the lower end plate 34b and the 2 nd plate fin 7 can be reliably defined to a predetermined length by the contact of the flow channel region supporting convex portions 36 with the edge portions of the flow channel regions P of the 2 nd plate fin 7.

The flow path supporting projection 35 is a flow path supporting portion and is disposed at a position of the refrigerant flow paths 11 arranged in parallel in the flow path region P of the opposing 2 nd plate fin 7. In the present modification, the flow path supporting projections 35 are arranged in line along the flow direction of the 2 nd fluid (air) together with the flow path region supporting projections 36. The flow path supporting projection 35 is disposed so as to face the refrigerant flow path 11 and is in contact with the tube wall (outer wall) of the refrigerant flow path 11 of the 2 nd plate fin 7. In this way, since the flow path supporting protrusions 35 are in contact with the tube walls (outer walls) of the refrigerant flow paths 11 of the 2 nd plate fins 7, the gap between the upper surface of the lower end plate 34b and the 2 nd plate fin 7 at the lowermost end can be reliably defined to a predetermined length.

The plurality of projections (35, 36) formed on the upper surface of the lower end plate 34B may be arranged so as to be staggered with respect to the flow direction of the 2 nd fluid (air: B) flowing through the plate fin laminate 21. In addition, the plurality of protrusions (35, 36) may be formed more on the leeward side than on the windward side.

The configuration of the lowermost end surface of the plate fin laminate 21 and the lower end plate 34b shown in fig. 21 and 22A, B may be the same as that of the uppermost end surface of the plate fin laminate 21 and the lower surface of the upper end plate.

Fig. 23 and 24A, B show a lower end plate 37b having yet another structure. Fig. 23 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which the lowermost end of the plate-fin stacked body 21 is joined to the lower end plate 37 b. Fig. 24A is a plan view showing the upper surface of the lower end plate 37 b. Fig. 24B is a side view of the lower end plate 37B. In the structure shown in fig. 23, the plate-fin laminated body 21 has the same structure as the plate-fin laminated body 21 shown in fig. 21 described above. That is, in this modification, the plate fin laminate 21 is configured by alternately laminating the 1 st plate fin 6 and the 2 nd plate fin 7, and either the 1 st plate fin 6 or the 2 nd plate fin 7 is arranged at the lowermost end of the plate fin laminate 21 in the order of lamination.

As shown in fig. 24A, B, a plurality of projections (38, 39) extending in the longitudinal direction are formed on the upper surface of the lower end plate 37b, and support, for example, the 2 nd plate fin 7 at the lowermost end of the plate-fin stacked body 21. The plurality of projections (38, 39) formed so as to project in a peak shape on the upper surface of the lower end plate 37b are divided into flow path supporting projections 38 for supporting the refrigerant flow paths 11 of the 2 nd plate fin 7 and flow path region supporting projections 39 for supporting the flow path regions P of the 2 nd plate fin 7. As shown in fig. 23, the flow path supporting projection 38 and the flow path region supporting projection 39 have two shapes (in particular, different projection lengths).

The flow channel region supporting protrusions 39 of the lower end plate 37b abut against the edge of the flow channel region P in the 2 nd plate fin 7. As described above, the distance between the lower end plate 37b and the 2 nd plate fin 7 can be reliably defined to a predetermined length by the contact of the flow path region supporting convex portions 39 with the edge portions of the flow path regions P of the 2 nd plate fin 7.

The flow path supporting projection 38 is a flow path supporting portion and is disposed at a position of the refrigerant flow paths 11 arranged in parallel in the flow path region P of the opposing 2 nd plate fin 7. The flow path supporting projection 38 is disposed so as to face the refrigerant flow path 11 and reliably abuts against the tube wall (outer wall) of the refrigerant flow path 11 of the 2 nd plate fin 7. In this way, since the flow path supporting protrusions 38 are in contact with the tube walls (outer walls) of the refrigerant flow paths 11 of the 2 nd plate fins 7, the gap between the upper surface of the lower end plate 37b and the 2 nd plate fin 7 at the lowermost end can be reliably defined to a predetermined length.

The structures of the lowermost end surface of the plate fin laminate 21 and the lower end plate 37b shown in fig. 23 and 24A, B can be configured similarly to the uppermost end surface of the plate fin laminate 21 and the lower surface of the upper end plate.

Fig. 25 is a view showing a lower end plate 40b having yet another structure. Fig. 25 is an enlarged perspective view showing a joined state of the lowermost end of the plate-fin stacked body 21 and the lower end plate 40 b. In the structure shown in fig. 25, the plate-fin laminated body 21 has the same structure as the plate-fin laminated body 21 shown in fig. 21 described above. In the structure shown in fig. 25, the projection 35 as the flow path support convex portion shown in fig. 21 and the projection 36 as the flow path region support convex portion are formed on the upper surface of the lower end plate 40 b. Further, a tenon supporting convex portion 41 that abuts and is joined to the 2 nd tenon 12b as a flow path supporting portion, for example, of the 2 nd plate fin 7 disposed at the lowermost end of the plate fin laminated body 21 is formed on the upper surface of the lower end plate 40 b. The tenon supporting projecting portion 41 is a peak-shaped projecting portion extending in the longitudinal direction, and extends between the refrigerant flow paths 11 in the facing 2 nd plate fin 7. The tenon supporting convex portion 41 has a height that reliably abuts against the 2 nd tenon 12b provided between the refrigerant flow paths 11 in the 2 nd plate fin 7. The 1 st tenon 12a formed at the edge of the plate fin (6, 7) disposed at the lowermost end of the plate fin laminate 21 has a height that abuts the upper surface of the lower end plate 40 b.

The configuration of the lowermost end surface of the plate fin laminate 21 and the lower end plate 40b shown in fig. 25 can be configured in the same manner as the uppermost end surface of the plate fin laminate 21 and the lower surface of the upper end plate.

As shown in the modification of fig. 14, it is needless to say that the structure of the modification shown in fig. 19 to 25 can be used as well in the structure example in which the header region H is formed only on one end portion side (left side in fig. 14) of the plate fins in the plate fin laminated body.

[ side panels ]

Fig. 26 is a perspective view showing a modification example in which 1 set of side plates 17, 18 are provided so as to sandwich end plates 3a, 3b provided at the upper and lower ends of a plate fin laminate 2 from both side surfaces in the heat exchanger of the present invention. In the modification shown in fig. 26, the side surface of the plate-fin laminated body 2 on the header region H side to which the supply tubes 4 are connected is sandwiched by the 1 st side plates 17 from above and below. The side surface of the plate-fin laminated body 2 on the other header region H side to which the discharge pipes 5 are connected is sandwiched vertically by the 2 nd side plates 18. The 1 st side plate 17 has an upper opening 17a through which the supply duct 4 passes and a side opening 17B formed so that air as the 2 nd fluid B flows into the header region of the plate-fin laminated body 2. Similarly, the 2 nd side plate 18 is formed with an upper opening 18a through which the discharge pipe 5 passes, and a side opening 18B formed so that air as the 2 nd fluid B flows into the header region H of the plate-fin laminated body 2.

As described above, in the modification shown in fig. 26, the side plates 17 and 18 of group 1 are provided so as to sandwich the upper and lower portions of the header region H from both sides of the plate-fin laminated body 2, so that the tube walls of the header flow paths 10 constituting the header region H in the plate fins 2a of the plate-fin laminated body 2 can be reliably pressed from above and below with a predetermined pressure even with a simple structure in which the end plates 3a and 3b are thin. The plate-fin stacked body 2 configured as described above can allow a refrigerant of a desired high pressure to flow through the plate-fin stacked body 2, and can perform heat exchange with high efficiency.

In fig. 26, the description has been given as an example of the structure of the plate-fin laminated body 2 shown in fig. 1, but in the structure of the modification described using fig. 19 to 25, it is also possible to provide 1 set of the side plates 17, 18 and to form a structure in which the plate-fin laminated body is sandwiched vertically. In the structure of this modification as well, the plate fin laminated body can be reliably pressed from above and below at a predetermined pressure, and a refrigerant of a desired high pressure can be caused to flow through the plate fin laminated body, thereby enabling efficient heat exchange.

As described above, the heat exchanger according to the present invention is a heat exchanger having a structure that can achieve weight reduction, size reduction, and high heat exchange efficiency, and that has high structural reliability and high heat exchange efficiency even when a high-pressure refrigerant flows through the plate fins in the plate fin laminate.

Industrial applicability of the invention

The present invention is a heat exchanger with high market value because it is a light and small device and can perform heat exchange with high reliability and efficiency.

Description of the reference numerals

1 Heat exchanger

2-plate fin laminated body

2a plate fin

3 end plate

4 feeding pipe (inlet header)

5 discharge pipe (outlet header)

6 st plate fin

7 nd 2 nd plate fin

8 header opening

9 positioning pin

10 manifold flow path

10a peripheral flow path

10b circuitous flow path

10c multiple branch flow path

11 refrigerant flow path (1 st fluid flow path)

12 protrusion

12a tenon 1 (flow passage area support)

12b tenon 2 (flow path support part)

13 positioning hole

13a positioning outer peripheral part (header region support part)

17 the 1 st side plate

18 nd 2 nd side plate.

Claims (23)

1. A heat exchanger, comprising:

a plate fin laminate in which plate fins having flow paths in which a 1 st fluid flows are laminated; and

a supply and discharge pipe through which the 1 st fluid flowing in the flow paths of the respective plate fins in the plate fin laminate passes,

flowing a 2 nd fluid between the stack of plate fin laminates, exchanging heat between the 1 st fluid and the 2 nd fluid, wherein

The plate fin includes:

a flow path region having a plurality of straight 1 st fluid flow paths so that the 1 st fluid flows in parallel; and

a header area having a header flow path for communicating each of the 1 st fluid flow paths of the flow path area with the supply/discharge pipe,

an outer wall of the header flow path is in contact with an outer wall of the header flow path of the plate fin adjacent to the plate fin stacked body in the stacking direction,

a plurality of header region support portions that protrude different from the flow paths are formed in the header regions of the plate fins, the header region support portions abutting the header regions of the plate fins adjacent in the stacking direction in the plate fin stacked body so as to form a predetermined space between the plate fins adjacent in the stacking direction.

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

the header flow path has a multi-branch flow path for causing the 1 st fluid passing through the supply/discharge pipe to flow through each 1 st fluid flow path of the flow path region.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein:

the multi-branch flow passage abuts against an outer wall of the multi-branch flow passage in the plate fin adjacent to the plate fin stacked body in the stacking direction.

4. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

in the header region, a tube wall of the header flow path is formed thicker than other portions.

5. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

in the flow path region, a tube wall of the flow path is formed thicker than other portions.

6. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

in the plate fin, the header regions are provided on both sides, and the header flow paths of the header regions on both sides have a symmetrical shape.

7. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein:

in the plate fin provided with the header regions on both sides, each of the header flow paths includes a detour flow path that communicates the supply-drain pipe and the multi-branch flow path,

the bypass flow path and the multi-branch flow path arranged on both sides of the plate fin have a point-symmetric shape with the center of the plate fin as a center of symmetry.

8. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

in the plate fin in which the header regions are provided on both sides, a plurality of header region support portions that protrude different from the flow paths are formed in the header regions,

the header region support portions disposed on both sides of the plate fin have a point-symmetric shape with the center of the plate fin as a center of symmetry.

9. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

in the plate fin, the header region is provided on one end side, and the supply/discharge pipe is provided at a position corresponding to the header region.

10. The heat exchanger of claim 9, wherein:

the header region support portion provided in the header region has a through hole serving as a positioning hole.

11. The heat exchanger of claim 10, wherein:

and the positioning hole is fixedly connected with a positioning pin.

12. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

a flow passage area supporting portion protruding different from the flow passage is formed in the flow passage area in the plate fin,

the flow channel region support portion is in contact with the flow channel regions of the plate fins adjacent in the stacking direction in the plate fin stacked body to form a predetermined space between the stacked layers.

13. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

the plate fin laminate is formed by laminating the plate fins having different flow path shapes.

14. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

the plate fin laminate is formed by alternately laminating the plate fins having two types of flow path shapes.

15. The heat exchanger of claim 14, wherein:

the plate fin laminate has flow paths in the plate fins alternately laminated in a staggered arrangement in a cross section orthogonal to the 1 st fluid flow direction in the flow path region.

16. The heat exchanger of claim 13, wherein:

in the flow passage region of the plate fin, a flow passage support portion that is different from the flow passage and protrudes is formed, and the flow passage support portion is in contact with a tube wall of the 1 st fluid flow passage in the flow passage region of the plate fin adjacent in the lamination direction in the plate fin laminated body.

17. The heat exchanger of claim 16, wherein:

the flow path support portions protruding from the plate fins are arranged in a staggered manner with respect to the flow direction of the 2 nd fluid flowing between the stacked layers of the plate fin stacked body.

18. The heat exchanger of claim 16, wherein:

the number of the flow path support portions provided so as to protrude from the plate fin is set so that the leeward side is more than the windward side in the flow direction of the 2 nd fluid.

19. The heat exchanger of claim 14, wherein:

in the plate fins having two types of flow path shapes, a protruding flow path region convex portion different from the flow path is formed in the flow path region of one of the plate fins, a flow path region concave portion is formed in the flow path region of the other plate fin at a position corresponding to the flow path region convex portion, and the flow path region convex portion and the flow path region concave portion of the plate fin adjacent in the stacking direction in the plate fin stacked body are engaged with each other, so that a predetermined space is maintained between the stacked layers of the adjacent plate fins.

20. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

at least the flow paths of the flow path region in the plate fin have a rectangular shape in cross section orthogonal to the 1 st fluid flow direction in the flow path.

21. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

at least the flow paths of the flow path region in the plate fin have a circular shape in cross section orthogonal to the 1 st fluid flow direction in the flow path.

22. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

the flow channels of at least the flow channel region of the plate fins are formed so as to protrude only on one side in the stacking direction of the plate fin stacked body.

23. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

the flow channels of at least the flow channel region of the plate fins are formed so as to protrude on both sides in the stacking direction of the plate fin laminate.

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