JP2009292318A - Heat exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heat exchanger can effectively improve condensing capacity of a condenser by properly utilizing condensed water of an evaporator. <P>SOLUTION: This heat exchanger 2 is provided with a coolant device 4 having the evaporator 10 for heating coolant and the condenser 16 for condensing the coolant via the evaporator 10, and a water circuit 6 for exchanging heat of the condensed water dropped from the evaporator 10 according to heat exchange in the evaporator 10 with the coolant flowing in the condenser by collecting and circulating condensed water. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat exchange device, and more particularly to a heat exchange device suitable for use as a vehicle air conditioner.

This type of heat exchange device is used as, for example, an air conditioner mounted on a vehicle, and includes a refrigerant circuit having an evaporator that heats the refrigerant and a condenser that condenses the refrigerant that passes through the evaporator.
And in patent document 1, the heat exchange apparatus provided with the watering apparatus which injects the condensed water dripped from an evaporator with the heat exchange in an evaporator directly on the surface of a condenser, and assists the condensing capability of a condenser. It is disclosed.
JP 2002-372385 A

However, in the above prior art, the condensed water sprayed on the surface of the condenser cannot be recovered. Therefore, when the outside air temperature is high, the amount of condensed water is insufficient and the condensation capacity of the condenser is continuously and sufficiently increased. There is a problem that it cannot be secured.
Further, after the condensed water is jetted onto the surface of the condenser, dust adheres to the moisture on the surface of the condenser, and the condenser may be contaminated, and the condensation capacity of the condenser may be reduced.

Furthermore, when condensate is sprayed onto the surface of the condenser, moisture is scattered in the engine room of the vehicle, which may adversely affect other parts in the engine room.
The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchange device that can effectively improve the condensing capacity of the condenser by appropriately using the condensed water of the evaporator. And

In order to achieve the above object, a heat exchanging apparatus according to claim 1 is an evaporator that heats a refrigerant, a refrigerant circuit that has a condenser that condenses the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator, and an evaporator that accompanies heat exchange in the evaporator. It is characterized by comprising a water circuit that collects and circulates the condensed water dripped from the condenser and exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the condenser.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the condenser includes a refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit is passed and a water passage through which the condensed water circulating through the water circuit is passed. And the coolant passage and the water passage are formed integrally with the tube.

Further, in the invention described in claim 3, in claim 2, the water circuit has a tank that temporarily stores the condensed water dripped from the evaporator, and a pump that pumps the condensed water stored in the tank to the water passage. And a control means for driving the pump in accordance with the heat load in the condenser.
Furthermore, in the invention of claim 4, in claim 2 or 3, the condenser is formed by stacking a plurality of tubes, and the water circuit diffuses condensed water to the inlets of the plurality of water passages to form the water passages. It is characterized by having an inflow nozzle.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the second to fourth aspects, the water circuit drains outside the water passage at the outlet of the water passage while maintaining the condensed water in the water passage below a predetermined pressure. It is characterized by having a vacuum pump.
Further, in the invention described in claim 6, in claim 5, the refrigerant circuit includes a compressor that compresses the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator and discharges the refrigerant toward the condenser, and the compressor that passes through the evaporator and then reaches the compressor. It has a heat exchanger for exchanging heat with the condensed water drained from the vacuum pump.

Furthermore, in the invention described in claim 7, in any one of claims 1 to 6, the water circuit has a filter.
The invention according to claim 8 is the float according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the tank discharges the condensed water to the outside of the tank when the condensed water stored in the tank reaches a predetermined liquid level or higher. It is characterized by having a valve.

  According to the heat exchanging apparatus of the present invention as set forth in claim 1, a water circuit is provided that collects and circulates the condensed water dripping from the evaporator along with heat exchange in the evaporator and exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the condenser. As a result, when the heat load of the condenser is large, the condensed water used for condensing the refrigerant in the condenser can be collected and reused, so that the condensation capacity of the condenser is continuously and sufficiently secured. Can do.

  According to the invention described in claim 2, the condenser has a refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit is passed, and a water passage through which condensed water circulating through the water circuit is passed, The refrigerant passage and the water passage are formed integrally with the tube. Thereby, when heat is exchanged between the condensed water and the refrigerant in the condenser, it is possible to prevent dust from adhering to the moisture on the surface of the condenser and the refrigerant passage. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the condenser from deteriorating due to dirt on the condenser and, in turn, dirt, thereby further ensuring the condenser's condensing capacity and ensuring durability and maintenance of the condenser. Can also be improved.

In addition, since it is possible to prevent the condensed water from splashing on other devices and parts constituting the heat exchange device around the condenser, the durability and maintainability of not only the condenser but the entire heat exchange device are improved. be able to.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the water circuit has a tank that temporarily stores the condensed water dripped from the evaporator, and a pump that pumps the condensed water stored in the tank to the water passage. The control means which drives a pump according to the thermal load in a vessel is provided. Thereby, since the condensed water stored in the tank can be appropriately supplied to the condenser according to the heat load in the condenser, the condensing capacity of the condenser can be ensured more reliably.

  Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 4, the condenser is formed by stacking a plurality of tubes, and the water circuit has a nozzle for diffusing condensed water at the inlets of the plurality of water passages to flow into the water passages. . As a result, the condensed water can flow uniformly into each water passage of each tube, and the condensed water can efficiently take the latent heat of vaporization from the refrigerant in the entire condenser, thus improving the condensation capacity of the condenser. can do.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, the water circuit has a vacuum pump at the outlet of the water passage that drains the condensed water in the water passage to the outside of the water passage while maintaining the pressure below a predetermined pressure. As a result, the pressure inside the water passage can be set to a pressure at which the condensed water evaporates, so that the latent heat of evaporation from the refrigerant can be efficiently taken away by the evaporated condensed water, i.e., the steam. Can be improved.

  Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 6, the refrigerant circuit compresses the refrigerant passing through the evaporator and discharges it toward the condenser, and vacuums the refrigerant passing through the evaporator and reaching the compressor. A heat exchanger for exchanging heat with the condensed water drained from the pump; As a result, the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant that passes through the evaporator and reaches the compressor can reliably return the condensed liquid in the gas-liquid mixed state drained from the vacuum pump to the liquid phase and then return it to the tank. The circulation efficiency of the condensed water in can be improved, so that the condensing capacity of the condenser can be further improved.

Furthermore, according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the water circuit has the filter, it is possible to remove the dirt of the condensed water circulating in the water circuit, so that the condensation capacity and durability of the condenser and the maintenance are maintained. The property can be further improved.
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the tank has a float valve that discharges the condensed water to the outside of the tank when the condensed water stored in the tank reaches a predetermined liquid level or higher. As a result, excess condensate in the tank can be overflowed and discharged. Since the tank always has an amount of condensate that matches the condenser's condensing capacity and thus the heat exchanging capacity of the heat exchanger, The condensing capacity of the vessel can be ensured more reliably.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of a heat exchange device according to the present invention. This heat exchange device 2 is used as, for example, a vehicle air conditioner, and includes a refrigerant circuit 4 and a water circuit 6.
In the refrigerant circuit 4, an evaporator 10, an internal heat exchanger (heat exchanger) 12, a compressor 14, a condenser 16, and an expansion valve 18 are inserted in the refrigerant circulation path 8 through which the refrigerant circulates in order from the refrigerant flow direction. Has been closed circuit.

The evaporator 10 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the air in the vehicle compartment of the vehicle and the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage 10a of the evaporator 10, and heats and evaporates the refrigerant using the air in the vehicle compartment as a heat source. The heat of the air in the passenger compartment is recovered on the refrigerant circuit 4 side, and the passenger compartment is adjusted to a desired air conditioning temperature.
The internal heat exchanger 12 is a gas-liquid mixture drained from the condensed water that circulates through the water circuit 6 through the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant that passes through the evaporator 10 and then reaches the compressor 14. Heat exchange with condensed water in the state.

The compressor 14 compresses the refrigerant that has passed through the internal heat exchanger 12 and is in the state of superheated steam.
The condenser 16 is a heat exchanger that condenses and liquefies the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 14, and includes a fan 17 for blowing outside air to the refrigerant passage 16 a in the condenser 16.
The liquid refrigerant condensed by the heat of the outside air by the air blown by the fan 17 is sent to the expansion valve 18 via the internal heat exchanger 12, expanded and depressurized via the expansion valve 18, and then sent to the evaporator 10. Is done.

In the refrigerant circuit 4 configured as described above, with heat exchange in the evaporator 10, condensed water condensed with moisture contained in the air in the passenger compartment adheres to the surface of the refrigerant passage 10 a of the evaporator 10. Dripping below. The water circuit 6 collects and circulates this condensed water and uses it for condensing and liquefying the refrigerant flowing through the condenser 16, that is, the refrigerant passage 16a.
Specifically, the water circuit 6 is provided in a water circulation path 20 through which condensed water circulates, in order from the direction of the condensed water flow, a tank 22, a pump 24, a filter 26, a nozzle 28, a water passage 16b provided in the condenser 16, and a vacuum pump. 30, an internal heat exchanger 12 is inserted to form a closed circuit.

In addition to the water circulation path 20, a condensed water recovery path 32 extending from the evaporator 10 is connected to the tank 22, and the condensed water dripping from the evaporator 10 is temporarily stored in the tank 22 via the recovery path 32, and from there The pump 24 attached to the tank 22 is pumped toward the water passage 16b.
The pump 24 is electrically connected to an electronic control device (control means) (not shown) that comprehensively controls the vehicle and the heat exchange device 2, and the temperature of the condensed water flowing through the water passage 16 b and / or around the condenser 16. Driven according to the temperature and / or the condensation pressure of the refrigerant in the condenser 16, that is, the heat load of the condenser 16, and supplies the amount of condensed water according to the heat load in the condenser 16 from the tank 22 to the water passage 16b side. To do. It should be noted that the pump 24 may be driven in synchronism with the comfort of the passenger compartment or the fuel saving control of the vehicle according to the environment including the air conditioning in the passenger compartment or the driving situation of the vehicle.

As shown in the enlarged view of the main part of the tank 22 in FIG. 2, a float valve 34 is provided at the upper end of the tank 22 at the lower end opening 32 a of the recovery path 32 extending into the tank 22. Normally, the valve is opened and the condensed water flowing through the recovery path 32 flows into the tank 22 from the lower end opening 32a.
On the other hand, when the condensed water stored in the tank 22 exceeds a predetermined liquid level, the float valve 34 is closed by the buoyancy of the condensed water and closes the lower end opening 32a. A drainage channel 36 is connected to the recovery channel 32, and the condensed water flowing through the recovery channel 32 flows through the drainage channel 36 without flowing into the tank 22 by the valve closing of the float valve 34 and is discharged to the outside of the tank 22. Is done.

The filter 26 removes dirt of condensed water circulating in the water circulation path 20 on the upstream side of the water path 16b.
The nozzle 28 narrows the flow path of the water circulation path 20 in the vicinity of the inlet of the water path 16b.
The vacuum pump 30 is, for example, a diaphragm pump having a variable pumping capacity, and pumps the condensed water flowing through the water passage 16 b toward the tank 22.

Here, as shown in the perspective view of the condenser 16 in FIG. 3, the water passage 16 b is formed in a tube 38 integrated with the refrigerant passage 16 a in the condenser 16, and the condenser 16 is formed in the tube 38. In addition, it is composed of fins 40 and distribution members 42A and 42B.
A plurality of tubes 38 are provided in the form of a flat plate having both ends, that is, the entrances and exits of the coolant passage 16 a and the water passage 16 b, and are stacked via fins 40.

The fins 40 are formed in a corrugated plate shape and are in contact with the tubes 38 between the stacked tubes 38 and are provided along the tubes 38. The fins 40 are fixed to the distribution members 42A and 42B together with the tubes 38 by, for example, brazing.
Here, by providing the fins 40, the refrigerant is effectively cooled not only by heat exchange with the condensed water but also by air blown by the fan 17, but the latent heat of vaporization of the refrigerant also cools the fins 40 itself. The air blown by 17 is cooled by the fins 40 to promote the condensation of the refrigerant.

The distribution members 42A and 42B are formed in a pipe shape with a bottom and a lid, and both end openings of the tubes 38 are positioned in the distribution members 42A and 42B, respectively.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 in FIG. 4 and a cross-sectional view of the main part of the condenser 16 as viewed from the direction AA, the tube 38 is configured by partitioning a refrigerant passage 16a and a water passage 16b by a partition wall 16c. ing.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4 in FIG. 5 and a cross-sectional view of the tube 38 viewed from the BB direction, the refrigerant passage 16a is divided into a plurality of small passages 16d.
On the other hand, in the longitudinal direction in each distribution member 42A, 42B, a partition member 44A that partitions the space Sa in which the refrigerant passage 16a is opened and the space Sb in which the water passage 16b is opened at the position of the partition wall 16c of each tube 38. 44B extend, and a part of each partition member 44A, 44B is inserted and fixed at the position of the partition wall 16c of each tube 38.

  Further, the refrigerant circulation path 8 and the water circulation path 20 are connected to the distribution member 42A via a connection member 46A. That is, the refrigerant and the condensed water flow into the spaces Sa and Sb of the distribution member 42A through the connection member 46A, and are distributed and flow into the passages 16a and 16b of the tubes 38, respectively. At this time, the condensed water flows into the space Sb through the nozzle 28, and is diffused and flows into the water passages 16b of the tubes 38.

On the other hand, the refrigerant circulation path 8 and the water circulation path 20 are connected to the distribution member 42B via a connection member 46B. That is, the refrigerant and the condensed water are distributed and flowed into the spaces Sa and Sb of the distribution member 42B through the passages 16a and 16b, respectively, and flow out to the refrigerant circulation path 8 and the water circulation path 20 through the connection member 46B, respectively. .
In the condenser 16 configured in this way, in FIG. 3, the refrigerant and the condensed water flowing in from the upper right part of the condenser 16 flow in parallel while exchanging heat from the right side to the left side. Water takes out the latent heat of vaporization from the refrigerant and cools the refrigerant, and then flows out from the lower left part of the condenser 16 to the outside of the condenser 16.

Here, the vacuum pump 30 reduces the static air pressure in the water passage 16b to a pressure at which the condensed water is evaporated according to the temperature of the condensed water flowing through the water passage 16b, that is, the heat load of the condenser 16.
Specifically, assuming that the temperature of the condensed water is 30 ° C. to 40 ° C., according to the water vapor pressure curve, by driving the vacuum pump 30 so that the inside of the water passage 16b is 0.5 bar or less, The condensed water is evaporated in the water passage 16b. The condensed water in the gas-liquid mixed state discharged from the vacuum pump 30 is converted into a liquid phase by the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant that passes through the evaporator 10 and then reaches the compressor 14 in the internal heat exchanger 12, and then the tank Return to 22.

As described above, in the present embodiment, by providing the water circuit 6, when the heat load of the condenser 16 is large, the condensed water used for the refrigerant condensation in the condenser 16 can be recovered and reused. Therefore, the condensation capacity of the condenser 16 can be ensured continuously and sufficiently.
Further, by forming the refrigerant passage 16a and the water passage 16b integrally with the tube 38, when heat is exchanged between the condensed water and the refrigerant in the condenser 16, dust on the surface of the condenser 16 and the surface of the refrigerant passage 16a. Can be prevented from adhering. Accordingly, since the condenser 16 can be prevented from being deteriorated, and consequently the condensation ability of the condenser 16 can be prevented from being deteriorated due to the adhesion of the dirt, the condenser 16 can be more reliably secured. Durability and maintainability can also be improved.

In addition, it is possible to prevent the condensed water from splashing into other equipment and parts constituting the heat exchange device 2 around the condenser 16 and thus into the engine room of the vehicle, so that not only the condenser 16 but also the heat exchange device. It is possible to improve the durability and maintainability of the entire vehicle 2 and the vehicle as a whole.
Furthermore, by appropriately supplying the condensed water stored in the tank 22 to the condenser 16 in accordance with the heat load in the condenser 16, the condensing capacity of the condenser 16 can be further ensured.

Furthermore, since the water circuit 6 has the nozzles 28, the condensed water can be uniformly flown into the respective water passages 16 b of the respective tubes 38, and the condensed water efficiently evaporates latent heat from the refrigerant in the entire condenser 16. Therefore, the condensation capacity of the condenser 16 can be improved.
Further, since the water circuit 6 includes the vacuum pump 30, assuming that the condensed water temperature is 30 ° C. to 40 ° C., the water passage 16b is brought to a pressure of about 0.5 bar, for example, and the condensed water in the water passage 16b is evaporated. Therefore, the latent heat of vaporization can be efficiently removed from the refrigerant, so that the condensation capacity of the condenser 16 can be further improved.

  Further, the refrigerant from the internal heat exchanger 12 through the evaporator 10 to the compressor 14 is exchanged with the condensed water drained from the vacuum pump, so that the refrigerant reaches the compressor 14 through the evaporator 10. The low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant until the condensate in the gas-liquid mixed state discharged from the vacuum pump 30 can be surely changed to the liquid phase and then returned to the tank 22, thereby improving the circulation efficiency of the condensate in the water circuit 6. As a result, the condensing capacity of the condenser 16 can be further improved.

Furthermore, since the water circuit 6 has the filter 26, dirt of condensed water circulating in the water circuit 16b can be removed, so that the condensing capacity, durability and maintainability of the condenser 16 can be further improved. it can.
Further, since the tank 22 has the float valve 34, excess condensed water in the tank 22 can be overflowed and discharged, and the tank 22 can condense the condenser 16 and thus heat exchange of the heat exchanger 2. Since the amount of condensed water matching the capacity is always ensured, the condensing capacity of the condenser 16 can be further ensured.

Furthermore, the condenser 16 of this embodiment can be realized by changing only the distribution member and the connection member of the conventional condenser, and is excellent in economic efficiency. Furthermore, the cost of the parts added with the realization of the present embodiment can be sufficiently depreciated by reducing the life cycle operating cost of the heat exchange device 2 due to the improvement of the condensation capacity of the condenser 16.
The description of one embodiment of the present invention is finished above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the internal heat exchanger 12 exchanges heat with low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant that passes through the evaporator 10 and reaches the compressor 14 with condensed water in a gas-liquid mixed state discharged from the vacuum pump 30. However, in addition to this, the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant may be heat-exchanged with the high-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the refrigerant passage 16a. In this case, the thermal efficiency of the refrigerant circuit 4 can be further improved, which is preferable.

It is a schematic diagram of the heat exchange apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part enlarged view of the tank of FIG. It is a perspective view of the condenser of FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing of the condenser seen from the AA direction of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the tube seen from the BB direction of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

2 Heat Exchanger 4 Refrigerant Circuit 6 Water Circuit 10 Evaporator 12 Internal Heat Exchanger (Heat Exchanger)
16 Condenser 16a Refrigerant passage 16b Water passage 22 Tank 24 Pump 26 Filter 28 Nozzle 30 Vacuum pump 34 Float valve 38 Tube

Claims (8)

An evaporator for heating the refrigerant, a refrigerant circuit having a condenser for condensing the refrigerant via the evaporator, and
A heat exchange device comprising: a water circuit that collects and circulates the condensed water dripping from the evaporator in association with heat exchange in the evaporator, and exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the condenser. The condenser has a refrigerant passage through which a refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circuit is passed, and a water passage through which condensed water circulating through the water circuit is passed,
The heat exchange apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant passage and the water passage are formed integrally with a tube. The water circuit has a tank that temporarily stores condensed water dripping from the evaporator, and a pump that pumps the condensed water stored in the tank to the water passage,
The heat exchange apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a control unit that drives the pump in accordance with a heat load in the condenser. The condenser is formed by laminating a plurality of the tubes,
4. The heat exchange device according to claim 2, wherein the water circuit includes a nozzle that diffuses condensed water into inlets of the plurality of water passages and flows the condensed water into the water passages. 5.   The said water circuit has the vacuum pump which drains the exterior of this water path, maintaining the condensed water in this water path below a predetermined pressure at the exit of the said water path. The heat exchange apparatus in any one.   The refrigerant circuit compresses the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator and discharges the refrigerant toward the condenser, and condenses the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator and reaches the compressor after being discharged from the vacuum pump. The heat exchanger according to claim 5, further comprising a heat exchanger that exchanges heat with water.   The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the water circuit includes a filter.   The said tank has a float valve which discharges condensed water to the exterior of the said tank when the condensed water stored in this tank becomes a predetermined liquid level or more. The heat exchange apparatus as described.

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