JP4509197B2 - Heat exchanger - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention belongs to the technical field of heat exchangers used mainly for cooling inverters that perform cross-flow conversion.

Conventionally, fins are provided by projecting from the inner wall of the cooling water passage provided as a groove on the installation surface of the case body manufactured by a casting process such as aluminum die casting, and the cooling water passage is closed with a member to Cooling is performed by flowing in the cooling water passage (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2007-202309 A (page 2-11, all figures)

  However, in the past, in order to improve the heat dissipation performance, the water channel of the cooling water is turned a plurality of times to increase the length of the flow channel, and the R dimension of the flow channel turn portion is reduced to reduce the water flow resistance. Although it is large, when using it with high heat dissipation performance, it is necessary to set the turn part outside the power module, which inevitably increases the size of the cooling device and increases both volume and cost. there were.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger capable of reducing the size of a cooling device and suppressing the volume, weight, and cost. There is.

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a heat radiating surface of a case for contacting an object, a rectilinear portion that is disposed on the inner side of the heat radiating surface of the case, and linearly moves a heat exchange medium, and from the rectilinear portion a flow path of the heat exchange medium is formed so as to meander along the radiating surface at a turn portion for changing the flow of the next heat exchange medium to the straight portion, a thin plate shape, and the straight portion and the next straight portion said a plurality erected from the wall surface of the heat radiating surface side to the straight section and the next straight section of the partition to the straight portion and in the next straight portion to a plurality of the same direction flow, is housed in the turn portion A heat exchange facilitating portion that increases the contact area with the heat exchange medium so that the portion to be cut off is cut, and the turn portion extends a part of the case downward in a direction opposite to the heat radiation surface. The turn part has a depth as the shape of the straight part. Comprising fine the next enlargement turn portions enlarging the flow path by deeper than the depth of the straight portion, and the modified portion of the expansion turn portion from the straight portion and the next straight portion perpendicular to the step The end position of the linearly moving part of the heat exchange promoting part is extended to a position overlapping with a part of the enlarged turn part, and the flow of the heat exchange medium is divided by the partition of the heat exchange promoting part. Before it disappears, it starts from the straight part to the side opposite to the heat radiating surface of the turn part, and the heat exchange medium goes straight through the straight part, and the turn part goes to the step. It moves to the lower part of the enlarged turn part, changes the direction toward the next straight part in the enlarged turn part, changes the direction upward toward the next straight part, and goes to the next straight part. It is made to flow.

In the present invention, an apparatus for performing cooling can for miniaturization, it is possible to suppress the volume, weight, and cost. In this case, the flow of the heat exchange medium is started to the lower turn part before the partition by the heat exchange promoting part disappears, so that the flow is smoothly guided downward, and the change of the flow can be smoothly performed with little loss. Can be.

Hereinafter, an embodiment for realizing a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described based on Example 1 corresponding to the first and second aspects of the invention.

<Example 1>
First, the configuration will be described.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the heat exchanger according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the heat exchanger according to the first embodiment. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.
In the first embodiment, a power module 1 that supplies power is cooled by a heat exchanger 2 in an inverter used for driving a vehicle.
The heat exchanger 2 has a heat radiating fin 3, an upper case 4, and a lower case 5 as main components, and performs cooling by flowing cooling water through a flow path 21 shown in FIGS.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the upper case provided with the heat dissipating fins of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a front view of the upper case provided with the heat dissipating fins of the first embodiment.
The heat radiating fins 3 are rectangular tongue pieces protruding downward from the lower surface of the upper case 4. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the same direction is the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of them are arranged at a predetermined interval. In Example 1, it shall be formed from the upper case 4 by the extrusion method.
In the first embodiment, the heat radiating fins 3 and the upper case 4 are made of aluminum. Since the radiating fins 3 are formed of aluminum integrally with the upper case 4, the radiating fins 3 have high heat conductivity, and promote heat exchange by increasing the surface area for heat exchange.

  The upper case 4 is a rectangular plate-like aluminum member, and a plurality of heat radiation fins 3 are arranged on the lower surface. And the range in which the radiation fin 3 is provided becomes the upper wall of the flow path 21 of the cooling water.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the lower case of the heat exchanger according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a front view of the lower case of the heat exchanger according to the first embodiment.
The lower case 5 has a rectangular plate-like upper surface as a base end surface 51, and a flow path portion 52 is formed so as to be recessed from the base end surface 51. The flow path part 52 includes a straight part 521 extending in the longitudinal direction and a bent part 522, and has a shape that forms a meandering flow.
Here, the radiating fins 3 according to the first embodiment are provided only in a portion accommodated in the straight portion 521 of the flow path portion 52, and a portion accommodated in the bent portion 522 is cut off.

Further, the lower case 5 is provided with communication passages 53 and 54 that communicate with the start and end portions of the internal flow passage 52 from the side surface that is the front side in FIG. .
FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged sectional view of the lower case.
The bent portion 522 of the flow path portion 52 of the lower case 5 of the first embodiment includes a lower turn portion 523. As shown in FIG. 8, the lower turn portion 523 makes the depth of the bent portion 522 (dimension B in FIG. 8) deeper than the depth of the rectilinear portion 521 (dimension A in FIG. 8). Further, the outer end in the straight direction of the cooling water is the same as the bent portion 522, and the inner end in the straight direction of the coolant is overlapped with the radiation fin 3 by several mm (dimension C and dimension d in FIG. 8). Further, the depth (= dimension B-dimension A) of the lower turn portion 523 is made larger than the length (dimension C). In Example 1, length: depth = 1: 3.

  By providing the lower turn portion 523 as described above, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower case 5 has a shape in which a part thereof protrudes downward. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a chamfer is provided in a direction perpendicular to the cooling water straight direction of the lower turn portion, that is, in the left and right corners in FIG. 2 so as to form an inclined corner portion 524. To.

In the heat exchanger 2 of the first embodiment, the bottom of the straight portion 521 of the flow path portion 52 is changed so as to pass through a step to the deeper lower turn portion 523 without going through a gentle inclination.
Next, the assembly structure of the upper case 4 and the lower case and the mounting structure of the power module will be described.
In the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the radiating fin 3 provided so as to protrude from the lower surface of the upper case 4 is accommodated in the flow path portion 52 of the lower case 5, so that the upper The lower surface of the case 4 and the base end surface 51 which is the upper surface of the lower case 5 are brought into contact with each other.

And the upper case 4 and the lower case 5 are joined so that the water-tight flow path 21 may be formed by a friction stir welding method or welding.
In this way, the power module 1 is arranged so as to be placed on the upper surface of the upper case 4 of the heat exchanger 2 in which the flow path 21 including the heat radiation fins 3 is formed.
The power module 1 is structured to be fixed to the heat exchanger 2 by fastening or the like so that the bottom surface is in contact with the upper surface of the upper case 4.

The operation will be described.
[Power module cooling]
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the flow of cooling water in the heat exchanger 2 of the first embodiment.
In the heat exchanger 2 of the first embodiment, cooling water is injected into the communication path 53 and the cooling water is drained from the communication path 54. For example, if the inverter is used for driving the vehicle, the cooling water is obtained from an air conditioning system or a separately provided cooling system, and the supplied cooling water is in an effective state for cooling. It shall be recirculated. Although the first embodiment will be described as cooling water, any refrigerant may be used.

The cooling water goes straight from the communication passage 53 through the straight portion 521 of the lower case 5 of the flow path 21. In the straight part 521, heat exchange is performed with a large surface area by the heat radiating fins 3, and heat exchange is promoted. Further, in the straight portion 521, a plurality of small flow paths are arranged in parallel by the heat radiating fins 3, so that the small flow paths do not circulate so much.
And in the part of the curved part 522 of the lower case 5 of the flow path 21, the bottom of the flow path 21 shifts to a deep step of the lower turn part 523, so that a large amount of cooling water flows downward (arrow 101 in FIG. 9, (See arrow 102). Since the lower turn portion 523 is a portion where the heat radiating fins 3 are not provided, the direction is changed by 90 degrees to the side so as to flow through the lower turn portion 523 in the direction of the next straight advance portion 521 (see FIG. 9 arrow 102, arrow 103, and arrow 104). Then, when approaching the next straight part 521, the direction of the flow is changed by 90 degrees upward (see arrows 104, 105, and 106 in FIG. 9), and further, the direction is changed to the next straight part 521 (see FIG. 9). 9 arrow 106 and arrow 107).

In other words, the flow changes its direction by 180 degrees while passing through the lower flow to the lower turn portion 523. In addition, a part of the flow is changed to 180 degrees at the end of the bent portion 522 where the heat dissipating fins 3 are not provided, and then proceeds to the straight portion 521.
Further, since the corner portion 524 having a C-chamfered shape is provided in the lower turn portion 523, the flow direction of the cooling water can be changed more smoothly (see arrows 103 and 105 in FIG. 9).

In this way, the cooling water flows meandering, and cooling is efficiently performed by being in the flow path 21 while a large amount of water is flowing, and by coming into contact with a large area by the radiating fins 3.
Further, at the time of cooling, the power module 1 that is a cooling object is in contact with the upper surface of the upper case 4. Therefore, cooling of the radiation fins 3 is performed on the upper surface of the upper case 4 by heat transfer of the same member, which is very efficient.

[Miniaturization]
In the heat exchanger 2 of the first embodiment, most of the flow of the rectilinear portion 521 is changed by the lower turn portion 523, so that the bent portion 522 is short in the flow direction of the rectilinear portion 521. Therefore, it becomes possible to shorten the flow direction length of the rectilinear portion 521 of the heat exchanger 2.

  For example, when a three-phase motor is used as a load, the power module 1 has a configuration corresponding to the three phases, so that there are many chips and the cooling area of the power module 1 is large. In particular, in order to improve the output, for example, when the IGBT chip is used in 2 parameters (12 + FRD 12) or 3 parameters (18 + FRD 18), the area of the power module itself is increased.

  On the other hand, in the heat exchanger 2 of Example 1, since the bending part 522 becomes a short thing, the width direction of the whole magnitude | size is suppressed and it becomes what was reduced in size. From the viewpoint of mounting on a vehicle, there is a restriction in all directions, up, down, left and right, and it is a fatal problem that only one direction becomes very large. For example, when the portion where the cooling water is turned overhangs largely outside the power module 1 as in the conventional case, the mountability is substantially reduced. About this point, the heat exchanger 2 of Example 1 reduced in size as a whole becomes advantageous.

Next, the effect will be described.
In the heat exchanger of Example 1, the effects listed below can be obtained.

  (1) An upper surface of the upper case 4 that makes contact with the power module 1, an inner portion where the upper case 4 and the lower case 5 are joined, and a rectilinear portion 521 that linearly moves cooling water, and the rectilinear portion 521 to the next rectilinear portion 521 The cooling water flow path 52 is formed to meander along the upper surface of the upper case 4 at a bent portion 522 that changes the flow of the cooling water, and the lower surface of the upper case 4 of the rectilinear portion 521 extends from the lower surface of the rectilinear portion 521. A plurality of radiating fins 3 are provided so as to increase the contact area with the cooling water so as to partition the inside of the rectilinear portion 521 into a plurality of same-direction flows. Since the lower turn part 523 in which the flow path is enlarged in the direction opposite to the surface (heat radiating surface) is provided, the cooling device can be reduced in size, and the volume, weight, and cost can be suppressed.

  (2) In the above (1), the lower turn portion 523 has changed the flow from the flow path of the rectilinear portion 521 to the expanded flow path as a vertical step, so that the flow is surely changed downward and The flow direction of the cooling water is further changed in the left-right direction at the lower turn portion 523 in which the flow path is enlarged, and then the flow is changed upward so that the flow can meander. As a result, the flow in the vertical direction of the bent portion 522 is shortened by combining the flow for turning to meander with the flow in the vertical direction that changes the flow substantially vertically and returns, and the cooling device is reduced in size. The volume, weight, and cost can be suppressed.

  (4) In the above (2), the downward turn portion 523 changes the flow downward toward the downward turn portion 523 because the shape of the corner portion 524 that changes the flow in the direction orthogonal to the rectilinear portion 521 is chamfered. After that, the lower turn part 523 can smoothly change the flow to the next straight part with little loss.

  (5) In the above (2) and (4), the end position of the radiating fin 3 is extended to a position overlapping with a part of the lower turn section 523. As the flow to the turn part 523 starts, the flow can be smoothly guided downward and the flow can be changed smoothly with little loss.

<Reference example>
In the reference example , the lower turn portion 523 is an example in which a change portion from the flow path of the rectilinear portion 521 to the flow path expanded to the opposite side of the heat dissipation surface is gently inclined.
The configuration will be described.
FIG. 10 is a front view of a heat exchanger of a reference example . Figure 11 is a B-B sectional view of FIG. 10.
The bent part 522 of the flow path part 52 of the lower case 5 of the reference example is provided with a lower turn part 525. As shown in FIG. 11, the lower turn portion 525 makes the bent portion 525 deeper than the rectilinear portion 521. Then, the portion where the bottom surface of the rectilinear portion 521 is switched to the bottom surface of the lower turn portion 525 is an inclined surface so as to be switched gently. This inclined surface is defined as an inclined portion 526 (see FIG. 13) .

Furthermore, in the reference example , the depth of the lower turn portion 525 is made shallower than the lower turn portion 523 of the first embodiment, and the overlapping of the positions of the radiation fins 3 and the lower turn portion 525 is several tens mm to several tens mm. Thus, it is made to overlap longer than Example 1.
Accordingly, the depth of the lower turn portion 525 is shallow, but has a sufficient volume for changing the flow.

The operation will be described.
[Power module cooling]
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the flow of cooling water in the heat exchanger 2 of the reference example .
In the heat exchanger 2 of the reference example , the cooling water goes straight through the straight passage portion 521 of the lower case 5 of the flow path 21 from the communication passage 53 (see the arrow 201 in FIG. 13), and is guided obliquely downward by the slope portion 526. Many parts flow to the lower turn part 525 (see arrow 202 in FIG. 13).
Since the lower turn portion 525 is a portion where the heat dissipating fins 3 are not provided, the flow is changed from the flow direction of the rectilinear portion 521 to the left-right direction substantially orthogonal (see arrows 202 and 203 in FIG. 13). Further, a part of the flow directed obliquely downward reaches a portion where the heat radiating fins 3 are not provided above the lower turn portion 525, and the flow is changed from the flow direction of the rectilinear portion 521 to the left and right direction substantially orthogonal thereto.
In addition, a part of the flow is changed to 180 degrees at the end of the bent portion 522 where the heat dissipating fins 3 are not provided, and then proceeds to the straight portion 521.
Then, when approaching the next straight part 521, the direction is changed by 90 degrees so as to change the flow obliquely upward (see arrow 203 and arrow 204 in FIG. 13), and further, the direction is changed so as to flow to the next straight part 521 (see FIG. 13 arrow 204, arrow 205).
As described above, also in the reference example , the bent portion 522 is shortened in the flow direction of the rectilinear portion 521, and the cooling water is caused to meander and flow to perform efficient cooling.

[Miniaturization]
Even in the heat exchanger 2 of the reference example , most of the flow of the rectilinear portion 521 is changed by the lower turn portion 525 so that the bent portion 522 is short in the flow direction of the rectilinear portion 521. Therefore, it becomes possible to shorten the flow direction length of the rectilinear portion 521 of the heat exchanger 2. Therefore, it becomes the heat exchanger 2 reduced in size as a whole.

Explain the effect.
The heat exchanger according to the reference example has the following effects in addition to the effect (1).
(3) In the above (1), the lower turn part 525 has a gentle slope from the flow path surface of the rectilinear section 521 to the flow path surface expanded to the opposite side of the cooling surface of the upper case 4, so that the flow is inclined downward. The flow direction of the cooling water is further changed to the left and right direction at the lower turn part 525 having the flow path expanded downward, and then the flow is changed obliquely upward to meander the flow. To do. Thereby, the flow is changed diagonally downward, the flow returning to the diagonally upward is combined with the flow for turning to meander, the flow path length in the straight direction of the bent portion 522 is shortened, and the cooling device is reduced in size. The volume, weight, and cost can be suppressed.

As mentioned above, although the heat exchanger of this invention has been demonstrated based on Example 1, about a concrete structure, it is not restricted to these Examples, The summary of the invention which concerns on each claim of a claim As long as they do not deviate, design changes and additions are permitted.
For example, although the cooling water is used in the first embodiment, the hot water may be flown so as to warm the object to which the heat exchanger is attached.

It is a top view of the heat exchanger of Example 1. It is a front view of the heat exchanger of Example 1. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is a top view of the upper case where the radiation fin of Example 1 was provided. It is a front view of the upper case provided with the radiation fin of Example 1. It is a top view of the lower case of the heat exchanger of Example 1. It is a front view of the lower case of the heat exchanger of Example 1. It is a partial expanded sectional view of the lower case of the heat exchanger of Example 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the flow of the cooling water of the heat exchanger of Example 1. FIG. It is a top view of the heat exchanger of a reference example . It is a front view of the heat exchanger of a reference example . It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the flow of the cooling water of the heat exchanger of a reference example .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Power module 2 Heat exchanger 3 Radiation fin 4 Upper case 5 Lower case 21 Flow path 51 Base end face 52 Flow path part 53 Communication path 54 Communication path 521 Straight advance part 522 Bending part 523 Lower turn part 524 Corner part 525 Lower turn part 526 Inclination Part

Claims (2)

A heat radiating surface of the case where the object is interviewed,
A meandering portion disposed along the heat dissipating surface of the case, which is disposed inside the heat dissipating surface and linearly moves along the heat dissipating surface in a straight portion that moves the heat exchanging medium straight and a turn portion that changes the flow of the heat exchanging medium from the straight portion to the next straight portion A flow path of the heat exchange medium formed to
In thin plate, the straight portions and a plurality of upright from the wall surface of the heat radiating surface side of the next straight portion to the straight portion and the next straight portion, a plurality of the straight portion and in the next straight portion A heat exchange facilitating part that increases the contact area with the heat exchange medium so that the part accommodated in the turn part is cut off.
With
The turn part has a shape in which a part of the case protrudes downward in the direction opposite to the heat radiating surface, and the turn part has a depth greater than the straight part and the next straight part. With an enlarged turn part that expands the flow path at
The change part from the straight part and the next straight part to the enlarged turn part is a vertical step,
Extending the end position of the linearly moving part of the heat exchange promoting part to a position overlapping with a part of the enlarged turn part, the flow of the heat exchange medium eliminates the partition of the heat exchange promoting part Before, start from the straight part to the opposite side of the heat dissipation surface of the turn part,
In the turn part, the heat exchange medium goes straight through the rectilinear part, transitions to the step in the turn part, flows below the enlarged turn part, and toward the next rectilinear part in the enlarged turn part. The direction was changed, and the direction was changed upward toward the next straight part so as to flow to the next straight part.
A heat exchanger characterized by that. The heat exchanger according to claim 1,
The enlarged turn part is a chamfered shape of a corner part that changes the flow in a direction orthogonal to the flow direction of the straight part and the next straight part ,
A heat exchanger characterized by that.

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