JP7516923B2 - Evaporative heat exchanger - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an evaporative heat exchanger, and in particular to an evaporative heat exchanger that has an air dry passage through which air flows and a refrigerant passage through which a refrigerant flows.

Conventionally, evaporative heat exchangers have been known that have an air dry passage through which air flows and a refrigerant passage through which a refrigerant flows (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 describes an evaporative heat exchanger having cooling fins that form a refrigerant flow path through which the refrigerant flows, and an air cooling member that forms an air dry flow path through which air flows. In this evaporative heat exchanger, a first moist layer that holds water for cooling the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path is formed on the surface of the cooling fin, and a second moist layer that holds water for cooling the air flowing through the air dry flow path is formed on the surface of the air cooling member. In the evaporative heat exchanger described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the air that flows into the air dry flow path is cooled by the latent heat of vaporization of the water in the second moist layer, and then flows into the air wet flow path provided between the cooling fin and the air cooling member. Then, in the air wet flow path, the water in the first and second moist layers evaporates, and the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path and the air flowing through the air dry flow path are cooled. That is, in the evaporative heat exchanger described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the first moist layer for cooling the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path and the second moist layer for cooling the air flowing through the air dry flow path are provided in a common air wet flow path. Then, the water evaporates in the common air wet flow path, cooling both the refrigerant and the incoming air.

JP 2020-56553 A

Here, as in the evaporative heat exchanger described in Patent Document 1, when the inflowing air (outside air) is cooled by the latent heat of vaporization of water and the refrigerant and the inflowing air (outside air) are cooled by the cooled air (cooling air), a case can be considered in which a flow path for cooling the inflowing air (outside air) and a flow path for cooling the refrigerant are separately provided. In that case, it is necessary to distribute the cooling air to the flow path for cooling the inflowing air and the flow path for cooling the refrigerant. However, if the distribution of the cooling air is inappropriate, the cooling efficiency decreases. For example, if the amount of cooling air distributed to the flow path for cooling the refrigerant is insufficient due to inappropriate distribution of the cooling air, the cooling of the refrigerant is insufficient and the cooling efficiency of the device decreases. Also, if the amount of cooling air distributed to the flow path for cooling the inflowing air is insufficient due to inappropriate distribution of the cooling air, the cooling of the inflowing air is insufficient, and the refrigerant is cooled by the cooling air that is not sufficiently cooled, and the cooling efficiency of the device similarly decreases. Therefore, when the incoming air is cooled by the latent heat of vaporization of water and the cooled air is distributed to a flow path for cooling the refrigerant and a flow path for cooling the incoming air, it is desirable to prevent a decrease in cooling efficiency by sufficiently cooling the incoming air and the refrigerant.

This invention has been made to solve the problems described above, and one object of the invention is to provide an evaporative heat exchanger that can suppress a decrease in cooling efficiency when cooling the incoming air by the latent heat of vaporization of water and distributing the cooled air between a flow path for cooling a refrigerant and a flow path for cooling the incoming air.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an evaporative heat exchanger according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant flows, a first air wet flow path provided with a first water retention section that retains water to cool the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path and arranged adjacent to the refrigerant flow path, an air dry flow path through which air flows, a second air wet flow path provided with a second water retention section that retains water to cool the air flowing through the air dry flow path and arranged separately from the first air wet flow path so as to be adjacent to the air dry flow path, and an air volume adjustment section that adjusts the air volume so that after air flowing into the air dry flow path is cooled by the latent heat of vaporization of water in the second water retention section of the second air wet flow path, the cooled air is distributed in a predetermined ratio to the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path which are arranged separately from each other .

In the evaporative heat exchanger according to one aspect of the present invention, as described above, the air flowing into the air dry flow path is cooled by the latent heat of vaporization of water in the second water retention section of the second air wet flow path, and then the cooled air is distributed to the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path in a predetermined ratio. As a result, the air flow rate adjustment unit can appropriately distribute the air cooled in the air dry flow path to the first air wet flow path for cooling the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant flow path and the second air wet flow path for cooling the air flowing in the air dry flow path in a predetermined ratio. Therefore, since an appropriate amount of cooled air can be distributed to the first air wet flow path, it is possible to prevent the refrigerant from being insufficiently cooled by the cooled air in the first air wet flow path. In addition, since an appropriate amount of cooled air can be distributed to the second air wet flow path, it is possible to prevent the cooled air in the second air wet flow path from being insufficiently cooled. As a result, it is possible to cool both the refrigerant and the incoming air, and thus it is possible to prevent a decrease in cooling efficiency when the incoming air is cooled by the latent heat of vaporization of water and the cooled air is distributed between a flow path for cooling the refrigerant and a flow path for cooling the incoming air.

In the evaporative heat exchanger according to the above aspect, preferably, the airflow adjustment unit includes an airflow restriction member that reduces the airflow of air flowing into at least one of the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path, and the airflow restriction member is configured to adjust the airflow so that air from the air dry flow path is distributed to the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path at a predetermined ratio. With this configuration, when the airflow rate of air flowing into the first air wet flow path is too high, the airflow rate of air flowing into the first air wet flow path can be reduced by arranging the airflow restriction member so that the airflow rate of air flowing into the first air wet flow path is reduced. Also, when the airflow rate of air flowing into the second air wet flow path is too high, the airflow rate of air flowing into the second air wet flow path can be reduced by arranging the airflow restriction member so that the airflow rate of air flowing into the second air wet flow path is reduced. Therefore, the air flow rate limiting member can reduce the air flow rate flowing into at least one of the first and second air wet flow paths, so the ratio of the air flow rates distributed to the first and second air wet flow paths can be easily adjusted to an appropriate ratio. As a result, the air and refrigerant that flow in can be appropriately cooled, so that a decrease in the cooling efficiency of the device can be easily prevented.

In this case, the airflow limiting member is preferably configured to adjust the airflow so that the air from the air dry flow path is distributed to the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path at a predetermined ratio by reducing the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path. With this configuration, the airflow limiting member can reduce the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path to an appropriate airflow rate, so that it is possible to prevent the airflow rate of the air flowing into the first air wet flow path from being insufficient due to the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path being too high. Therefore, even when the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path is too high, the airflow limiting member appropriately distributes the air from the air dry flow path, so that it is possible to prevent the refrigerant from being insufficiently cooled. As a result, even when the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path is too high, the provision of the airflow limiting member can easily prevent the cooling efficiency of the device from decreasing.

In this case, preferably, the first air wet flow path is arranged separately from the second air wet flow path adjacent to the air dry flow path and is arranged to be spaced apart from the air dry flow path, and the air flow rate limiting member is configured to adjust the air flow rate so that the air from the air dry flow path is distributed at a predetermined ratio to the first air wet flow path arranged to be spaced apart from the air dry flow path and the second air wet flow path adjacent to the air dry flow path by reducing the air flow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path. Here, when the first air wet flow path for cooling the refrigerant is arranged to be spaced apart from the air dry flow path in which the introduced air is cooled, the second air wet flow path is arranged to be adjacent to the air dry flow path in order to cool the air in the air dry flow path, so that the air flow rate of the cooled air flowing from the air dry flow path into the first air wet flow path is smaller than the air flow rate of the cooled air flowing from the air dry flow path into the second air wet flow path. Therefore, when the first air wet flow path is arranged to be spaced apart from the air dry flow path, the distribution of the cooled air from the air dry flow path becomes inappropriate, and the cooling of the refrigerant becomes insufficient. In contrast, in the present invention, the airflow restricting member is configured to adjust the airflow so that the air from the air dry path is distributed at a predetermined ratio to the first air wet path, which is provided at a distance from the air dry path, and the second air wet path, which is adjacent to the air dry path, by reducing the airflow of the airflow restricting member. With this configuration, even when the first air wet path is provided at a distance from the air dry path, the airflow restricting member reduces the airflow of the air flowing into the second air wet path, so that the distribution of the cooled air from the air dry path becomes inappropriate. Therefore, an appropriate amount of cooled air can be distributed to the first air wet path, so that the amount of cooled air flowing into the first air wet path can be prevented from becoming insufficient. As a result, the cooling of the refrigerant can be prevented from becoming insufficient, so that even when the first air wet path is provided at a distance from the air dry path, the cooling efficiency of the device can be prevented from decreasing.

In this case, preferably, the air dry flow path circulates air along the horizontal direction, the first air wet flow path is arranged separately from the second air wet flow path adjacent to the air dry flow path, and is arranged so as to be separated from the air dry flow path in each of the left and right directions as viewed from the air flow direction of the air dry flow path in the horizontal plane, and the air volume limiting member is configured to adjust the air volume so that the air from the air dry flow path is distributed at a predetermined ratio to the first air wet flow path arranged so as to be separated from the air dry flow path in each of the left and right directions as viewed from the air flow direction of the air dry flow path in the horizontal plane and the second air wet flow path adjacent to the air dry flow path by reducing the air volume of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path. Here, when the cooled air from the air dry flow path is distributed in three directions, two first air wet flow paths provided on each of the left and right sides of the second air wet flow path and one second air wet flow path, a lot of air flows into the second air wet flow path provided in the center of the three directions, and there is a shortage of air distributed to the two first air wet flow paths provided on each of the left and right sides of the three directions. In contrast, in the present invention, the airflow restricting member is configured to reduce the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path, and to adjust the airflow rate so that the air from the air dry flow path is distributed at a predetermined ratio to the first air wet flow path arranged to be separated from the air dry flow path in each of the left and right directions as viewed from the air flow direction of the air dry flow path in a horizontal plane, and the second air wet flow path adjacent to the air dry flow path. With this configuration, the airflow rate restricting member can reduce the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path provided in the center of the three directions, so that it is possible to prevent the airflow rate of the air flowing into the first air wet flow path provided on each of the left and right sides of the three directions from being insufficient. Therefore, the cooled air from the air dry flow path can be distributed at an appropriate ratio to three directions, namely, two first air wet flow paths and one second air wet flow path. As a result, even when the cooled air from the air dry flow path is distributed in three directions, namely, the first air wet flow path provided on each of the left and right sides of the second air wet flow path, the refrigerant can be sufficiently cooled, so that it is possible to prevent the cooling efficiency of the device from decreasing.

In the evaporative heat exchanger in which the airflow limiting member is configured to reduce the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path, the airflow limiting member is preferably configured to reduce the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path so that the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path is smaller than the airflow rate of the air flowing into the first air wet flow path. With this configuration, the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path can be made smaller than the airflow rate of the air flowing into the first air wet flow path while the amount of cooled air required to cool the refrigerant is flowed into the first air wet flow path for cooling the refrigerant. Therefore, compared to the case in which the airflow rate of the second air wet flow path is made larger than the airflow rate of the first air wet flow path, the total airflow rate flowing into both the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path can be made smaller. In other words, the total airflow rate flowing in from outside the device can be made smaller. As a result, the energy consumption consumed by components such as a blower fan for flowing in air from outside the device can be reduced while suppressing a decrease in the cooling efficiency of the device, thereby further increasing the energy efficiency of the entire device.

In the evaporative heat exchanger in which the airflow limiting member is configured to reduce the airflow of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path, preferably, the evaporative heat exchanger further includes a water supply unit that supplies water to the first water retention unit of the first air wet flow path and the second water retention unit of the second air wet flow path by spraying water from above, and the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path are configured to circulate air along the vertical direction, and the airflow limiting member is disposed between the second air wet flow path and the water supply unit, and is configured to reduce the airflow of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path and distribute water to the second water retention unit of the second air wet flow path by permeating water from the water supply unit while restricting the air flow. With this configuration, the airflow limiting member reduces the airflow of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path and distributes water to the second water retention unit of the second air wet flow path, so that the airflow limiting member distributes the cooled air to the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path in a predetermined ratio, and in addition, distributes water to the second water retention unit. Therefore, by distributing water throughout the entire second water holding section using the airflow restriction member, the water can be efficiently evaporated throughout the entire second water holding section, so that in addition to appropriately distributing the cooled air in a predetermined ratio, the air that flows in due to the evaporation of water in the second water holding section can be more effectively cooled.

In this case, the airflow limiting member is preferably in a sheet shape and is arranged to cover the entrance of the second air wet flow path so as to reduce the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path and to distribute water to the second water retention section of the second air wet flow path. With this configuration, by arranging the airflow limiting member having a sheet shape to cover the entrance of the second air wet flow path, the cooled air can be distributed to the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path at a predetermined ratio, and by simply arranging the airflow limiting member in a sheet shape, the air can be cooled easily and efficiently by evaporating the water in the second water retention section of the second air wet flow path. Therefore, by arranging the airflow limiting member having a sheet shape to cover the entrance of the second air wet flow path, in addition to appropriately distributing the cooled air, cooling by evaporation of the water in the second water retention section in the second air wet flow path can be more easily and efficiently performed.

In the evaporative heat exchanger according to the above aspect, the refrigerant flow path block preferably includes a plurality of flat tubes having a refrigerant flow path therein and a first water retention portion provided on the outer surface thereof, and a first wet air flow path is formed between the plurality of flat tubes; and an air flow path block that includes a plurality of flat plate members having an air dry flow path therein and a second water retention portion provided on the outer surface thereof, and a second wet air flow path is formed between the plurality of flat plate members, and is provided separately from the refrigerant flow path block. The air flow rate adjustment unit is configured to adjust the air flow rate so that air from the air dry flow path of the air flow path block is distributed at a predetermined ratio to the first wet air flow path of the refrigerant flow path block and the second wet air flow path of the air flow path block. Here, in the air flow path block, the second wet air flow path is formed between the plurality of flat plate members having an air dry flow path therein, and the refrigerant flow path block in which the first wet air flow path is formed is provided separately from the air flow path block, so that the air flow rate of air flowing from the air dry flow path to the second wet air flow path is greater than the air flow rate of air flowing from the air dry flow path to the first wet air flow path. In contrast, in the present invention, the airflow adjustment unit is configured to adjust the airflow so that air from the air dry path of the air path block is distributed at a predetermined ratio to the first air wet path of the refrigerant path block and the second air wet path of the air path block. With this configuration, even when the refrigerant path block including the first air wet path and the air path block including the air dry path and the second air wet path are provided separately, the airflow adjustment unit can adjust the airflow so that the air flowing into the first air wet path and the second air wet path is appropriately distributed at a predetermined ratio. As a result, even when the refrigerant path block including the second air wet path and the air path block including the air dry path and the second air wet path are provided separately, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the cooling efficiency of the device.

In this case, preferably, the refrigerant flow path block includes a first refrigerant flow path block and a second refrigerant flow path block, both of which include a plurality of flat tubes, the air flow path block is arranged adjacent to the first refrigerant flow path block and the second refrigerant flow path block so as to be sandwiched between them in the horizontal direction, and the air flow rate adjustment unit includes a sheet-shaped air flow rate limiting member arranged to cover the entrance of the second air wet flow path of the air flow path block and to reduce the air flow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path. With this configuration, even when the air flow path block is arranged adjacent to the first refrigerant flow path block and the second refrigerant flow path block so as to be sandwiched between the two refrigerant flow path blocks, the sheet-shaped air flow rate limiting member can reduce the air flow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path of the air flow path block. Therefore, even when two refrigerant flow path blocks are arranged adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction so that the air flow path block is sandwiched between them, the cooled air from the dry air flow path of the air flow path block can be appropriately distributed in a predetermined ratio to three paths: the first wet air flow path of each of the two refrigerant flow path blocks and the second wet air flow path of the air flow path block. As a result, even when two refrigerant flow path blocks are arranged adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction so that the air flow path block is sandwiched between them, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the cooling efficiency of the device.

According to the present invention, as described above, when the incoming air is cooled by the latent heat of vaporization of water and the cooled air is distributed to a flow path for cooling the refrigerant and a flow path for cooling the incoming air, it is possible to suppress a decrease in cooling efficiency.

1 is a schematic perspective view showing an evaporative heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an evaporative heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention with a housing removed; 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining the configuration of a housing of the evaporative heat exchanger according to the present embodiment. 4 is a diagram for explaining the air flow in the evaporative heat exchanger according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an air flow path block according to the present embodiment. 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the configuration of an air flow path block according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a coolant flow path block according to the present embodiment. 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating the configuration of flat tubes in a refrigerant flow path block according to the present embodiment. 3A and 3B are diagrams for explaining the configuration of a coolant flow path block according to the present embodiment. 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining distribution of airflow by an airflow restricting member according to the present embodiment. 5 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the distribution ratio of cooled air and cooling efficiency according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of an evaporative heat exchanger according to a first modified example of the present embodiment.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

(Overall configuration of evaporative heat exchanger)
The configuration of an evaporative heat exchanger 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the evaporative heat exchanger 100 according to this embodiment is configured as a cooling and heating device for freezing and refrigerating fresh foods and the like. The evaporative heat exchanger 100 includes a housing 1, an air flow path block 2, a refrigerant flow path block 3, a water supply unit 4, and a blower fan 5. As described below, the air flow path block 2 includes a plurality of flat plate members 20, and the refrigerant flow path block 3 includes a plurality of flat tubes 30.

Here, the direction in which the air flow path block 2 and the refrigerant flow path block 3 are adjacent in a horizontal plane is defined as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction in the horizontal plane is defined as the Y direction. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction is defined as the Z direction (vertical direction).

The housing 1 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 1 includes a first case portion 11 that houses an air flow path block 2, two refrigerant flow path blocks 3, and a blower fan 5 inside (internal space 11a), a second case portion 12 that is attached to the Y2 direction side (rear side) of the first case portion 11, and a third case portion 13 that is attached to the Z1 direction side (upper side) of the first case portion 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the air flow path block 2 and the refrigerant flow path block 3 are arranged adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction (X direction) inside the first case part 11 (internal space 11a) of the housing 1. Specifically, the refrigerant flow path block 3 is provided separately from the air flow path block 2. The refrigerant flow path block 3 includes a first refrigerant flow path block 3a and a second refrigerant flow path block 3b. The air flow path block 2 is arranged adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction (X direction) so as to be sandwiched between the first refrigerant flow path block 3a and the second refrigerant flow path block 3b. The first refrigerant flow path block 3a and the second refrigerant flow path block 3b have the same configuration. In the following description, the first refrigerant flow path block 3a and the second refrigerant flow path block 3b will be described as the refrigerant flow path block 3 without distinction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the second case part 12 is disposed on the Y2 direction side (back side) of the first case part 11. The third case part 13 is disposed on the Z1 direction side (upward side) of the first case part 11. The internal space 11a of the first case part 11 communicates with the internal space 12a of the second case part 12 on the Y2 direction side (back side). The internal space 11a of the first case part 11 communicates with the internal space 13a of the third case part 13 on the Z1 direction side (upward side). The first case part 11 has an opening 11b at the end on the Y1 direction side (front side). The first case part 11 has an opening 11c at the end on the Z2 direction side (downward side). The internal space 11a of the first case part 11 communicates with the external space via the opening 11c at the end on the Z2 direction side (downward side).

In addition, multiple openings 11b are provided corresponding to multiple blower fans 5. In addition, the multiple openings 11b and the multiple blower fans 5 are each arranged in a line in the Z direction. The multiple blower fans 5 send air into the air dry flow path D of the air flow path block 2 described later.

In addition, air guide plates 14 that guide air (outside air) from the blower fans 5 to the flat plate member 20 of the air flow path block 2 are provided in the internal space 11a. The air guide plates 14 are plate-shaped members provided above and below the blower fans 5 so as to separate the air sucked in by each of the multiple blower fans 5. The air guide plates 14 are provided along the horizontal plane (XY plane) so that the air sucked in by each of the multiple blower fans 5 does not interfere with each other.

As shown in FIG. 3, the second case portion 12 has an internal space 12a. The internal space 12a of the second case portion 12 is connected to the external space via the air dry flow path D of the air flow path block 2, which will be described later.

3, the third case portion 13 has an internal space 13a. The internal space 13a of the third case portion 13 communicates with the internal space 12a of the second case portion 12. The internal space 13a of the third case portion 13 also communicates with the internal space 11a of the first case portion 11. Specifically, the internal space 13a of the third case portion 13 communicates with each of an air wet flow path W1 (described later) of the refrigerant flow path block 3 of the first case portion 11 and an air wet flow path W2 (described later) of the air flow path block 2 of the first case portion 11. The air wet flow path W1 is an example of a "first air wet flow path" in the claims. The air wet flow path W2 is an example of a "second air wet flow path" in the claims.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in this embodiment, the water supply unit 4 is provided in the internal space 13a of the third case portion 13 above the air flow path block 2 and the refrigerant flow path block 3. The water supply unit 4 supplies water to the water retention portion 31 (see Fig. 8) of the air wet flow path W1 described later and the water retention portion 22 (see Fig. 6) of the air wet flow path W2 by spraying water from above. Specifically, the water supply unit 4 is supplied with water from an external water supply pipe (not shown). The water supply unit 4 has multiple holes (not shown) formed on the Z2 direction side. The water supply unit 4 supplies water to the water retention portion 31 and the water retention portion 22 by continuously spraying water from the multiple holes provided on the Z2 direction side.

In the evaporative heat exchanger 100 according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the air (outside air) taken in by the blower fan 5 flows into the air dry flow path D of the air flow path block 2 of the first case portion 11. Then, the air (cooled air) cooled in the air dry flow path D flows into the second case portion 12. The cooled air that flows into the second case portion 12 flows upward (Z1 direction) and flows into the third case portion 13. Then, the cooled air branches from the third case portion 13 into the air wet flow path W1 of the refrigerant flow path block 3 arranged inside the first case portion 11 and the air wet flow path W2 of the air flow path block 2 provided separately from the air wet flow path W1 and flows. The air that has passed through the air wet flow path W1 and the air wet flow path W2 is discharged to the outside of the device from the opening 11c. In this way, in the evaporative heat exchanger 100, the second case portion 12 and the third case portion 13 form a duct that connects the air dry flow path D to the air wet flow path W1 and the air wet flow path W2.

In this embodiment, the air (outside air) that flows into the air dry flow path D flows along the horizontal direction (Y direction). That is, the air that flows into the air dry flow path D flows in a direction (Y2 direction) perpendicular to the direction (X direction) in which the refrigerant flow path block 3 and the air flow path block 2 are adjacent to each other in the horizontal plane, and then flows downward (Z2 direction) in the vertical direction (Z direction) through the air wet flow path W1 and the air wet flow path W2. The air wet flow path W1 is provided so as to be separated from the air dry flow path D in each of the left and right directions (X1 direction and X2 direction) when viewed from the air flow direction (Y direction) of the air dry flow path D in the horizontal plane. Therefore, the air (cooling air) from the dry air flow path D of the air flow path block 2 branches into three directions: the wet air flow path W2 of the air flow path block 2 located in the center in the X direction, and the wet air flow paths W1 of the two refrigerant flow path blocks 3 (the first refrigerant flow path block 3a and the second refrigerant flow path block 3b) located on the left and right in the X direction so as to be separated from the wet air flow path W2.

(Configuration of Air Flow Channel Block)
5 and 6, in this embodiment, the air flow path block 2 of the evaporative heat exchanger 100 includes a plurality of flat plate members 20 and a plurality of spacer members 21. The air flow path block 2 is configured by alternately stacking the flat plate members 20 and the spacer members 21 in the X direction.

The flat plate members 20 are arranged side by side facing each other at a predetermined interval (constant interval). In other words, the flat plate members 20 are stacked at a predetermined interval (equally spaced). The flat plate members 20 also include an air dry flow path D through which air flows. Specifically, the flat plate members 20 have a plurality of (e.g., 10) through holes 20a penetrating the flat plate members 20 in the Y direction. Each of the through holes 20a has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the Y1 direction. The through holes 20a are also arranged at substantially equal intervals in the Z direction. In the flat plate members 20, an air dry flow path D through which air (outside air) flows is formed inside the through holes 20a. That is, air (outside air) taken in by the blower fan 5 installed on the Y1 direction side (front side) flows into the through-holes 20a from the Y1 side (the inlet side of the air dry flow path D) of the flat plate members 20, and is discharged to the Y2 side (the outlet side of the air dry flow path D) of the through-holes 20a of the flat plate members 20. The flat plate members 20 are formed of a resin such as polypropylene. The flat plate members 20 may also be formed of a metal such as aluminum.

6, in the air passage block 2 according to this embodiment, the water retention portion 22 is provided on the outer surface of the flat plate member 20. Specifically, the water retention portion 22 is provided on both the surface on the X1 direction side and the surface on the X2 direction side of each of the plurality of flat plate members 20 so as to contact the entire flat plate member 20. The water retention portion 22 includes, for example, a nonwoven fabric attached to the surface of the flat plate member 20 by an adhesive. The water retention portion 22 also includes, for example, a resin fiber formed from a resin such as rayon, nylon, or acrylic. The resin fiber is bonded to the surface of the nonwoven fabric of the water retention portion 22 by electrostatic flocking. The water retention portion 22 may be formed by spraying the resin fiber together with an adhesive onto the surface of the flat plate member 20 to bond it thereto. The water retention portion 22 is an example of a "second water retention portion" in the claims.

In addition, in this embodiment, the water retention section 22 retains water that cools the air flowing through the air dry flow path D inside the flat plate member 20. The water retention section 22 retains (holds) water from the water supply section 4 on the outer surface of the flat plate member 20 by capillary action occurring in the gaps formed by the resin fibers. Then, heat is taken from the air (outside air) flowing through the air dry flow path D by the latent heat of vaporization caused by the vaporization of the water in the water retention section 22. That is, the air (outside air) that has flowed in is cooled in the air dry flow path D and is discharged as cooled air.

Spacer members 21 are arranged between each of the flat plate members 20. The spacer members 21 are plate-shaped members folded in an accordion-like shape. Specifically, the spacer members 21 have folds along the Z direction, and are folded so as to alternately repeat mountain folds and valley folds. That is, the spacer members 21 have a zigzag shape when viewed from the Z direction. The spacer members 21 are configured to allow air to flow in the direction along the folded folds (Z2 direction). The spacer members 21 are also provided between the water retention sections 22 (flat plate members 20) facing each other so as to prevent the flow of air (outside air) from the Y1 direction side toward the Y2 direction side. That is, the spacer members 21 are provided adjacent to each other over the entire flat plate member 20 in the Z direction. The spacer members 21 are made of a resin such as polypropylene, for example.

In addition, in this embodiment, an air wet flow path W2 is formed between the multiple flat plate members 20 so as to be adjacent to the air dry flow path D. Specifically, the air wet flow path W2 is formed between adjacent flat plate members 20 among the multiple flat plate members 20 stacked at a predetermined interval (constant interval). That is, the air wet flow path W2 is provided between the mutually opposing water retention parts 22 among the multiple water retention parts 22 provided on the outer surfaces of the multiple flat plate members 20 on the X1 direction side and the X2 direction side. In other words, the air wet flow path W2 is provided with water retention parts 22.

The multiple spacer members 21 form gaps that allow air to flow through the air wet flow path W2. That is, the air wet flow path W2 is formed by the gap between the water retention portion 22 and the spacer member 21. Specifically, multiple air wet flow paths W2 are formed between the water retention portion 22 and the spacer member 21 facing the water retention portion 22, corresponding to the zigzag shape of the spacer member 21. In addition, the air wet flow path W2 is adjacent to the air dry flow path D provided in the flat plate member 20 over its entirety in the Z direction. In addition, the multiple flat plate members 20 are arranged at approximately equal intervals with a predetermined interval between them so that the width of the air wet flow path W2 in the X direction is, for example, about 3 mm.

<Air flow control components>
2 and 5, the air flow path block 2 includes an air flow rate limiting member 23. In this embodiment, the air flow rate limiting member 23 reduces the amount of air flowing into the air wet flow path W2. The air flow rate limiting member 23 has a sheet shape and is disposed so as to cover the entrance of the air wet flow path W2. The air flow rate limiting member 23 is an example of an "air flow rate adjustment section" in the claims.

Specifically, the air flow rate restricting member 23 is arranged so as to cover the entire flat plate member 20 and spacer member 21 that are stacked on the upper side (Z1 direction side) of the air flow path block 2. In other words, it is arranged so as to cover the surface on the upper side (Z1 direction side) of the air flow path block 2 that has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

In this embodiment, the airflow limiting member 23 is disposed between the air wet flow path W2 and the water supply unit 4. The airflow limiting member 23 is configured to reduce the airflow of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 and to distribute the water to the water retention portion 22 of the air wet flow path W2 by allowing the water from the water supply unit 4 to permeate the airflow limiting member 23 while restricting the flow of air. Specifically, the airflow limiting member 23 allows the water sprayed from the water supply unit 4 to permeate the entire airflow limiting member 23. That is, the airflow limiting member 23 allows the water from the water supply unit 4 to permeate the entrance of the entire air wet flow path W2 of the air flow path block 2. The airflow limiting member 23 then distributes the water from the water supply unit 4 to the water retention portion 22 of the entire air wet flow path W2 of the air flow path block 2.

In this way, the airflow restriction member 23 is a member that allows water to permeate, and restricts the amount of air flowing through it when the water is permeated. The airflow restriction member 23 is, for example, filter paper or an air filter. The airflow restriction member 23 is, for example, made of cellulose, glass fiber, or resin fiber made of resin such as acrylic.

(Configuration of Coolant Flow Channel Block)
As shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the refrigerant flow path block 3 of the evaporative heat exchanger 100 includes a plurality of flat tubes 30. The plurality of flat tubes 30 are arranged side by side so as to face each other at a predetermined interval. The plurality of flat tubes 30 have a refrigerant flow path C through which the refrigerant flows. Specifically, the flat tube 30 has a plurality of (four) through holes 30a penetrating in the Z direction. The refrigerant flows inside the through holes 30a, and the refrigerant flow path C is formed. Each of the plurality of through holes 30a has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the Z1 direction. The plurality of through holes 30a are arranged in the X direction at substantially equal intervals. The through holes 30a may have a circular shape when viewed from the Z1 direction. The plurality of flat tubes 30 are formed of a metal such as aluminum or a resin.

The refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path C is, for example, freon, water, air, ammonia, or carbon dioxide. The refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path C is continuously supplied to the flat tubes 30 from outside the device. The refrigerant cooled in the refrigerant flow path C of the flat tubes 30 is then sent to the outside of the device. Specifically, the refrigerant flow path block 3 of the evaporative heat exchanger 100 cools the high-temperature refrigerant flowing in from the refrigerant piping on the Z2 direction side by circulating it through the flat tubes 30 from the Z2 direction side to the Z1 direction side, and sends the cooled low-temperature refrigerant out of the device via the refrigerant piping on the Z1 direction side.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the refrigerant flow path block 3 according to this embodiment, a water retention section 31 is provided on the outer surface of the flat tube 30. Specifically, the water retention section 31 is provided on both the Y1-direction surface and the Y2-direction surface of each of the flat tubes 30 so as to contact the entire flat tube 30. The water retention section 31 includes resin fibers formed from a resin such as rayon, nylon, or acrylic. The resin fibers are bonded to the outer surface of the flat tube 30 by electrostatic flocking. The resin fibers may be bonded by spraying them onto the surface of the flat tube 30 together with an adhesive. The water retention section 31 is an example of a "first water retention section" in the claims.

The water retention section 31 also retains water that cools the refrigerant flowing through the flat tubes 30. The water retention section 31 retains (holds) water from the water supply section 4 on the outer surface of the flat tubes 30 due to capillary action occurring in gaps formed by the resin fibers. Heat is then removed from the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path C by the latent heat of vaporization of the water in the water retention section 31.

As shown in FIG. 9, in this embodiment, an air wet flow path W1 is formed between the flat tubes 30. The air wet flow path W1 is arranged so as to be adjacent to the refrigerant flow path C. Specifically, the air wet flow path W1 is provided between the mutually opposing water retention parts 31 among the multiple water retention parts 31 provided on the outer surfaces of the flat tubes 30 on the Y1 direction side and the Y2 direction side. In other words, the air wet flow path W1 is provided with the water retention parts 31. The air wet flow path W1 is adjacent to the refrigerant flow path C provided in the flat tube 30 over its entirety in the Z direction. In addition, the multiple flat tubes 30 are arranged at approximately equal intervals with a predetermined interval between them so that the width of the air wet flow path W1 in the Y direction is, for example, about 3 mm.

In this embodiment, both the first refrigerant flow path block 3a and the second refrigerant flow path block 3b each include a plurality of flat tubes 30. In both the first refrigerant flow path block 3a and the second refrigerant flow path block 3b, an air wet flow path W1 is formed between the plurality of flat tubes 30.

(Heat transfer in evaporative heat exchangers)
Next, the transfer of heat in the evaporative heat exchanger 100 will be described. In this embodiment, the air flowing into the air dry flow path D of the air flow path block 2 is cooled by the latent heat of vaporization of the water in the water retention section 22 of the air wet flow path W2, and then the air is branched and flows into the air wet flow path W1 of the refrigerant flow path block 3 and the air wet flow path W2 of the air flow path block 2. That is, the evaporative heat exchanger 100 is configured to allow the cooling air pre-cooled in the air dry flow path D to flow into the air wet flow paths W1 and W2, and to perform heat exchange (cooling) in the air wet flow paths W1 and W2. Here, pre-cooling refers to lowering the temperature of the air flowing into the air wet flow paths W1 and W2 to a temperature at which the water in the water retention section 22 is unlikely to take the heat of vaporization from the air flowing into the air wet flow paths W1 and W2.

The dry air flow path D is configured to allow the incoming air (outside air) to flow out as air (cooled air) at a temperature lower than the outside air. The wet air flow paths W1 and W2 are configured to allow air (cooled air) at a temperature lower than the outside air to flow out as air (hot and humid air) at a temperature higher than the temperature of the cooled air.

Pre-cooling of air in the air drying channel
The air dry flow path D is configured to cool the incoming air (air passing through the inside) by the water retention portion 22. Specifically, the water in the water retention portion 22 of the air wet flow path W2 evaporates, and heat (latent heat of vaporization) is taken from the air flowing inside the air dry flow path D via the flat plate member 20. This causes the air flowing inside the air dry flow path D to be cooled. At this time, since the air dry flow path D is not provided with a structure for retaining water, the air in the air dry flow path D is not humidified.

In the air dry flow path D, the outside air that flows in is cooled without being humidified, so the amount of water vapor in the air in the air dry flow path D is saturated at a lower temperature than when the air in the air dry flow path D is humidified. Therefore, the temperature at which the temperature drop in the air in the air dry flow path D due to the cooling of the water in the water retention section 22 balances with the temperature rise due to the condensation heat of the water vapor contained in the air in the air dry flow path D is lower than when the air in the air dry flow path D is humidified. In other words, in the air dry flow path D, the temperature at which the temperature rise due to the condensation heat of the water vapor contained in the internal air balances with the internal temperature drop due to the cooling of the water in the water retention section 22 can be made lower than when the internal air is humidified. In this way, the air dry flow path D is configured to be able to cool the air in the air dry flow path D to the dew point temperature at which the water vapor contained in the air in the air dry flow path D condenses.

In the air dry flow path D, when the air inside reaches the dew point temperature and is further cooled, the water vapor in the air inside condenses, generating condensation heat, and the air inside is heated by the amount it is cooled, because the absolute humidity inside is saturated humidity. Therefore, in the air dry flow path D, at the dew point temperature, the condensation heat of the water vapor contained in the air inside is balanced with the cooling of the inside by the water in the moisture retention section 22. Note that absolute humidity indicates the weight ratio of water vapor to 1 kg of dry air (air without moisture) in the target air.

Cooling of the refrigerant in the air wet path
The air wet flow paths W1 and W2 are configured to receive the air (cooled air) that has flowed out of the air dry flow path D. In the evaporative heat exchanger 100, the air (cooled air) that has flowed out of the air dry flow path D flows through the internal space 12a of the second case portion 12 (see FIG. 3) and then through the internal space 13a of the third case portion 13 (see FIG. 3), and then flows into the air wet flow paths W1 and W2.

The air wet flow paths W1 and W2 are configured so that the air passing through them is heated. The air wet flow path W1 is configured so that the air passing through the air wet flow path W1 takes heat from the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path C, which has a higher temperature than the air wet flow path W1. In the air wet flow path W1, the temperature of the air passing through the air wet flow path W1 increases by taking heat from the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path C. The air passing through the air wet flow path W1 increases in temperature and therefore increases in the amount of saturated water vapor. As a result, in the air wet flow path W1, the water in the water retention section 31 is vaporized, and the air with a higher temperature is cooled and humidified by the vaporization of the water in the water retention section 31, returning to a saturated state. In this way, in the air wet flow path W1, the air passing through the air wet flow path W1 takes heat from the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path C, while the vaporized water vapor from the water retention section 31 flows downstream. That is, the air passing through the air wet flow path W1 is heated by the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path C and humidified by the water vapor evaporated from the water retention section 31.

The air wet flow path W2 is configured so that the air passing through the air wet flow path W2 takes heat from the air (outside air) in the air dry flow path D, which has a higher temperature than the air wet flow path W2. In the air wet flow path W2, the temperature of the air passing through the air wet flow path W2 rises by taking heat from the air (outside air) flowing through the air dry flow path D. Then, the air passing through the air wet flow path W2 increases in temperature and the amount of saturated water vapor increases, similar to the air wet flow path W1. As a result, in the air wet flow path W2, evaporation begins in the water retention section 22, and the air with a raised temperature is cooled and humidified by the evaporation of the water in the water retention section 22, returning to a saturated state. In this way, in the air wet flow path W2, the air passing through the air wet flow path W2 takes heat from the air in the air dry flow path D, while the water vapor evaporated from the water retention section 22 flows downstream. That is, the air passing through the wet air flow path W2 is heated by the air in the dry air flow path D and humidified by the water vapor evaporated from the water retention section 22.

In the air wet flow paths W1 and W2, the heated air (hot and humid air) is discharged to the external space from the opening 11c (see FIG. 3) on the Z2 side of the first case portion 11, thereby discharging heat. In addition, in the air wet flow paths W1 and W2, water that does not vaporize in the water retention portion 31 and the water retention portion 22 is also discharged to the external space from the opening 11c on the Z2 side of the first case portion 11.

(Distribution of cooling air by air flow restriction member)
As shown in Figure 10, in this embodiment, the air flow rate is adjusted by the air flow rate limiting member 23 so that the air flowing into the air dry flow path D is cooled by the latent heat of vaporization of the water in the water retention section 22 of the air wet flow path W2, and the cooled air (cooled air) is then distributed in a predetermined ratio to the air wet flow path W1 and the air wet flow path W2.

Here, if the ratio of air distributed to the air wet flow path W1 and the air wet flow path W2 is inappropriate, the cooling efficiency of the device will decrease. For example, if the flow rate of air flowing into the air wet flow path W1 is insufficient, the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path C cannot be sufficiently cooled, and the cooling efficiency of the device will decrease. Also, if the flow rate of air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 is insufficient, the air in the air dry flow path D cannot be sufficiently cooled. In other words, if the cooling of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 is insufficient, pre-cooling in the air dry flow path D is not sufficient, and the flowed-in air (outside air) cannot be cooled to the dew point temperature. If the pre-cooling in the air dry flow path D is insufficient, the temperature of the cooling air flowing into the air wet flow path W1 and the air wet flow path W2 is not low enough, so the cooling of the refrigerant is insufficient, and the cooling efficiency of the device will also decrease. Therefore, the air flow rate restricting member 23 distributes the cooling air from the air dry flow path D to the air wet flow path W1 and the air wet flow path W2 at a predetermined ratio so that the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path C can be sufficiently cooled while the air in the air dry flow path D can be cooled to the dew point temperature. In other words, the predetermined ratio is a ratio that can sufficiently cool the refrigerant flow path C and can cool the air in the air dry flow path D to the dew point temperature.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the airflow limiting member 23 adjusts the airflow so that an airflow of 40% to 60% of the cooling air from the air dry flow path D flows into the air wet flow path W2. In this case, the airflow limiting member 23 preferably adjusts the airflow so that 40% of the cooling air from the air dry flow path D flows into the air wet flow path W2.

That is, in this embodiment, the air flow rate limiting member 23 reduces the air flow rate flowing into the air wet flow path W2 of the air flow path block 2 so that the air flow rate flowing into the air wet flow path W2 of the air flow path block 2 is smaller than the air flow rate flowing into the air wet flow path W1 of the refrigerant flow path block 3. In other words, the air flow rate limiting member 23 limits the air flow rate flowing into the air wet flow path W2 so that the ratio of the air flow rate flowing into the air wet flow path W1 to the air flow rate flowing into the air wet flow path W2 is 6:4.

Here, the air wet flow path W1 of the refrigerant flow path block 3 is provided so as to be spaced apart from the air dry flow path D. That is, since the refrigerant flow path blocks 3 are provided on each of the left and right directions (X1 direction side and X2 direction side) of the air flow path block 2, the air wet flow path W1 of the refrigerant flow path block 3 is arranged spaced apart from the air dry flow path D on each of the left and right directions (X1 direction side and X2 direction side) when viewed from the air flow direction (Y1 direction side) of the air dry flow path D in the horizontal plane. On the other hand, the air wet flow path W2 is arranged adjacent to the air dry flow path D. Therefore, the cooling air from the air dry flow path D tends to flow more into the air wet flow path W2 of the air flow path block 2.

In this embodiment, the air flow rate limiting member 23 is configured to limit the amount of air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 of the air flow path block 2, thereby relatively increasing the flow rate of air flowing into the air wet flow path W1 of the refrigerant flow path block 3, which is located at a position away from the air dry flow path D. Specifically, the air flow rate limiting member 23 limits the inflow of air so that 40% of the cooling air from the air dry flow path D flows into the air wet flow path W2. Then, 30% of the cooling air from the air dry flow path D flows into each of the air wet flow paths W1 of the two refrigerant flow path blocks 3 located on the left and right sides of the air flow path block 2.

[Effects of this embodiment]
In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

In this embodiment, as described above, the air flowing into the air dry flow path D is cooled by the latent heat of vaporization of the water in the water retention section 22 of the air wet flow path W2, and then the air flow rate is adjusted so that the cooled air is distributed to the air wet flow path W1 and the air wet flow path W2 in a predetermined ratio. This allows the air flow rate limiting member 23 to appropriately distribute the air cooled in the air dry flow path D to the air wet flow path W1 for cooling the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant flow path C and the air wet flow path W2 for cooling the air flowing in the air dry flow path D in a predetermined ratio. Therefore, since an appropriate amount of cooled air can be distributed to the air wet flow path W1, it is possible to prevent the refrigerant from being insufficiently cooled by the cooled air in the air wet flow path W1. In addition, since an appropriate amount of cooled air can be distributed to the air wet flow path W2, it is possible to prevent the cooled air in the air wet flow path W2 from being insufficiently cooled. As a result, it is possible to cool both the refrigerant and the incoming air, and thus it is possible to prevent a decrease in cooling efficiency when the incoming air is cooled by the latent heat of vaporization of water and the cooled air is distributed between a flow path for cooling the refrigerant and a flow path for cooling the incoming air.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the airflow adjustment unit includes an airflow limiting member 23 that reduces the airflow of air flowing into at least one of the air wet flow path W1 (first air wet flow path) and the air wet flow path W2 (second air wet flow path), and the airflow limiting member 23 is configured to adjust the airflow so that the air from the air dry flow path D is distributed to the air wet flow path W1 and the air wet flow path W2 at a predetermined ratio. With this configuration, if the airflow of air flowing into the air wet flow path W1 is too large, the airflow of air flowing into the air wet flow path W1 can be reduced by arranging the airflow limiting member 23 so that the airflow of air flowing into the air wet flow path W1 is reduced. Also, if the airflow of air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 is too large, the airflow of air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 can be reduced by arranging the airflow limiting member 23 so that the airflow of air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 is reduced. Therefore, the air flow rate limiting member 23 can reduce the air flow rate flowing into at least one of the air wet flow paths W1 and W2, so the ratio of the air flow rates distributed to the air wet flow paths W1 and W2 can be easily adjusted to an appropriate ratio. As a result, the air and refrigerant that flow in can be appropriately cooled, so that a decrease in the cooling efficiency of the device can be easily prevented.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the airflow limiting member 23 is configured to adjust the airflow so that the air from the air dry flow path D is distributed to the air wet flow path W1 (first air wet flow path) and the air wet flow path W2 at a predetermined ratio by reducing the airflow of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 (second air wet flow path). With this configuration, the airflow limiting member 23 can reduce the airflow of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 to an appropriate airflow, so that it is possible to prevent the airflow of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W1 from being insufficient due to the airflow of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 being too large. Therefore, even when the airflow of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 is too large, the airflow limiting member 23 appropriately distributes the air from the air dry flow path D, so that it is possible to prevent the refrigerant from being insufficiently cooled. As a result, even when the airflow of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 is too large, the provision of the airflow limiting member 23 can easily prevent the cooling efficiency of the device from decreasing.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the air wet flow path W1 (first air wet flow path) is arranged separately from the air wet flow path W2 (second air wet flow path) adjacent to the air dry flow path D, and is arranged to be separated from the air dry flow path D, and the air flow rate limiting member 23 is configured to adjust the air flow rate so that the air from the air dry flow path D is distributed at a predetermined ratio to the air wet flow path W1 arranged to be separated from the air dry flow path D and the air wet flow path W2 adjacent to the air dry flow path D by reducing the air flow rate of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2. Here, when the air wet flow path W1 for cooling the refrigerant is arranged to be separated from the air dry flow path D in which the introduced air is cooled, the air wet flow path W2 is arranged adjacent to the air dry flow path D to cool the air in the air dry flow path D, so that the air flow rate of the cooled air flowing from the air dry flow path D to the air wet flow path W1 is smaller than the air flow rate of the cooled air flowing from the air dry flow path D to the air wet flow path W2. Therefore, when the air wet flow path W1 is provided at a distance from the air dry flow path D, the distribution of the cooled air from the air dry flow path D becomes inappropriate, and the cooling of the refrigerant becomes insufficient. In contrast, in this embodiment, the air flow rate restricting member 23 is configured to adjust the air flow rate so that the air from the air dry flow path D is distributed at a predetermined ratio to the air wet flow path W1 provided at a distance from the air dry flow path D and the air wet flow path W2 adjacent to the air dry flow path D by reducing the air flow rate of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2. With this configuration, even when the air wet flow path W1 is provided at a distance from the air dry flow path D, the air flow rate restricting member 23 reduces the air flow rate of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2, so that the cooled air from the air dry flow path D can be appropriately distributed. Therefore, an appropriate amount of cooled air can be distributed to the air wet flow path W1, and it is possible to prevent the amount of cooled air flowing into the air wet flow path W1 from being insufficient. As a result, it is possible to prevent the refrigerant from being cooled insufficiently, and even if the wet air flow path W1 is located away from the dry air flow path D, it is possible to prevent the cooling efficiency of the device from decreasing.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the air dry flow path D circulates air along the horizontal direction, the air wet flow path W1 (first air wet flow path) is arranged separately from the air wet flow path W2 (second air wet flow path) adjacent to the air dry flow path D, and is provided so as to be separated from the air dry flow path D in each of the left and right directions as viewed from the air flow direction of the air dry flow path D in the horizontal plane, and the air volume restriction member 23 is configured to adjust the air volume so that the air from the air dry flow path D is distributed in a predetermined ratio to the air wet flow path W1 arranged so as to be separated from the air dry flow path D in each of the left and right directions as viewed from the air flow direction of the air dry flow path D in the horizontal plane, and the air wet flow path W2 adjacent to the air dry flow path D, by reducing the air volume of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2. Here, when the cooled air from the air dry flow path D is distributed in three directions, that is, two air wet flow paths W1 provided on each of the left and right sides of the air wet flow path W2 and one air wet flow path W2, a lot of air flows into the air wet flow path W2 provided in the center of the three directions, and there is a shortage of air distributed to the two air wet flow paths W1 provided on each of the left and right sides of the three directions. In contrast, in this embodiment, the air volume restricting member 23 is configured to reduce the air volume of air flowing into the air wet flow path W2, thereby adjusting the air volume so that the air from the air dry flow path D is distributed at a predetermined ratio to the air wet flow path W1 arranged to be separated from the air dry flow path D in each of the left and right directions as viewed from the air flow direction of the air dry flow path D in the horizontal plane, and the air wet flow path W2 adjacent to the air dry flow path D. With this configuration, the air flow rate limiting member 23 can reduce the air flow rate flowing into the air wet flow path W2 located in the center of the three directions, thereby preventing the air flow rate from being insufficient in the air wet flow paths W1 located on each of the left and right sides of the three directions. Therefore, the cooled air from the air dry flow path D can be distributed in an appropriate ratio to the three directions of the two air wet flow paths W1 and the one air wet flow path W2. As a result, even when the cooled air from the air dry flow path D is distributed to the three directions of the air wet flow paths W1 and W2 located on each of the left and right sides of the air wet flow path W2, the refrigerant can be sufficiently cooled, so that the cooling efficiency of the device can be prevented from decreasing.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the air flow rate restricting member 23 is configured to reduce the air flow rate of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 (second air wet flow path) so that the air flow rate of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 (first air wet flow path) is smaller than the air flow rate of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W1 (first air wet flow path). With this configuration, the air flow rate of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 can be made smaller than the air flow rate of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W1 while the air flow rate of the air required to cool the refrigerant is flowed into the air wet flow path W1 for cooling the refrigerant. Therefore, compared to the case where the air flow rate of the air wet flow path W2 is larger than the air flow rate of the air wet flow path W1, the total air flow rate flowing into both the air wet flow path W1 and the air wet flow path W2 can be made smaller. In other words, the total air flow rate flowing in from outside the device can be made smaller. As a result, the energy consumption consumed by the components such as the blower fan 5 for flowing in air from outside the device can be reduced while suppressing the decrease in the cooling efficiency of the device, thereby further increasing the energy efficiency of the entire device.

In addition, as described above, this embodiment further includes a water supply section 4 that supplies water to the water retention section 31 (first water retention section) of the air wet flow path W1 (first air wet flow path) and the water retention section 22 (second water retention section) of the air wet flow path W2 (second air wet flow path) by spraying water from above, and the air wet flow path W1 and the air wet flow path W2 are configured to allow air to flow in the vertical direction, and the air volume restriction member 23 is disposed between the air wet flow path W2 and the water supply section 4, and is configured to reduce the volume of air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 by allowing water from the water supply section 4 to penetrate while restricting the flow of air, and to distribute water to the water retention section 22 of the air wet flow path W2. With this configuration, the airflow limiting member 23 reduces the amount of air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 and distributes water to the water retention portion 22 of the air wet flow path W2, so that the airflow limiting member 23 can distribute the cooled air to the air wet flow path W1 and the air wet flow path W2 at a predetermined ratio, and also distribute water to the water retention portion 22. Therefore, the airflow limiting member 23 distributes water throughout the water retention portion 22, so that the water can be efficiently vaporized throughout the water retention portion 22. In addition to appropriately distributing the cooled air at a predetermined ratio, the vaporization of the water in the water retention portion 22 can more effectively cool the air that flows in.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the air flow rate limiting member 23 has a sheet shape and is arranged to cover the entrance of the air wet flow path W2 so as to reduce the air flow rate of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 (second air wet flow path) and to distribute water to the water retention portion 22 (second water retention portion) of the air wet flow path W2. With this configuration, by arranging the air flow rate limiting member 23 having a sheet shape to cover the entrance of the air wet flow path W2, in addition to distributing the cooled air to the air wet flow path W1 (first air wet flow path) and the air wet flow path W2 at a predetermined ratio, simply by arranging the sheet-shaped air flow rate limiting member 23, it is possible to easily and efficiently cool the air by vaporizing the water in the water retention portion 22 of the air wet flow path W2. Therefore, by arranging the air flow rate limiting member 23 having a sheet shape to cover the entrance of the air wet flow path W2, in addition to appropriately distributing the cooled air, it is possible to more easily and efficiently cool the air by vaporizing the water in the water retention portion 22 in the air wet flow path W2.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the refrigerant flow path block 3 includes a plurality of flat tubes 30 having a refrigerant flow path C therein and a water retention section 31 (first water retention section) on the outer surface, with an air wet flow path W1 (first air wet flow path) formed between the plurality of flat tubes 30, and an air flow path block 2 that includes a plurality of flat plate members 20 having an air dry flow path D therein and a water retention section 22 on the outer surface, with an air wet flow path W2 (second air wet flow path) formed between the plurality of flat plate members 20, and is provided separately from the refrigerant flow path block 3, and the air flow rate limiting member 23 (air flow rate adjusting section) is configured to adjust the air flow rate so that air from the air dry flow path D of the air flow path block 2 is distributed in a predetermined ratio to the air wet flow path W1 of the refrigerant flow path block 3 and the air wet flow path W2 of the air flow path block 2. Here, in the air flow path block 2, the air wet flow path W2 is formed between the plurality of flat plate members 20 having the air dry flow path D therein, and the refrigerant flow path block 3 in which the air wet flow path W1 is formed is provided separately from the air flow path block 2, so that the air volume of the air flowing from the air dry flow path D to the air wet flow path W2 is larger than the air volume of the air flowing from the air dry flow path D to the air wet flow path W1. In contrast, in this embodiment, the air volume restricting member 23 is configured to adjust the air volume so that the air from the air dry flow path D of the air flow path block 2 is distributed at a predetermined ratio to the air wet flow path W1 of the refrigerant flow path block 3 and the air wet flow path W2 of the air flow path block 2. With this configuration, even when the refrigerant flow path block 3 including the air wet flow path W1 and the air flow path block 2 including the air dry flow path D and the air wet flow path W2 are provided separately, the air volume restricting member 23 can adjust the air volume so that the air flowing into the air wet flow path W1 and the air wet flow path W2 is appropriately distributed at a predetermined ratio. As a result, even when the refrigerant flow path block 3 including the air wet flow path W2 and the air flow path block 2 including the air dry flow path D and the air wet flow path W2 are provided separately, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the cooling efficiency of the device.

In the present embodiment, as described above, the refrigerant flow path block 3 includes a first refrigerant flow path block 3a and a second refrigerant flow path block 3b, and both the first refrigerant flow path block 3a and the second refrigerant flow path block 3b each include a plurality of flat tubes 30, the air flow path block 2 is arranged adjacent to the first refrigerant flow path block 3a and the second refrigerant flow path block 3b in the horizontal direction so as to be sandwiched between them, and the air flow rate adjustment unit includes a sheet-shaped air flow rate limiting member 23 arranged to cover the entrance of the air wet flow path W2 (second air wet flow path) of the air flow path block 2 and to reduce the air flow rate of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2. With this configuration, even when the air flow path block 2 is arranged adjacent to the first refrigerant flow path block 3a and the second refrigerant flow path block 3b in the horizontal direction so as to be sandwiched between them, the sheet-shaped air flow rate limiting member 23 can reduce the air flow rate of the air flowing into the air wet flow path W2 of the air flow path block 2. Therefore, even when the air flow path block 2 is arranged horizontally adjacent to the two refrigerant flow path blocks 3 so as to be sandwiched between them, the cooled air from the air dry flow path D of the air flow path block 2 can be appropriately distributed in a predetermined ratio to the three flow paths, the air wet flow path W1 (first air wet flow path) of each of the two refrigerant flow path blocks 3 and the air wet flow path W2 of the air flow path block 2. As a result, even when the air flow path block 2 is arranged horizontally adjacent to the two refrigerant flow path blocks 3 so as to be sandwiched between them, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the cooling efficiency of the device.

[Modification]
It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

For example, in the above embodiment, the air flow path block is sandwiched between the first refrigerant flow path block and the second refrigerant flow path block, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as in the modified evaporative heat exchanger 200 shown in FIG. 12, the air flow path block 202 may be arranged adjacent to one refrigerant flow path block 203. In this case, by arranging an air flow rate limiting member (air flow rate adjustment unit) at the entrance of the air wet flow path (second air wet flow path) on the upper side (Z1 direction side) of the air flow path block 202, the flow rate of air flowing into each of the air wet flow paths of the air flow path block 202 and the refrigerant flow path block 203 is adjusted to a predetermined ratio.

In the above embodiment, the airflow adjustment unit includes an airflow restriction member that reduces the airflow of the air flowing into at least one of the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the airflow adjustment unit may be a blower fan that adjusts the airflow of the air distributed to the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path. Also, a duct portion of the housing may be used as the airflow adjustment unit. That is, the airflow of the air distributed to the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path may be adjusted by providing a difference in the cross-sectional area of the flow path (duct portion) that flows from the outlet of the air dry flow path to the inlets of the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path.

In the above embodiment, the airflow restriction member is configured to adjust the airflow so that the air from the air dry flow path is distributed to the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path at a predetermined ratio by reducing the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the airflow restriction member may be configured to adjust the airflow so that the air from the air dry flow path is distributed to the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path at a predetermined ratio by reducing the airflow rate of the air flowing into the first air wet flow path. Also, the airflow restriction member may be configured to be provided in both the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path.

In the above embodiment, the first air wet flow path is provided so as to be spaced apart from the air dry flow path, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first air wet flow path may be provided adjacent to the air dry flow path. In other words, the first air wet flow path may be arranged alternately with the second air wet flow path, so that the first air wet flow path is provided adjacent to the air dry flow path.

In the above embodiment, the airflow restriction member is configured to reduce the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path so that the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path is smaller than the airflow rate of the air flowing into the first air wet flow path, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the second air wet flow path of the air flow path block requires a larger airflow rate than the first air wet flow path of the refrigerant flow path block, the airflow restriction member may be configured to reduce the airflow rate of the air flowing into the first air wet flow path so that the airflow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path is larger than the airflow rate of the air flowing into the first air wet flow path.

In the above embodiment, the air flow restriction member is disposed between the second air wet flow path and the water supply unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the air flow restriction member does not have to be disposed between the water supply unit and the second air wet flow path. For example, the air flow restriction member may be disposed at the outlet of the second air wet flow path.

In the above embodiment, the airflow restriction member has a sheet shape and is arranged to cover the entrance of the second air wet flow path so as to reduce the amount of air flowing into the second air wet flow path and to distribute water to the second water retention section of the second air wet flow path, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the airflow restriction member may be sponge-like. That is, by arranging a sponge-like airflow restriction member to cover the entrance of the second air wet flow path, the amount of air flowing into the second air wet flow path may be reduced and water may be distributed to the second water retention section of the second air wet flow path.

In the above embodiment, the refrigerant flow path block includes a plurality of flat tubes having a refrigerant flow path therein, and the air flow path block includes a plurality of flat plate members having an air dry flow path therein, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the refrigerant flow path block may be a fin-and-tube type heat exchanger having a refrigerant flow path. Also, the air flow path block may be composed of flat tubes having an air dry flow path.

In the above embodiment, the refrigerant flow path block is formed by flat tubes having four through holes, and the air flow path block is formed by a flat plate member having ten through holes. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the refrigerant flow path block may be formed by flat tubes having five or more or three or less through holes. The air flow path block may be formed by a flat plate member having 11 or more or nine or less through holes. Similarly, the number of flat tubes that form the refrigerant flow path block and the number of flat plate members that form the air flow path block may be any number.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the air flowing into the air dry flow path member flows in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the refrigerant flow path block and the air flow path block are adjacent in a horizontal plane, and then flows vertically downward through the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the air flowing into the air dry flow path member and the air flowing through the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path may flow in opposite directions. Also, the direction of the air flowing through the first air wet flow path and the direction of the air flowing through the second air wet flow path may be different.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the air flow restriction member was arranged over the entire second wet air flow path of the air flow path block, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the air flow restriction member may be configured to be arranged so as to cover a portion of the second wet air flow path.

2, 202 Air flow path block 3, 203 Coolant flow path block 3a First coolant flow path block 3b Second coolant flow path block 4 Water supply section 20 Flat plate member 22 Water retention section (second water retention section)
23 Air flow limiting member (air flow adjusting section)
30 Flat tube 31 Water retention part (first water retention part)
100, 200 Evaporative heat exchanger

Claims (10)

a refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant flows;
a first water retention portion that retains water for cooling the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path and is disposed adjacent to the refrigerant flow path;
an air dry flow path through which air flows;
a second air wet flow path that is provided with a second water retention portion that retains water for cooling the air flowing through the air dry flow path and is disposed adjacent to the air dry flow path and separately from the first air wet flow path;
an air volume adjustment unit that adjusts the air volume so that the air flowing into the air dry flow path is cooled by the latent heat of vaporization of water in the second water retention section of the second air wet flow path, and the cooled air is distributed in a predetermined ratio to the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path that are arranged separately from each other. the airflow rate adjusting unit includes an airflow rate limiting member that reduces an amount of air flowing into at least one of the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path,
2. The evaporative heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the air flow rate limiting member is configured to adjust the air flow rate so that air from the air dry flow path is distributed to the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path in a predetermined ratio. The evaporative heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the air flow rate limiting member is configured to adjust the air flow rate so that the air from the dry air flow path is distributed to the first wet air flow path and the second wet air flow path at a predetermined ratio by reducing the air flow rate of the air flowing into the second wet air flow path. the first wet air flow path is disposed separately from the second wet air flow path adjacent to the dry air flow path and is spaced apart from the dry air flow path;
4. The evaporative heat exchanger of claim 3, wherein the air flow rate limiting member is configured to adjust the air flow rate by reducing the air flow rate flowing into the second air wet flow rate so that air from the air dry flow rate is distributed in a predetermined ratio to the first air wet flow rate spaced apart from the air dry flow rate and the second air wet flow rate adjacent to the air dry flow rate. The air drying passage allows air to flow in a horizontal direction,
the first air wet flow path is disposed separately from the second air wet flow path adjacent to the air dry flow path, and is provided so as to be spaced apart from the air dry flow path in each of the left and right directions as viewed from the air flow direction of the air dry flow path in a horizontal plane,
5. The evaporative heat exchanger of claim 4, wherein the air volume limiting member is configured to adjust the air volume so that air from the air dry flow path is distributed in a predetermined ratio to the first air wet flow path, which is arranged to be separated from the air dry flow path in each of the left and right directions when viewed from the air flow direction of the air dry flow path in a horizontal plane, and the second air wet flow path adjacent to the air dry flow path, by reducing the air volume flowing into the second air wet flow path. The evaporative heat exchanger according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the air flow rate limiting member is configured to reduce the air flow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path so that the air flow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path is smaller than the air flow rate of the air flowing into the first air wet flow path. a water supply unit that supplies water to the first water retention unit of the first air wet flow path and the second water retention unit of the second air wet flow path by spraying water from above,
the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path are configured to allow air to flow along a vertical direction,
The evaporative heat exchanger of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the air volume limiting member is arranged between the second air wet flow path and the water supply section, and is configured to reduce the volume of air flowing into the second air wet flow path by restricting the flow of air while allowing water from the water supply section to penetrate, thereby reducing the volume of air flowing into the second air wet flow path and distributing water throughout the second water retention section of the second air wet flow path. The evaporative heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein the air flow rate limiting member has a sheet shape and is arranged to cover the inlet of the second air wet flow path so as to reduce the air flow rate of the air flowing into the second air wet flow path and to distribute water to the second water retention portion of the second air wet flow path. a refrigerant flow path block including a plurality of flat tubes having the refrigerant flow path therein and the first water retention portion provided on an outer surface thereof, the first air wet flow path being formed between the plurality of flat tubes;
a plurality of flat plate members each having the dry air flow path therein and the second water retention portion provided on an outer surface thereof, the second wet air flow path being formed between the plurality of flat plate members, and an air flow path block provided separately from the refrigerant flow path block;
An evaporative heat exchanger as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the air volume adjustment unit is configured to adjust the air volume so that air from the air dry flow path of the air flow path block is distributed in a predetermined ratio to the first air wet flow path of the refrigerant flow path block and the second air wet flow path of the air flow path block. the refrigerant flow path block includes a first refrigerant flow path block and a second refrigerant flow path block,
Both the first refrigerant flow path block and the second refrigerant flow path block each include the plurality of flat tubes,
the air flow path block is disposed adjacent to the first refrigerant flow path block and the second refrigerant flow path block in a horizontal direction so as to be sandwiched between the first refrigerant flow path block and the second refrigerant flow path block,
The evaporative heat exchanger of claim 9, wherein the air volume adjustment section is arranged to cover the entrance of the second air wet flow path of the air flow path block and includes a sheet-shaped air volume limiting member that reduces the volume of air flowing into the second air wet flow path.

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