KR100334619B1 - Core unit of heat exchanger having electric heater - Google Patents

Abstract

The core unit of the heat exchanger includes a plurality of parallel flat tubes, a plurality of corrugated fins, two corrugated fins and an electric heater disposed inside the support member. The support member has a pair of parallel plates attached to the pleat pins at the pleat top. The electric heater is composed of a heating element and an insulating member inserted between the parallel plate and the heating element.

Description

Core unit of heat exchanger with electric heater and manufacturing method thereof {CORE UNIT OF HEAT EXCHANGER HAVING ELECTRIC HEATER}

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger of a heating apparatus in which an electric heater is integrally disposed therein so as to heat not only hot water heated by a vehicle engine but also air, and a manufacturing method thereof.

Japanese Patent Nos. JP-A-5-69732 and JP-A-63-203411 disclose a conventional heat exchanger having an electric heater integrated therein. The heat exchanger of the heating system where hot water or engine coolant is used to heat the air is provided with an integrally integrated electric heater. When the temperature of the coolant is low, for example when the engine has just started, the electric heater is turned on to generate heat, thereby heating the air. The above structure reduces the pressure loss in the heating air blowing system of the heating device, as compared with the structure having a separate PTC heater. Since the PTC heater has a positive temperature characteristic of rapidly changing its resistance at a set temperature, it is not necessary to provide a temperature control circuit, so that the driving circuit thereof can be simply configured.

The electric heater is composed of PTC elements and electrodes and soldered to the heat exchanger core. Thus, the PTC element is exposed to hot air during soldering (eg, 600 ° C. for soldering aluminum members), as a result of which the electrical properties of the heater element may be substantially impaired.

In a typical vehicle air conditioning system, the heat exchanger of the heating device is disposed downstream of the air cooling heat exchanger to control reheating by the heat exchanger of the heating device, thereby controlling the air temperature blown to the vehicle cabin. . Therefore, the snow flowing from the condensed water or the intake port formed in the air cooling heat exchanger is attached to the surface of the heat exchanger of the heating device. Since the electric heater is exposed to the outside from the heat exchanger core, such water or snow may cause a short circuit or a short circuit.

In the conventional apparatus disclosed in the literature, only the set temperature of the PTC heater is disclosed as 80 ° C, and there is no description of the method for determining the set temperature. In addition, it has been found through the experiments of the applicant that if the set temperature of the PTC heater is not stable, the heat generated by the PTC heater cannot be used for heating the heating air.

In the core unit of the heat exchanger, a plurality of flat tubes for conducting heat of water or engine coolant are arranged in parallel, and each of the plurality of corrugated fins is disposed between two flat tubes. If one PTC heater is installed instead of one flat tube, the heat of the PTC heater is conducted to the water through the corrugation pins and the adjacent flat tube. When the temperature of the water is low, if the PTC heater is operated, the temperature of the corrugated fin portion adjacent to the PTC heater becomes higher than the temperature of the corrugated fin portion adjacent to the flat tube. If the set temperature of the PTC heater is too high, the heat generated by the PTC heater is transferred to the water. That is, the PTC heater cannot efficiently heat the heating air to be used for the heating device. On the other hand, if the set temperature is too low, the PTC heater cannot generate enough power to heat the heating air.

In view of the above problems, the present invention has been configured to provide a core unit of a heat exchanger in which an electric heater can be installed without damage.

According to a feature of the invention, the core unit of the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of parallel flat tubes, a plurality of corrugated fins, a support member disposed between the two corrugated fins, and an electric heater disposed inside the support member. The support member has a pair of parallel plates (or support plates) attached to the pleat pins at the top of the pleats, and the electric heater includes a heating element and an insulating member inserted between the plates parallel to the heating element.

As a result, the support plate can be soldered to the pleat pins before the electric heater is inserted between the two support plates. Thus, the electrical properties of the electric heater are not damaged during the soldering process of the core unit. Even if the corrugated pin has a complicated shape, the electric heater can be easily inserted into the corrugated pin without damage. In addition, since the electric heater is inserted between and insulated from the two support plates, current can be supplied to the electric heater without flowing to the metal part (tube, etc.) of the core unit, and consequently, the electric of the metal part of the core unit Corrosive action can be prevented. In addition, even if the height of the wrinkles of the corrugated pin is irregularly formed, the solder in the molten state moves to the capillary phenomenon to fill the gap between the support plate and the corrugated top of the corrugated pin. Thus, the pleat top of the pleat pin can be reliably soldered to the support plate, and heat generated by the electric heater can be effectively conducted from the support plate to the pleat pin.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent short circuits and short circuits caused by condensed water and the like.

According to another feature of the present invention, a core unit of a heat exchanger having an air inlet side and an air outlet side extends in parallel along a plurality of flat tubes, a plurality of corrugated pins, a flat tube that conduct heat of the heat medium in parallel. And a pair of plates (or support plates), a U-shaped support member having an open end and a U-shaped closed end, and an electric heater disposed between and insulated from the support member. The support member is disposed between the corrugated tops of two adjacent corrugated pins, the U-shaped closed end is arranged at the air inlet side, and each plate is attached to one of the corrugated pins at the corrugated top. The opening end projects from the end of the electric heater. In addition, the opening end may be flared skirt-shaped. The support member may have the same thickness as the core unit in the air flow direction, and the electric heater may have a thickness smaller than the support member in the direction of the core thickness.

Since the U-shaped closure of the support member is disposed on the air inlet side of the heat exchanger core unit, even if water adheres to the upstream portion of the core unit, the closure can prevent the water from entering the support member. Therefore, the condensate does not adhere to the electric heater, and short-circuit and short circuit due to water are prevented. Since the opening of the support member protrudes from the electric heater, even if water moves to the opening along the surface of the support member, water can be prevented from adhering to the electric heater.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved heat exchanger core unit having a PTC heater capable of heating heating air at maximum efficiency for heating the air by hot water or engine coolant.

According to another feature of the invention, the core unit of the heat exchanger core comprises a plurality of parallelly arranged flat tubes for conducting heat to the thermal medium, a plurality of corrugated fins having corrugated tops disposed between the two flat tubes, and An electric heater disposed between two corrugated tops instead of one flat tube. The electric heater has a positive temperature characteristic that rapidly changes its resistance at a set temperature, and when the water temperature is 60 ° C or higher and the air temperature to be heated is 0 ° C or lower, the flat tube is at the same temperature as the water in the flat tube. Heat the pin part adjacent to it.

Typically, diesel engines operate at high efficiency and their water temperature does not rise sufficiently even after the engine warms up. In the case of such a high efficiency engine, the water temperature cannot rise to 60 ° C. If the temperature of the water in the flat tube does not rise to 60 ° C., the heat generated by the PTC heater is not transferred to the water, so the PTC heater does not efficiently heat the heating air.

According to another feature of the invention, the core unit of the heat exchanger core has a plurality of parallelly arranged flat tubes conducting heat of the thermal medium, instead of a plurality of corrugated fins, flat tubes each disposed between two flat tubes. A PTC heater disposed in a portion of the core unit. The corrugated pin is disposed between the two flat tubes and is between 3.9 mm and 5 mm in height and has a corrugated top. The set temperature of PTC heater is between 85 degreeC and 110 degreeC. The electric heater is a three-layer sandwich structure composed of an electric heating element and two flat electrodes disposed on opposite sides of the electric heating element, and is inserted between the two electrodes and the pleat pins. Two electrodes are pressed into the pleat top. The PTC heater has a heat generating element having a positive temperature characteristic that changes resistance rapidly at a set temperature between 120 ° C and 170 ° C.

According to the inventor's research, the set temperature and the height of the PTC heater are set as described above, and heating air temperature ≤ 0 ° C; Under the condition that the water temperature in the flat tube is ≧ 60 ° C., the heat of the PTC heater is not transferred to the water.

In addition, since the height of the fin between 3.9 mm and 5 mm reduces the temperature difference between the fin and the heating air, the corrugated fin-type heat exchanger core unit can provide sufficient heat dissipation and effective heating of the heating air by the PTC heater. Can be.

Other features, features, and objects of the present invention, as well as the functions of the relevant parts of the present invention, will become more apparent from a review of the following detailed description and claims with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view showing a heat exchanger having an electric heater integrated therein according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a portion where an electric heater is installed;

3A is a partial perspective view of the electric heater shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3B is a side sectional view of the electric heater, FIG. 3C is a front sectional view of the electric heater, and FIG. 3D is a plan view of the electric heater;

4 is a schematic view showing a portion where an electric heater is disposed;

5 is an enlarged perspective view showing a portion where an electric heater of a heat exchanger according to a second embodiment of the present invention is disposed;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a portion where the electric heater shown in FIG. 5 is installed; FIG.

7 is a schematic diagram showing an airflow system of a vehicle air conditioner according to a second embodiment;

8 is a sectional view of a modification of the electric heater according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

9 is a perspective view showing a second modification of the heat exchanger electric heater according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

10 is a sectional view of a third modification of the electric heater according to the second embodiment;

11 is a sectional view of a fourth modification of the electric heater according to the second embodiment;

12 is a sectional view of a fifth modification of the electric heater according to the second embodiment;

13 is a sectional view of a sixth modification of the electric heater according to the second embodiment;

14 is a schematic view showing a main part of a core unit of a heat exchanger according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 15 is a drive circuit diagram for a PTC heater integrated into the core unit shown in Fig. 14;

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing a temperature distribution in a corrugated fin adjacent to the PTC heater shown in FIG. 15; FIG.

Fig. 17 is a graph showing the relationship between the height of the pleat pins and the set temperature of the PTC heater at a water temperature of 60 ° C;

Fig. 18 is a graph showing the relationship between the height of the pleat fins and the set temperature of the PTC heater at a water temperature of 80 ° C;

Fig. 19 is a graph showing the relationship between the temperature of heating air and the set temperature of the PTC heater in the state where the height of the fin is 4.5 mm;

20 is a graph showing the relationship between the temperature of heating air and the set temperature of a PTC heater in a state where the height of the fin is 4.0 mm;

21 is a graph showing the temperature distribution in the corrugation pin.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

1: hot water inlet tank 2: hot water outlet tank

3: core unit 4: inlet pipe

5: outlet tube 6: flat tube

7: corrugated pin 8a, 8b: side plate

9: electric heater 9a: heating element

9b and 9c: electrode plate 9d: insulating coating material

9e, 9f: Terminals 10, 11: Support plate (plate)

12,13: fastening member

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2, the heat exchanger for a heating device has a hot water inlet tank 1, a hot water outlet tank 2 and a heat exchanger core unit 3 disposed between the tanks 1, 2. The hot water inflow tank 1 has an inflow pipe 4 through which hot water or engine coolant flows from a vehicle engine (not shown). The hot water outlet tank 2 has an outlet pipe 5 through which hot water is discharged and returned to the engine. The heat exchanger is a symmetrical shape, and thus the hot water inlet tank 1 and the hot water outlet tank 2 may be interchanged.

The inflow tank 1 is composed of a tank body 1a, and the outflow tank 2 is composed of a tank body 2a. The metal plates 1b and 2b close the open ends of the tank bodies 1a and 2a, respectively. 1 and 2, the vertical direction of the heat exchanger is the longitudinal direction of the tanks 1, 2. The metal plates 1b and 2b have a plurality of elliptical tubes for receiving holes (not shown). The elliptical tube receiving the hole is formed in a single line or a plurality of lines in the vertical direction in Figs.

The heat exchanger core unit 3 has a plurality of flat tubes 6 superimposed in the vertical direction. One of the plurality of corrugated pins 7 is disposed between and brazed to each pair of flat tubes 6. Each corrugated fin 7 has a plurality of louvers extending at an angle with respect to the direction A of the heating air to increase the heat exchange rate.

The opposite ends of each flat tube 6 are inserted into and soldered to corresponding hole receiving tubes of the metal plates 1b and 2b of the inlet and outlet tanks 1 and 2. The side plates 8a and 8b are arranged on the outermost corrugated pin 7 and soldered to the same outermost corrugated pin 7 and the metal plates 1b and 2b.

A pair of support plates 10, 11 are arranged in each of the four parts of the core unit 3 between the corrugated tops of two adjacent corrugated pins 7 instead of the flat tube 6, parallel to each other by a distance L. Extend. The distance L is equal to the thickness of the electric heater 9. Each of the four electric heaters 9 is inserted between the supporting plates 10, 11 and fixed therein.

The components of the core unit 3 and the supporting plates 10, 11 are made of aluminum or aluminum alloy. Each support plate 10, 11 is made of a thin plate having a thickness between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm and a width (in the flow direction of the heating air) of approximately the same size as the corrugated fin 7. The length (in the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) of the support plates 10, 11 is approximately equal to the distance between the metal plates 1b, 2b.

The electric heater 9, as shown in Fig. 3, is a sandwich of three layers consisting of a flat heating element 9a and long flat electrode plates 9b and 9c disposed on opposite surfaces of the heating element 9a. Has a structure. The insulating coating material 9d made of an insulating material covers the outer circumference of the electrode plates 9b and 9c. The heat generating element 9a is a PTC heater made of a resistive material (such as barium titanate), and has a positive temperature characteristic of rapidly increasing the resistance at a set temperature T0 (for example, about 90 ° C). The thickness of the heat generating element 9a is between 1.0 mm and 2.0 mm.

The electrode plates 9b and 9c are made of aluminum, copper, stainless steel, or the like, and the thickness thereof is between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm. The lengths of the electrode plates 9b and 9c (horizontal size in FIG. 1) are almost the same as the lengths of the support plates 10 and 11. The heat generating element 9a and the electrode plates 9b and 9c are pressed together to provide good electrical conductivity.

The insulating coating material 9d is used to insulate the supporting plates 10 and 11 from the electrode plates 9b and 9c and to conduct heat generated by the heat generating element 9a to the supporting plates 10 and 11. It is pressed in the space between. For this purpose, the thickness of the insulating coating material 9d disposed between the supporting member and one of the electrode plates 9b and 9c is formed between 25 µm and 100 µm.

The thickness of the insulating coating material 9d on the opposite side of the heat generating element is about 1 to 2 mm to protect the heat generating element 9a. Preferably, the insulating coating material 9d is made of resin (for example, polyimide) which withstands high temperature.

The terminals 9e and 9f are integrally formed with the positive electrode plate 9b and the negative electrode plate 9c to be connected to an external circuit. The terminals 9e and 9f protrude from the rear side of the core unit 3 (downstream side of the air flow A in FIG. 1). The terminal 9e is formed on the right side of the positive electrode plate 9b, and the terminal 9f is formed on the left side of the negative electrode plate 9c. Both terminals 9e and 9f may protrude toward the rear side (air flow direction A).

The terminals 9e and 9f are connected to an external circuit (not shown) so that the electric heater 9 can be powered by the vehicle power source.

Reference numerals "12" and "13" designate fastening members or bands made of anti-corrosion metal disposed respectively on the surface of the air outlet side and the surface of the air inlet side of the core unit 3. Each fastening member 12, 13 has a latch portion at its opposite end that engages the grooves 8c, 8d formed in the middle of the upper and lower side plates 8a, 8b. The fastening members 12, 13 provide a fastening force for fixing the electric heater 9 to the support plates 10, 11.

In the case of the assembly process, the tube 6 and the corrugation pins 7 alternately overlap each other, and the support plates 10 and 11 are inserted between the corrugation tops of the corrugation pins 7 located at four hatched portions. In order to maintain the distance between the two plates 10, 11, a dummy spacer (not shown) is inserted into the support plates 10, 11.

Spacers are made of a material (such as carbon) that resists heat of soldering and is not soldered to aluminum. In addition, the tanks 1 and 2, the pipes 4 and 5 and the side plates 8a and 8b are assembled by a known method.

The assembled unit is held by an assembly tool and sent to a furnace for soldering or soldering. The assembled unit is heated to a soldering temperature (600 ° C.) which melts the solder in the aluminum cladding member of the core unit 3.

The assembled unit is then taken out of the furnace and cooled until the temperature of the assembled unit drops to ambient temperature. Then, the flat heat generating element 9a is inserted between the electrode plates 9b and 9c to form three layers of sandwich units, which are covered by the insulating coating 9d.

Then, the dummy spacer is removed from the supporting plates 10 and 11, and each electric heater 9 is inserted thereto in such a manner that the insulating coating 9d is pressed into the supporting plates 10 and 11. Then, the latches of the fastening members 12 and 13 engage with the grooves 8c and 8d of the upper and lower side plates 8a and 8b to firmly fix the core unit 3.

In the case of operation, when the passenger compartment is heated, the motor-driven fan 15 passes air through the space between the flat tube 6 and the corrugation pin 7 in the direction indicated by arrow A in FIG. It works. On the other hand, a water pump (not shown) is operated so that hot water flows into the inlet tank 1 from the inlet pipe 4.

The hot water is distributed to a plurality of flat tubes 6 to transfer their heat to the air to be heated while flowing along the flat tubes 6. All water flowing along the flat tube 6 collects in the outflow tank 2 and is discharged to the engine through the outflow pipe 5.

When the hot water temperature of the engine is lower than the preset temperature (for example, 80 ° C.), the power supply voltage of the vehicle is applied through the terminals 9e and 9f of the electrode plates 9b and 9c. As a result, the heat generating element 9a is fed to generate heat, and the heat is conducted to the corrugated fins 7 through the electrode plates 9b and 9c, the insulating coating material 9d and the supporting plates 10 and 11. Therefore, even if the water is not heated sufficiently, the air is heated in a short time.

The heat generating element 9a is composed of a PTC element having a positive temperature characteristic whose resistance rapidly increases at the preset temperature T0, and thus automatically adjusts its temperature to the preset temperature.

Since the corrugated pin 7 and the support plates 10 and 11 are pre-soldered, in the subsequent soldering step of the core, the solder melt is formed by the capillary phenomenon, even though the gap is formed due to the irregular height of the corrugation. The gap is guided to the gap between the tops of the pleats.

The insulating coating 9d of the electric heater 9 may be made of an adhesive resin material for attaching the electric heater 9 to the support plates 10, 11. In this case, the fastening member is not necessary.

Second Embodiment

Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. As shown in Fig. 5, each part of the heat exchanger core unit 3, in which the electric heater is installed, has a U-shaped support extending in the longitudinal direction of the flat tube 6 between the tops of the corrugations of two adjacent corrugated fins. It has a member 100. The U-shaped closure of the support member 100 is located on the air outlet side of the heat exchanger core unit 3.

The support member 100 has plates (support plates) 10 and 11 extending in parallel by the distance L1, which are soldered to the tops of the corrugations in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The electric heater 9 is inserted into the support member 100 from the opening 10b and held therein. As described above, the electric heater 9 is fixed by an insulating member.

The total thickness L2 of the support member 100 is determined to be equal to the thickness L3 of the flat tube 6 so that the support member can be installed between the corrugation pins 7 instead of the flat tube 6. Referring to Fig. 6, D represents not only the thickness of the core unit 3 but also the width of the corrugation pin 7 and the flat tube 6 in the air flow direction.

Each support member 100 is made of a thin plate having a width (in the flow direction of the heating air) of a thickness between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm and approximately the same as the core thickness D. The length of the support member 100 (in the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) is almost equal to the distance between the metal plates 1b and 2b.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the electric heater 9 has three layers composed of a flat heat generating element 9a and long flat electrode plates 9b and 9c disposed on opposite surfaces of the heat generating element 9a. Has a sandwich structure. The insulating coating material 9d covers the electrode plates 9b and 9c. The heat generating element 9a is a PTC heater element having a positive temperature characteristic for rapidly increasing the resistance at a prescribed temperature T0 (for example, about 200 ° C). The thickness of the heat generating element 9a is between 1.0 mm and 2.0 mm.

The electrode plates 9b and 9c of the heat generating element 9a are made of aluminum, copper, stainless steel, or the like and have a thickness between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm. The lengths of the electrode plates 9b and 9c (horizontal size in FIG. 1) are almost the same as the length of the supporting member 100.

Since the support member 100 has a U-shaped closure 10a, the electric heater can be fixed by a single fastening member disposed in the opening 10b.

7 shows the air conditioner in which the heat exchanger H of the heating apparatus according to the present embodiment is installed. The outside air or the inside air is introduced by the motor drive fan 15 disposed upstream of the resin case 14 and sent to the evaporator 16 of the refrigeration cycle to be cooled and dried. The cooled air is separated by the air-mixing door 17 into a flow through the air heating heat exchanger H and a flow through the bypass 18, thereby rotating the air-mixing door 17, thereby exchanging heat exchange. The air heated by the air H and the air passing through the bypass 18 may be mixed and regulated, thereby controlling the temperature of the air blown into the vehicle passenger compartment.

The present invention can be applied to a vehicular air conditioner that controls the air temperature at which hot water supplied to the heat exchanger H instead of the air-mixing door 17 is controlled by a hot water control valve to be blown to the passenger compartment.

In the case of the assembly process, the heat exchanger core is assembled first. The tube 6 and the corrugated pin 7 alternately overlap each other, and one of the U-shaped support members 100 extending along the tube 6 is a corrugated pin positioned at the portions (four hatched portions). (7) is inserted between the tops of the wrinkles. The other steps are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment.

In operation, when the passenger compartment is heated, the motor driven fan 15 is activated and the air to be heated is passed through the space between the flat tube and the corrugated fin. On the other hand, a water pump (not shown) is operated so that hot water flows from the inlet pipe 4 to the inlet tank 1. The warm water is distributed into a plurality of flat tubes, which transfer their heat so that the air is heated while flowing along the flat tube (6). All water flowing along the flat tube 6 is collected in the outflow tank 2 and discharged to the engine through the outflow tube 5.

When the temperature of the hot water of the engine is lower than the preset temperature (for example, 80 ° C.), the power supply voltage of the vehicle is applied in the manner described above.

As shown in Fig. 7, in the case of the vehicle air conditioner, the heat exchanger H for air heating is disposed downstream of the heat exchanger 16 for air cooling. Thus, the condensed water generated in the heat exchanger 16 can be carried to the heat exchanger H by the cooled air and attached to the surface of the heat exchanger H. Snow entering the case 14 from the air inlet may melt and attach to the upstream surface of the heat exchanger H.

The U-shaped closure portion 10a of the supporting member 100 is located at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger H, and the opening 10b is located at the air outlet side thereof. Even if condensate is attached to the upstream side of the heat exchanger H of the heater, the closure 10a keeps the water or snow away from the electric heater 9.

As shown in Fig. 6, the opening portion 10b slightly protrudes from the downstream side of the electric heater 9. Although water moves along the outer surface of the support member 100 to the opening 10b, the water cannot attach to the surface of the electric heater 9.

The electrical terminals 9e and 9f of the electric heater 9 protrude from the downstream side of the heat exchanger core in air flow A, so that water does not adhere to the terminals 9e and 9f. Therefore, deterioration, short circuit, and short circuit of the terminals 9e and 9f can be prevented. Since the electric heater 9 can be fixed to the U-shaped support member 100, the electric heater 9 can be accurately positioned.

Since the heat generating element 9a and the electrode plates 9b and 9c of the electric heater 9 are covered by the insulating coating material 9d and insulated from the supporting plate 10, current cannot flow to the metal member of the heat exchanger H, Electrical corrosion of metal members such as flat tubes or corrugated pins can be prevented.

8 shows a modification of the second embodiment. The opening 10b of the supporting member 100 slightly protrudes from the end of the electric heater 9. The opening 10b is located downstream of the corrugated pin in the air flow direction and extends at its end like a skirt. Therefore, the water which moves to the opening part 10b of the support member 100 along the surface can be reliably prevented from sticking to an electric heater.

9 shows a second modification of the second embodiment. Compared to the heat exchanger H according to the first embodiment, the hot water flows from the hot water inlet tank 1 to the hot water outlet tank 2 in one direction in all the flat tubes, Heat exchanger H according to the modification is a form in which hot water is returned. In other words, the tank disposed on the side of the core unit 3 is divided into a hot water inlet tank 1 and a hot water outlet tank 2, and the connecting tank 19 returns water to the opposite side of the tanks 1, 2. To be arranged. Hot water is introduced into the connecting tank 19 from the inlet tank 1 through the flat tube 6 on the left side of the core unit 3. From the connecting tank 19, hot water is introduced into the outlet tank 2 through the flat tube 6 on the right side of the core unit 3 and discharged from the outlet port 5. The electric heater 9 can be installed in this type in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

Fig. 10 shows a third modification of the second embodiment. The two rows of flat tubes 6 are arranged at the core thickness, so that the thickness D of the core unit 3 has twice the thickness of the electric heater. A stopper portion 10e is formed in the middle of the support member 100 to hold the electric heater 9 in place. The middle parts of the support member 100 are tightened tightly to be in contact with each other. Therefore, the same electric heater 9 can be used for the heat exchanger H of any heating apparatus having cores of different thicknesses.

11 shows a fourth modification of the second embodiment. A separate stopper member 10f (made of resin or metal) is disposed inside the support member 100.

12 shows a fifth modification of the second embodiment. The plate 10 of the support member 100 is tightened tightly to form a stopper 10e.

13 shows a sixth modification of the second embodiment. The supporting member 100 has a reinforcing rib 10g between the stopper portion 10e and the closing portion 10a. The reinforcing ribs 10g are formed by tightly tightening the middle portions of the plates 10 and 11. The reinforcing rib 10g increases the firmness of the portion between the stopper portion 10e and the closure portion 10a. The reinforcing rib 10g of the seventh embodiment may be formed in each one of the two plates 10, 11.

The stopper 10e and the reinforcing rib 10g may be formed continuously or intermittently over the entire length of the tube of the core.

(Third Embodiment)

The PTC heater 9 shown in Fig. 14 is constituted by the heat generating element 9a and the long and flat electrode plates 9b and 9c disposed on opposite surfaces of the heat generating element 9a. The heat generating element 9a is a PTC heater element having a positive temperature characteristic for rapidly increasing the resistance at the prescribed temperature T0.

The electrode plates 9b and 9c of the PTC heater element 9a are attached to the pleated top of the pleat pin 7 by the adhesive insulating material 10. The opposite ends (horizontal direction in FIG. 1) of the PTC heater element 9a are attached to the metal plates 1b and 1c by the adhesive insulating material 10. The adhesive insulating material 10 is a resin that is adhesive, electrically insulating, and thermally conductive. The heat generated by the PTC heater element 9a is conducted by the pleat fins 7 to heat the heating air.

15 shows an electric drive circuit of the PTC heater 9. Four PTC heaters 9 are connected in parallel to the vehicle power source 12 via a switch 11. The switch 11 is controlled by the control circuit 13. The control circuit 13 receives signals from the switch 1 acting when the heater is operating and from the temperature sensor 14 for detecting the temperature of the water flowing from the engine to the heat exchanger of the heater. If the water temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature (for example, 80 ° C.), the control circuit 13 turns on the switch 11 to feed the PTC heater 9.

In the case of action, an air blower is operated to blow air into the space between the flat tube 6 and the corrugation pin 7. On the other hand, hot water flows from the engine to the inlet tank 1 through the inlet pipe 4 by a water pump (not shown) installed in the engine. The hot water is then distributed into a plurality of flat tubes 6 to heat the heating air through the pleats while passing through the flat tubes 6. Thereafter, the hot water flows into the outflow tank 2 and is collected, discharged through the outflow pipe 5 of the heat exchanger, and returned to the engine.

If the water temperature flowing out of the engine is low, the switch of the electrical circuit is closed to feed the four PTC heaters 9. The PTC heater 9 self-controls the temperature and raises it to the temperature T0, which is transferred to the heating air through the adjacent corrugation pin 7. Therefore, even if the water temperature is low, the heating air is heated within a short time.

The set temperature T0 is an important factor for effectively utilizing the heat generated by the PTC heater 9.

FIG. 16 shows the temperature distribution of the corrugated fin 7 disposed between the surface of the PTC heater 9 and the surface of the adjacent flat tube 6.

The following relationship represented by E1 and E2 is known, where the temperature of the heating air flowing in the direction perpendicular to the drawing is Tair, the set temperature (surface temperature) of the PTC heater 9 is T0, and the wrinkles The height of the pin 7 is hf, the height at the predetermined position of the corrugated pin 7 is x, and the temperature of the pin at the height x of the predetermined position is θ:

E1:

(θ-Tair) / (T0-Tair) = cosh [m (hf-x)] / cosh (m · hf)]

E2:

θ = cosh [m (hf-x)] / cosh (m · hf) × (T0-Tair) + Tair,

Where m is the dimensionless expression in E3

E3: m =

Where h ₀ is the heat transfer coefficient of the fin surface, b is the thickness of the fin, and λf is the thermal conductivity coefficient of the fin material.

In order to effectively utilize the heat generated by the PTC heater 9, the temperature θ of the portion of the corrugated fin 7 adjacent to the flat tube 6 (the portion at x = hf) is determined by the PCT heater 9. It is equal to the temperature Tw (or the water temperature in the tube) of the outer peripheral surface of the tube to prevent the generated heat from being transferred to the water.

If x = hf and θ = Tw, the expression E1 is represented by the following expression E4.

E4: (Tw-Tair) / (T0-Tair) = 1 / [cosh (mhf)]

The set temperature T0 of the PTC heater 9 satisfying the above condition can be obtained from the following expression E5.

E5: T0 = (Tw-Tair) cosh (mhf) + Tair

Fig. 17 shows the relationship between the set temperature T0 of the PTC heater 9 and the height of the fin hf at various heating air temperatures Tair under the following conditions:

Heating air temperature Tair, Tw = 60 ° C, h ₀ = 300 W / m 2 K, b = 0.06 mm, λ f = 193 W / mK (fin material: A3003).

Thus, m is calculated by the expression E3 as follows:

m = 227.626

In the case of air conditioning for a vehicle, external dry air is introduced into the heater to prevent frost on the windshield of the vehicle. Thus, Tair is the winter outside temperature. Modern high efficiency engines can provide hot water up to 60 ° C in winter, so 60 ° C is chosen as the Tw.

Fig. 18 shows the relationship between the set temperature T0 of the PTC heater 9 and the height hf of the fin according to various heating air when Tw is 80 ° C under the same conditions as described above.

Fig. 19 shows the relationship between the heating air temperature Tair and the set temperature T0 at various water temperatures Tw when the height of the crimp pin is 4.5 mm. When the water temperature Tw changes from 60 ° C to 80 ° C and the heating air temperature becomes 0 ° C or lower, the temperature of the PTC heater changes from 96 ° C to 126 ° C.

Fig. 20 shows the relationship between the heating air temperature Tair and the set temperature T0 at various water temperatures Tw when the height hf of the fin is 4.0 mm. When the water temperature Tw changes from 60 ° C to 80 ° C and the heating air temperature Tair becomes 0 ° C or less, the set temperature of the PTC heater 9 changes from 87 ° C to 118 ° C.

Fig. 21 is a graph showing the relationship between the distance x of the fin surface from the PTC heater 9 and the temperature of the fin surface, wherein the conditions are as follows:

The height hf is 4.5 mm, the water temperature Tw is 60 ° C, and the heating air (external air) temperature Tair is 0 ° C.

If the set temperature T0 of the PTC heater 9 is higher than 100 ° C, the temperature of the (x = 4.5 mm) portion of the corrugated fin 7 adjacent to the flat tube 6 is higher than the water temperature (60 ° C) of the flat tube 6. Becomes high. In this case, the heat of the pleat pins transferred from the PTC heater 9 is transferred to the water and the heat generated by the PTC heater 9 is not effectively used.

In the case of a heat exchanger of a vehicle heater, the short distance of the elliptical opening of the flat tube 6 is about 1.4 mm. It will be appreciated that the height of the corrugated pin 7 is preferably 3.9 mm or larger in combination with the tube having the size described above. If the height of the fin is 3.9 mm, the ratio of the heat conduction area of the corrugated fin to the number of flat tubes 6 is too small to have sufficient heat dissipation capacity. It is preferable that the height hf of a pin is smaller than 5 mm. Otherwise, the temperature of the middle portion of the corrugated pin will be too lower than the temperature of the corrugated pin 7 portions adjacent to the tube. This reduces the difference between fin temperatures, and the heating air temperature becomes too small for efficient heat transfer. Thus, the preferred height hf of the corrugated pin 7 is between 3.9 mm and 5.0 mm.

Referring to Fig. 17, when the heating air (outer air) Tair is 0 deg. C, if the height hf of the fin is between 3.9 mm and 5.0 mm, the PTC heater 9 has l set temperature T0 between 80 deg. do. In this embodiment, in order to provide the set temperature, the heat generating element 9a has a positive temperature characteristic of rapidly changing the resistance at a temperature between 120 ° C and 170 ° C.

The present invention can be applied to various heat exchanger cores having corrugated fins and other fins, such as plate fins.

The position of the PTC heater 9 can be changed according to various specifications of the heat exchanger of the heater.

In the foregoing description of the invention, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, but various changes and modifications may be made to the specific embodiments of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. It will be clear. Accordingly, the description of the invention in this document should be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

According to the configuration as described above, the electric heater can be integrally integrated in the heat exchanger core unit without damaging its electrical properties, prevents electrical corrosion of the core metal, effectively conducts the heat of the heat medium, and maximizes air efficiency. There is an effect that can be heated.

Claims (21)

A plurality of parallel flat tubes; A plurality of corrugated pins each disposed between two adjacent flat tubes; A support member disposed in place of the flat tube between two corrugated pins in a predetermined portion of the core unit; And An electric heater disposed inside the support member; The support member is composed of a plurality of parallel plates attached to the pleat top of the pleat pin, The electric heater core unit of the heat exchanger including a heating element positioned between the positive and negative electrodes and an insulating member surrounding the two electrodes. The method of claim 1, And the flat tube, the corrugated fin, and the support plate are made of aluminum and soldered to each other. The method of claim 1, A core unit of a heat exchanger, wherein said anode electrode and said cathode electrode each have a connecting terminal formed integrally therewith. The method of claim 3, The core unit of the heat exchanger which protrudes in the thickness direction of the said heat exchanger core from each said connection terminal corresponding to the said positive electrode and the said negative electrode. The method of claim 3, And means for applying pressure to maintain the electric heater between the two support plates. A plurality of parallelly arranged flat tubes for conducting heat of the heating medium; A plurality of corrugated pins each disposed between two flat tubes; Extending parallel along the flat tube, each having a pair of plates attached to one of the corrugation pins at the corrugation top, an opening end and a U-shaped closed end disposed at the air inlet side, the two adjacent said A support member disposed between the pleat tops of the pleat pins; And An electric heater disposed in the support member and insulated from the support member by an insulating member Core unit of the heat exchanger having an air inlet side and an air outlet side comprising a. The method of claim 6, The core unit of the heat exchanger in which the opening end projects from the end of the electric heater. The method of claim 6, The core unit of the heat exchanger in which the opening end is opened in a skirt-shape. The method of claim 6, The support member has the same thickness as the core unit in the air flow direction, The electric heater has a thickness smaller than the support member in the direction of the core thickness, A core unit of a heat exchanger, wherein said support member comprises means for positioning said electric heater therein The method of claim 9, A core unit of said heat exchanger comprising a stopper protruding inwardly from at least one of said two plates. The method of claim 10, One of said plates having a reinforcing rib disposed between said stopper and said closed end. The method of claim 10, A core unit of a heat exchanger, wherein said positioning means comprises a stopper member disposed between said electric heater and said closed end. The method of claim 6, Core unit of the heat exchanger, wherein each of the flat tube, corrugated fin and support member are made of aluminum and soldered to each other. The method of claim 6, The electric heater includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a heating element disposed between the two electrodes, and an insulating coating covering the two electrodes, A core unit of a heat exchanger, wherein the covering material is press-fitted between the plates to hold the electric heater therein. The method of claim 14, A core unit of a heat exchanger, wherein each of the anode electrode and the cathode electrode has a connecting terminal protruding therefrom. The method of claim 6, And a fastening member disposed on an air outlet side of the core unit to hold an electric heater to the support member. A plurality of parallelly arranged flat tubes for conducting heat of the heating medium; A plurality of corrugated pins having a corrugated top and disposed between two flat tubes; An electric heater disposed between the two corrugated tops instead of one flat tube, and having a constant temperature characteristic that changes its resistance rapidly at a set temperature; The electric heater having the set temperature is adjacent to the flat tube at the same temperature as the water temperature in the flat tube if the water temperature is equal to or higher than 60 ° C. and the temperature of the air to be heated is 0 ° C. or lower. Core unit of heat exchanger for heating fin part. A plurality of parallelly arranged flat tubes for conducting heat of the heating medium; A plurality of corrugated pins each disposed between two flat tubes; An electric heater disposed on a portion of the heat exchanger core instead of the flat tube, and having a positive temperature characteristic that rapidly changes its resistance at a set temperature; The pin has a corrugated top disposed between the two flat tubes and has a height between 3.9 mm and 5 mm, The core unit of the heat exchanger wherein the set temperature of the electric heater is between 85 ° C and 120 ° C. The method of claim 17, The core unit is made of aluminum alloy, The electric heater is a sandwich structure of three layers consisting of an electric heater element and two flat electrodes disposed on opposite sides of the electric heater element, and inserted between the pleat pins and the two electrodes, Core unit of the heat exchanger in which the two electrodes are pressed into the pleat top. The method of claim 1, And a core unit of the heat exchanger having a positive temperature characteristic in which the heat generating element rapidly changes its resistance at a set temperature between 120 ° C and 170 ° C. 1. A method of manufacturing a core unit of a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of parallelly arranged flat tubes, corrugated fins having corrugated tops, a pair of support plates and an electric heater, Alternately stacking the flat tube of the heat exchanger core and the corrugated fins, and placing the pair of support plates between the corrugated tops at a portion where the electric heater is disposed; Soldering the flat tube, the corrugation pin, and the support plate to a unit; Inserting the electric heater coated with an insulating material between the two plates Method of manufacturing a core unit of the heat exchanger comprising a.