KR20190108782A - A Heat Exchanger Having a Built-in Electrical Heater - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerating system for a vehicle through the power supply of a battery, and more specifically, to a heat exchanger having a structure with an electrical heater built therein, which has improved heat exchange efficiency and defrosting performance. To this end, the heat exchanger having a structure with an electrical heater built therein comprises: at least one linear flowing channel (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) which is linearly extended and has a route through which a refrigerant can flow; a heat exchanging pin group (12) coupled to the linear flowing channel (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d); at least one electric heater (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) coming in contact with the linear flowing channel (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d); a refrigerant entrance unit (15a, 15b, 15c, 15d) connected to each of the at least one linear flowing channel (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d); and a refrigerant header (16) formed at an exit of the at least one linear flowing channel (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d).

Description

Heat exchanger having a built-in electrical heater

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger having a built-in electric heater, and more particularly to a refrigeration system for vehicles by battery power supply, and more particularly to a heat exchanger having a built-in electric heater improved heat exchange efficiency and defrosting performance.

An evaporator corresponds to a device that absorbs heat by evaporation of liquid through which expansion of a liquid refrigerant at low temperature and low pressure through heat expansion valves causes heat exchange with the surrounding space. The evaporator may be made of tubular coil structure, plate structure, tank structure or shell tube structure. A plurality of fins may be installed in the evaporator to improve heat exchange efficiency, and a means for defrosting may be installed. In addition, the heat exchange efficiency may be reduced due to the material difference between the fin and the refrigerant flow path, the formation of an independent space for the arrangement of the defrosting means, or a similar structural disadvantage. Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0045361 is an evaporator core for an automotive air conditioner that can simplify the facility by making an integrated evaporator that performs the cooling function and a heater core that performs the heating function while constituting the vehicle air conditioner And an integrated module of a heater core are disclosed. Patent Publication No. 10-2008-0088819 discloses an evaporator equipped with a defrost heater that is easy to install and maximizes heat transfer efficiency because it does not require a separate pinning process and a separate fixing structure. The evaporator disclosed in the prior art has the disadvantage that the heat exchange area is reduced according to the installation of the heater, the maintenance of the heater is difficult and the control of the defrost temperature is difficult.

The present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art has the following object.

Prior Art 1: Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0045361 (Donghwan Industrial Co., Ltd., April 17, 2017) Integrated module of the evaporator core and heater core for automotive air conditioning equipment Prior Art 2: Patent Publication No. 10-2008-0088819 (LG Electronics Co., Ltd., published on October 06, 2008) Evaporator equipped with a defrost heater

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger having a built-in electric heater structure in which a defrosting operation is effectively performed by an arrangement of an electric heater while improving heat exchange efficiency.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a heat exchanger having a built-in electric heater structure includes at least one linear flow channel extending in a linear form and having a path through which a refrigerant flows; A group of heat exchange fins associated with a linear flow channel; At least one electric heater in contact with the linear flow channel; A refrigerant inlet unit connected to each of the at least one linear flow channel; And a refrigerant header formed at the outlet of the at least one linear flow channel.

According to another suitable embodiment of the present invention, the linear induction channel and the heat exchange fin group are aluminum based materials and welded together.

According to another suitable embodiment of the present invention, each of the at least one electric heater is simultaneously in contact with a linear flow channel extending adjacent to each other.

According to another suitable embodiment of the invention, the at least one electric heater is detachable.

The heat exchanger according to the present invention may be installed in a refrigeration vehicle but is not limited thereto and may be installed in various spaces requiring heat exchange. The heat exchanger according to the present invention allows the heat exchange efficiency to be improved by disposing an electric heater that can be made thin and easy to control the defrost temperature. In addition, the microchannel and the pin of the aluminum material is welded to each other to prevent the occurrence of mechanical defects due to the combination of different materials. In addition, the electric heater disposed in the evaporator according to the present invention may be applied to a serpentine type, but is not limited thereto, and thus may be applied to an evaporator having various structures to improve heat exchange efficiency and defrosting function.

1 shows an embodiment of a heat exchanger according to the present invention.
Figure 2 shows an embodiment in which a heat exchanger according to the present invention is applied.
Figure 3 shows an embodiment of an electric heater disposed in the heat exchanger according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments set forth in the accompanying drawings, but the embodiments are provided for clarity of understanding and the present invention is not limited thereto. In the following description, components having the same reference numerals in different drawings have similar functions, and thus are not repeatedly described unless necessary for understanding of the invention, and well-known components are briefly described or omitted. It should not be understood to be excluded from the embodiment of.

1 shows an embodiment of a heat exchanger according to the present invention.

1, at least one linear flow channel 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d having a path through which a refrigerant flows may be formed while extending in a linear manner. A group of heat exchange fins 12 coupled with the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d; At least one electric heater 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d in contact with the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d; Refrigerant inlet units 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d connected to each of the at least one linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d; And a refrigerant header 16 formed at the outlet of at least one linear flow channel 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d.

The heat exchanger may be a refrigeration device or part of a refrigeration device, such as an evaporator, or may be a device that operates independently.

The heat exchanger may have a closed structure or a housing 11 at least partially open and the housing 11 may have air flow means. The housing 11 may have various structures, and components for operation may be disposed inside the housing 11. The housing 11 may be made of various structures and flow air in various ways, and the present invention provides a structure of the housing 11, an air flow structure between the inside and the outside of the housing 11, or a similar housing 11. It is not limited by the working structure of the.

The linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d may have a structure extending linearly while being a flow path of the refrigerant. At least one linear flow channel 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d may be arranged, and each linear flow channel 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d may extend linearly and become a totally serpentine shape structure. have. As shown in Fig. 1, linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d having the same or similar structure may be arranged in a parallel structure, and each linear flow channel 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d is mutually At least one U-shape may be connected. Each linear flow channel 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d may form a flow path of the refrigerant while forming part of the sand structure. Each of the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d can flow the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant inlet units 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d in the inlet portion, for example, forming a microchannel. Refrigerant, which is in heat exchange with ambient air while flowing through each of the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d, may be discharged to the refrigerant header 16 through the outlet. Refrigerant header 16 may have a function of receiving the discharged refrigerant through the outlet of each of the linear flow channels (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) to discharge to the outlet pipe (17). The refrigerant whose temperature is discharged through the outlet pipe 17 may be led to a device such as a compressor, for example.

The linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d can be made of, for example, aluminum, copper or similar metallic materials with high thermal conductivity. And the heat exchange fin group 12 may be coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d. The heat exchange fin group 12 may comprise a plurality of conducting fins disposed successively on the outer circumferential surface of each linear flow channel 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d. Each conducting pin may be made of the same or similar material as the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, and may be made of, for example, aluminum, copper or similar material. Preferably each conducting pin may be made of aluminum material and formed integrally with the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d. For example, it can be made of aluminum and can be made in one piece by means such as welding. Since the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d and the conductive fin are integrally formed by the same material, the thermal conduction efficiency may be improved and structural stability may be improved at the same time. Each conducting pin may be made of the same or similar structure and may be formed continuously on the outer circumferential surface of the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d.

The conduction fin may be formed in a structure extending in both directions of the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d, and may be disposed, for example, in a U-shaped side lying down to improve thermal conductivity. . Specifically, a plurality of conductive pins may be arranged in a plurality of rows, and the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d may be formed in a structure arranged between the conductive pin rows. In addition, the electric heaters 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d may be installed to remove materials that interfere with frost or similar thermal conduction generated in the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d.

The electric heaters 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d can be made in contact with one outer surface of the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, and two linear flow channels extending linearly adjacent to each other. It can be arrange | positioned between 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d. As shown in FIG. 1, a group of heat exchange fins 12 can be formed on one or both sides of the linearly extending linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d. One linear flow channel (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) can be made into a square structure while forming a plurality of bending portions and a plurality of parallel extensions. For example, the heat exchange fin group 12 may be formed between extension lines adjacent to each other, forming two bent portions and three parallel extensions. In addition, electric heaters 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d extending along the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d may be disposed between the different linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d. The electric heaters 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d may extend in a linear manner and surround a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d. The construction of the electric heaters 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d in such a structure allows the heat exchanger to be structurally simple without reducing the heat exchange performance. In addition, the operation of the electric heaters 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d is electrically controlled to simplify the adjustment of the defrost temperature and to enable effective defrosting. In addition, the electric heaters 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d can be made detachable, thereby simplifying the maintenance or repair of the heat exchanger. The electric heaters 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d may have a contact shape suitable for the surface shape of the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d.

Refrigerant may be introduced into each of the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d through each of the refrigerant inlet units 15a, 15b, 15c, and 15d, and the refrigerant inlet units 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d) may be connected with the refrigerant distribution tube. The heat exchange of the coolant may be performed through the heat exchange fin group 12 in the housing 11, and in this process, the coolant having the elevated temperature may be formed in each of the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d. It may be discharged to the refrigerant header 16 through the end portion. The refrigerant header 16 may be connected to the outlets of the different linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d, and may form a closed space. At the end of each linear flow channel 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, a backflow check valve similar to a check valve for backflow prevention can be arranged. The high temperature refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant header 16 may be discharged to the outside of the heat exchanger through the outlet pipe 17 by means such as, for example, a pump. In this process, if something like frost occurs on the outer circumferential surface of each of the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d, the electric heaters 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d may be operated, and the electric heater 14a , 14b, 14c, and 14d) may be operated independently, and each temperature may be adjusted independently. A heat exchanger having such a structure can be applied to a variety of equipment to operate as a heat exchange means.

Figure 2 shows an embodiment in which a heat exchanger according to the present invention is applied.

Referring to FIG. 2, the heat exchanger may be an evaporator of a refrigeration apparatus of a refrigerating or refrigerated vehicle, and the housing 11 may be installed on a ceiling surface or a wall surface of the freezing space. Air in the freezing space may be introduced into the housing 11 so that low temperature may be made into air by the evaporator. The refrigerant condensed in the condenser 22 may be introduced into the linear flow channels 13a and 13b installed in the evaporator through the expansion valve 23 through the induction pipe. Air in the freezing space is introduced into the evaporator and flows between the heat exchange fin groups 12 to be heat exchanged by the refrigerant to be converted into low-temperature air and discharged to the outside of the evaporator. After the heat exchange, the refrigerant discharged to the outside of the evaporator may be led to the condenser 22 via the compressor 21.

As described above, the electric heaters 14a and 14b may be arranged inside the evaporator. Power required for the operation of the electric heaters 14a and 14b may be supplied from the battery module 25 installed in the vehicle. For example, the electric heaters 14a and 14b may be connected to the battery module 25 connected to the generator 24, and the power supply by the battery module 25 may be controlled by the battery management system BMS. Depending on the design structure of the refrigeration apparatus, power for the entire operation of the refrigeration apparatus may be supplied from the battery module 25. A control unit for the operation of the refrigeration apparatus can be installed, which can be connected with a battery management system (BMS). In addition, the operation of the refrigerating device and the operation of the electric heaters 14a and 14b may be controlled by the control module. For example, the electric heaters 14a and 14b may be operated in a state where the flow of refrigerant or the circulation of internal air is stopped, and the operating temperature of each electric heater 14a and 14b may be controlled by the control module. .

The electric heaters 14a and 14b may be made of various structures capable of temperature control.

Figure 3 shows an embodiment of an electric heater disposed in the heat exchanger according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, groups of heat exchange fins 12a, 12b can be joined to the outer circumferential surface of the linear flow channels 13a, 13b in a manner such as, for example, by brazing, thereby forming a bonding layer ( WL) can be formed. The welding can be of aluminum alloys, for example Al-Si or Al-Si-Mg, and can be carried out in chloride-based flux, fluoride-based flux or in a vacuum manner. The welding may have a size of 40 to 90 μm of particles formed at the welding site, an average thickness of the bonding layer WL may be 0.1 to 4 mm, and welding may be performed at a temperature of 400 to 650 ° C. The electric heater 14a may be disposed between the linear flow channels 13a and 13b adjacent to each other.

The electric heater 14a may be formed of an inner fixing layer 141 and a heat generating layer 142 formed on both sides of the inner fixing layer 141. The inner stationary layer 141 may have a function that allows the electric heater 14a to be shaped such that it can be coupled to the outer circumferential surfaces of the linear flow channels 13a and 13b and has, for example, heat resistance and low thermal conductivity. It can be made of material. The electric heater 14a may include various electric resistance materials and may be made of, for example, a planar heating element material. Alternatively, the electric heater 14a may be made of a mesh heating element material, and the strain forming the mesh heating element may include, for example, a synthetic fiber strand 31 such as polyester or polyurethane; A resistance layer 32 formed on the circumferential surface of the synthetic fiber strand 31; And a heat conductive layer 33 formed on the circumferential surface of the resistive layer 32. The resistive layer 32 may include, for example, nano carbon or metal fine particles, and may be formed by impregnating the synthetic fiber strand 31. The thermal conductive layer 33 may be made of an insulator material having high thermal conductivity while having heat resistance. A discharge path for discharging moisture generated in the defrosting process may be formed in the inner fixing layer 141, and the discharge path DP may be formed in an inclined structure. In addition, a magnetic material is disposed inside the inner fixing layer 141 to allow the electric heater 14a to be stably fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the linear flow channels 13a and 13b.

The electric heater 14a can be made in various structures and is not limited to the embodiments shown.

The heat exchanger according to the present invention may be installed in a refrigeration vehicle but is not limited thereto and may be installed in various spaces requiring heat exchange. The heat exchanger according to the present invention allows the heat exchange efficiency to be improved by disposing an electric heater that can be made thin and easy to control the defrost temperature. In addition, the microchannel and the pin of the aluminum material is welded to each other to prevent the occurrence of mechanical defects due to the combination of different materials. In addition, the electric heater disposed in the evaporator according to the present invention may be applied to a serpentine type, but is not limited thereto, and thus may be applied to an evaporator having various structures to improve heat exchange efficiency and defrosting function.

Although the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the presented embodiments, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and modifications without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention with reference to the presented embodiments. . The invention is not limited by the invention as such variations and modifications but only by the claims appended hereto.

11: housing 12, 12a, 12b: heat exchange pin group
13a, 13b, 13c, 13d: linear flow channels 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d: electric heaters
15a, 15b, 15c, 15d: refrigerant inlet unit 16: refrigerant header
17: outlet piping 21: compressor
22 condenser 23 expansion valve
24: generator 25: battery module
31: synthetic fiber strand 32: resistance layer
33: heat conducting layer 141: internal fixed layer
142: heat generating layer DP: discharge path
WL: bonding layer

Claims (4)

At least one linear flow channel (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) extending in a linear manner and through which a flow path of the refrigerant is formed;
A group of heat exchange fins 12 coupled with the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d;
At least one electric heater 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d in contact with the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d;
Refrigerant inlet units 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d connected to each of the at least one linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d; And
A heat exchanger incorporating an electric heater comprising a refrigerant header (16) formed at an outlet of at least one linear flow channel (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d). The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the linear induction channels (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) and the heat exchange fin group (12) are made of aluminum-based materials and welded to each other. 2. The electric heater built-in according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one electric heaters 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d is simultaneously in contact with the linear flow channels 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d extending adjacent to each other. Heat exchanger of structure, The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein at least one electric heater (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) is detachable.

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