WO2020098082A1

WO2020098082A1 - Refrigerator

Info

Publication number: WO2020098082A1
Application number: PCT/CN2018/123392
Authority: WO
Inventors: 李同琴; 任伟; 江俊; 赵宇航
Original assignee: 合肥美的电冰箱有限公司; 合肥华凌股份有限公司; 美的集团股份有限公司
Priority date: 2018-11-12
Filing date: 2018-12-25
Publication date: 2020-05-22
Also published as: CN109539656B; CN109539656A

Abstract

A refrigerator, comprising a refrigerator body (1) suitable for being embedded into a cabinet (9) so that an air flow channel can be defined by the refrigerator body (1) and the cabinet (9); a machine room (3) provided in the refrigerator body (1) and provided with an air inlet and an air outlet (5); and an isolation cover (6) connected to the refrigerator body (1) and covering the air inlet so as to isolate the air flow channel into an air inlet channel and an air outlet channel.

Description

refrigerator

Cross-reference of related applications

This application requires the priority of Hefei Midea Refrigerator Co., Ltd., Hefei Hualing Co., Ltd., and Midea Group Co., Ltd., filed on November 12, 2018, with the Chinese patent application number "201811339074.2" and the public name "Refrigerator".

Technical field

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of household appliances, and in particular, to a refrigerator.

Background technique

Refrigerators are gradually being loved and welcomed by more and more consumers. Compared with traditional refrigerators, the integrated design of built-in refrigerator and cabinet is more space-saving and the visual effect is more beautiful. However, because the sides of the refrigerator are fitted with the cabinets, the heat dissipation conditions are more severe than traditional refrigerators, which has a fatal adverse effect on the energy consumption and performance of the refrigerator. The ventilation space on the back wall, top and bottom of the refrigerator is small, and the heat dissipation effect is poor, which increases the energy consumption of the refrigerator and reduces the cooling performance, and the embedded refrigerator mechanical room heat dissipation system is prone to cross-winding. There is room for improvement in heat dissipation efficiency.

Summary of the invention

The present disclosure aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, an object of the present disclosure is to propose a refrigerator, which is provided with an isolation cover to separate the intake air flow channel from the outflow air flow channel, which can avoid cross wind and increase the heat exchange efficiency of the heat dissipation system.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a box body that is adapted to be embedded in a cabinet to define an airflow channel with the cabinet; a machine room, the machine room is provided in the box body, the machine room It has an air inlet and an air outlet; an isolation cover, the isolation cover is connected to the box body, and the isolation cover covers the air inlet to divide the airflow channel into an intake airflow channel and an airflow channel.

According to the refrigerator of the embodiment of the present disclosure, by installing an isolation cover on the cabinet, the isolation cover is provided with an air inlet and separates the intake air flow channel and the outflow air flow channel, thereby effectively avoiding cold air and hot air Cross wind occurs to prevent cross-flow of cold air and hot air and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerator.

According to a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the isolation cover includes: an upper panel, a back panel, and two side panels, the back panel is adapted to fit the cabinet and spaced apart from the cabinet, the upper A plate is connected to the back plate to separate the intake air flow path and the outflow air flow path, and both ends of the upper plate and the back plate are respectively connected to the two side plates .

According to a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper plate includes an isolation plate and two connection plates, the isolation plate is disposed between the air inlet and the air outlet to connect the intake air flow channel and the The air outlet channels are separated, and the two ends of the isolation plate are respectively connected to the two side plates through two connecting plates.

According to a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the partition plate extends in a vertical direction, and the connection plate extends in a horizontal direction.

According to a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the side panel includes a first panel and a second panel, an upper end of the first panel is connected to the upper panel, and a rear end of the first panel is connected to the back panel , The front lower part of the first plate is connected to the first end of the second plate, and the second end of the second plate extends forward to the front of the box.

According to a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second end of the second plate is provided with a guide surface, and the guide surface extends downward from the front to the front.

According to a refrigerator of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the guide surface is curved.

According to a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper plate, the back plate, and the side plate are integrally formed.

According to a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a condenser, a compressor, and a first fan are provided in the machine room, the condenser is located on the suction side of the first fan, and the compressor is located on the first fan On the air outlet side, the isolation plate is located behind the first fan.

According to a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the air inlet includes a first air inlet and a second air inlet, the first air inlet is provided at the rear of the machine room, and the second air inlet is provided at the At the bottom of the machine room, the bottom of the box is spaced from the ground, and a wind deflector extending toward the ground is provided at the second air inlet.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure further includes: a second fan, the second fan is a plurality, the plurality of second fans are all disposed in the outlet air flow channel and are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the flow of the air flow Settings.

Additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be partially given in the following description, and some will become apparent from the following description, or be learned through practice of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

1 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

2 is a schematic structural view of a refrigerator without an isolation cover according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

3 is an enlarged view of the lower rear portion of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

4 is an exploded view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view at A in FIG. 4;

6 is a schematic diagram of intake air of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

7 is a schematic diagram of an air outlet of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Reference mark:

Refrigerator 100,

Cabinet 1, door 2, machine room 3, first air inlet 4, air outlet 5, isolation cover 6, upper panel 61, isolation panel 611, connecting panel 612, back panel 62, side panel 63, first panel 631 , Second plate 632, legs 7, exhaust port 8, cabinet 9, compressor 10, first fan 11, condenser 12, second air inlet 13, water box 14, second fan 15, ground 16, The wind deflector 17.

detailed description

The embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, in which the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are exemplary, and are only used to explain the present disclosure, and cannot be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

The refrigerator 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. The refrigerator 100 may isolate the air inlet and the air outlet 5 of the machine room 3 through the isolation cover 6, and may separate the cold air entering the machine room 3 from The hot air discharged from the mechanical room 3 is spaced apart, thereby avoiding the cross flow of cold air and hot air, ensuring that the incoming cold air can exchange heat with the compressor 10 in the mechanical room 3 well, improving the heat dissipation effect of the refrigerator 100, and The energy consumption of the refrigerator 100 is reduced to ensure the refrigeration performance of the refrigerator 100.

As shown in FIGS. 1-7, the refrigerator 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a cabinet 1, a machine room 3, and an isolation cover 6.

The cabinet 1 is suitable for being embedded in a cabinet 9, that is, the refrigerator 100 is an embedded refrigerator, which occupies a small area and can improve space utilization. The cabinet 1 and the cabinet 9 define an airflow channel. The airflow channel includes an intake air flow channel and an outflow air flow channel. The intake air flow channel is used for cold air outside the cabinet 1 to enter the machine room 3 of the cabinet 1 to facilitate cold air. Heat exchange with the operating equipment in the mechanical room 3, so as to achieve the heat dissipation effect on the mechanical room 3; the air flow channel is used to flow out the high-temperature air flow after heat exchange with the operating equipment, so that the heat exchange air flow in the mechanical room 3 can be sustained Input and output to ensure that the operating temperature of the operating equipment is within a safe range. The operating equipment includes the condenser 12 and the compressor 10.

The machine room 3 is set in the box 1, as shown in FIGS. 1-2, the machine room 3 is set in the rear lower part of the box 1, the machine room 3 has an air inlet and an air outlet 5, the air inlet will pass the air inlet flow channel Communicating with the inner cavity of the machine room 3, the air outlet 5 communicates the outlet air flow channel with the inner cavity of the machine room 3. In this way, the cold air outside the box 1 flows to the air inlet through the intake flow channel, and enters the inner cavity of the machine room 3 from the air inlet. The cold air fully exchanges heat with the operating equipment in the machine room 3. The temperature rises into hot air, and the hot air is discharged from the air outlet 5 into the inner cavity of the machine room 3, and flows to the air outlet 8 of the refrigerator 100 along the air outlet channel. Thereby, the heat dissipation effect on the machine room 3 can be realized by the external airflow.

As shown in FIG. 1, the isolation cover 6 is connected to the cabinet 1, and the isolation cover 6 covers the air inlet, and the isolation cover 6 divides the airflow channel into an intake airflow channel and an outflow airflow channel, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 The isolation cover 6 separates the intake flow channel and the outlet air flow channel in the up-down direction. The isolation cover 6 below is the intake air flow channel, and the isolation cover 6 above is the outlet air flow channel. As shown in FIG. 6, the cabinet 1 is provided with a door 2, and the cold air outside the cabinet 1 flows from the front of the cabinet 1 from the downward direction of the door 2, and enters the isolation cover 6 and enters the machine through the air inlet In the chamber 3, heat exchange is performed with the operating equipment in the mechanical chamber 3. As shown in FIG. 3, cold air flows in the machine room 3 from the air inlet side to the air outlet 5 side, and exchanges heat with the operating equipment in the machine room 3 during the flow. As shown in FIG. 7, the cold air exchanges heat with the operating equipment and heats up to become hot air. The hot air flows backward from the air outlet 5 and flows out from the air outlet 5 to flow upward along the rear wall of the cabinet 1 and gradually flow toward The exhaust port 8 of the refrigerator 100. As a result, the air cooling effect of the airflow on the operating equipment in the machine room 3 is completed, and the bottom inlet air and the top outlet air are adopted. The good flow path design makes the heat dissipation efficiency of the embedded refrigerator 100 well improved.

Among them, the isolation cover 6 can be independently disassembled, which is convenient for transportation, and can play a role in limiting the built-in cabinet 1. When the cabinet 1 is loaded into the cabinet 9, there is no need to provide a restriction block on the back of the cabinet 1.

It should be noted that the air inlet and the air outlet 5 are separated by the isolation cover 6, and the air inlet flow channel and the air outlet flow channel are separated at the same time, which can effectively avoid the cold air in the air inlet flow channel and the air outlet flow channel The hot air flows in series to ensure that the cold air has a lower temperature when it enters the machine room 3, so that the cold air can fully exchange heat with the operating equipment in the machine room 3. Therefore, without changing the structure of the cabinet 1 and the layout of the cabinet 9, the heat dissipation efficiency of the refrigerator 100 can be improved, and the problem of crossflow of heat dissipation airflow can be effectively solved, so that the inflow of cold air and the outflow of hot air are maintained Smooth.

According to the refrigerator 100 of the embodiment of the present disclosure, by installing the isolation cover 6 on the cabinet 1, the isolation cover 6 covers the air inlet, and separates the intake air flow path and the air flow path, thereby effectively avoiding cold The air and the hot air cross wind, preventing the cross-flow of cold air and hot air, and improving the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerator 100.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the isolation cover 6 includes: an upper plate 61, a back plate 62 and two side plates 63.

The back plate 62 is adapted to fit the cabinet 9, the back plate 62 is spaced apart from the cabinet 1, and the upper plate 61 is connected to the back plate 62 to separate the intake air flow channel and the outflow air flow channel. It should be noted that when the cabinet 1 is installed in the cabinet 9, the isolation cover 6 and the cabinet 1 can be installed and fixed first, so that the isolation cover 6 and the cabinet 1 are connected as a whole, and then the isolation cover 6 and the cabinet 1 are connected together The cabinet 1 is installed into the cabinet 9 at the same time, and during the installation process, the back plate 62 of the isolation cover 6 is closely attached to the wall surface of the cabinet 9, and the front end of the upper plate 61 is closely pressed against the back of the cabinet 1. In this way, the intake flow channel and the outlet air flow channel are effectively separated by the back plate 62 and the upper plate 61, and the cold air in the intake flow channel can only enter the machine room 3 through the air inlet, and will not be separated from the outlet air flow channel The cross-flow of the hot air flow occurs, thereby improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the refrigerator 100.

As shown in FIG. 4, the two ends of the upper plate 61 are respectively connected to the two side plates 63, and the upper plate 61 extends in the left-right direction, that is, the left and right ends of the upper plate 61 are respectively connected to the two side plates 63, and the back plate 62 The two ends are respectively connected to the two side plates 63, and the back plate 62 extends in the left-right direction, that is, the left and right ends of the back plate 62 are respectively connected to the two side plates 63. Thereby, the upper plate 61, the back plate 62, and the two side plates 63 define a box body cavity whose lower part is open, and the box body cavity is a part of the intake air flow path and communicates with the air inlet. In this way, the air intake channel and the air outlet channel are effectively separated by the upper plate 61, the back plate 62, and the two side plates 63, which can prevent cross flow of cold air and hot air in the air flow channel and improve heat exchange. effectiveness. The isolation cover 6 has a simple structure, is easy to install, and has a better separation effect between cold air and hot air.

As shown in FIG. 4, the upper plate 61 includes an isolation plate 611 and two connecting plates 612. The isolation plate 611 is provided between the air inlet and the air outlet 5. The isolation plate 611 separates the intake air flow path from the air flow path, that is, The air inlet is located on one side of the isolation plate 611, and the air outlet 5 is located on the other side of the isolation plate 611, thereby ensuring that the cold air flowing to the air inlet and the hot air flowing out of the air outlet 5 will not cross-mix and increase heat exchange The efficiency, the structure of the upper plate 61 is simple, and the design cost is low, which is beneficial to reduce the overall production cost of the isolation cover 6.

The two ends of the isolation plate 611 are respectively connected to the two side plates 63 through two connection plates 612. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper end of the isolation plate 611 is connected to the right side plate 63 through one of the two connection plates 612. The lower end of the isolation plate 611 is connected to the left side plate 63 through another connection plate 612, that is, one of the two connection plates 612 is higher than the other. As a result, the upper plate 61 extends from the left side to the right side of the refrigerator 100, and effectively separates the intake air flow channel and the outlet air flow channel, effectively avoids the cross-flow of cold air and hot air, and improves the operation of the cold air and the machine room 3 The heat exchange efficiency of the equipment.

Among them, the partition plate 611 extends in the vertical direction, the hot air discharged from the air outlet 5 and the cold air flowing to the air inlet flow on the left and right sides of the partition plate 611, respectively; the connecting plate 612 extends in the horizontal direction, and the heat of the air flow channel The air and the cold air in the intake flow channel respectively flow on the upper and lower sides of the connecting plate 612, and the upper plate 61 has a strong separation effect, which makes the cold air and hot air stratified obviously, thereby avoiding cross flow and improving the heat dissipation efficiency.

As shown in FIG. 4, the side plate 63 includes a first plate 631 and a second plate 632, the upper end of the first plate 631 is connected to the upper plate 61, the rear end of the first plate 631 is connected to the back plate 62, and the The front lower part is connected to the first end of the second plate 632, the second end of the second plate 632 extends forward to the front of the cabinet 1, that is, the second plate 632 extends in the front-rear direction, and the first end of the second plate 632 As its rear end, the second end of the second plate 632 is its front end. As a result, the side plate 63, the upper plate 61 and the back plate 62 are connected as a whole, and define an intake air flow path with the cabinet 1 and the cabinet 9, the cold air flows along the second plate 632 to the air inlet, the side plate 63 will The cold air is separated from the side wall of the cabinet 9 to prevent the cold air at the bottom and the back hot air from mixing through the gap between the side plate 63 and the side wall of the cabinet 9 to ensure that the intake air flow channel and the outflow air channel can be effectively Separated, the cold air in the intake flow channel flows more smoothly.

A guide surface is provided at the second end of the second plate 632, that is, the guide surface is provided at the front end of the second plate 632, and the guide surface extends from the back to the front and downward. It should be noted that when the isolation cover 6 is installed with the box 1 , The isolation cover 6 and the cabinet 1 are assembled in the front-rear direction, and the cabinet 1 can be installed along the guide surface relative to the isolation cover 6, thereby, the assembly efficiency of the isolation cover 6 and the cabinet 1 can be improved, saving assembly time and reducing Installation cost. Wherein, the guide surface can be set as an arc to facilitate the assembly of the isolation cover 6 and the box 1.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the upper plate 61, the back plate 62, and the side plate 63 are integrally formed, whereby the strength of the connection between the upper plate 61 and the back plate 62 is higher, and the back plate 62 and the side The strength of the connection portion of the plate 63 is high, thereby improving the overall structural strength and rigidity of the isolation cover 6, so that the isolation cover 6 can effectively separate the intake air flow channel and the outlet air flow channel for a long time, and enhance the stability of the isolation cover 6.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the machine room 3 is provided with a condenser 12, a compressor 10, and a first fan 11, the condenser 12 is located on the suction side of the first fan 11, and the condenser 12 is located near The position of the air inlet, the compressor 10 is located on the air outlet side of the first fan 11, and the compressor 10 is located near the air outlet 5, the isolation plate 611 is located behind the first fan 11, the first fan 11 can promote the air flow . Thus, the cold air flows from the side of the partition plate 611 to the air inlet, and enters the machine room 3 from the air inlet, and first exchanges heat with the condenser 12, and the first fan 11 drives the air flow after the heat exchange with the condenser 12 to compress Machine 10, and then heat exchange with the compressor 10, the hot air after heat exchange with the compressor 10 flows from the air outlet 5 to the other side of the isolation plate 611, and in the entire heat exchange process, the isolation plate 611 will cool air and heat The air is effectively separated to avoid cross-winding of cold air and hot air, and a water receiving box 14 is also provided in the machine room 3.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the air inlet includes a first air inlet 4 and a second air inlet 13, the first air inlet 4 is located at the rear of the machine room 3, and the second air inlet 13 is located at the machine room At the bottom of 3, the cold air in the intake flow channel can enter the machine room 3 from the bottom of the box 1 through the second air inlet 13 or can flow along the bottom of the box 1 to the rear of the box 1 and enter from the first The air inlet 4 enters the machine room 3, and the air intake efficiency can be increased through the first air inlet 4 and the second air inlet 13.

As shown in FIGS. 1-2 and 6-7, the bottom of the box 1 is provided with legs 7, the box 1 is supported on the ground 16 by the legs 7, and the bottom of the box 1 is spaced from the ground 16, In order to form an air intake flow channel at the bottom of the cabinet 1, a wind deflector 17 extending toward the ground 16 is provided at the second air inlet 13, and cold air can enter the machine room 3 along the wind deflector 17 to make more The cold air enters the machine room 3 through the second air inlet 13 to reduce the flow of cold air to the first air inlet 4 to avoid the excessive cold air pressure at the rear of the cabinet 1 affecting the separation effect of the isolation cover 6, the cabinet 1 The structure design is reasonable.

In some embodiments, the refrigerator 100 further includes a second fan 15. There are a plurality of second fans 15. The plurality of second fans 15 are disposed in the outlet air flow channel, as shown in FIGS. 1-2 and 6-7. There are two second fans 15, both of which are located on the top of the cabinet 1, and the two second fans 15 are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the direction of air flow. In this way, the hot air flowing out of the air outlet 5 flows upward along the channel between the cabinet 1 and the wall surface of the cabinet 9, and the second fan 15 at the top of the cabinet 1 runs to accelerate the hot air into the top of the cabinet 1 and pass through the cabinet The exhaust port 8 at the top of the body 1 flows out of the box 1.

In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", " Rear "," Left "," Right "," Vertical "," Horizontal "," Top "," Bottom "," Inner "," Outer "," Clockwise "," Counterclockwise "," Axial " , "Radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate the azimuth or positional relationship based on the azimuth or positional relationship shown in the drawings, only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying the device or Elements must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

In the description of the present disclosure, "first feature" and "second feature" may include one or more of the features.

In the description of the present disclosure, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more.

In the description of the present disclosure, the first feature being “above” or “below” the second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are through them Contact between additional features.

In the description of the present disclosure, the first feature is “above”, “above” and “above” the second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than The second feature.

In the description of this specification, reference to the descriptions of the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "schematic embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" is meant to be combined with the implementation The specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in the examples or examples are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. In this specification, the schematic expression of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, those of ordinary skill in the art may understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and objectives of the present disclosure, The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

A refrigerator is characterized by comprising:

A box, the box is adapted to be embedded in a cabinet to define an airflow channel with the cabinet;

A mechanical room, the mechanical room is provided in the box body, the mechanical room has an air inlet and an air outlet;

An isolation cover, the isolation cover is connected with the box body, and the isolation cover is provided with the air inlet to divide the airflow channel into an intake airflow channel and an outflow airflow channel.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the isolation cover comprises: an upper panel, a back panel and two side panels, the back panel is adapted to be attached to the cabinet and spaced apart from the cabinet , The upper plate and the back plate are connected to separate the intake air flow channel and the outlet air flow channel, and both ends of the upper plate and the back plate are separated from the two The side panel is connected.
The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the upper plate includes an isolation plate and two connecting plates, the isolation plate is disposed between the air inlet and the air outlet to circulate the intake air The channel is separated from the outlet air flow channel, and both ends of the isolation plate are connected to the two side plates through two connecting plates, respectively.
The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the partition plate extends in a vertical direction, and the connection plate extends in a horizontal direction.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 2-4, wherein the side plate includes a first plate and a second plate, an upper end of the first plate is connected to the upper plate, and the first The rear end of the board is connected to the back board, the front lower part of the first board is connected to the first end of the second board, and the second end of the second board extends forward to the front of the box unit.
The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the second end of the second plate is provided with a guide surface, and the guide surface extends downward from the front to the front.
The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the guide surface is arc-shaped.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 2-7, wherein the upper plate, the back plate, and the side plate are integrally formed.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 3-8, wherein a condenser, a compressor, and a first fan are provided in the machine room, and the condenser is located on the suction side of the first fan, The compressor is located on the air outlet side of the first fan, and the isolation plate is provided behind the first fan.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein the air inlet includes a first air inlet and a second air inlet, the first air inlet is provided at the rear of the machine room, The second air inlet is provided at the bottom of the machine room, the bottom of the box is spaced from the ground, and an air guide plate extending toward the ground is provided at the second air inlet.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1-10, further comprising: a second fan, the second fan is a plurality, and the plurality of second fans are all provided in the outlet air flow channel And spaced apart along the direction perpendicular to the flow of airflow.