Heat exchanger

• US 10,641,522 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyungdong Navien Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Kyungdong Navien Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Jeong, Inchul
• Primary Examiner(s): Herzfeld, Nathaniel
• Application Number:
  US15/746,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20180216848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/30 the water mantle being built up from sections
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/32 with vertical sections arranged side by side
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/34 with water chamber arranged adjacent to the combustion chamber or chambers, e.g. above or at side
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/40 with water tube or tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/44 with combinations of two or more of the types covered by groups F24H1/24 - F24H1/40 , e.g. boilers having a combination of features covered by F24H1/24 - F24H1/40
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/445 with integrated flue gas condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 8/00 Fluid heaters characterised by means for extracting latent heat from flue gases by means of condensation
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0024 for combustion apparatus, e.g. for boilers
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/00 Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary plate-like or laminated conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall F28F3/083, F28F3/086 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/0043 the plates having openings therein for circulation of at least one heat-exchange medium from one conduit to another
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/005 the plates having openings therein for both heat-exchange media
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/04 the means being integral with the element
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger having a simplified assembly structure as well as a simplified structure for heat-insulating a combustion chamber, the heat exchanger being provided with a heat exchange unit having heating medium flow channels through which a heating medium flows and combustion gas flow channels through which combustion gas combusted in the burner flows to be alternately formed and adjacent to each other in spaces between a plurality of plates, wherein the heat exchange unit comprises: a sensible heat unit which surrounds the outer side of a combustion chamber, is formed of one side area of the plates, and heats the heating medium by using sensible heat of combustion gas generated by the combustion of the burner; and a latent heat unit which is formed of the other side area of the plates, and heats the heating medium by using latent heat of water vapor included in combustion gas that has finished undergoing heat exchange in the sensible heat unit, wherein the rear of the sensible heat unit has provided thereon connection flow channels of the heating medium so that the heating medium that passed through the heating medium flow channels of the latent heat unit can flow to the heating medium flow channels of the sensible heat unit, and the rear of the sensible heat unit also has a water housing cooling unit formed thereon for heat-insulating the combustion chamber.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising:

a heat exchange unit (200) in which heating medium flow channels through which a heating medium flows in a space between a plurality of plates and combustion gas flow channels through which a combustion gas combusted in a burner (100) flows are alternately formed to be adjacent to each other,

wherein the heat exchange unit (200) is configured with a sensible heat unit (200A) configured to surround an outer side of a combustion chamber (C), configured with an area at one side of each one of the plates, and configured to heat the heating medium using sensible heat of the combustion gas generated by the combustion in the burner (100); and

a latent heat unit (200B) configured with an area at the other side of each one of the plates and configured to heat the heating medium using latent heat of water vapor contained in the combustion gas which undergoes heat exchange in the sensible heat unit (200A), and

a water housing cooling unit (B) configured with a first insulating plate (B1) and a second insulating plate (B2) spaced at predetermined interval, and formed at a rear side of the sensible heat unit (200A) and configured to provide a connection flow channel of a heating medium which passes through a heating medium flow channel of the latent heat unit (200B) to direct the heating medium to flow into a heating medium flow channel of the sensible heat unit (200A), and heat-insulate the combustion chamber (C),

wherein protrusions and recesses which intersect each other are formed at the first insulating plate (B1) and the second insulating plate (B2) to generate turbulence in a flow of the heating medium passing through the water housing cooling unit (B).

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of plates are formed by stacking a plurality of unit plates each having a first plate and a second plate which are stacked,

the heating medium flow channel is formed between the first plate and the second plate of the unit plate, and

the combustion gas flow channel is formed between a second plate constituting a unit plate disposed at one side of adjacently stacked unit plates and a first plate of a unit plate disposed at the other side thereof.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein:

the first plate is configured with a first plane portion (210);

a first protrusion (220) protruding from one side of the first plane portion (210) to a front side and having a first opening (A1) formed at a center of the first protrusion (220) to constitute the sensible heat unit (200A); and

a second protrusion (230) protruding forward from the other side of the first plane portion (210) to the front side and configured to form the latent heat unit (200B), and

the second plate is configured with a second plane portion (250);

a first recess (260) recessed from one side of the second plane portion (250) to the rear side, configured to form a sensible heat unit heating medium flow channel (P3) between the first protrusion (220) and the first recess (260), and having a second opening (A2) corresponding to the first opening (A1); and

a second recess (270) recessed from the other side of the second plane portion (250) to the rear side and configured to form a latent heat unit heating medium flow channel (P1) between the second protrusion (230) and the second recess (270).

4. The heat exchanger of claim 3, wherein:

a plurality of first gap maintaining portions (222) protruding toward the combustion gas flow channel are formed at the first protrusion (220), and

a plurality of second gap maintaining portions (262) are formed at the first recess (260) at positions corresponding to the plurality of first gap maintaining portions (222) to protrude toward the combustion gas flow channel.

5. The heat exchanger of claim 4, wherein a protruding end of each of the plurality of first gap maintaining portions (222) and a protruding end of each of the plurality of second gap maintaining portions (262) are formed to be in contact with each other.

6. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

each of the plates has an upright structure such that the sensible heat unit (200A) is disposed at an upper portion and the latent heat unit (200B) is disposed at a lower portion, and

the burner (100) is assembled by being inserted into a space of the combustion chamber (C) in a horizontal direction from a front surface thereof.

7. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein each of the plates constituting the sensible heat unit (200A) is formed such that a width (E1) of a side area facing the latent heat unit (200B) is formed to be larger than that (E2) of an area opposite the latent heat unit (200B).

8. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

the latent heat unit (200B) is configured with a heating medium inlet (201) into which the heating medium flows, and a plurality of latent heat unit heating medium flow channels (P1) formed between a plurality of plates in parallel thereto and configured to communicate with the heating medium inlet (201), and

the sensible heat unit (200A) Is configured with a heating medium outlet (202) through which the heating medium flows, and a plurality of sensible heat unit heating medium flow channels (P3) formed between the plurality of plates and connected in series between the plurality of latent heat unit heating medium flow channels (P1) and the heating medium outlet (202).

9. The heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein:

a sensible heat unit combustion gas flow channel (P4) is provided between the sensible heat unit heating medium flow channels (P3), and

a latent heat unit combustion gas flow channel (P2) communicating with the sensible heat unit combustion gas flow channel (P4) is provided between the latent heat unit heating medium flow channels (P1).

10. A heat exchanger comprising:

a heat exchange unit (200) in which heating medium flow channels through which a heating medium flows in a space between a plurality of plates and combustion gas flow channels through which a combustion gas combusted in a burner (100) flows are alternately formed to be adjacent to each other,

wherein the heat exchange unit (200) is configured with a sensible heat unit (200A) configured to surround an outer side of a combustion chamber (C), configured with an area at one side of each one of the plates, and configured to heat the heating medium using sensible heat of the combustion gas generated by the combustion in the burner (100); and

a latent heat unit (200B) configured with an area at the other side of each one of the plates and configured to heat the heating medium using latent heat of water vapor contained in the combustion gas which undergoes heat exchange in the sensible heat unit (200A), and

a water housing cooling unit (B) configured with a first insulating plate (B1) and a second insulating plate (B2) spaced at predetermined interval, and formed at a rear side of the sensible heat unit (200A) and configured to provide a connection flow channel of a heating medium which passes through a heating medium flow channel of the latent heat unit (200B) to direct the heating medium to flow into a heating medium flow channel of the sensible heat unit (200A), and heat-insulate the combustion chamber (C),

wherein;

the plurality of plates are formed by stacking a plurality of unit plates each having a first plate and a second plate which are stacked,

the heating medium flow channel is formed between the first plate and the second plate of the unit plate, and

the combustion gas flow channel is formed between a second plate constituting a unit plate disposed at one side of adjacently stacked unit plates and a first plate of a unit plate disposed at the other side thereof,

wherein;

the first plate is configured with a first plane portion (210);

a first protrusion (220) protruding from one side of the first plane portion (210) to a front side and having a first opening (A1) formed at a center of the first protrusion (220) to constitute the sensible heat unit (200A); and

a second protrusion (230) protruding forward from the other side of the first plane portion (210) to the front side and configured to form the latent heat unit (200B), and

the second plate is configured with a second lane portion (250);

a first recess (260) recessed from one side of the second plane portion (250) to the rear side, configured to form a sensible heat unit heating medium flow channel (P3) between the first protrusion (220) and the first recess (260), and having a second opening (A2) corresponding to the first opening (A1); and

a second recess (270) recessed from the other side of the second plane portion (250) to the rear side and configured to form a latent heat unit heating medium flow channel (P1) between the second protrusion (230) and the second recess (270),

wherein, when the first plate and the second plate are stacked, the first plane portion (210) and the second plane portion (250) are in contact with each other, and the second protrusion (230) and the second recess (270) are configured to be bent in opposite directions.

11. A heat exchanger comprising:

a heat exchange unit (200) in which heating medium flow channels through which a heating medium flows in a space between a plurality of plates and combustion gas flow channels through which a combustion gas combusted in a burner (100) flows are alternately formed to be adjacent to each other,

wherein the heat exchange unit (200) is configured with a sensible heat unit (200A) configured to surround an outer side of a combustion chamber (C), configured with an area at one side of each one of the plates, and configured to heat the heating medium using sensible heat of the combustion gas generated by the combustion in the burner (100); and

a latent heat unit (200B) configured with an area at the other side of each one of the plates and configured to heat the heating medium using latent heat of water vapor contained in the combustion gas which undergoes heat exchange in the sensible heat unit (200A), and

a water housing cooling unit (B) configured with a first insulating plate (B1) and a second insulating plate (B2) spaced at predetermined interval, and formed at a rear side of the sensible heat unit (200A) and configured to provide a connection flow channel of a heating medium which passes through a heating medium flow channel of the latent heat unit (200B) to direct the heating medium to flow into a heating medium flow channel of the sensible heat unit (200A), and heat-insulate the combustion chamber (C),

wherein;

the latent heat unit (200B) is configured with a heating medium inlet (201) into which the heating medium flows, and a plurality of latent heat unit heating medium flow channels (P1) formed between a plurality of plates in parallel thereto and configured to communicate with the heating medium inlet (201), and

the sensible heat unit (200A) is configured with a heating medium outlet (202) through which the heating medium flows, and a plurality of sensible heat unit heating medium flow channels (P3) formed between the plurality of plates and connected in series between the plurality of latent heat unit heating medium flow channels (P1) and the heating medium outlet (202),

wherein;

through-holes (H1) and (H5) provided at one side of the latent heat unit (200B) and through-holes (H2) and (H6) provided at the other side, which communicate with the latent heat unit heating medium flow channels (P1), are diagonally formed at the latent heat unit (200B) to connect the latent heat unit heating medium flow channel (P1) in parallel, and

through-holes (H3) and (H7) provided at one side of the sensible heat unit (200A) and through-holes (H4) and (H8) provided at the other side, which communicate with the sensible heat unit heating medium flow channels (P3), are diagonally formed at the sensible heat unit (200A) to connect the sensible heat unit heating medium flow channels (P3) in series.

12. The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein:

a heating medium flowing into the sensible heat unit heating medium flow channel (P3) through the through-holes (H3) and (H7) provided at the one side branches off to flow towards the through-holes (H4) and (H8) formed at the other side in a diagonal direction, and

the heating medium flowing into the sensible heat unit heating medium flow channel (P3) through the through-holes (H4) and (H8) branches off to flow towards the through-holes (H3) and (H7) formed at the one side in the diagonal direction.

13. The heat exchanger of claim 12, wherein:

first blocked portions (H3′

) and (H7′

) configured to guide the heating medium, which flows into the sensible heat unit heating medium flow channel (P3) through the through-holes (H3) and (H7) provided at the one side, to flow toward the through-holes (H4) and (H8) formed at the other side in the diagonal direction, and second blocked portions (H4′

) and (H8′

) configured to guide the heating medium, which flows into the sensible heat unit heating medium flow channel (P3) through the through-holes (H4) and (H8) provided at the other side, to flow toward the through-holes (H3) and (H7) formed at the one side in the diagonal direction are formed at the sensible heat unit (200A).

14. The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein:

the through-holes (H3) and (H7) are provided with first flanges (H3-1) and second flanges (H7-1), which protrude toward the combustion gas flow channel and the ends of the first flanges (H3-1) and the second flanges (H7-1) are in contact with each other, and

the through-holes (H4) and (H8) are provided with first flanges (H4-1) and second flanges (H8-1), which protrude toward the combustion gas flow channel and the ends of the first flanges (H4-1) and the second flanges (H8-1) are in contact with each other.

15. A heat exchanger comprising:

a heat exchange unit (200) in which heating medium flow channels through which a heating medium flows in a space between a plurality of plates and combustion gas flow channels through which a combustion gas combusted in a burner (100) flows are alternately formed to be adjacent to each other,

wherein the heat exchange unit (200) is configured with a sensible heat unit (200A) configured to surround an outer side of a combustion chamber (C), configured with an area at one side of each one of the plates, and configured to heat the heating medium using sensible heat of the combustion gas generated by the combustion in the burner (100); and

a latent heat unit (200B) configured with an area at the other side of each one of the plates and configured to heat the heating medium using latent heat of water vapor contained in the combustion gas which undergoes heat exchange in the sensible heat unit (200A), and

a water housing cooling unit (B) configured with a first insulating plate (B1) and a second insulating olate (B2) spaced at predetermined interval, and formed at a rear side of the sensible heat unit (200A) and configured to provide a connection flow channel of a heating medium which passes through a heating medium flow channel of the latent heat unit (200B) to direct the heating medium to flow into a heating medium flow channel of the sensible heat unit (200A), and heat-insulate the combustion chamber (C),

wherein;

the latent heat unit (200B) is configured with a heating medium inlet (201) into which the heating medium flows, and a plurality of latent heat unit heating medium flow channels (P1) formed between a plurality of plates in parallel thereto and configured to communicate with the heating medium inlet (201), and

the sensible heat unit (200A) is configured with a heating medium outlet (202) through which the heating medium flows, and a plurality of sensible heat unit heating medium flow channels (P3) formed between the plurality of plates and connected in series between the plurality of latent heat unit heating medium flow channels (P1) and the heating medium outlet (202),

wherein;

the latent heat unit (200B) is divided into a first latent heat unit (200B-1) and a second latent heat unit (200B-2) on both sides of a heating medium blocking unit (290),

the heating medium flow channels of the first latent heat unit (200B-1) and the second latent heat unit (200B-2) communicate through a heating medium connection flow channel (P1′

) formed at one side of the heating medium blocking unit (290),

through-holes (H1) and (H5) communicating with the heating medium inlet (201) and the heating medium flow channel of the first latent heat unit (200B-1) are formed at one side of the first latent heat unit (200B-1), and

through-holes (H2) and (H6) communicating with the heating medium flow channel of the second latent heat unit (200B-2) and the sensible heat unit heating medium flow channel (P3) are formed at one side of the second latent heat unit (200B-2).