Heat exchanger for fuel cell system
First Claim
1. A heat exchanger for use in a fuel cell system, the heat exchanger comprising:
- heat transfer tube elements having an flat passage allowing flow of a cooling medium therein;
outer fins retained between adjacent the heat transfer tube elements allowing flow of a gas there through and a core formed by laminating the heat transfer tube elements and the outer fins in order;
wherein the gas flows through the outer fins in a direction orthogonal to the direction of cooling medium flow which flows in the passage in each heat transfer tube element; and
a passage in at least a section of the passage for cooling medium provided in each heat transfer tube element comprises a large passage and a small passage group disposed in parallel, the large passage having a large width and being provided upstream to the core with respect to the direction of gas flow, and the small passage group comprising a plurality of small passages being narrower than the large passage and being provided downstream of the core with respect to the direction of gas flow.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A plurality of heat transfer tube elements 17 are laminated with outer fins disposed between the heat transfer tube elements 17 in order to form a core. A gas flows between the outer fins. A passage 24 allowing flow of a cooling medium in a direction orthogonal to the direction of gas flow is formed in each heat transfer tube element 17. The passage 24 has a large passage 31 having a large width disposed upstream with respect to the direction a of gas flow and a small passage group 33 comprising a plurality of small passages 32 being more narrow than the large passage 31 and being disposed downstream with respect to the direction of gas flow. This arrangement allows non-uniformity in the temperature distribution of a gas flow to be suppressed to a low level with a downsizing, low-weight and low-cost device.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A heat exchanger for use in a fuel cell system, the heat exchanger comprising:
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heat transfer tube elements having an flat passage allowing flow of a cooling medium therein;
outer fins retained between adjacent the heat transfer tube elements allowing flow of a gas there through and a core formed by laminating the heat transfer tube elements and the outer fins in order;
whereinthe gas flows through the outer fins in a direction orthogonal to the direction of cooling medium flow which flows in the passage in each heat transfer tube element; and
a passage in at least a section of the passage for cooling medium provided in each heat transfer tube element comprises a large passage and a small passage group disposed in parallel, the large passage having a large width and being provided upstream to the core with respect to the direction of gas flow, and the small passage group comprising a plurality of small passages being narrower than the large passage and being provided downstream of the core with respect to the direction of gas flow. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification