Heat exchanger

• US 20030066633A1
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanon Systems (Hahn & Co. Auto Holdings Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Halla Climate Control Corporation (Hahn & Co. Auto Holdings Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Park, Chang-Ho, Lee, Jun-Kang, Ahn, Hwang-Jae, Jang, Kil-Sang, Han, In-Cheol, Ahn, Yong-Gwi
• Granted Patent: US 6,745,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/144
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 39/02 Evaporators
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 9/008 the refrigerant being carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0417 with particular circuits for the same heat exchange medium, e.g. with the heat exchange medium flowing through sections having different heat exchange capacities or for heating/cooling the heat exchange medium at different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0435 Combination of units extending one behind the other F28D1/0452 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/05391 with multiple rows of conduits or with multi-channel conduits combined with a particular flow pattern, e.g. multi-row multi-stage radiators
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0073 Gas coolers
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0085 Evaporators
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/022 with multiple channels
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2210/04 Arrangements of conduits common to different heat exchange sections, the conduits having channels for different circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2225/08 for header boxes
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0214 having only longitudinal partitions
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0224 Header boxes formed by sealing end plates into covers F28F9/0221 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/262 for radiators F28D1/0408 takes precedence

Abstract

A heat exchanger uses a refrigerant acting under a high pressure, such as carbon dioxide, as a refrigerant. The heat exchanger includes first and second header pipes arranged a predetermined distance from each other and parallel to each other, each having at least two chambers independently sectioned by a partition wall, a plurality of tubes for separately connecting the chambers of the first and second header pipes, facing each other, wherein the tubes are divided into at least two tube groups, each having a single refrigerant path, a refrigerant inlet pipe formed at the chamber disposed at one end portion of the first header pipe, through which the refrigerant is supplied, a plurality of return holes formed in the partition wall to connect two chambers adjacent to each other, through which the refrigerant sequentially flows the tube groups, and a refrigerant outlet pipe formed at the chamber of one of the first and second header pipes connected to a final tube group of the tube groups along the-flow of the refrigerant, through which the refrigerant is exhausted.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising:

first and second header pipes arranged a predetermined distance from each other and parallel to each other, each having at least two chambers independently sectioned by a partition wall;

a plurality of tubes for separately connecting the chambers of the first and second header pipes, facing each other;

a refrigerant inlet pipe formed at the chamber disposed at one end portion of the first header pipe, through which the refrigerant is supplied;

a plurality of return holes formed in the partition wall to connect two chambers adjacent to each other, through which the refrigerant sequentially flows the tube groups; and

a refrigerant outlet pipe formed at the chamber of one of the first and second header pipes connected to a final tube group of the tube groups along the flow of the refrigerant, through which the refrigerant is exhausted,

wherein the tubes are divided into at least two tube groups, each having a single refrigerant path.

2. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the refrigerant paths of the tube groups adjacent to each other among the tube groups are opposite to each other.

3. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tube group connected to the chamber where the refrigerant output pipe is formed is arranged at an upstream of the flow of air supplied into the heat exchanger.

4. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tube group is formed of a row of the tubes connecting one of the chambers of the first header pipe and one of the chambers of the second header pipe corresponding thereto.

5. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least a baffle for sectioning each chamber is provided at each of at least two chambers of each of the first and second header pipes.

6. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 5, wherein the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe are formed in the same chamber.

7. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 5, wherein the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe are formed in different chambers of the first header pipe.

8. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chambers of the first and second header pipes are roughly circular.

9. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thickness of a horizontal section of the partition wall is thicker than a thickness of a horizontal section of the remaining portion of the first and second header pipes.

10. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 9, wherein a thickness of a horizontal section of the partition wall is 1.5 through 2.5 times greater than a thickness of a horizontal section of the other portion.

11. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the return holes is roughly circular.

12. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the return holes is roughly rectangular.

13. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the return holes are arranged in a lengthwise direction of the header pipe.

14. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second header pipes is formed by brazing a header which is extruded or press-processed and has a plurality of slits into which the tubes are inserted and a tank which is extruded or press-processed.

15. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 14, wherein the partition wall is integrally formed at at least one of the header and the tank of each of the first and second header pipes.

16. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first and second header pipes comprise at least one caulking coupling portion.

17. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 16, wherein the caulking coupling portion is provided between at least one of the header and the tank and the partition wall.

18. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the partition wall is formed of additional member and brazed to an inner wall of each of the first and second header pipes.

19. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein thicknesses of the tubes are formed different from one tube group to the other tube group, according to a temperature of the refrigerant flowing through each tube group.

20. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 19, wherein the width of each tube of the tube group through which a refrigerant of a high temperature flows is formed to be greater than the width of tube of the tube group through which a refrigerant of a low temperature flows.

21. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 20, wherein, when a width of each tube of the tube group through which a refrigerant of a high temperature flows is X and a width of each tube of the tube group through which a refrigerant of a low temperature flows is Y, the X and Y satisfy a relationship that 0.5X≦

Y<

X.

22. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 20, wherein each of the tubes comprises a plurality of micro channel tubes, and when a hydraulic diameter of each micro channel tube of the tube group through which a refrigerant of high temperature flows is x and a hydraulic diameter of each micro channel tube of the tube group through which a refrigerant of low temperature flows is y, the x and y satisfy a relationship that 0.5Σ

x≦

y<

Σ

x.

23. A heat exchanger comprising:

first and second header pipes arranged to be separated a predetermined distance from each other and parallel to each other;

a plurality of tubes for connecting the first and second header pipes;

a refrigerant inlet pipe formed at one end portion of the first header pipe and through which a refrigerant is supplied to the first header pipe; and

a refrigerant outlet pipe formed at one of the first and second header pipes and through which the refrigerant is exhausted,

wherein the tubes neighboring with each other are connected by a bridge in which a plurality of through holes are formed.

24. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 23, wherein the bridge is formed to be thinner than the tube.

25. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 23, wherein each of the first and second header pipes has at least two chambers separated by a partition wall, and the tubes separately connect the chambers of the first and second header pipes facing each other.

26. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 25, wherein each of the chambers is divided into at least two spaces extended along a lengthwise direction of each header pipe, and the respective tubes are connected to the spaces of each chamber.