MULTI-CHANNEL FLAT-TUBE SERPENTINE HEAT EXCHANGER AND HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS

• US 20120267088A1
• Filed: 04/21/2011
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cooling House Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Cooling House Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lange, Torben Bjerrisgaard, Wang, I-Ching, Lin, Jhih-Ye
• Application Number:
  US13/091,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20120267088A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/181
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0478 the conduits having a non-circular cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0233 the conduits having a particular shape, e.g. non-circular cross-section, annular F28D15/0241, F28D15/0266 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0266 with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers F28D15/043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0275 Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0028 for cooling heat generating elements, e.g. for cooling electronic components or electric devices
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/12 the means being only outside the tubular element
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2009/226 Transversal partitions
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0131 formed by plates F28F9/0138 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger and a heat exchange apparatus. The heat exchanger includes a flat pipe, a fin set and a divider assembly. The flat pipe has bending sections and connecting sections. The flat pipe is filled with a working fluid and has channels. The fin set is connected between the connecting sections to increase heat-exchange area of the flat pipe. The divider assembly is connected to the flat pipe to divide the flat pipe into a heat-absorbing region and a heat-releasing region. The working fluid in the heat-absorbing region absorbs heat to evaporate and then flows into the heat-releasing region along the channels. The evaporated working fluid condenses in the heat-releasing region to flow back to the heat-absorbing region along the channels by means of gravity. Therefore, the present invention has a reduced production cost and an increased heat-exchange efficiency.

Claims

1. A multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1), including:

a flat pipe (10) configured to have a plurality of bending sections (11) and a plurality of connecting sections (12) each connecting adjacent two bending sections (11), an interior of the flat pipe (10) being filled with a working fluid (W), the flat pipe (10) being provided with a plurality of channels (13) separated from each other for allowing the working fluid (W) to flow through;

a fin set (20) connected between the connecting sections (12) to increase heat-exchange area of the flat pipe (10); and

a divider assembly (30) connected to the flat pipe (10) to divide the flat pipe (10) into a heat-absorbing region (S1) located in a lower portion of the flat pipe (10) and a heat-releasing region (S2) located in an upper portion of the flat pipe (10), the divider assembly (30) being disposed between the heat-absorbing region (S1) and the heat-releasing region (S2);

wherein a portion of the working fluid (W) in the heat-absorbing region (51) absorbs heat to evaporate, the evaporated working fluid (W) flows into the heat-releasing region (S2) along the channels (13), the evaporated working fluid (W) condenses in the heat-releasing region (S2) to flow back to the heat-absorbing region (51) along the channels (13) by means of gravity.

2. The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) according to claim 1, wherein the flat pipe (10) is made of heat-conducting metals, the interior of the flat pipe (10) is integrally formed with a plurality of partitioning portions (14), the channels (13) are formed between inner walls of the flat pipe (10) and the partitioning portions (14) as well as between adjacent two partitioning portions (14).

3. The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) according to claim 2, wherein the divider assembly (30) is constituted of two divider plates (31), each of the divider plates (31) has a plurality of notches (311) to form a comb-shaped structure, the width of each notch (311) is equal to the thickness of the flat pipe (10), so that the flat pipe (10) can be inserted into the notches (311), the flat pipe (10) is sandwiched between the opposite notches (311) of the two divider plates (31) overlapped with each other.

4. The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) according to claim 3, wherein at least one end of the flat pipe (10) is formed with a storage tank (15), the storage tank (15) is configured to communicate the individual channels (13) and balance a pressure in each channel (13), the storage tank (15) is provided with a filling stud (151) through which the working fluid (W) is to be filled in the storage tank (15).

5. The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) according to claim 1, wherein the flat pipe (10) is made of thin-walled plastic, the interior of the flat pipe (10) is integrally formed with a plurality of partitioning portions (14), the channels (13) are formed between inner walls of the flat pipe (10) and the partitioning portions (14) as well as between adjacent two partitioning portions (14).

6. The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) according to claim 5, wherein the divider assembly (30) is constituted of two divider plates (31), each of the divider plates (31) has a plurality of notches (311) to form a comb-shaped structure, the width of each notch (311) is equal to the thickness of the flat pipe (10), so that the flat pipe (10) can be inserted into the notches (311), the flat pipe (10) is sandwiched between the opposite notches (311) of the two divider plates (31) overlapped with each other.

7. The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) according to claim 6, wherein at least one end of the flat pipe (10) is formed with a storage tank (15), the storage tank (15) is configured to communicate the individual channels (13) and balance a pressure in each channel (13), the storage tank (15) is provided with a filling stud (151) through which the working fluid (W) is to be filled in the storage tank (15).

8. A heat exchange apparatus (100), configured to perform heat exchange to an operating space, the heat exchange apparatus (100) including:

a housing (110) having a first intake port (1111), a first exhaust port (1112), a second intake port (1121) and a second exhaust port (1122); and

a multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) mounted in the housing (110) and including;

a flat pipe (10) configured to have a plurality of bending sections (11) and a plurality of connecting sections (12) each connecting adjacent two bending sections (11), an interior of the flat pipe (10) being filled with a working fluid (W), the flat pipe (10) being provided with a plurality of channels (13) separated from each other for allowing the working fluid (W) to flow through;

a fin set (20) connected between the connecting sections (12) to increase heat-exchange area of the flat pipe (10); and

a divider assembly (30) connected to the flat pipe (10) to divide the flat pipe (10) into a heat-absorbing region (S1) located in a lower portion of the flat pipe (10) and a heat-releasing region (S2) located in an upper portion of the flat pipe (10), the divider assembly (30) being disposed between the heat-absorbing region (S1) and the heat-releasing region (S2);

wherein a portion of the working fluid (W) in the heat-absorbing region (S1) absorbs heat of a hot air coming from an interior of the operating space into the first intake port (1111) to evaporate, whereby the hot air is heat-exchanged to become a cool air to be exhausted via the first exhaust port (1112), the evaporated working fluid (W) flows into the heat-releasing region (S2) along the channels (13), the evaporated working fluid (W) condenses in the heat-releasing region (S2) to flow back to the heat-absorbing region (S1) along the channels (13) by means of gravity, whereby a cold air coming from an exterior of the operating space into the second intake port (1121) is heat-exchanged to become a warm air to be exhausted via the second exhaust port (1122).

9. The heat exchange apparatus (100) according to claim 8, wherein the housing (110) includes a cover plate (111) and a base (112), the first intake port (1111) and the first exhaust port (1112) are provided on the cover plate (111), the second intake port (1121) and the second exhaust port (1122) are provided on the base (112).

10. The heat exchange apparatus (100) according to claim 9, further including a first fan (120) and a second fan (130), the first fan (120) being mounted in the base (112) to correspond to the first exhaust port (1112), the second fan (130) being mounted in the base (112) to correspond to the second intake port (1121).

11. The heat exchange apparatus (100) according to claim 10, further including two mounting plates (140), each of the mounting plates (140) having an insertion slot (141) for allowing the divider assembly (30) to be inserted therein, the two mounting plates (140) being fixed to two inner walls of the housing (110) respectively, the multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) being mounted between the two mounting plates (140) with the divider assembly (30) being inserted into the insertion slots (141).

12. The heat exchange apparatus (100) according to claim 11, wherein the operating space is an electronic enclosure (200), the heat exchange apparatus (100) is mounted outside the electronic enclosure (200), the electronic enclosure (200) has a hot air outlet (210) and a cold air inlet (220), a hot air inside the electronic enclosure (200) is guided from the hot air outlet (210) into the first intake port (1111) of the heat exchange apparatus (100) and then heat-exchanged to become a cool air, the cool air flows back into the electronic enclosure (200) through the first exhaust port (1112).

13. The heat exchange apparatus (100′

) according to claim 11, wherein the operating space is a building (200′

), the heat exchange apparatus (100′

) is mounted inside the building (200′

), the first intake port (111′

) is provided with a first intake fan (120′

), the first exhaust port (112′

) is connected with an exhaust pipe (130′

) leading to an outside of the building (200′

), one end of the exhaust pipe (130′

) adjacent to the outside of the building (200′

) is provided with a first exhaust fan (131′

), the second intake port (113′

) is connected with an intake pipe (140′

) leading to the outside of the building (200′

), one end of the intake pipe (140′

) adjacent to the outside of the building (200′

) is provided with a second intake fan (141′

), the second exhaust port (114′

) is provided with a second exhaust fan (150′

), a hot air inside the building (200′

) is absorbed into the heat exchange apparatus (100′

) from the first intake port (111′

) and heat-exchanged to become a cool air, the cool air is exhausted to the outside of the building (200′

) via the first exhaust port (112′

), a cold air outside the building (200′

) is introduced into the heat exchange apparatus (100′

) from the second intake port (113′

) and heat-exchanged to become a warm air, the warm arm is fed into the building (200′

) via the second exhaust port (114′

).