Heat Exchanger

This is a continuation application of International Application No. PCT/JP2024/005994 with an international filing date of Feb. 20, 2024, which claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-027645 filed on Feb. 24, 2023, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates generally to a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between fluids.

Cooling devices have been used to prevent a temperature rise inside the housing of electronic devices. Some cooling devices introduce external air (outside air), exchange heat with air (inside air) inside the housing of the electronic devices, and then discharge the air. Heat exchangers employing such a cooling device are disclosed, for example, in JP H11-94476 A and JP 2016-109332 A.

The heat exchanger described in JP H11-94476 A uses thin plates having a shape continuously folded alternately to form a stacked space. Heat exchange is performed by flowing fluids through layers that contacts only one side of the thin plates and layers that contacts the other side of the thin plates, respectively. The heat exchanger described in JP 2016-109332 A uses a heat transfer body having a V-shaped groove formed by connecting a large number of heat transfer plate pieces.

However, the heat exchanger described in JP H11-94476 A has an issue in assembling because it is difficult to support the thin plates while maintaining the shape of the thin plates. The heat exchanger described in JP 2016-109332 A has an issue in that the heat transfer body configured by joining a large number of heat transfer plate pieces becomes thick, resulting in poor heat exchange performance and complicated structure and processing.

An aspect of the present disclosure is to eliminate the above-mentioned problems with the conventional technology. One or more aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a heat exchanger with a simple configuration and improved assembling property.

A heat exchanger according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a case having at least a pair of walls; and a partition member having ends supported by the pair of walls, the partition member dividing an internal space of the case into a first flow path and a second flow path. A fluid flowing through the first flow path and a fluid flowing through the second flow path flow in a flow direction along a direction in which the walls face each other, and exchange heat with each other via the partition member. The partition member has a corrugated shape in a direction intersecting the flow direction, and the wall includes a corrugated support surface that supports the end of the partition member, the support surface having a predetermined width in the flow direction.

According to the heat exchanger of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a heat exchanger with a simple configuration and improved assembling property.

A heat exchanger according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a case having at least a pair of walls; and a partition member having ends supported by the pair of walls, the partition member dividing an internal space of the case into a first flow path and a second flow path. A fluid flowing through the first flow path and a fluid flowing through the second flow path flow in a flow direction along a direction in which the walls face each other, and exchange heat with each other via the partition member. The partition member has a corrugated shape in a direction intersecting the flow direction, and the wall includes a corrugated support surface that supports the end of the partition member, the support surface having a predetermined width in the flow direction.

According to this aspect, it is possible to provide a heat exchanger with a simple structure and improved assembly efficiency.

In addition, in a heat exchanger according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the partition member includes a first corrugated surface in contact with the fluid flowing through the first flow path and a second corrugated surface in contact with the fluid flowing through the second flow path. The wall includes: a first wall portion facing at least the first flow path in the flow direction; and a second wall portion protruding from the first wall portion toward the internal space of the case. The second wall portion includes the corrugated support surface that is configured to support the end of the partition member at the second corrugated surface.

In addition, a heat exchanger according to another aspect of the present disclosure further includes a sealing layer. The sealing layer is formed by a filler disposed in a space surrounded by the support surface of the second wall portion, an inner surface of the first wall portion facing the first flow path, and an inner surface of the case defining the first flow path, and the end of the partition member is arranged to be embedded in the sealing layer.

In addition, in a heat exchanger according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the second corrugated surface and the support surface are disposed with a gap therebetween, and a portion of the sealing layer is formed within the gap and is configured to support the end of the partition member.

In addition, in a heat exchanger according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the partition member and the case are integrally configured.

In addition, in a heat exchanger according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the partition member is configured by a plurality of interconnecting plates.

In addition, in a heat exchanger according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the plurality of plates are interconnected by brazing.

In addition, in a heat exchanger according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the plurality of plates are interconnected by caulking.

In addition, in a heat exchanger according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the partition member is configured by a plurality of interconnecting aluminum sheets.

In addition, in a heat exchanger according to another aspect of the present disclosure, at least one of the first corrugated surface and the second corrugated surface includes at least a pair of convex portions arranged to face each other and abut against each other.

In addition, in a heat exchanger according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the first wall portion of at least a first wall includes an opening communicating with the second flow path.

In addition, in a heat exchanger according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the case includes a wall surface extending toward the first wall and being inclined outward from the case, and the wall surface faces the second corrugated surface and is connected to the opening.

In addition, in a heat exchanger according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the case includes a first wall surface facing the first corrugated surface, and the first wall surface includes an opening through which the fluid flowing through the first flow path enters and exits the case.

In addition, in a heat exchanger according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the case includes a second wall surface facing the second corrugated surface, and the second wall surface includes an opening through which the fluid flowing through the second flow path enters and exits the case.

In addition, in a heat exchanger according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the case includes both side wall surfaces extending between the pair of walls and connecting a first wall surface facing the first corrugated surface and a second wall surface facing the second corrugated surface, each of the sidewall surfaces includes a shoulder portion parallel to the flow direction, and edges of the partition member on both sides parallel to the flow direction are attached to the shoulder portions of the both sidewall surfaces.

In addition, in a heat exchanger according to another aspect of the present disclosure, a filler adhering the partition member to the case is disposed between the edge and the shoulder portion.

Any of the above various aspects may be appropriately combined to achieve their respective effects.

Embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of already well-known matters or duplicate explanation of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid the following description becoming unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

Heat exchangers according to the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to. The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter defined in the appended claims. In each drawing, each element is exaggerated for ease of explanation. Note that the same reference numerals are imparted to substantially the same members in the drawings.

The overall configuration of a heat exchangeraccording to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to.is a perspective view of the heat exchangeraccording to the first embodiment, andis a perspective view of the heat exchangerofviewed from the opposite surface side in the height direction.is a perspective view of a caseof the heat exchangeraccording to the first embodiment. In the drawings, the X, Y, and Z directions respectively indicates the width direction, depth direction, and height direction of the heat exchanger. In the following description, the flow direction of the fluid in the heat exchangeris the depth direction (Y direction in the figures).

As shown in, the heat exchangeraccording to this embodiment includes the casemade of resin and a partition memberdisposed in the case. The caseincludes a pair of wallsandin the depth direction (Y direction in the figure), cover wall surfacesandin the height direction (Z direction in the figure), and side wall surfaceson both sides joining the cover wall surfaceand the cover wall surface, and is configured to surround a space through which two heat exchanging fluids pass.

In this embodiment, as shown in, the cover wall surfaceof the casehas, near both ends in the longitudinal direction (Y direction in the figure), openingsandthrough which fluid flows in and out. As shown in, the cover wall surfaceof the caseis configured to include, near the both ends of the case, inclined portionsandextending toward the wallsandin the Y direction, respectively, and being inclined outward from the casein the Z direction. The cover wall surfacesandcan be configured to be in contact with the respective fluids that exchange heat in the heat exchangerand have openings through which the fluids flow in and out of the heat exchanger. In this embodiment, the cover wall surfaceis in contact with inside air passing through the heat exchangerand is referred to as “inside-air-side wall surface” or “first wall surface”, while the cover wall surfaceis in contact with outside air passing through the heat exchangerand is referred to as “outside-air-side wall surface” or “second wall surface”.

As shown in, the side wall surfaceson both sides of the caseeach have an outer wall surface, an inner wall surface, an upper end surface (not shown) on the +Z side in the figure, and a lower end surfaceon the −Z side in the figure. The side wall surfacescontact the inside-air-side wall surfaceat the upper end surface, and contact the outside-air-side wall surfaceat the lower end surface, respectively. The lower end surfaceincludes a flat central portionand both bent endsbent up toward the −Z direction in the figure, and the both bent endsare configured to be in contact with the inclined portionsandlying at the ends of the outside-air-side wall surface.

As shown in, the pair of wallsandof the caseeach include an end wall surfaceand a support portionprotruding from the end wall surfacetoward the internal space of the case. In this specification, the “end wall surface” is referred to also as “first wall portion”, and the “support portion” is referred to also as “second wall portion”.

As shown in, the end wall surfacesof the wallsandof the caseeach have an outer wall surfacefacing outward and an inner wall surfacefacing inward. The end wall surfacescan each be configured to have an opening through which the fluid passing through the heat exchangerenters and exits. In this embodiment, the end wall surfacesare disposed generally facing an inside air path, being in contact with the inside-air-side wall surfaceon the +Z side in the figure, and away from the outside-air-side wall surfaceon the −Z side in the figure. Openingsandin the wallsandare defined at both ends. In this embodiment, the outside air exchanging heat with the inside air in the heat exchangercan enter and exit an outside air path of the heat exchangerthrough the openingsand. The configuration of the wallsandwill be described in more detail later.

The configuration of the partition memberwill then be described with reference to.is a perspective view of the partition memberaccording to the first embodiment, whileis an end view of the partition memberof.is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the flow of fluid within the heat exchangerof.

In this embodiment, the partition membercan be configured to have a corrugated shape in a direction intersecting the flow direction (Y direction in the figure) of the fluid in the heat exchanger. In this embodiment, as shown in, the partition memberis configured to have a corrugated shape when viewed from the Y direction in the figure, and includes corrugated endsand, an inside-air-side corrugated surface, and an outside-air-side corrugated surface. The corrugated endsandare supported by the pair of wallsandof the caseof the heat exchanger. The inside-air-side corrugated surfaceand the outside-air-side corrugated surfaceextend between the corrugated endsandand define the surfaces on both sides of the partition member. As shown in, the corrugated endsandare arranged on both the wallsandof the case. The inside-air-side corrugated surfaceand the outside-air-side corrugated surfaceare arranged parallel to the flow direction of the fluid in the heat exchanger(Y direction in the figure) and are in contact with the inside air and the outside air, passing through the heat exchanger, respectively. In this manner, the internal space of the heat exchangeris divided into the outside air path and the inside air path by the partition member. In this specification, the “inside air path” and the “outside air path” are referred to also as “first flow path” and “second flow path”, respectively, and the “inside-air-side corrugated surface” and the “outside-air-side corrugated surface” are referred to also as “first corrugated surface” and “second corrugated surface”, respectively.

As shown in, at the corrugated endsandof the partition member, a number of “V”-shaped grooves are formed by zigzag-shaped edges mn, nm, mn, nm, mn, etc., and can be separated into upward “V”-shaped grooves and downward “V”-shaped grooves. The upward “V”-shaped groove is in contact with the inside-air-side corrugated surfaceto form the inside air path communicating with an opening area S, and the downward “V”-shaped groove is in contact with the outside-air-side corrugated surfaceto form the outside air path communicating with an opening area S. The gases flowing along the inside air path and the outside air path thus flow passing through the heat exchanger without mixing with each other, and the heat transfer surface area is increased by the large number of “V”-shaped grooves, so that efficient heat exchange can be achieved inside the heat exchanger.

In this embodiment, as shown in, the number of “V”-shaped grooves are arranged at equal intervals with a spacing d, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The “V”-shaped grooves may be arranged with different intervals. In addition, in this embodiment, the corrugated end of the partition memberis configured with a “V”-shaped groove, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Partition members having grooves of other shapes will be described in detail later. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the “V”-shaped grooves are formed to have a same height h, which are the length between the tips of the upward “V”-shaped groove and the downward “V”-shaped grooves, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The corrugated end of the partition membermay include grooves with different heights.

As shown in, the partition memberhas extensionsat edges on both sides parallel to the fluid flow direction (Y direction in the figures). The extensionsare configured to extend toward the side wall surfaceson both sides of the casewhen attached to the heat exchanger. With the extensions, it is easy to position the partition memberwithin the heat exchanger. This will be described in detail later. In this embodiment, as shown in the figures, the extensionsare formed at approximately the same level as the tip of the “V”-shaped groove of the partition member, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Referring to, heat exchange of fluids in the heat exchangerwill be described.exemplarily illustrates heat exchange between inside airand outside air. The inside airis introduced, for example by an inside air fan (not shown), into the heat exchangeras inside incoming airfrom the openingat one end of the inside-air-side wall surfaceof the case. The introduced incoming airpasses through the heat exchangeras inside flowing airalong the inside air path (not shown) between the inside-air-side corrugated surfaceof the partition memberand the inside-air-side wall surface, and is discharged as inside outcoming airfrom the openingat the other end of the inside-air-side wall surface. On the other hand, the outside airis introduced, for example by an outside air fan (not shown), into the heat exchanger as outside incoming airfrom the openingin the wallof the case. The introduced incoming airpasses through the heat exchangeras outside flowing airalong the outside air path (not shown) between the outside-air-side corrugated surfaceand the outside-air-side wall surfaceof the partition member, and is discharged as outside outcoming airfrom the openingin the wall. The inside flowing airand the outside flowing airin the heat exchangerflow in a flow direction (Y direction in the figure) in which the wallsandat both ends of the caseface each other. The inside flowing airand the outside flowing aircan exchange heat during separately passing along the inside air path and the outside air path that are thermally in contact with each other via the partition member. The inside airand the outside aircan also exchange heat by passing through the heat exchangerwith a reversed flow path configuration.

For example, when using heat exchange to cool the inside air, the inside incoming airhas a relatively high temperature, and the outside incoming airhas a sufficiently lower temperature than the inside air. By performing heat exchange via the partition member, the inside flowing airwith a high temperature near the entrance is cooled down as it flows along the inside air path, exiting as the inside outcoming airwith a relatively low temperature. Conversely, the outside flowing airwith a low temperature near the entrance is warmed up as it flows along the outside air path, exiting as the outside outcoming airwith a relatively high temperature. The inside flowing airand the outside flowing airpassing through the heat exchangerin opposite directions, thereby enabling an efficient heat exchange.

The partition membercan be made of a thermally conductive material, for example, aluminum or SUS. In addition, in the heat exchanger, the thinner the plate material constituting the partition member, the higher heat exchange effect is achieved. In this embodiment, the partition membercan be made of an aluminum sheet having a thickness of, for example, 0.15 mm to 0.3 mm. The arrangement interval d of the “V”-shaped grooves of the partition membermay be, but is not limited to, 4 mm or more, and the height h of the “V”-shaped groove may be, for example, 40 mm or more. To facilitate maintaining the shape of the partition memberhaving the above configuration and assembling it in the case, the heat exchangerof the present disclosure is configured to support the corrugated endsandof the partition memberby support surfaces disposed on the pair of wallsandof the case. Hereinafter, the configuration of the walls of the caseand the assembly of the partition memberwill be described with reference to.

is a partial perspective view showing the configuration of the wallof the caseof the heat exchangerinand a partial enlarged perspective view showing the structure of the support portion.is an end cross-sectional view showing the partition memberattached to the wallin,is a partial enlarged perspective view showing the partition memberattached to the wallin, andis a partial cross-sectional view and a partial cross-sectional enlarged view A showing the assembly of the partition memberto the wallinand the configuration of the sealing layer.

shows the wallof the caseviewed from the direction of the inside-air-side wall surfaceof the caseshown inwith the inside-air-side wall surfaceremoved. As shown in the figure, the wallcan be configured to include an end wall surfaceand a support portion. The end wall surfacedefines the first wall portion generally facing the inside air path, and the support portiondefines the second wall portion protruding from the inner wall surfaceof the end wall surfacetoward the internal space of the case. In this embodiment, the wallof the case, which is not shown in, may be configured similarly to the wall

The support portionof the wallcan be made of, for example, resin, and include a first endA, a corrugated support surface, and an opposing surface. The first endA extends between the inner wall surfacesof the both side wall surfaces, and is located on the −Y side of the support portionshown in. The corrugated support surfaceextending between the first end portionA and the inner wall surfaceopposite the first end portionA. The opposing surfaceis located on the back side of the support surface, and the thickness of the support portionis defined between the corrugated support surfaceand the opposing surface. As shown in the partially enlarged perspective view of, the support surfacefaces the inside-air-side wall surface(not shown in) on the −Z side of the casein the figure, and the opposing surfaceon the back side faces the outside-air-side wall surface(not shown in) on the +Z side of the casein the figure. As shown in the figure, the support surfaceis configured to have a width t (length in the Y direction) between the first endA and the inner wall surfacein the direction of the flow path inside the case. In this embodiment, the opposing surfaceon the back side of the support surfaceis shown to have a shape generally similar to that of the support surface, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The opposing surfaceof the support portionmay have a shape different from that of the support surface

shows an end surface of the support portion. As shown in the figure, the end of the support portioncan be configured to have a plurality of trapezoidal wave crests Ta, Tb, etc. The plurality of trapezoidal wave crests Ta, Tb, etc., have a wave crest height H, which is the length between tips M and N on the +Z side and −Z side in the figure, and are arranged such that adjacent wave crests have an interval D. In this embodiment, the support portionis configured such that the wave crest height H is smaller than the height h of the “V”-shaped groove of the partition member, and the interval D between adjacent wave crests corresponds to the spacing d of the “V”-shaped groove of the partition member. In this embodiment, as shown in the figure, the opposing surfaceof the support portionis configured to have a plurality of trapezoidal wave crests, similar to the support surface

shows the positions of the openingin the end wall surfaceincluded in the wallof the caseconceptually. As shown in the figure, the openingthrough which the outside air enters and exits are formed between the opposing surfaceof the support portionand the outside-air-side wall surfaceof the case, i.e., in the area communicating with the outside air path in the heat exchanger. The end wall surfaceof the casefaces the inside air path in the heat exchanger, and can have a height from the inside-air-side wall surfaceof the caseto the tip M in the +Z direction of the trapezoidal wave crests Ta, Tb, etc., of the support portion. In this embodiment, the end wall surfaceis configured so that the height in the Z direction does not exceed the tip M of the trapezoidal wave crests Ta, Tb, etc., of the support portion, thereby ensuring a sufficient opening through which the outside air enters and exits the heat exchanger. In some other embodiments, the end wall surfacemay include a portion within the area that communicating with the outside air path in the heat exchanger. The “area that communicating with the outside air path” refers to an area that is fluidically connected to the outside air path.

In this embodiment, the support portionis configured to support the corrugated endsandof the partition memberwith the support surface. This allows the partition memberto be stably assembled. As shown in, the support portionis configured to support the outside-air-side corrugated surfaceof the corrugated endsandof the partition memberwith the support surface. The support portioncan be constructed in a structurally simple manner and can support the partition memberwith sufficient area and strength by including the corrugated end formed by trapezoidal wave crests Ta, Tb, etc. The width t (Y-direction length) of the support surfacein the fluid flow direction may be, for example, 2 mm to 5 mm. With the support surfacehaving the width t (Y-direction length) in the fluid flow direction, the support strength can be increased and a sufficient adhesive surface for fixing the partition memberto the support surfacecan be secured. Furthermore, since the height H of the wave crest is smaller than the height h of the “V”-shaped groove of the partition member, a space Sa is formed between a tip m of the “V”-shaped groove on the upper side (the Z side in the figure) of the partition memberand the support surface. The space Sa can be used to fix the partition memberand the support surface. This will be described later.

In this specification, support supplied by the support surface for the partition member does not only mean a configuration where the support surface directly contacts and supports the partition member, but also includes a configuration where the support surface indirectly supports the partition member, for example, a configuration where a filler or the like is disposed between the support surface and the partition member.

In this embodiment, the side wall surfaceof the casehas a shoulder(see) formed parallel to the fluid flow direction (Y direction in the figure). As shown in, the extensionsof the edges on both sides of the partition memberin the X direction can be disposed on the shoulderson both sides of the case. In this embodiment, the shoulderscan be provided at a position closer to the inside-air-side wall surfacethan the edge (not shown in) on the −Z side of the end wall surfaceof the case. In addition, the distance Lbetween a rest surface(the upper surface of the shoulderin the Z direction in the figure) of the extensionof the shoulderand the support surfaceat the tip N on the −Z side in the figure of the trapezoidal wave crest of the support portionis longer than the distance Lbetween the extensionof the partition memberand a tip n of the “V”-shaped groove on the −Z side in the figure. Hence, when the extensionof the partition memberis placed on the shoulderof the case, the outside-air-side corrugated surfaceof the partition memberand the support surfaceof the support portioncan be arranged with a gaptherebetween. The gapcan be used to fix the outside-air-side corrugated surfaceof the partition memberto the support surfaceof the support portion. In this way, the partition membercan be positioned in the height direction (Z direction in the figure) within the heat exchanger.