U.S. patent application number 12/858289 was filed with the patent office on 2011-02-24 for heat exchanger.
This patent application is currently assigned to PALOMA INDUSTRIES, LTD.. Invention is credited to Yoshio Ando, Yasuhiro Sano.
Application Number | 20110042039 12/858289 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43242286 |
Filed Date | 2011-02-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110042039 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ando; Yoshio ; et
al. |
February 24, 2011 |
HEAT EXCHANGER
Abstract
A spiral heat-transfer pipe for heat exchange provided in a heat
exchanger includes: an upstream heat-transfer pipe section disposed
on an upstream side of a flow path of an external fluid flowing
outside the spiral heat-transfer pipe; and a downstream
heat-transfer pipe section disposed on a downstream side of the
flow path. Each of the heat-transfer pipe sections is disposed so
as to extend in a direction crossing the flow path of the external
fluid. Each of an axis of the upstream heat-transfer pipe section
and an axis of the downstream heat-transfer pipe section is tilted
with respect to a horizontal plane. Also, the axis of the upstream
heat-transfer pipe section crosses the axis of the downstream
heat-transfer pipe section.
Inventors: |
Ando; Yoshio; (Aichi,
JP) ; Sano; Yasuhiro; (Aichi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WESTMAN CHAMPLIN & KELLY, P.A.
SUITE 1400, 900 SECOND AVENUE SOUTH
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402
US
|
Assignee: |
PALOMA INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Aichi
JP
|
Family ID: |
43242286 |
Appl. No.: |
12/858289 |
Filed: |
August 17, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/104.14 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28F 9/013 20130101;
F28F 17/005 20130101; F28D 7/02 20130101; F28F 2240/00 20130101;
F28D 7/1623 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/104.14 |
International
Class: |
F28D 15/00 20060101
F28D015/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 20, 2009 |
JP |
2009-191138 |
Claims
1. A heat exchanger comprising: a heat-transfer pipe for heat
exchange, wherein the heat exchanger is configured such that heat
exchange is performed between an external fluid flowing outside the
heat-transfer pipe and the heat-transfer pipe, the heat-transfer
pipe being a spiral heat-transfer pipe having a spiral shape,
wherein the spiral heat-transfer pipe includes: an upstream
heat-transfer pipe section disposed on an upstream side of a flow
path of the external fluid in a direction crossing the flow path;
and a downstream heat-transfer pipe section disposed on a
downstream side of the flow path in a direction crossing the flow
path, and wherein each of an axis of the upstream heat-transfer
pipe section and an axis of the downstream heat-transfer pipe
section in the spiral heat-transfer pipe is tilted with respect to
a horizontal plane, and also is relatively tilted with respect to
the other of the axes, so that the axis of the upstream
heat-transfer pipe section crosses the axis of the downstream
heat-transfer pipe section.
2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising: a
housing space for housing the spiral heat-transfer pipe, wherein
the heat exchanger is configured such that the external fluid is
discharged after flowing through the housing space, to thereby
perform heat exchange between the external fluid and an internal
fluid flowing inside the spiral heat-transfer pipe.
3. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of
the spiral heat-transfer pipes are housed in the housing space so
as to form multiple spirals.
4. The heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein each of the
plurality of the spiral heat-transfer pipes is relatively shifted
with respect to the other spiral heat-transfer pipes in a
predetermined direction.
5. The heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein the plurality
of the spiral heat-transfer pipes are stacked in a direction
crossing a flowing direction of the external fluid so as to form
multiple spirals.
6. The heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein each of the
plurality of the spiral heat-transfer pipes is relatively shifted
with respect to the other spiral heat-transfer pipes in a direction
crossing a neighboring direction of the spiral heat-transfer
pipes.
7. The heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein, at least in a
relationship between two most neighboring spiral heat-transfer
pipes, one of the spiral heat-transfer pipes is located upstream
from the other in the flow path of the external fluid, so that the
two spiral heat-transfer pipes are relatively shifted with respect
to each other.
8. The heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein the each of the
plurality of the spiral heat-transfer pipes is relatively shifted
with respect to the other spiral heat-transfer pipes in the flowing
direction of the external fluid.
9. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein when the spiral
heat-transfer pipe is projected from the upstream side toward the
downstream side of the flow path of the external fluid, the axis of
the upstream heat-transfer pipe section and the axis of the
downstream heat-transfer pipe section cross each other in a
projected plan view.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent
Application No. 2009-191138 filed Aug. 20, 2009 in the Japan Patent
Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention relates to a heat exchanger that
exchanges heat between external fluid introduced from outside and a
heat-transfer member for heat exchange.
[0003] For example, in a heat exchanger disclosed in Japanese
Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-025976 or
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-032252,
heat-transfer pipes are disposed so as to cross a flow path of an
external fluid on an upstream side and a downstream side,
respectively, of the flow path.
SUMMARY
[0004] In a conventional heat exchanger, heat-transfer pipes are
arranged so as to horizontally cross an upstream side and a
downstream side, respectively, of the flow path of an external
fluid. Accordingly, drain attached to the heat-transfer pipes as a
result of heat exchange is likely to remain, which may hinder heat
exchange and thus disable maintenance of efficiency of heat
exchange.
[0005] In one aspect of the present invention, it is desirable that
efficiency of heat exchange in a heat exchanger can be
improved.
[0006] A heat exchanger according to the present invention includes
a heat-transfer pipe for heat exchange and is configured such that
heat exchange is performed between an external fluid flowing
outside the heat-transfer pipe and the heat-transfer pipe. The heat
exchanger may include a housing space for housing the heat-transfer
pipe. The heat exchanger may be configured such that the external
fluid introduced from outside is discharged after flowing through
the housing space in which the heat-transfer pipe for heat exchange
is housed, to thereby perform heat exchange between the external
fluid and an internal fluid flowing inside the heat-transfer
pipe.
[0007] The heat exchanger may include a spiral heat-transfer pipe
having a spiral shape as the heat-transfer pipe. This spiral shape
can also be described as helical shape. In this case, the spiral
heat-transfer pipe may include an upstream heat-transfer pipe
section disposed on an upstream side of a flow path of the external
fluid in a direction crossing the flow path; and a downstream
heat-transfer pipe section disposed on a downstream side of the
flow path in a direction crossing the flow path. Further, each of
an axis of the upstream heat-transfer pipe section and an axis of
the downstream heat-transfer pipe section in the spiral
heat-transfer pipe may be tilted with respect to a horizontal
plane, and one of the axes may be relatively tilted with respect to
the other of the axes, so that the axis of the upstream
heat-transfer pipe section crosses the axis of the downstream
heat-transfer pipe section.
[0008] The term "cross" here may be interpreted to mean that, when
the spiral heat-transfer pipe is projected from the upstream side
toward the downstream side of the flow path of the external fluid,
the axis of the upstream heat-transfer pipe section and the axis of
the downstream heat-transfer pipe section cross each other in a
projected plan view.
[0009] According to the heat exchanger configured to have the
tilted spiral heat-transfer pipe as above, since each of the
upstream heat-transfer pipe section and the downstream
heat-transfer pipe section, each crossing the flow path of the
external fluid, is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane,
drain, even if attached to the heat-transfer pipe as a result of
heat exchange, can be made to flow along the tilt toward side areas
of the flow path, and thus is unlikely to remain. Accordingly, heat
exchange is unlikely to be hindered by remaining drain attached to
each of the upstream heat-transfer pipe section and the downstream
heat-transfer pipe section. Thus, an improved efficiency of heat
exchange can be achieved.
[0010] Also, according to the tilted configuration as above, the
upstream heat-transfer pipe section and the downstream
heat-transfer pipe section are disposed in a positional
relationship such that the axis of the upstream heat-transfer pipe
section and the axis of the downstream heat-transfer pipe section
cross each other in the projected plan view when the spiral
heat-transfer pipe is projected from the upstream side toward the
downstream side of the flow path. This configuration can reduce
areas through which the external fluid simply passes, as compared
with a non-tilted configuration (for example, a configuration in
which the axis of the upstream heat-transfer pipe section and the
axis of the downstream heat-transfer pipe section are parallel and
overlapped in the projected plan view). Thus, the external fluid
flowing through the housing space more easily contacts the
heat-transfer pipe, and thereby a more improved efficiency of heat
exchange can be achieved.
[0011] Further, a plurality of the spiral heat-transfer pipes may
be housed in the housing space so as to form multiple spirals. The
plurality of the spiral heat-transfer pipes may be stacked in a
direction crossing a flowing direction of the external fluid
(specifically, a direction crossing a surface defined by a
longitudinal direction of the spiral heat-transfer pipes and the
flowing direction, for example a vertical direction) to form
multiple spirals.
[0012] In this case, each of the plurality of the spiral
heat-transfer pipes may be relatively shifted with respect to the
other spiral heat-transfer pipes in a predetermined direction. The
predetermined direction may be a direction crossing a neighboring
direction of the spiral heat-transfer pipes or the flowing
direction of the external fluid.
[0013] More specifically, at least two most neighboring spiral
heat-transfer pipes (having a smallest distance therebetween) may
be configured as follows: one of the two spiral heat-transfer pipes
is located upstream from the other in the flowing direction of the
external fluid, and thereby the two spiral heat-transfer pipes are
shifted with respect to each other. In this case, the two spiral
heat-transfer pipes may be stacked in the vertical direction (in
other words, the two spiral heat-transfer pipes may be relatively
shifted with respect to each other in the vertical direction).
[0014] According to the configuration including the plurality of
the spiral heat-transfer pipes, there may be more chance of the
external fluid contacting the spiral heat-transfer pipes.
[0015] Also, according to the above described configuration with
the shifted spiral heat-transfer pipes, flow of the external fluid
is more likely to be disturbed, as compared with the case where the
plurality of the spiral heat-transfer pipes are not shifted with
respect to one another. Accordingly, the external fluid may be
caused to contact the spiral heat-transfer pipes at a higher
possibility, and thereby a further improved efficiency of heat
exchange can be achieved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The present invention will be described hereinafter by way
of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an appearance of a heat
exchanger according to an embodiment;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of spiral heat-transfer pipes
seen from a flowing direction of an external fluid;
[0019] FIG. 3A is a front view of one longitudinal end side of the
heat exchanger seen from a direction indicated by an arrow A in
FIG. 1, the front view being rotated 90.degree.
counterclockwise;
[0020] FIG. 3B is a top view of the one longitudinal end side of
the heat exchanger seen from a direction indicated by an arrow B in
FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 3C is a side view of the one longitudinal end side of
the heat exchanger seen from a direction indicated by an arrow C in
FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 3D is a bottom view of the one longitudinal end side of
the heat exchanger seen from a direction indicated by an arrow D in
FIG. 1;
[0023] FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram of spiral heat-transfer pipes
according to another embodiment seen from a flowing direction of an
external fluid;
[0024] FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram of the spiral heat-transfer
pipes according to the another embodiment seen from a lateral
direction to the flowing direction; and
[0025] FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of a form of use of a
heat exchanger 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
(1) Overall Configuration
[0026] As shown in FIG. 5, a heat exchanger 1 houses a
heat-transfer pipe group 2 in a housing space (a space inside a
housing 10) 11. The heat exchanger 1 is configured such that an
external fluid introduced from outside flows through the housing
space 11 and is discharged from the housing space 11, to thereby
perform heat exchange between the external fluid and an internal
fluid flowing inside pipes 2a-2h.
[0027] In the present embodiment, the heat-transfer pipe group 2
includes a first pipe set 2x and a second pipe set 2y, as shown in
FIG. 1. The first pipe set 2x includes pipes 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d,
while the second pipe set 2y includes pipes 2e, 2f, 2g and 2h.
[0028] Each of the pipes 2a-2h is formed to have a spiral shape.
This spiral shape can also be described as helical shape. Each of
the pipes 2a-2h has each different outside diameter of the spiral
shape. In other words, sizes of areas spirally surrounded by the
respective pipes 2a-2h are different.
[0029] The first pipe set 2x and the second pipe set 2y are stacked
along a stacking direction d3, while relatively shifted slightly
with respect to each other in a flowing direction d1 of the
external fluid (see FIGS. 3A-3D). The stacking direction d3 is
interpreted as a direction perpendicular to an alignment direction
of the pipes 2a-2d, or an alignment direction 2e-2h (the same as
the flowing direction d1 of the external fluid) (see FIG. 1).
[0030] Taking an example of the relationship between the two pipes
2a and 2e, the pipe 2a is located upstream from the pipe 2e in the
flowing direction d1 of the external fluid, and thereby the pipe 2a
and the pipe 2e are relatively shifted with respect to each other
in the flowing direction d1 of the external fluid (see FIGS.
3A-3D). The pipe 2a and the pipe 2e are also relatively shifted
with respect to each other in the stacking direction d3 (the
vertical direction). That is, the pipe 2a and the pipe 2e are
stacked in the stacking direction d3 (the vertical direction) and
also are relatively shifted with respect to each other in the
flowing direction d1.
[0031] Also, in the present embodiment, spacers 3 are disposed in
the heat-transfer pipe group 2 at both longitudinal end sides of
the heat-transfer pipe group 2. Specifically, the spacers 3 are
disposed between the first pipe set 2x and the second pipe set 2y
at the both longitudinal end sides of the heat-transfer group
2.
[0032] The pipes 2a-2h includes sections disposed in a direction
crossing a flow path of the external fluid on each of an upstream
side and a downstream side of the flow path. A specific explanation
is provided here regarding the first pipe set 2x. The second pipe
set 2y (i.e., the pipes 2e-2h), of which a detailed explanation is
omitted, has the same structure as the first pipe set 2x. The pipe
2a has a section on the upstream side (hereinafter referred to as
the "upstream pipe") 22a and a section on the downstream side
(hereinafter referred to as the "downstream pipe") 24a. The pipe 2b
has an upstream pipe 22b and a downstream pipe 24b, the pipe 2c has
an upstream pipe 22c and a downstream pipe 24c, and the pipe 2d has
an upstream pipe 22d and a downstream pipe 24d. Hereinafter, the
upstream pipes 22a-22d and upstream pipes (not specifically shown)
of the pipes 2e-2h are also collectively referred to as the
"upstream pipe 22". Also, the downstream pipes 24a-24d and
downstream pipes (not specifically shown) of the pipes 2e-2h are
also collectively referred to as the "downstream pipe 24". The
external fluid flows crossing over the upstream pipe 22 of the
pipes 2a-2h, and then flows crossing over the downstream pipe 24 of
the pipes 2a-2h.
[0033] When the heat exchanger 1 is disposed in a state of use,
each of the upstream pipe 22 and the downstream pipe 24 is tilted
with respect to a horizontal plane, as shown in FIG. 2. The
upstream pipe 22 and the downstream pipe 24 are arranged in a
positional relationship such that an axis 12 of the upstream pipe
22 crosses an axis 14 of the downstream pipe 24 in a projected plan
view when the housing space 11 is projected from the upstream side
toward the downstream side of the flow path.
[0034] Specifically, one of the axis 12 of the upstream pipe 22 and
the axis 14 of the downstream pipe 24 is relatively tilted with
respect to the other, and thereby the axis 12 of the upstream pipe
22 crosses the axis 14 of the downstream pipe 24.
[0035] In the present embodiment, the upstream pipe 22 and the
downstream pipe 24 are configured to have a same length and a same
tilting angle. "Have the same tilting angle" here means that
interior angles with respect to a horizontal plane are the same.
More specifically, an interior angle .alpha. formed by the
horizontal plane and the upstream pipe 22 and an interior angle
.beta. formed by the horizontal plane and the downstream pipe 24
are the same. As a result, the axis 12 of the upstream pipe 22 and
the axis 14 of the downstream pipe 24 cross each another in a
position .gamma. in a longitudinal direction d2 of the pipes 2a-2h
obtained by equally dividing a length of each of the pipes 2a-2h by
the number of the stacked pipe sets. For example, when the first
pipe set 2x and the second pipe set 2y are arranged as in the
present embodiment (i.e., arranged in two layers), the axis 12 and
the axis 14 cross each other in the position .gamma. obtained by
bisecting a length (L) of the upstream pipe 22 and a length (L')
(L=L' in the present case) of the downstream pipe 24 in the
longitudinal direction of the upstream pipe 22 and the downstream
pipe 24, as shown in FIG. 2.
[0036] Although the upstream pipe 22 and the downstream pipe 24 may
have the same tilting angle, the downstream pipe 24 may have a
tilting angle larger than the upstream pipe 22. Specifically, the
interior angle .beta. formed by the horizontal plane and the
downstream pipe 24 may be larger than the interior angle .alpha.
formed by the horizontal plane and the upstream pipe 22.
[0037] In addition, as shown in FIGS. 3A-3D, the first pipe set 2x
and the second pipe set 2y are relatively shifted with respect to
each other in the flowing direction d1 of the external fluid.
(2) Operation and Effects
[0038] According to the heat exchanger 1 in the present embodiment,
each of the upstream pipe 22 and the downstream pipe 24 is tilted
with respect to the horizontal plane. Accordingly, drain, even if
attached to the upstream pipe 22 and the downstream pipe 24 as a
result of heat exchange, can be made to flow along tilts of the
upstream pipe 22 and the downstream pipe 24, which are tilted with
respect to the horizontal planes, toward side areas of the flow
path. As a result, the drain is unlikely to remain. Thus, heat
exchange is unlikely to be hindered by remaining drain attached to
each of the upstream pipe 22 and the downstream pipe 24, and
thereby an efficiency of heat exchange can be maintained.
[0039] According to the configuration as above, the upstream pipe
22 and the downstream pipe 24 are arranged in the positional
relationship such that the axis 12 of the upstream pipe 22 and the
axis 14 of the downstream pipe 24 cross each other in the projected
plan view when the housing space 11 is projected from the upstream
side toward the downstream side of the flow path of the external
fluid. This configuration can reduce areas through which the
external fluid simply passes (areas in which the upstream pipe 22
or the downstream pipe is not present in FIG. 2) in the flowing
direction of the external fluid, as compared with the case where
such a positional relationship that the axis 12 of the upstream
pipe 22 and the axis 14 of the downstream pipe 24 cross each other
in the projected plan view is not employed (for example, the axis
12 and the axis 14 are parallel and overlapped in the projected
plan view). Thus, the external fluid flowing through the housing
space 11 more easily contacts the upstream pipe 22 and the
downstream pipe 24, and thereby a more improved efficiency of heat
exchange can be achieved.
[0040] In the above embodiment, since the first pipe set 2x and the
second pipe set 2y are relatively shifted with respect to each
other in the flowing direction d1 of the external fluid, flow of
the external fluid is more likely to be disturbed, as compared with
the case where the pipe sets are not shifted with respect to each
other. Thus, the external fluid is more likely to contact the first
pipe set 2x and the second pipe set 2y, and thereby a further
improved efficiency of heat exchange can be achieved.
[0041] In a case where the pipes 2a-2h are configured such that the
tilting angle of the downstream pipe 24 is larger than the tilting
angle of the upstream pipe 22, areas through which the external
fluid simply passes can be reduced, as compared with the case where
all the tilting angles of the upstream pipe 22 and the downstream
pipe 24 are the same. Specifically, when the upstream pipe 22 and
the downstream pipe 24 are projected from the upstream side toward
the downstream side of the flow path, areas among the pipes 2a-2h
can be reduced. Thus, the external fluid flowing through the
housing space 11 more easily contacts the upstream pipe 22 and the
downstream pipe 24, and thereby a more improved efficiency of heat
exchange can be achieved.
[0042] In the above embodiment, the pipes 2a-2h correspond to
examples of a heat-transfer pipe and a spiral heat-transfer pipe,
the upstream pipe 22 corresponds to the upstream heat-transfer pipe
section, and the downstream pipe 24 corresponds to the downstream
heat-transfer pipe section.
(3) Variations
[0043] Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has
been described above, it should be understood that the present
invention is not at all limited to the above-described embodiment,
but may be practiced in various forms within the technical scope of
the present invention.
[0044] For example, while the first pipe set 2x and the second pipe
set 2y are arranged to form double spirals in the above-described
embodiment, three or more pipe sets may be arranged to form triple
or more spirals. Also, the length (L) (see FIG. 2) of the upstream
pipe 22 and the length (L') (see FIG. 2) of the downstream pipe 24
may be different.
[0045] Further, the tilting angle of the upstream pipe 22 and the
tilting angle of the downstream pipe 24 may be different. That is,
the interior angle .alpha. (see FIG. 2) formed by the horizontal
plane and the upstream pipe 22, and the interior angle .beta. (see
FIG. 2) formed by the horizontal plane and the downstream pipe 24
may be different. In this case, such a configuration may be
possible that the length of the upstream pipe 22 and the length of
the downstream pipe 24 is different and also the tilting angle of
the upstream pipe 22 and the tilting angle of the downstream pipe
24 are different.
[0046] Moreover, the heat exchanger 1 in the above embodiment may
be constituted by only one of the first pipe set 2x and the second
pipe set 2y. In this case, by tilting a connecting section 26 for
connecting the upstream pipe 22 and the downstream pipe 24 in the
single pipe set with respect to the flowing direction of the
external fluid, the upstream pipe 22 and the downstream pipe 24 may
be configured to cross each other, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.
[0047] Also, a direction of shifting the first pipe set 2x with
respect to the second pipe set 2y in the above-described embodiment
is not limited to the direction of the flow path as long as the
flow of the external fluid is likely to be disturbed by the
shifting.
[0048] Further, the pipes 2a-2h may be configured such that when
the pipes 2a-2h are projected from the upstream side toward the
downstream side of the flow path of the external fluid, the axis 12
of the upstream pipe 22 and the axis 14 of the downstream pipe 24
cross each other only in part in the projected plan view. More
specifically, only a part of the upstream pipe 22 and only a part
of the downstream pipe 24 may be relatively tilted with each other,
and thereby the part of the upstream pipe 22 and the part of the
downstream pipe 24 cross each other. In this case, the remaining
part of the upstream pipe 22 and the remaining part of the
downstream pipe 24 may be parallel.
* * * * *