Heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10107553-B2
Application number	US-201615566589-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2016
Priority date	Apr 17, 2015
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a flow passage pipe that has a flat shape having a predetermined thickness, a heat medium flowing in the flow passage pipe, the heat medium exchanging heat with a heat exchange target, and an inner fin located inside the flow passage pipe. The inner fin includes a wavy fin that partitions a main passage into multiple partitioned passages, and a guide wall connected to the wavy fin. An x-direction is a lengthwise direction of the flow passage pipe, a z-direction is a thickness direction of the flow passage pipe, and a y-direction is a direction perpendicular to both the x-direction and the z-direction. The wavy fin includes a first convex portion convex to a first side in the y-direction, and a second convex portion convex to a second side in the y-direction. The wavy fin has an opening portion through which two partitioned passages adjacent to each other communicate with each other. The guide wall protrudes from the wavy fin into the partitioned passage. The heat exchanger is capable of enhancing a heat transfer and improving a thermal performance of the heat exchanger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger comprising:
a flow passage pipe that has a flat shape having a predetermined thickness, a heat medium flowing in the flow passage pipe, the heat medium exchanging heat with a heat exchange target; and
an inner fin that is located inside the flow passage pipe, the inner fin increasing an area for heat transfer between the heat exchange target and the heat medium, wherein
the inner fin includes
a wavy fin which is one of a plurality of wavy fins that partitions a main passage into a plurality of partitioned passages, the heat medium flowing in the main passage, and
a guide wall connected to the wavy fin,

an x-direction is a lengthwise direction of the flow passage pipe,
a z-direction is a thickness direction of the flow passage pipe,
a y-direction is a direction perpendicular to both the x-direction and the z-direction,
the wavy fin includes
first convex portions that are curved toward a first side in the y-direction, and
second convex portions that are curved toward a second side in the y-direction,

the first convex portions and the second convex portions are arranged in alternating manner and interconnected by intermediate portions so as to have a wavy shape in cross-section perpendicular to the z-direction,
the wavy fin has an opening portion through which two partitioned passages of the plurality of partitioned passages adjacent to each other across the wavy fin communicate with each other,
the guide wall is connected to an edge of the wavy fin defining a downstream side of the opening portion in flow of the heat medium in one of the two partitioned passages, the guide wall protruding from the wavy fin into the one of the two partitioned passages, an end of the guide wall facing upstream in flow of the heat medium in the one of the two partitioned passages, or
the guide wall is connected to an edge of the wavy fin defining an upstream side of the opening portion in flow of the heat medium in the one of the two partitioned passages, the guide wall protruding from the wavy fin into the one of the two partitioned passages, an end of the guide wall facing downstream in flow of the heat medium in the one of the two partitioned passages,
a width in the y-direction of each of the plurality of partitioned passages varies in the z-direction,
the each of the plurality of partitioned passages includes
a first region in which the width in the y-direction is smaller than a predetermined width, and
a second region in which the width in the y-direction is larger than the predetermined width,

the opening portion is provided in at least two wavy fins of the plurality of wavy fins, and
the opening portion provided in one of the two wavy fins has an opening which gradually enlarges in the z-direction while the opening portion provided in another of the two wavy fins has an opening which gradually enlarges in an opposite direction from the z-direction.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein
the opening portion having the opening which gradually enlarges in the z-direction and the opening portion having the opening which gradually enlarges in the opposite direction from the z-direction are arranged in alternating manner in the y-direction.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein
the opening of the opening portion gradually enlarges in the z-direction or the opposite direction from the z-direction, such that
the heat medium flows from the first region of the one of the two partitioned passages into the second region of the other one of the two partitioned passages when the end of the guide wall faces upstream in flow of the heat medium, and
the heat medium flows from the second region of the one of the two partitioned passages into the first region of the other one of the two partitioned passages when the end of the guide wall faces downstream in flow of the heat medium.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein
the opening portion is provided in the second convex portion,
the wavy fin includes a first continuous portion that includes
one first convex portion,
one intermediate portion directly connected to the one first convex portion,
one second convex portion directly connected to the one intermediate portion, and
the guide wall connected to the one second convex portion,

a distance in the y-direction between a first outermost end in the y-direction and a second outermost end in the y-direction on a surface of the first continuous portion facing to the first side is defined as a distance d 1 ,
the wavy fin includes a second continuous portion that includes
one first convex portion,
one intermediate portion directly connected to the one first convex portion, and
one second convex portion directly connected to the one intermediate portion,

a distance in the y-direction between a first outermost end in the y-direction and a second outermost end in the y-direction on a surface of the second continuous portion facing to the first side is defined as a distance d 2 , and
the guide wall protrudes in the y-direction from the wavy fin to the second side such that the distance d 1 is larger than the distance d 2 .

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 4 , wherein
a part extending from the intermediate portion to an edge of the wavy fin that defines an opposite side of the opening portion of the second convex portion opposite from the guide wall has a rounded shape convex to the second side in the y-direction in cross-section perpendicular to the z-direction.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein
the opening portion is provided in the first convex portion,
the wavy fin includes a third continuous portion that includes
one first convex portion,
one intermediate portion directly connected to the one first convex portion,
one second convex portion directly connected to the one intermediate portion, and
the guide wall connected to the one first convex portion,

a distance in the y-direction between a first outermost end in the y-direction and a second outermost end in the y-direction on a surface of the third continuous portion facing to the first side is defined as a distance d 3 , and
the guide wall protrudes in the y-direction from the wavy fin toward the first side such that the distance d 3 is larger than the distance d 2 .

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 6 , wherein
a part extending from the intermediate portion to an edge of the opening portion opposite from and facing the guide wall of the first convex portion has a rounded shape convex to the first side in the y-direction in cross-section perpendicular to the z-direction.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein
the inner fin further includes
a plurality of crest portions curved toward one side in the z-direction, and
a plurality of bottom portions curved toward another side in the z-direction, and

the plurality of the crest portions and the plurality of the bottom portions are arranged in alternating manner and interconnected by the plurality of wavy fins so as to have a wavy shape in cross-section perpendicular to the x-direction.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 8 , wherein
the guide wall has a straight line shape connecting one of the plurality of crest portions and one of the plurality of bottom portions in cross-section perpendicular to the x-direction, and
a length of a part of the opening portion defined by the guide wall is different in size than a length of a part of the opening portion defined by the inner fin.

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein
the flow passage pipe includes
a pair of outer plates that face to each other, and
an inner plate th

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Takagi Yuusuke
• Mizuno Yasuhiro

Classifications

• H10W40/47 Primary

  by flowing liquids, e.g. forced water cooling · CPC title

• F28F3/027

  with openings, e.g. louvered corrugated fins; Assemblies of corrugated strips · CPC title

• F28D1/05325 Primary

  with particular pattern of flow, e.g. change of flow direction (F28D1/05341 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28D1/0333

  the plates having integrated connecting members · CPC title