Heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12487035-B2
Application number	US-202318529762-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2023
Priority date	Feb 15, 2023
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

In a heat exchanger, a respective meander passage 3 1 , 3 2 in each of two stages connecting heat absorbing tubes 31 divided into the two stages and arranged in a flow direction of a combustion gas in an inside of a casing 1 from one side to the other side in a Y-axis direction is constituted, and both a heat absorbing tube 31 of # 11 at an upstream end of the meander passage 3 1 in a first stage and a heat absorbing tube 31 of # 21 at a downstream end of the meander passage 3 2 in a second stage are made to be positioned at the one side in the Y-axis direction, notches are provided with each heat absorbing fin 2 at portions positioned at a more upstream side in the flow direction of the combustion gas than each heat absorbing tube 31 of the meander passage 3 2 in the second stage, and first notches 22 1 corresponding to the heat absorbing tube 31 at a downstream end of the meander passage 3 2 in the second passage are formed larger than second notches 22 2 corresponding to each heat absorbing tube 31 other than the heat absorbing tube 31 of # 21 at the downstream end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A heat exchanger heated by a combustion gas, comprising,
a box-shaped casing an inside of which the combustion gas flows in; on a premise that two orthogonal directions crossing a flow direction of the combustion gas in the casing are defined as an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction, respectively; a plurality of heat absorbing fins stacked and arranged in the X-axis direction in the casing; a plurality of heat absorbing tubes piercing through the heat absorbing fins and side plates of both sides in the X-axis direction, and an inside of which a fluid to be heated flows in; and a connecting portion connecting the heat absorbing tubes in series at outsides of the side plates of both sides in the X-axis direction of the casing, wherein the heat absorbing tubes are divided into two stages and arranged in the flow direction of the combustion gas, a meander passage connecting a plurality of the heat absorbing tubes in each stage from an outermost side of one side in the Y-axis direction to an outermost side of the other side in the Y-axis direction is constituted by a plurality of the heat absorbing tubes in each stage and the connecting portion for each stage, the meander passage is provided in a first stage of an upstream side in the flow direction of the combustion gas and the meander passage is provided in a second stage of a downstream side in the flow direction of the combustion gas, the heat absorbing tube at an upstream end and the heat absorbing tube at a downstream end of the meander passage in the first stage are positioned at the outermost side of the one side in the Y-axis direction and at the outermost side of the other side in the Y-axis direction, respectively, and the heat absorbing tube at the downstream end of the meander passage in the first stage and the heat absorbing tube at the upstream end, which is positioned at the outermost side of the other side in the Y-axis direction, of the meander passage in the second passage are connected, allowing the fluid to be heated to flow from the meander passage in the first stage to the meander passage in the second stage, wherein: notches are provided over each heat absorbing tube of the meander passage in the second stage, and projecting in the upstream direction of the combustion gas flow between each heat absorbing tube of the meander passage in the first stage wherein each notch confined within a diameter of the heat absorbing tubes, the notches corresponding to the heat absorbing tube at the downstream end, which is positioned at the outermost side of the one side in the Y-axis direction of the meander passage in the second stage, are defined as first notches, the notches corresponding to each heat absorbing tube other than the heat absorbing tube at the downstream end of the meander passage of the second passage are defined as second notches, and the first notches are formed larger than the second notches, and wherein a closest width of a portion of each heat absorbing fin in a radial direction of the heat absorbing tube between the heat absorbing tube at the upstream end of the meander passage in the first stage and the first notch is wider than a closest width of each portion of the heat absorbing fin in the radial direction of the heat absorbing tube between each second notch and the closest heat absorbing tube other than the heat absorbing tube at the upstream end of the meander passage in the first stage that is adjacent to the corresponding second notch at the upstream side in the flow direction of the combustion gas.

2 . The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the closest width according to claim 1 promotes heat transfer to the heat absorbing tube at the upstream end of the meander passage in the first stage through the heat absorbing fins, thereby lowering the temperature of the combustion gas directed to the heat absorbing tube at the downstream end of the meander passage in the second stage, reducing the temperature difference between the upstream-end and downstream-end heat absorbing tubes, and suppressing thermal stress acting on the side plates of the casing.

3 . The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein a distance
between
the heat absorbing tube at the upstream end positioned at the outermost side of the one side in the Y-axis direction of the meander passage in the first stage and
the heat absorbing tube at the downstream end positioned at the outermost side of the one side in the Y-axis direction of the meander passage in the second stage
is longer than
a respective distance
between
each heat absorbing tube other than the heat absorbing tube at the upstream end of the meander passage in the first stage and
each heat absorbing tube other than the heat absorbing tube at the downstream end of the meander passage in the second stage that is-closest to the each heat absorbing tube other than the heat absorbing tube at the upstream end of the meander passage in the first stage, whereby stress acting on side plates of both sides in the X-axis direction of the casing is reduced.

4 . The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a ventilation resistant portion which suppresses the combustion gas from being directed to the heat absorbing tube at the downstream end of the meander passage in the second stage is provided.

5 . The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an exhaust gas gathering portion covering an opening at the downstream end in the flow direction of the combustion gas of the casing is provided, and an exhaust port for discharging the combustion gas is opened at the exhaust gas gathering portion,
wherein: the exhaust port is provided at a deviated portion of the other side in the Y-axis direction of the exhaust gas gathering portion.

Assignees

• Rinnai Kk

Inventors

• Negi Hidenao
• Nagasaka Toshimitsu

Classifications

• F24H1/14

  by tubes, e.g. bent in serpentine form · CPC title

• F24H1/41

  in serpentine form · CPC title

• F28D21/0003

  the heat being recuperated from exhaust gases (F28D21/0014 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28F2215/04

  Assemblies of fins having different features, e.g. with different fin densities · CPC title

• F28F9/001

  Casings in the form of plate-like arrangements; Frames enclosing a heat exchange core · CPC title