Heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9534856-B2
Application number	US-201213491709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2012
Priority date	Dec 11, 2009
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

There is provided a heat exchanger realizing downsizing, weight saving, and cost reduction in comparison with a conventional heat exchange element or heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is provided with a first fluid flow portion formed of a honeycomb structure having a plurality of cells partitioned by ceramic partition walls and extending from one end face to another end face in an axial direction to allow a heating medium as a first fluid to flow therein, and a second fluid flow portion formed of a casing containing the honeycomb structure therein, the casing having an inlet and an outlet for a second fluid, and the second fluid flowing on an outer peripheral face of the honeycomb structure to receive heat from the first fluid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger comprising:
a first fluid flow portion formed of a honeycomb structure having a plurality of cells partitioned by ceramic partition walls and surrounded by a ceramic continuous outer peripheral face, with the plurality of cells extending from one end face to another end face of the honeycomb structure in an axial direction to allow a heating medium as a first fluid to flow therein, and
a second fluid flow portion formed of a casing containing the honeycomb structure therein, the casing having an inlet and an outlet for a second fluid, and the second fluid flowing on the ceramic continuous outer peripheral face of the honeycomb structure in direct contact with a metal plate configured to cover and thus be in direct contact with the entire outer peripheral face, the second fluid being in direct contact with the metal plate at least at the entire portion of the metal plate where the entire outer peripheral face of the honeycomb structure is held, so as to receive heat from the first fluid.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the first fluid is gas, the second fluid is liquid, and the first fluid has higher temperature than that of the second fluid.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , having a fin for transferring heat from and to the second fluid flowing in the second fluid flow portion on the metal plate.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the metal plate is a cylindrical portion configured so as to fit the entire outer peripheral face of the honeycomb structure and have a structure where the second fluid is not brought into direct contact with the outer peripheral face of the honeycomb structure.

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein a tube formed of one of metal and ceramics having an internal portion that serves as the second fluid flow portion is wound in the form of a winding around the metal plate.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the honeycomb structure has an extended outer peripheral wall formed so as to cylindrically extend outside in an axial direction from at least one of the one end face and the another end face of the honeycomb structure in the axial direction.

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 6 , wherein the casing is formed cylindrically in the form of covering a part of the metal plate outside the metal plate, the second fluid flows in the casing and is brought into direct contact with the metal plate to receive heat from the first fluid, and a honeycomb portion having the cells formed by the partition walls is disposed downstream with respect to the second fluid flow portion in the axial direction.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 6 , wherein the casing is formed cylindrically in the form of covering a part of the metal plate outside the metal plate, the second fluid flows in the casing and is brought into direct contact with the metal plate to receive heat from the first fluid, and the second fluid flow portion is disposed downstream in the axial direction with respect to the honeycomb portion having the cells formed by the partition walls.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the first fluid flow portion is constituted in such a manner that a plurality of honeycomb portions having the cells formed by the partition walls are disposed in line in the axial direction, with each of the honeycomb portions having a face direction of the partition walls and the honeycomb portions are disposed to be coaxially aligned and rotated such that directional orientations of the partition walls are different between the respective honeycomb portions in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction.

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the first fluid flow portion is constituted so that a plurality of honeycomb portions having the cells formed by the partition walls are disposed in line in the axial direction, the honeycomb portions have different cell densities, and the honeycomb portions are disposed so that a honeycomb portion on the outlet side of the first fluid has a higher cell density than that of a honeycomb portion on the inlet side of the first fluid.

11. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of honeycomb structures are disposed in the casing so that outer peripheral faces of the plurality of honeycomb structures face each other in a state of having a gap therebetween for allowing the second fluid to flow therein.

Assignees

• Suzuki Yoshio
• Kawaguchi Tatsuo
• Hashimoto Shigeharu
• Takahashi Michio
• Ngk Insulators Ltd

Inventors

• Suzuki Yoshio
• Kawaguchi Tatsuo
• Hashimoto Shigeharu
• Takahashi Michio

Classifications

• F28F21/04 Primary

  of ceramic; of concrete; of natural stone · CPC title

• F28D7/10

  the conduits being arranged one within the other, e.g. concentrically {(multiple wall tubes for leak detection F28F1/003)} · CPC title

• F28F7/02

  Blocks traversed by passages for heat-exchange media {(F28D7/0008 takes precedence)} · CPC title