MICRO-CHANNEL HEAT EXCHANGER
The present invention discloses a micro-channel heat exchanger comprising manifolds, a plurality of micro-channel flat tubes connected to the manifolds, and a plurality of rows of fins spaced apart by the micro-channel flat tubes. The micro-channel heat exchanger is provided with at least one bend designed to avoid the deformation of the fins on two inner sides adjacent to the bend due to crushing and meanwhile maintaining the ventilation and heat exchange functionalities of the bend. For example, the bend may include at least one row of fins where the width of the fins are less than the width of the fins on two sides adjacent to the bend. Alternatively, the gap between the fins in the bend can be greater than the gap between the fins on two sides adjacent to the bend. Still alternatively, the bend can be formed with a space for separating cores of the heat exchanger.
This application is entitled to the benefit of and incorporates by reference essential subject matter disclosed in Chinese Patent Application No. 200910002435.9 filed on Jan. 20, 2009.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to a heat exchanger and more particularly to a micro-channel heat exchanger.
BACKGROUND ARTCompared with the conventional heat exchanger, the micro-channel heat exchanger of the present invention has advantages such as higher heat exchange efficiency and less usage of working medium. Since the industry at present places great emphasis and sets higher requirements on environmental protection and energy conservation, the micro-channel heat exchanger has been widely used in many industries owing to its own advantages, for instance, air-conditioning industry, automobile industry and chemical mechanical industry.
Due to particular design requirements or mounting space constraints, the micro-channel heat exchanger is usually not planar as a whole but designed with one or more bends so as to match the particular mounting space available. In the prior art, some of such bends are formed by bending the micro-channel heat exchanger along the length of a manifold. Fins inside the heat exchanger are crushed, deformed and distorted during the bending process, thereby influencing the heat exchange performance of the heat exchanger and making the appearance of the heat exchanger not aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, the portions of the heat exchanger outside of the bend will be torn where the manifolds are welded to flat tubes, which results in the decrease in the burst pressure of the heat exchanger. For solving the problem of deformation of the fins at bends, the EU patent application No. EP1962040A1 discloses a micro-channel heat exchanger, in which a U-shaped crush relief spacer is disposed at a bend for the purpose of avoiding the deformation of the fins around the bend.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe object of the present invention is to provide a micro-channel heat exchanger, which can effectively prevent the fins around the bend from deformation when the micro-channel heat exchanger is bent along the length of the manifold.
The micro-channel heat exchanger of the present invention utilizes the following several technical solutions for achieving said object.
Solution 1: a micro-channel heat exchanger comprises manifolds, a plurality of micro-channel flat tubes connected to the manifolds, and a plurality of rows of fins spaced apart by the micro-channel flat tubes, the micro-channel heat exchanger being provided with at least one bend with each having at least one row of fins, the width of the at least one row of fins inside the bend being less than the width of the fins on two sides adjacent to the bend.
Said solution forms a crush stress relief space inside the bend by decreasing the width of the fin inside the bend, thereby avoiding the deformation of the fins on the two inner sides adjacent to the bend due to crushing and meanwhile maintaining the ventilation and heat exchange functionalities of the bend.
Solution 2: a micro-channel heat exchanger comprises manifolds, a plurality of micro-channel flat tubes connected to the manifolds, and a plurality of rows of fins spaced apart by the micro-channel flat tubes, the micro-channel heat exchanger being provided with at least one bend with each having at least one row of fins, the gap between the fins of at least one row among the at least one row of fins being greater than the gap between the fins on two sides adjacent to the bend.
Since the gap of the fins of the bend is greater than the gap of the fins on the two sides adjacent to the bend, when being bent, the fins of the bend will be deformed first as being relatively weak supported, thereby effectively preventing the fins around the bend from being deformed; moreover, since the fins of the bend have comparatively great gaps, they still have big space allowing for air passage after being crushed. Thus, the ventilation and heat exchange functionalities of the bend can be maintained.
Solution 3: a micro-channel heat exchanger comprises manifolds, a plurality of micro-channel flat tubes connected to the manifolds, and a plurality of rows of fins spaced apart by the micro-channel flat tubes, the micro-channel heat exchanger being provided with at least one bend with each having a space for separating a micro-channel heat exchanger core.
The problem of fin deformation is essentially eliminated by arranging a specialized space at the bend because there are no fins and flat tubes in the space and only the manifold is bent upon bending.
Solution 4: a micro-channel heat exchanger comprises manifolds, a plurality of micro-channel flat tubes connected to the manifolds, and a plurality of rows of fins spaced apart by the micro-channel flat tubes, the micro-channel heat exchanger including at least two heat exchanger cores, the manifolds of each heat exchanger core being respectively in sealing connection with the manifolds of another heat exchanger core via elbow pipes, and a bend being formed between the heat exchanger cores.
The solution forms the required bend by interconnecting the heat exchanger cores via elbow pipes, thereby avoiding directly bending the heat exchanger cores. Therefore, fin deformation caused by the bending of the heat exchanger cores is avoided.
Various embodiments of the micro-channel heat exchanger of the present invention will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It shall be noted that various embodiments described below are only for illustration of the present invention but not intended to limit the present invention.
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The foregoing description of embodiments of the present invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The embodiments described were chosen to best illustrate the principles of the invention and practical applications thereof to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.
Claims
1. A micro-channel heat exchanger, comprising manifolds, a plurality of micro-channel flat tubes connected to the manifolds, and a plurality of rows of fins spaced apart by the micro-channel flat tubes, wherein the micro-channel heat exchanger is provided with at least one bend with each having at least one row of fins, the width of the at least one row of fins inside the bend being less than the width of the fins on two inner sides adjacent to the bend.
2. The micro-channel heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the width of the fins at the bend shall decrease as a bending radius decreases.
3. The micro-channel heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein each bend includes one row of fins.
4. The micro-channel heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein each bend includes two rows of fins and at least one flat tube located between the two rows of fins, the width of the two rows of fins inside the bend being less than the width of the fins on the two inner sides adjacent to the bend, and the width of the flat at least one tube inside the bend being less than the width of the flat tubes on the two inner sides adjacent to the bend.
5. A micro-channel heat exchanger, comprising manifolds, a plurality of micro-channel flat tubes connected to the manifolds, and a plurality of rows of fins spaced apart by the micro-channel flat tubes, wherein the micro-channel heat exchanger is provided with at least one bend with each having at least one row of fins, the gap between the fins in at least one row among the at least one row of fins being greater than the gap between the fins on two sides adjacent to the bend.
6. The micro-channel heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein each bend includes five rows of fins, and wherein the gap between the fins of three rows of the five rows of fins is greater than the gap between the fins of the rows of fins on the two sides adjacent to the bend, and the three rows of fins are respectively disposed on both sides of the remaining two rows of fins of each bend in a spaced manner.
7. A micro-channel heat exchanger, comprising manifolds, a plurality of micro-channel flat tubes connected to the manifolds, and a plurality of rows of fins spaced apart by the micro-channel flat tubes, wherein the micro-channel heat exchanger is provided with at least one bend with each having a space for separating a micro-channel heat exchanger core.
8. A micro-channel heat exchanger, comprising manifolds, a plurality of micro-channel flat tubes connected to the manifolds, and a plurality of rows of fins spaced apart by the micro-channel flat tubes, wherein the micro-channel heat exchanger includes at least two heat exchanger cores, the manifolds of each heat exchanger core being respectively in sealing connection with the manifolds of another heat exchanger core via elbow pipes, and a bend is formed between the heat exchanger cores.
9. The micro-channel heat exchanger according to claim 8, wherein the bend is provided with a windshield.
10. The micro-channel heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein two ends of the windshield are respectively fixed onto the elbow pipes.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 20, 2010
Publication Date: Jul 22, 2010
Inventors: Liu Huazhao (Zhejiang), Wang Feng (Zhejiang), Gao Yuan (Zhejiang), Lin-jie Huang (East Amherst, NY)
Application Number: 12/690,576
International Classification: F28F 9/02 (20060101);