HEAT EXCHANGER, AIR CONDITIONER ARRANGEMENT AND SWITCH CABINET
A heat exchanger of an air conditioner includes a housing having a cabinet side housing region and an external housing region, and a partition wall element arranged therebetween which fluidically separates the cabinet side housing region and the external housing region, with a pipe system having a first manifold and a second manifold and multiple pipe elements, the free ends of which open into the manifolds, at least one manifold having a coolant inlet and at least one manifold having a coolant outlet, fluidly connected by the pipe system, the pipe elements are connected with two mounting plates which surround the pipe elements in a gas-impermeable manner, so that the heat exchanger can be installed in the partition wall element so that in the assembled state the manifolds are in the external housing region and at least portions of the pipe elements are in the cabinet side housing region.
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This application claims the benefit of German Patent Application Serial No. 20 2024 104 818.0 filed on Aug. 27, 2024, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe invention relates to a heat exchanger, in particular a heat exchanger of an air conditioner arrangement that is configured for air conditioning in a switch cabinet, wherein the air conditioner arrangement comprises a housing that has a cabinet side housing region and an external housing region as well as a partition wall element arranged between the cabinet side housing region and the external housing region, which separates the cabinet side housing region and the external housing region from each other fluidically, with a pipe system configured to transport a coolant.
The invention also relates to an air conditioner arrangement for a switch cabinet, in particular an air conditioner arrangement for use with a switch cabinet.
The invention further relates to a switch cabinet with a housing that accommodates a multiplicity of electronic components.
TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUNDA switch cabinet of the kind discussed here accommodates multiplicity of electronic components, which are configured to control a process plant, a machine tool or some other manufacturing device. Typically installed electronic components include in particular power lines, terminals, resistors, condensers, diodes, transistors, inductors, integrated circuits, relays, sensors, and many more. During specified normal operation of such a switch cabinet, heat is generated and must be dissipated effectively in order to ensure the long-term functional capability of the electrical components. In a conventional switch cabinet, a species-related heat exchanger with a pipe system and/or an air conditioner arrangement with such a heat exchanger is installed for this purpose, wherein the pipe system is configured to transport a coolant, and includes multiple pipe pieces as well as multiple pipe bends, wherein the pipe bends each connect two end sections of two pipe pieces to each other fluidically. In this respect, the pipe system forms a pipe coil, in which a coolant circulates, taking up heat inside the switch cabinet and dissipating the heat outside the switch cabinet. In order to remove the heat effectively, an airflow is created in an internal circuit and in the interior of the switch cabinet and impinges on the heat exchanger. This internal circuit, or the interior of the switch cabinet, is shielded from the external circuit, or the surrounding environment, so that no gases can get into the interior of the switch cabinet.
According to the prior art, the use of fluorinated greenhouse gases in particular as coolant is known, but although these gases are advantageous for thermodynamic reasons with regard to heat dissipation, in the event of a leak they are discharged into the surrounding atmosphere, which is linked to adverse effects for the climate. Areas of such a pipe system that are particularly prone to leaks are pipe bends with a curvature of more than 90°, and connection points, particularly soldered joints, between the pipe bends and the pipe pieces. In this regard, pipe systems of conventional heat exchangers have leak-prone regions at every pipe bend, such regions being for example the pipe bend itself and each of the two connection points with the pipe pieces located there. The use of fluorinated greenhouse gases as coolants must therefore be discontinued sooner rather than later, and for this reason they will have to be replaced with alternative coolants in future.
Alternative coolants that can be used to good effect for thermodynamic reasons, are usually combustible and/or highly flammable or exhibit high operating pressures in transcritical operation. In order to be able to use such coolants in a switch cabinet air conditioning system safely and in compliance with regulations, it is essential for the design of the internal circuit of the switch cabinet in particular to be inherently safe. In this context, it must be ensured that escaping coolant, particularly in the area of the evaporator, does not produce an explosive atmosphere even in the event of a leak, because this might be ignited by an electronic component in the switch cabinet.
PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION: OBJECT, SOLUTION, ADVANTAGESOn the basis of the above, it is the object of the invention to provide a heat exchanger, an air conditioner arrangement and a switch cabinet, which allow safe operation of the heat exchanger with a combustible and/or highly flammable coolant or with a refrigerant, that exhibits high operating pressures in transcritical operation. It is also intended to reduce the number of leak-prone regions.
In a first aspect, this object is solved with a heat exchanger, in particular a heat exchanger for an air conditioner arrangement that is configured for conditioning air in a switch cabinet, wherein the air conditioner arrangement has a housing with a cabinet side housing region and an external housing region, as well as a partition wall element arranged between the cabinet side housing region and the external housing region that separates the cabinet side housing region and the external housing region from each other fluidically, with a pipe system that is configured to transport a coolant, wherein the pipe system includes a first manifold and a second manifold and multiple pipe elements, the free ends of which open into the manifolds, wherein at least one of the manifolds has a coolant inlet and at least one of the manifolds has a coolant outlet, which are connected to each other fluidically by the pipe system, wherein the pipe elements are connected with two mounting plates placed at a distance from one another, which enclose the pipe elements in gas-impermeable manner, so that the heat exchanger can be mounted on the partition wall element with the result that in the mounted state the manifolds are arranged in the external housing region, and the pipe elements are arranged at least partially in the cabinet side housing region.
The object is also solved with an air conditioner arrangement for a switch cabinet, in particular for use with a switch cabinet, wherein the air conditioner arrangement comprises a housing which has a cabinet side housing region and an external housing region, as well as a partition wall element arranged between the cabinet side housing region and the external housing region that separates the cabinet side housing region and the external housing region from each other fluidically, wherein the air conditioner arrangement further comprises such a heat exchanger.
The object is further solved with a switch cabinet having a housing that accommodates a multiplicity of electronic components, wherein the switch cabinet contains such a heat exchanger and/or such an air conditioner arrangement.
Due to the configuration according to the invention of the heat exchanger, the air conditioner arrangement and the switch cabinet, only elements of the heat exchanger that can be assumed to be leak-free are arranged inside the cabinet side housing region of the air conditioner arrangement during proper use. On the other hand, leak-prone areas are arranged in the external housing region of the air conditioner arrangement, so that the internal circuit and interior of the switch cabinet cannot be contaminated with gases that are combustible and/or highly flammable. Thus, the heat exchanger according to the invention, the air conditioner arrangement according to the invention and the switch cabinet according to the invention allow the safe use of such a coolant. Moreover, the number of leak-prone areas is significantly reduced, because the heat exchanger is advantageously constructed without any pipe bends, and the number of leak-prone areas is reduced at least by the number of pipe bends that would otherwise be required.
Advantageous further developments of the present invention will be described in the following text and in the dependent claims.
According to an advantageous further development of the invention, it is provided that the pipe elements and the manifolds are connected to each other by material bonding via connection points. In particular, it is provided that the pipe elements and manifolds are soldered to each other via the connection points.
The pipe elements are preferably each embodied as a pipe piece or pipe string. A pipe piece has a substantially cylindrical sheath and a single channel, which passes through the pipe piece in the longitudinal axis. In contrast, a pipe string includes a multiplicity of channels or capillaries (microchannels) arranged parallel to each other. In a simple embodiment, such a pipe string consists of a flat profile through which a number of channels pass in the longitudinal axis.
In order to remove the heat effectively, the heat exchanger is preferably equipped with a heat transfer element, in particular a fin arrangement with a multiplicity of fins or lamellae, which are in contact with and/or connected to the pipe elements in heat-conducting manner. During proper use, an air flow washes over the pipe elements and fins, causing the heat from the air flow to be transferred to the heat exchanger. For this purpose, the fins are connected to the pipe elements in particular by non-positive locking or material bonding to create a heat conducting connection. The fins are preferably of wavelike construction and arranged between each two pipe elements. Such a wave profile has alternating wave peaks and wave troughs, which are configured as a contact surface on the pipe elements. A flow path which is configured and designed to guide the air flow forms between each two adjacent wave peaks and between each two adjacent wave troughs. This flow path extends preferably transversely to the pipe elements. Additionally, the fins may preferably have slits and/or they may be profiled.
According to an advantageous further development, it is provided that one of the mounting plates in each case is arranged between the fins and the manifolds. Thus, the fins are flanked by a mounting plate on both the left and right side.
The routing of the coolant through the pipe system from the coolant inlet to the coolant outlet may take various forms. It is preferably provided that the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are located on the same manifold or on different manifolds.
According to a first embodiment, it is provided that the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are located on different manifolds. The coolant is then routed solely from the first manifold to the second manifold. Thus, in passing through the heat exchanger the coolant flows through the pipe elements only once and is then transported out of the heat exchanger. The flow speed of the coolant in this case is relatively slow, because the effective cross-sectional area of the pipe elements is relatively large.
Alternatively, the routing of the coolant through the pipe system may follow a meandering route, and for purpose each of the manifolds may contain a number of partition walls, which separate the manifolds into a number of capsules, the partition walls being arranged in such manner that the coolant can be routed through at least one of the manifolds repeatedly from the coolant inlet to the coolant outlet. The flow speed of the coolant is increasingly faster depending on the number of partition walls, because the effective cross-sectional area of the openings decreases.
In the case that the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are both arranged on a first manifold and neither a coolant inlet nor outlet is provided on a second manifold, the number N of partition walls in the first manifold and the number M of partition walls in the second manifold is preferably represented by: M=N−1. In the case that the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are arranged on different manifolds, the number N of partition walls in the first manifold and the number M of partition walls in the second manifold is preferably represented by: M=N.
The pipe elements preferably have no curvature relative to their respective longitudinal axis. Consequently, a substantially linear heat exchanger is obtained, which can be fitted inside an air conditioner arrangement by simple means. Alternatively, the pipe elements have a curvature relative to their respective longitudinal axis that is less than or equal to 90°, in particular less than or equal to 45°. This makes it possible to adapt the heat exchanger to particular geometries of the switch cabinet necessitated by the installation space.
The manifolds, the pipe elements, the fins and/or the mounting plates are preferably made of aluminium and are soldered to each other at the connection points. Aluminium has high thermal conductivity and is therefore ideally suitable for use as a heat exchanger.
The coolant inlet and/or the coolant outlet may be formed by pipe stubs, in particular connected to a manifold. The coolant inlet and/or the coolant outlet may also preferably be made of copper.
The housing of the air conditioner arrangement preferably accommodates the heat exchanger in such a way that the manifolds are arranged in the external housing region, and at least portions of the pipe elements, preferably more than 60%, particularly preferably more than 80%, of their respective total length, are arranged in the cabinet side housing region. In particular, the portions that are connected to at least one of the fins are arranged in the cabinet side housing region. For this purpose, the partition wall element of the housing preferably has at least two openings or cutouts, which the heat exchanger passes through in the assembled state. In the scope of an embodiment with two openings, it is preferably provided that the first opening is larger than the second opening, which facilitates the installation of the heat exchanger. For this purpose, it is provided that one of the mounting plates is larger than the other mounting plate, which makes it possible to introduce the heat exchanger into the opening. This means that one of the mounting plates is wider and higher than the other mounting plate with respect to the direction of insertion of the heat exchanger, so that the smaller of the two mounting plates can be introduced through the opening in the partition wall element, while the larger of the mounting plates lies on the periphery of the opening. In the scope of an embodiment with two cutouts, it is preferably provided that the heat exchanger can be introduced into the cutouts sideways. The cutouts form a contour that is open on one side and are created in the partition wall element. In a state in which the heat exchanger is seated in the cutouts, the cutouts may be closed off in fluid-tight manner by means of cover elements.
In particular Screw connections or rivet connections are provided for installing the heat exchanger, the mounting plates and the partition wall element include previously created boreholes for this purpose. Gaskets are preferably arranged between the mounting plates and each partition wall element, so that the heat exchanger may be installed in gas-impermeable manner. Independently thereof, a fan is preferably provided and is arranged and configured inside the air conditioner arrangement for forced ventilation.
The coolant is typically combustible and/or potentially explosive. In particular, the coolant is or contains propane, butane, isobutane or propene.
Regardless of the specific embodiment of the heat exchanger, it may be embodied as an evaporator of a compression refrigeration machine. A compression refrigeration machine is a refrigerating machine that uses the physical effect of the increase in enthalpy difference during a change in the aggregate state of a coolant, from liquid to gas phase. The circulating coolant undergoes various changes in aggregate state successively. Use is made of the fact that the condensation and boiling temperature of the coolant changes depending on its pressure. The coolant in the gas phase is first compressed by means of a compressor, causing the boiling temperature and the pressure to rise. In a condenser downstream, it condenses and gives off heat. The liquid coolant is then relaxed through a throttling device, wherein the boiling temperature falls. In the following evaporator, the coolant evaporates and takes up heat at low temperature, thereby closing the circuit.
In the following text, a specific embodiment of the invention will be explained with reference to the figures. In the drawing:
The heat exchanger 100 has a pipe system 10, which is configured to transport a coolant. For this purpose, the pipe system 10 has a first manifold 111 and a second manifold 112 and eight pipe element 12, the free ends of which open into the manifolds 111, 112. In the embodiment shown, the first manifold 111 shown on the left side has a coolant inlet 13, and the manifold 112 shown on the right side has a coolant outlet 14, which are connected to each other in fluid-conducting manner. The pipe elements 12 are connected with two mounting plates 151, 152 located at a distance from each other and surround the pipe elements 12 in gas-impermeable manner. This enables the heat exchanger 100 to be mounted on the partition wall element 32 of air conditioner arrangement 200 in such a way that the manifolds 111, 112 are arranged in the external housing region 162 and at least sections of the pipe elements 12 are arranged in the cabinet side housing region 161. The pipe elements 12 and the manifolds 111, 112 are connected to each other by material bonding via connection points 17. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the pipe elements 12 are each embodied as a pipe string 121, wherein each pipe string 121 includes a number of 8 channels 18 arranged parallel to each other (
In order to dissipate the heat, the heat exchanger 100 is equipped with a heat transfer element in the form of a fin arrangement having a multiplicity of fins 19, which are connected in thermally conductive manner to the pipe elements 12. During proper use, an air flow passes over the pipe elements 12 and the fins 19, so that heat is transferred from the air flow to the heat exchanger 100. In the embodiment shown, the fins 19 have a wavelike design and are arranged between each of two pipe elements 12. Such a wave profile has alternating wave peaks 20 and wave troughs 21, which are configured as contact surfaces on the pipe elements. A flow path 22 which is configured and designed to guide the air flow forms between each two adjacent wave peaks 20 and between each two adjacent wave troughs 21. This flow path 22 extends perpendicularly to the pipe elements 12. The mounting plates 151, 152 are arranged between the fins 19 and the manifolds 111, 112 on the left and right sides of the fins 19. The mounting plate 151 shown on the left (
As noted previously,
Claims
1. Heat exchanger, in particular a heat exchanger of an air conditioner arrangement that is configured for air conditioning in a switch cabinet, wherein the air conditioner arrangement comprises a housing that has a cabinet side housing region and an external housing region, as well as a partition wall element that is arranged between the cabinet side housing region and the external housing region and separates the cabinet side housing region and the external housing region from each other fluidically, with a pipe system configured to transport a coolant, wherein the pipe system has a first manifold and a second manifold and multiple pipe elements, the free ends of which open into the manifolds, wherein at least of the manifolds has a coolant inlet and at least one of the manifolds has a coolant outlet, which are connected to each other in a fluid-conducting manner by the pipe system, wherein the pipe elements are connected with two mounting plates which are arranged at a distance from one another and surround the pipe elements in gas-impermeable manner, so that the heat exchanger can be installed in the partition wall element in such a manner that in the assembled state the manifolds are arranged in the external housing region and at least portions of the pipe elements are arranged in the cabinet side housing region.
2. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the pipe elements and the manifolds are connected to each other by material bonding via connection points.
3. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein each of the pipe elements are embodied as a pipe insert or pipe string, wherein a pipe string includes a multiplicity of channels arranged parallel to each other.
4. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, with a heat transfer element, in particular a fin arrangement having a multiplicity of fins, which are connected to the pipe elements in a heat conducting manner, wherein preferably the fins are of wavelike construction and are arranged between each two pipe elements.
5. Heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein one of the mounting plates in each case is arranged between the fins and the manifolds.
6. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are arranged on the same manifold or on different manifolds.
7. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the manifolds each include a number of partition walls that separate the manifolds into a number of capsules, wherein the partition walls are arranged such that the coolant can be routed multiple times through at least one of the manifolds from the coolant inlet to the coolant outlet.
8. Heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are arranged on the same manifold, wherein the number N of partition walls in the first manifold and the number M of partition walls in the second manifold is represented by: M=N−1.
9. Heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are arranged on different manifolds, wherein the number N of partition walls in the first manifold and the number M of partition walls in the second manifold is represented by: M=N.
10. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the pipe elements have a curvature relative to their respective longitudinal axis that is less than or equal to 90°, in particular less than or equal to 45°.
11. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the pipe elements have no curvature relative to their respective longitudinal axis.
12. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the manifolds, the pipe elements, the fins and the mounting plates are made of aluminium and are soldered to each other at the connection points.
13. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein one of the mounting plates is larger than the other of the mounting plates, so that the heat exchanger can be introduced into a housing opening in particular into an opening in the housing of the air conditioner arrangement.
14. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the coolant is combustible and/or potentially explosive, and/or that the coolant is or contains propane, butane, isobutane or propene.
15. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is embodied as an evaporator of a compression refrigeration machine.
16. Air conditioner arrangement for a switch cabinet, in particular for use with a switch cabinet, wherein the air conditioner arrangement includes a housing that has a cabinet side housing region and an external housing region, as well as a partition wall element arranged between the cabinet side housing region and the external housing region, which separates the cabinet side housing region and the external housing region from each other fluidically, wherein the air conditioner arrangement further comprises a heat exchanger according to claim 1.
17. Air conditioner arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the housing accommodates the heat exchanger in such a manner that the manifolds are arranged in the external housing region and at least portions of the pipe elements are arranged in the cabinet side housing region.
18. Air conditioner arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the partition wall element has at least two openings or cutouts, through which the heat exchanger passes in the assembled state.
19. Air conditioner arrangement according to claim 16, wherein a fan is arranged and configured inside the housing to provide forced ventilation of the heat exchanger.
20. Switch cabinet with a housing that accommodates a multiplicity of electronic components, wherein the switch cabinet contains a heat exchanger and/or an air conditioner arrangement according to claim 1.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 25, 2025
Publication Date: Mar 5, 2026
Applicant: Pfannenberg GmbH (Hamburg)
Inventors: Nils Peter HALM (Hamburg), Torben WAGNER (Hamburg), Marian ESPELAGE (Hamburg)
Application Number: 19/308,834