BYOUN YOUNG MIN (KR)
KIM KA EUL (KR)
BAE JOO GYO (KR)
BYOUN YOUNG MIN (KR)
KIM KA EUL (KR)
| JP2001221534A | 2001-08-17 | |||
| JPH07133971A | 1995-05-23 | |||
| JPH1019416A | 1998-01-23 | |||
| JP2005155934A | 2005-06-16 |
Claims
[1] A heat exchange system, comprising: a first refrigerant pipe connected to a compressor to form a passage through which gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows; a heat exchanger including a tube connected to the first refrigerant pipe to form a passage through which the gas refrigerant discharged from the first refrigerant pipe flows such that the gas refrigerant becomes liquid refrigerant; and a second refrigerant pipe connected to the heat exchanger to form a passage through which the liquid refrigerant discharged from the heat exchanger flows, wherein at least two heat exchangers are provided and connected in parallel with the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe.
[2] The heat exchange system of claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional area of the first refrigerant pipe is equal to or less than the sum of cross-sectional areas of the tubes so that the flow resistance of the refrigerant does not increase when the refrigerant is introduced from the first refrigerant pipe to the tubes.
[3] The heat exchange system of claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional area of the second refrigerant pipe is equal to or greater than the sum of cross-sectional areas of the tubes so that the flow resistance of the refrigerant does not increase when the refrigerant is introduced from the tubes into the second refrigerant pipe.
[4] The heat exchange system of claim 1, further comprising a first pipe coupling, one end of which corresponds to the first refrigerant pipe to be coupled to the first refrigerant pipe and other ends of which are branched to be coupled to the tubes.
[5] The heat exchange system of claim 1, further comprising a second pipe coupling, one end of which corresponds to the second refrigerant pipe to be coupled to the second refrigerant pipe and other ends of which are branched to be coupled to the tubes.
[6] The heat exchange system of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger includes: a tube assembly having the tube bent a plurality of times and fins coupled to an outer surface of the tube; a fixing bracket having insertion holes through which bending portions of the tube assembly are inserted, and provided on opposite sides of the tube assembly so as to be attached to the fins coupled to the outermost side of the tube assembly to fix the tube assembly; and a coupling bracket having sliding coupling portions formed on opposite ends thereof to be coupled to and slid by a sliding guide formed at a top end of the fixing bracket and having stop recesses selectively coupled to bosses formed in the sliding guide so as to be coupled to the fixing bracket by one touch. [7] The heat exchange system of claim 6, wherein a guide for guiding the air blown by a blower toward the tube assembly is expanded outward at one side of the coupling bracket. [8] The heat exchange system of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger includes: a turn-fin tube having the tube bent a plurality of times and fins wound on the tube with a predetermined pitch; a fixing bracket having insertion holes through which bending portions of the turn-fin tube are inserted and having pressing pieces extending from the insertion holes so as to press and restrict the bending portions of the turn-fin tube to fix opposite sides of the turn-fin tube; and a coupling bracket, opposite ends of which are coupled to the fixing bracket to fix the turn-fin tube to the fixing bracket. [9] The heat exchange system of claim 8, wherein the pressing pieces are integrally formed with the fixing bracket at lengthwise edges of the insertion hole so as to form a pair and extend in an insertion direction of the corresponding bending portion to resiliently press opposite sides of the fin of the bending portion. |
The present invention relates to a heat exchange system, and more particularly, to a heat exchange system that has enhanced productivity and heat exchange efficiency.
In general, a refrigeration system is a system that absorbs indoor heat and emits the heat to the outside while refrigerant is circulating along a thermodynamic cycle through a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator.
In such a refrigeration system, the condenser and the evaporator are referred to as heat exchangers.
In the heat exchanger, heat is exchanged between refrigerant flowing through a tube and a fluid, such as air or cooling water, present outside the tube.
Meanwhile, the condenser emits heat of gas refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure discharged from the compressor to a fluid of room temperature, such as air or cooling water, to turn the gas refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant of room temperature and high pressure that can be easily evaporated.
Such a condenser may be classified into a wire type condenser and a turn-fin type condenser according to the shapes of a tube through which refrigerant flows and a fin provided outside the tube.
For example, the wire type condenser has a linear fin fixed to the outer surface of a tube and the turn-fin type condenser has a spiral fin wound on the outer surface of a turn-fin tube.
Here, after the turn-fin tube is bent in a certain configuration, the fin is fixed by a bracket to maintain the configuration of the turn-fin tube. For this, equipment such as a press is additionally necessary to fix the fin to a bracket, increasing the cost of equipment and complicating a manufacturing process.
Meanwhile, such a condenser prevents the temperature of a discharged gas of a compressor from excessively increasing, enhances cooling efficiency by increasing the flux of refrigerant, and influences reduction of noise, and therefore should be compact.
To achieve this, the condenser may be manufactured simply by using a tube of a small diameter. However, when a condenser having a tube of a small diameter is connected to a compressor of high capacity, refrigerant introduced into the condenser flows rapidly due to the large flux of the refrigerant from the compressor, deteriorating condensing efficiency.
Further, since the refrigerant discharged from the compressor does not smoothly flow to the condenser, the efficiency of the compressor decreases due to rising of its temperature and over-load and noise can be generated in the compressor due to its excessive discharge pressure.
Furthermore, noise that strikes the inner wall of the compressor can be generated when the compressor is stopped due to its high compression ratio, decreasing the reliability of the refrigeration system.
Furthermore, since the cooling efficiency of the refrigeration system decreases due to its high pressure, consumption of power increases due to its high operation rate. In addition, since the lubricant inside the compressor is carbonized, the viscosity of the lubricant decreases. Then, since the compressive force of the compressor weakens, the efficiency of the compressor decreases. The heat transfer rate of the refrigeration system decreases due to deposition of the lubricant inside the refrigeration cycle tube, decreasing the efficiency of the refrigeration system.
Therefore, in view of the above problems, the present invention provides a heat exchange system that has enhanced productivity and heat exchange efficiency.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a heat exchange system includes: a first refrigerant pipe connected to a compressor to form a passage through which gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows; a heat exchanger including a tube connected to the first refrigerant pipe to form a passage through which the gas refrigerant discharged from the first refrigerant pipe flows such that the gas refrigerant becomes liquid refrigerant; and a second refrigerant pipe connected to the heat exchanger to form a passage through which the liquid refrigerant discharged from the heat exchanger flows. At least two heat exchangers are provided and connected in parallel with the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe.
Here, a cross-sectional area of the first refrigerant pipe may be equal to or less than the sum of cross-sectional areas of the tubes so that the flow resistance of the refrigerant does not increase when the refrigerant is introduced from the first refrigerant pipe to the tubes.
The cross-sectional area of the second refrigerant pipe may be equal to or greater than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the tubes so that the flow resistance of the refrigerant does not increase when the refrigerant is introduced from the tubes into the second refrigerant pipe.
The heat exchange system may further include a first pipe coupling, one end of which corresponds to the first refrigerant pipe to be coupled to the first refrigerant pipe and other ends of which are branched to be coupled to the tubes.
The heat exchange system may further include a second pipe coupling, one end of which corresponds to the second refrigerant pipe to be coupled to the second refrigerant pipe and other ends of which are branched to be coupled to the tubes.
The heat exchanger may include: a tube assembly having the tube bent a plurality of times and fins coupled to an outer surface of the tube; a fixing bracket having insertion holes through which bending portions of the tube assembly are inserted, and provided on opposite sides of the tube assembly so as to be attached to the fins coupled to the outermost side of the tube assembly to fix the tube assembly; and a coupling bracket having sliding coupling portions formed on opposite ends thereof to be coupled to and slid by a sliding guide formed at a top end of the fixing bracket and having stop recesses selectively coupled to bosses formed in the sliding guide so as to be coupled to the fixing bracket by one touch.
Here, a guide for guiding air blown by a blower toward the tube assembly may be expanded outward at one side of the coupling bracket.
The heat exchanger may include: a turn-fin tube having the tube bent a plurality of times and fins wound on the tube with a predetermined pitch; a fixing bracket having insertion holes through which bending portions of the turn-fin tube are inserted and having pressing pieces extending from the insertion holes so as to press and restrict the bending portions of the turn-fin tube to fix opposite sides of the turn-fin tube; and a coupling bracket, opposite ends of which are coupled to the fixing bracket to fix the turn-fin tube to the fixing bracket.
Here, the pressing pieces may be integrally formed with the fixing bracket at lengthwise edges of the insertion hole so as to form a pair and extend in an insertion direction of the corresponding bending portion to resiliently press opposite sides of the fin of the bending portion.
The effects of a heat exchange system according to the present invention are as follows.
First, since at least two heat exchangers are installed in parallel, a heat exchange system having enhanced heat exchange efficiency can be realized.
Second, since the cross-sectional area of a first refrigerant pipe to which tubes of the heat exchangers are connected is equal to or less than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the tubes, an increase in the flow resistance of refrigerant introduced from the first refrigerant pipe into the tubes can be prevented. In addition, the heat exchange system can become more compact by various modifications of the number and sizes of the heat exchangers while maintaining the cross-sectional area of the first refrigerant pipe to be equal to or less than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the tubes.
Third, since the cross-sectional area of a second refrigerant pipe to which tubes of the heat exchangers are connected is equal to or greater than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the tubes, an increase in the flow resistance of refrigerant introduced from the tubes into the second refrigerant pipe can be prevented.
Fourth, since the heat exchangers have tubes of small diameters, the bending radii of the tubes can be small compared to a tube of large diameter, making the heat exchangers more compact.
Fifth, when the heat exchangers are wire type condensers, since a fixing bracket fixing installation shapes of the wire type condensers can be coupled by one touch without using a separate coupling member, the number of parts can be reduced and the heat exchangers can be easily manufactured, thereby enhancing productivity.
Sixth, when the heat exchangers are turn-fin type condensers, since pressing pieces formed in insertion holes of fixing brackets are provided such that fins are not caught by the insertion holes when a turn-fin tube is inserted into the insertion holes, deformation of the fins can be prevented. In addition, since the pressing pieces stably and easily insert and guide the turn-fin tube into the insertion holes, workability and working efficiency can be enhanced.
Seventh, since the turn-fin tube is automatically resiliently pressed to be fixed when the turn-fin tube is inserted by the pressing pieces formed in the insertion holes of the fixing bracket, the process of assembling the heat exchange system is simplified. In addition, since the heat exchange system does not require a separate device for fixing the inserted turn-fin tube, cost of equipment can be reduced.
The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a view schematically illustrating a heat exchange system according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the heat exchange system according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention with heat exchangers being vertically disposed parallel to each other;
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the heat exchangers of the heat exchange system according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a heat exchange system according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a heat exchange system according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention with heat exchangers being horizontally disposed parallel to each other;
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the heat exchangers of the heat exchange system according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views of a heat exchange system according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention with heat exchangers being vertically disposed parallel to each other;
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the heat exchangers of the heat exchange system according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a process of coupling a turn-fin tube to a fixing bracket in the heat exchanger of the heat exchange system according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing the heat exchanger of the heat exchange system according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a heat exchange system according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention with heat exchangers being horizontally disposed parallel to each other; and
FIG. 14 is an exemplary view illustrating a fixing bracket for a heat exchanger of a heat exchange system according to a sixth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
* Description of Major Reference Numerals
10: Compressor 20, 120, 320: First refrigerant pipe
30, 30a, 130, 130a, 230, 230a, 330, 330a: Heat exchanger
32, 32a, 132, 132a, 232, 332, 332a: Tube
35, 335: Fin
40, 240, 340, 340a: Fixing bracket 42, 342: Insertion holes
48: Sliding guide 49: Boss
50, 250, 350: Coupling bracket 52: Sliding coupling portion
54: Stop recess 57: Guide
60, 160, 260, 360: Second refrigerant pipe 70: Blower
80: Expansion section 85: Evaporator
90, 390: First pipe coupling 95, 395: Second pipe coupling
331: Turn-fin tube 339: Bending portion
343: Pressing piece 345, 346, 347, 349: Flange
443: First pressing piece 444: Second pressing piece
Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a view schematically illustrating a heat exchange system according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the heat exchange system according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention with heat exchangers being vertically disposed parallel to each other. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the heat exchangers of the heat exchange system according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the heat exchange system may include a first refrigerant pipe 20, heat exchangers 30 and 30a, a fixing bracket 40, and a second refrigerant pipe 60. Gas refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure discharged from a compressor 10 flows through the first refrigerant pipe 20 connected to the compressor 10 and then flows to the second refrigerant pipe 60 via the heat exchangers 30 and 30a connected to the first refrigerant pipe 20. Here, the heat exchangers 30 and 30a may include tubes 32 and 32a connected to the first refrigerant pipe 20 and through which the refrigerant flows and a fin 35 coupled to the outer surface of the tubes 32 and 32a. Moreover, heat exchangers 30 and 30a may be connected to the first refrigerant pipe 20 parallel to each other. Therefore, the tubes 32 and 32a of the heat exchangers 30 and 30a are connected to the first refrigerant pipe 20 in parallel, and the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the tubes 32 and 32a may be equal to or greater than the cross-sectional area of the first refrigerant pipe 20. This structure prevents an increase in the flow resistance of the gas refrigerant introduced from the first refrigerant pipe 20 into the tubes 32 and 32a and a decrease in the efficiencies of the heat exchangers 30 and 30a. The structure also prevents application of high pressure to the compressor 10, thereby preventing a decrease in the efficiencies of the heat exchangers 30 and 30a. Meanwhile, the heat exchangers 30 and 30a may be fixed by the fixing brackets 40, and the fixing brackets 40 may be coupled to or separated from the heat exchangers 30 and 30a by one touch, thereby enabling easy and convenient installation of the heat exchangers 30 and 30a.
In further detail, the compressor 10 constitutes a system that performs cooling and heating while refrigerant is circulating, and may be a general compressor that compresses refrigerant to turn the refrigerant into gas refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure.
One end of the first refrigerant pipe 20 is connected to the compressor 10, and the first refrigerant pipe 20 forms a passage through which the gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 flows.
The heat exchangers 30 and 30a that turn the gas refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure into liquid refrigerant of low temperature (for example, room temperature) and high pressure may be provided at the opposite end of the first refrigerant pipe 20.
Here, the heat exchangers 30 and 30a includes tubes 32 and 32a connected to the opposite end of the first refrigerant pipe 20 to form a passage through which the gas refrigerant discharged from the first refrigerant pipe 20 flows and a fin 35 coupled to the outer surface of the tubes 32 and 32a, and may be a wire type condenser.
The tubes 32 and 32a are bent a plurality of times and has a predetermined length such that the flow passage per unit space of the refrigerant is lengthened.
Here, the predetermined length is a length that may be set in correspondence to the size of the space in which the heat exchangers 30 and 30a are installed but is not limited to a specific length. The predetermined length of the tube 32 may be modified according to necessity.
For example, the tubes 32 and 32a may be suitably bent such that it forms a plurality of rows disposed in one direction repetitively at the predetermined length, with the rows forming a plurality of layers.
A plurality of fins 35 may be attached to the outer surfaces of the multi-layered tubes 32 and 32a to effectively transfer heat through the tubes 32 and 32a.
At least two heat exchangers 30 and 30a may be connected in parallel with each other and may be disposed vertically.
Accordingly, at least two tubes 32 and 32a are connected to the opposite end of the first refrigerant pipe 20, and the gas refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant pipe 20 may be branched and introduced into the tubes 32 and 32a.
Here, the tubes 32 and 32a may have a small diameter, and the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the tubes 32 and 32a connected to the first refrigerant pipe 20 is more preferably equal to or greater than the cross-sectional area of the first refrigerant pipe 20.
Here, a cross-sectional area refers to an area of a cross-section perpendicular to the flow direction of the refrigerant, and may refer to an area of a cross-section perpendicular to the length of the tube 32 or 32a or the first refrigerant pipe 20.
A small diameter may refer to an outer diameter of a general tube ranging from 4.76 to 6.35 mm, and the inner diameter of the tube 32 or 32a may be 3.3 to 5.2 mm.
Accordingly, since the bending diameter of a tube of a small diameter is small compared to a tube of large diameter (for example, an outer diameter of more than 8 mm), the product can become more compact and the volume of a room in which the heat exchanger is installed can be variously designed.
The refrigerant being fed through the first refrigerant pipe 20 may be suitably branched and introduced into the tubes 32 and 32a at fluxes corresponding to the cross-sections of the tubes 32 and 32a so that the flow rates of the refrigerant introduced into the tubes 32 and 32a are not reduced, thereby maintaining smooth flow of the refrigerant without increasing the flow resistance of the refrigerant.
Therefore, the heat exchange system can prevent an excessive increase in the temperature of the gas discharged from the compressor 10 and a decrease in the reliability and efficiency of the heat exchange system itself.
Further, since the diameters of the tubes 32 and 32a are smaller than the diameter of the first refrigerant pipe 20, the distances between the centers and the surfaces of the tubes 32 and 32a become shorter, thereby ensuring efficient heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing through the tubes 32 and 32a and a fluid (for example, air) outside the tubes 32 and 32a.
Accordingly, since the change in the efficiency of the heat exchange system due to the external environment can be reduced and the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant passing through the heat exchangers 30 and 30a can be enhanced, the efficiency of the refrigeration system can be enhanced and noise can be reduced, thereby reducing maintenance costs.
In addition, since the heat exchange system does not require a separate check value controlling the flux of the refrigerant and a separate regulator regulating the RPM of a blower 70 to be described below, the number of parts can be reduced, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and enhancing productivity.
Here, the diameters of the tubes 32 and 32a connected to the first refrigerant pipe 20 may be the same, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
The number of heat exchangers connected in parallel with each other can be suitably selected according to the diameter of the first refrigerant pipe 20 or the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant.
Heat exchangers of different sizes may be connected in parallel with each other according to the shape of the space in which the heat exchangers are installed, and the lengths of the tubes may also be adjusted.
Since the number of the heat exchangers and the lengths of the tubes may be suitably modified, the size and configuration of the heat exchangers can be variously selected according to the size, the position, and the shape of the structure in which the heat exchangers are installed.
The first refrigerant pipe 20 and the tubes 32 and 32a may be brazed or welded.
When the two tubes 32 and 32a are coupled to the first refrigerant pipe 20, the first refrigerant pipe 20 and the tubes 32 and 32a may form a Y-shape or a T-shape so that the refrigerant can flows through smooth paths.
When three or more heat exchangers are connected in parallel with each other, it is apparent that the tubes of the heat exchangers can be suitably coupled to the first refrigerant pipe 20 without any restriction to a specific shape.
The first refrigerant pipe 20 and the tubes 32 and 32a may be made of copper, in which case the manufacturing costs can be reduced to one-third compared to a steel material.
The fin 35 may be made of aluminum.
The installation shapes of the heat exchangers 30 and 30a can be maintained by the fixing brackets 40 and a coupling bracket 50.
Here, the fixing brackets 40 may have a height corresponding to the entire height of the heat exchangers 30 and 30a connected in parallel with each other and are coupled to one side of the heat exchangers 30 and 30a.
To achieve this, insertion holes 42 corresponding to bending portions 39 of the tubes 32 and 32a formed on sides of the heat exchangers 30 and 30a may be formed in the fixing brackets 40 such that the bending portions 39 of the tubes 32 may be inserted into the corresponding insertion holes 42.
The fixing brackets 40 may be coupled to opposite sides of the heat exchangers 30 and 30a and restrict opposite sides of the heat exchangers 30 and 30a when side surfaces of the fixing brackets 40 are attached and fixed to the outermost fin 35 provided in the tube 32 and 32a.
Attachment portions 44 formed at the bottom ends of the fixing brackets 40 may be attached to an installation surface on which the heat exchangers 30 and 30a are installed.
Through-holes 45 may be formed in the attachment portions 44 of the fixing brackets 40, and the fixing brackets 40 are fixed to the installation surface when coupling elements 46 such as bolts are inserted through the through-holes 45.
The coupling bracket 50 may be detachably coupled to the upper side of the fixing brackets 40.
To achieve this, sliding guides 48 may be formed widthwise to the fixing brackets 40 at top ends of the fixing brackets 40.
Bosses 49 are formed at upper portions of the sliding guides 48.
Sliding coupling portions 52 may be formed at opposite ends of the coupling bracket 50 so that they can be slidably coupled to the sliding guides 48.
A plurality of stop recesses 54 may be formed in the sliding coupling portions 52 of the coupling bracket 50.
The stop recesses 54 are continuously formed lengthwise to the sliding coupling portions 52 of the coupling bracket 50.
The bosses 49 may have a shape corresponding to the stop recesses 54 so that they can be positioned on any stop recesses 54 after the sliding coupling portions 52 are slid along the sliding guides 48 and movement of the coupling brackets 50 is completed.
Accordingly, the coupling brackets 50 can be smoothly coupled to the fixing brackets 40 even when the fixing brackets 40 do not face each other.
The coupling bracket 50 is coupled to the fixing brackets 40 by one touch and does not need to unnecessarily move after it is coupled to the fixing brackets 40.
If an external force sufficient to separate the bosses 49 from the stop recesses 54 is applied to the coupling bracket 50, the coupling bracket 50 can be separated from the fixing brackets 40.
A guide 57 for guiding the air blown from the blower 70 provided on one side of the heat exchangers 30 and 30a toward the heat exchangers 30 and 30a may be formed on one side of the coupling bracket 50.
Here, the guide 57 may extend toward the outside of the heat exchangers 30 and 30a.
Accordingly, the air blown by the blower 70 can flow toward the heat exchangers 30 and 30a, thereby allowing the heat exchangers 30 and 30a to exchange heat more efficiently.
Here, the coupling bracket 50 has a width sufficient to cover the entire upper side of the heat exchanger 30 but may have a width sufficient only to partially cover the upper side of the heat exchanger 30.
The blower 70 may include a motor 71 providing power and a blower fan 75 rotated by the power provided from the motor 71.
Meanwhile, the liquid refrigerant of room temperature and high pressure discharged from the heat exchangers 30 and 30a may be introduced into the second refrigerant pipe 60.
The refrigerant flowing through the tubes 32 and 32a can be introduced into the second refrigerant pipe 60 together, and the tubes 32 and 32a may be connected to the second refrigerant pipe 60.
The cross-sectional area of the second refrigerant pipe 60 may be equal to or greater than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the tubes 32 and 32a.
Accordingly, the flow rate of the refrigerant fed through the tubes 32 and 32a cannot be reduced even after the refrigerant is introduced into the second refrigerant pipe 60, thereby preventing an increase in the flow resistance of the refrigerant and maintaining smooth flow of the refrigerant.
The refrigerant introduced into the second refrigerant pipe 60 returns to the compressor 10 via an expansion section 80 connected to the second refrigerant pipe 60 and an evaporator 85, forming one cycle.
Here, the expansion section 80 may be an expansion valve or an expansion pipe (for example, a capillary pipe).
It is apparent that the tubes 32 and 32a connected to the first refrigerant pipe 20 and the second refrigerant pipe 60 have suitable configurations at various positions and are not restricted to the illustrated configurations.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a heat exchange system according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In the heat exchange system according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the tubes are coupled to the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe by a first pipe coupling and a second pipe coupling respectively, and since the other structures are the same as in the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
As illustrated in FIG. 5, a first pipe coupling 90 may be provided between the first refrigerant pipe 120 and the heat exchangers 130 and 130a.
The first refrigerant pipe 120 and the tubes 132 and 132a connected in parallel with the first refrigerant pipe 120 may be connected to each other using the first pipe coupling 90.
To achieve this, one end of the first pipe coupling 90 corresponds to the first refrigerant pipe 120 to be coupled to the first refrigerant pipe 120 and other ends thereof correspond to the tubes 132 and 132a to be branched and coupled to the tubes 132 and 132a.
Here, the first pipe coupling 90 may be coupled to the first refrigerant pipe 120 and the tubes 132 and 132a by welding, brazing, screw-coupling, or fitting, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
The first pipe coupling 90 may have various shapes, but when the two tubes 132 and 132a are coupled to the first pipe coupling 90, the first pipe coupling 90 may form a Y-shape so that the refrigerant may smoothly flow, or may form a T-shape.
The second pipe coupling 95 is provided between the heat exchangers 130 and 130a and the second refrigerant pipe 160, so that the tubes 132 and 132a can be connected to the second refrigerant pipe 160 in parallel using the second pipe coupling 95.
To achieve this, ends of the second pipe coupling 95 correspond to the tubes 132 and 132a to be coupled to the tubes 132 and 132a and the other end thereof corresponds to the second refrigeration pipe 160 to be branched and coupled to the second refrigeration pipe 160.
Here, the second pipe coupling 95 may be coupled to the second refrigerant pipe 160 and the tubes 132 and 132a by welding, brazing, screw-coupling, or fitting, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
The second pipe coupling 95 may have various shapes, but when the two tubes 132 and 132a are coupled to the second pipe coupling 95, the second pipe coupling 95 may form a Y-shape so that the refrigerant may smoothly flow, or may form a T-shape.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a heat exchange system according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention with heat exchangers being horizontally disposed parallel to each other. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the heat exchangers of the heat exchange system according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In the heat exchanger according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the above-described heat exchangers are horizontally disposed parallel to each other, and since the other structures are the same as in the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the heat exchangers 230 and 230a may be horizontally disposed parallel to each other.
Here, the horizontal direction refers to horizontal installation of the heat exchangers 230 and 230a and may include a longitudinal or transverse direction of an installation surface.
As described above, when the heat exchangers are horizontally disposed parallel to each other, the height of the fixing brackets 241 may correspond to the height of the heat exchangers 230 and 230a.
The length of the coupling bracket 251 may correspond to the sum of the lengths of the heat exchangers 230 and 230a disposed horizontally.
Here, the shapes of the tubes 232 connected to the first refrigerant pipe 220 and the second refrigerant pipe 260 are not limited to the illustrated shapes, but may be variously selected at various positions.
FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views of a heat exchange system according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention with heat exchangers being vertically disposed parallel to each other. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the heat exchangers of the heat exchange system according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a process of coupling a turn-fin tube to a fixing bracket in the heat exchanger of the heat exchange system according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
As illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 11, the heat exchange system may include a heat exchanger 330, a first refrigerant pipe 320, and a second refrigerant pipe 360. The heat exchanger 330 may include a turn-fin tube 331, a fixing bracket 340, and a coupling bracket 350. Here, the turn-fin tube 331 is bent and fixed by the fixing bracket 340, and is fixed to the fixing bracket 340 when the coupling bracket 350 is coupled to the fixing bracket 340. Then, pressing pieces 343 may be formed in the fixing bracket 340 to resiliently press and fix the turn-fin tube 331. Meanwhile, the first refrigerant pipe 320 guides the refrigerant discharged from a compressor 10 toward the heat exchanger 330, and the second refrigerant pipe 360 forms a flow passage for the refrigerant discharged from the heat exchanger 330. Here, it is preferable that at least two heat exchangers are connected in parallel with each other, and that portions of the tubes 332 and 332a of the heat exchangers 330 and 330a where the refrigerant is introduced are connected to the first refrigerant pipe 320 and portions of the tubes 332 and 332a of the heat exchangers 330 and 330a where the refrigerant is discharged are connected to the second refrigerant pipe 360. The cross-sectional area of the first refrigerant pipe 320 may be equal to or less than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the tubes 332 and 332a, thereby preventing an increase in the flow resistance of the refrigerant when the refrigerant is introduced from the first refrigerant pipe 320 into the tubes 332 and 332a. The cross-sectional area of the second refrigerant pipe 360 may be equal to or greater than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the tubes 332 and 332a, thereby preventing an increase in the flow resistance of the refrigerant when the refrigerant is introduced from the tubes 332 and 332a into the second refrigerant pipe 360. Therefore, since a high pressure is not applied to the compressor 10, the heat exchange system can prevent a decrease in the efficiencies of the heat exchangers 330 and a decrease in the efficiency of the heat exchange system itself.
In further detail, one side of the first refrigerant pipe 320 is connected to the compressor 10 to form a passage through which the gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows.
The opposite side of the first refrigerant pipe 320 is connected to the heat exchanger 330.
Here, the heat exchanger 330 exchanges heat to turn the gas refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure introduced through the first refrigerant pipe 320 into the liquid refrigerant of low temperature (for example, room temperature) and high pressure, and may be a turn-fin type condenser.
The heat exchanger 330 may include a turn-fin tube 331, a fixing bracket 340, and a coupling bracket 350, and the turn-fin tube 331 includes a tube 332 through which the refrigerant flows and fins 335 wound on the tube 332 with a pitch.
Here, one side of the tube 332 is connected to the first refrigerant pipe 320 so that the refrigerant fed through the first refrigerant pipe 320 can be introduced into the tube 332.
The turn-fin tube 331 is bent a plurality of times and has a predetermined length such that the flow passage per unit space of the refrigerant is lengthened.
For example, the turn-fin tube 331 may be suitably bent such that it forms a plurality of rows disposed in one direction repetitively by the predetermined length, with the rows forming a plurality of layers.
Here, the predetermined length of the turn-fin tube 331 is a length that may be set in correspondence to the size of the space in which the heat exchanger 330 is installed but is not limited to a specific length. The predetermined length of the turn-fin tube 331 may be modified according to necessity.
Therefore, the turn-fin tube 331 of the heat exchanger 330 can be lengthened, thereby increasing the heat exchange area between the refrigerant and an external fluid and enhancing the heat exchange efficiency.
The tube 332 may have a small diameter so that the tube 332 is lengthened in the installation space.
A small diameter may refer to an outer diameter of a general tube ranging from 4.76 to 6.35 mm, and the inner diameter of the tube may be 3.3 to 5.2 mm.
Accordingly, since the bending diameter of a tube of small diameter is small compared to a tube of large diameter (for example, an outer diameter of more than 8 mm), the product can become more compact.
In addition, since the diameter of the tubes is small, the distance between the center and the surface of the tube becomes shorter, thereby ensuring efficient heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing through the tube and a fluid outside the tube.
Meanwhile, at least two heat exchangers may be provided to further increase the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant, and the heat exchangers 330 and 330a may be connected in parallel with each other.
Then, the heat exchangers 330 and 330a may be suitably connected in parallel with each other according to the shape of the installation space, and, for example, the heat exchangers 330 and 330a may be disposed side by side.
In other words, the heat exchangers 330 and 330a may be vertically or horizontally disposed.
Accordingly, the at least two tubes 332 and 332a are connected to the opposite side of the first refrigerant pipe 320 so that the gas refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant pipe 320 can be branched to the tubes 332 and 332a and introduced into the heat exchangers 330 and 330a.
Here, the cross-sectional area of the first refrigerant pipe 320 may be equal to or less than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the tubes 332 and 332a.
Therefore, the flow rate of the refrigerant fed to the first refrigerant pipe 320 is not reduced, thereby maintaining smooth flow of the refrigerant into the tubes 332 and 332a without increasing the flow resistance.
Therefore, since the heat exchange system can prevent an excessive increase in the temperature of the gas discharged from the compressor and reduce a change in its efficiency, it can stably maintain the reliability and efficiency of the heat exchange system itself and reduce noise.
In addition, since the heat exchange system does not require a separate check value controlling the flux of the refrigerant and a separate regulator regulating the RPM of a blower (not shown), the number of parts can be reduced, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and maintenance costs.
The first refrigerant pipe 320 may be coupled to the tubes 332 and 332a by brazing or welding.
When two tubes are coupled to the first refrigerant pipe 320, the first refrigerant pipe 320 and the tubes may form a Y-shape or a T-shape so that the refrigerant can flows through smooth paths.
When three or more heat exchangers 330 are connected in parallel with each other, i.e. when three or more tubes are coupled to the first refrigerant pipe 320, it is apparent that the tubes of the heat exchangers 330 can be suitably coupled to the first refrigerant pipe 320 without any restriction to a specific shape.
The heat exchangers 330 and 330a may have different sizes and the tubes 332 and 332a may have different diameters.
The coupling and sizes of the heat exchangers can be modified according to the size, position, and shape of the installation space of the heat exchange system by suitably setting the number of the heat exchangers and the length of the tubes.
The first refrigerant pipe 320 and the tubes 332 may be made of copper, in which case the manufacturing costs can be reduced to one-third compared to a steel material.
The fins 335 may be made of aluminum.
The fixing brackets 340 may be coupled to opposite sides of the turn-fin tube 331.
Here, a plurality of insertion holes 342 may be formed in the fixing brackets 340, and the positions and sizes of the insertion holes 342 correspond to those of the bending portions 339 of the turn-fin tube 331.
Pressing pieces 343 may be formed in each insertion hole 342.
Here, the pressing pieces 343 may be integrally formed with the fixing brackets 340 and a pair of pressing pieces 343 may extend from the lengthwise edges of each insertion hole 342.
The pressing pieces 343 may be bent toward the insertion directions of the bending portions 339, and the distance between opposing pressing pieces 343 may be smaller than the outer diameter of the corresponding fin.
Accordingly, the pressing pieces 343 prevent the fins 335 of the bending portions 339 of the turn-fin tube 331 from being caught by the insertion holes 342 when the bending portions 339 of the turn-fin tube 331 are inserted into the insertion holes 342, thereby preventing deformation, e.g. deflection of and damage to the fins 335 and smoothly and stably inserting and guiding the bending portions 339 of the turn-fin tube 331, whereby workability and work efficiency can be enhanced.
When the bending portions 339 of the turn-fin tube 331 are inserted into the insertion holes 342, the fins 335 of the inserted bending portions 339 of the turn-fin tube 331 pushes out the pressing pieces 343, widening the pressing pieces 343.
Then, restoring forces are applied to the pressing pieces 343 to automatically resiliently press the outer peripheries of the fins 335 so that the turn-fin tube 331 can be restricted and fixed, in which case the fixing brackets 340 are coupled to opposite sides of the turn-fin tube 331 to fix the configuration of the turn-fin tube 331.
Then, the pressing pieces 343 may be bent such that the angles between the pressing pieces 343 and the vertical direction of the fixing brackets range from 10 to 16 degrees, and the angles are most preferably approximately 30 degrees.
Accordingly, the pressing forces of the pressing pieces 343 due to the restoring forces applied to the fins 335 optimally prevent deflection of the fins 335 and provide forces large enough to prevent the fins 335 from being separated from the pressing pieces 343.
The fins 335 located between the pressing pieces 343 are covered by the pressing pieces 343 on opposite sides of the fins 335, thereby protecting an operator from a danger of cutting a finger with sharp edges of the fins 335 during an assembling process.
Meanwhile, flanges 345, 346, 347, and 348 may be formed at edges of each fixing bracket and a plurality of through-holes 349 may be formed in each flange 345, 346, 347, and 348.
Coupling members 355 such as bolts may be inserted into the through-holes 349.
Accordingly, the heat exchangers 330 can be fixed to installation places, and when the heat exchangers 330 and 330a are connected in parallel with each other, the flanges may be coupled to adjacent flanges.
Meanwhile, opposite ends of the coupling bracket 350 may be coupled to the flanges of the fixing brackets 340 coupled to opposite sides of the turn-fin tube 331.
To achieve this, coupling holes 351 corresponding to the through-holes 349 may be formed on opposite sides of the coupling bracket 350, and coupling members such as bolts may be coupled to the coupling holes 351 and the through-holes 349.
Therefore, the coupling bracket 350 can fix the turn-fin tube 331 to the fixing brackets 340.
Two separate fixing brackets 340 may be individually coupled to the turn-fin tubes 331 connected in parallel with each other as illustrated in FIG. 8, or a single fixing bracket 340a may be integrally coupled to the turn-fin tubes 331 connected in parallel with each other as illustrated in FIG. 9.
Meanwhile, the liquid refrigerant of room temperature and high pressure discharged from the heat exchangers 330 and 330a may flow into the second refrigerant pipe 360.
To achieve this, the other sides (where the refrigerant is discharged) of the tubes 332 and 332a may be connected to the second refrigerant pipe 360.
Accordingly, the refrigerant that has passed the tubes 332 and 332a merges at the second refrigerant pipe 360.
Here, the cross-sectional area of the second refrigerant pipe 360 may be equal to or greater than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the tubes 332 and 332a.
Accordingly, even when the refrigerant fed through the tubes 332 and 332a is introduced into the second refrigerant pipe 360, reduction in the flow rate of the refrigerant can be reduced and an increase in the flow resistance of the refrigerant can be prevented, thereby maintaining smooth flow of the refrigerant.
The refrigerant introduced into the second refrigerant pipe 360 returns to the compressor 10 via an expansion section (not shown) connected to the second refrigerant pipe 360 and an evaporator (not shown), forming one cycle.
Here, the expansion section may be an expansion valve or an expansion pipe (for example, a capillary pipe).
FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a heat exchanger of the heat exchange system according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Hereinafter, the manufacturing method for a heat exchanger of the heat exchange system according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 12.
First, step 100 of forming a turn-fin tube by winding fins with a predetermined pitch on a tube of small diameter through which refrigerant flows and bending the turn-fin tube a plurality of times may be performed.
Then, step 200 of extending pressing pieces in insertion holes through which bending portions of the turn-fin tube are inserted and fixing opposite sides of the turn-fin tube by fixing brackets by allowing the bending portions of the turn-fin tube to be restricted and pressed by the pressing pieces may be performed.
Here, the pressing pieces may be integrally formed with the fixing brackets, and a pair of pressing pieces extend from the lengthwise edges of each insertion hole along the insertion direction of the corresponding bending portion and are widened to resiliently press the outside of the corresponding fin by their restoring forces while making contact with the fin.
Accordingly, the turn-fin tube can be easily coupled to the fixing brackets and a separate press for fixing the turn-fin tube to the fixing bracket is not required, thereby saving on cost of equipment, simplifying a manufacturing process, and enhancing productivity.
Then, step S300 of fixing the turn-fin tube to the fixing brackets by coupling the fixing brackets to opposite ends of the coupling bracket may be performed.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a heat exchange system according to the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention with heat exchangers being horizontally disposed parallel to each other. In the heat exchange system according to the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe can be coupled to each other using a first pipe coupling and a second pipe coupling, and since the other structures are the same as in the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
As illustrated in FIG. 13, the first refrigerant pipe 320 and the tubes 332 and 332a connected in parallel with each other may be connected by the first pipe coupling 390.
To achieve this, one end of the first pipe coupling 390 may correspond to the first refrigerant pipe 320 to be coupled to the first refrigerant pipe 320 and other ends thereof are branched so as to correspond to the tubes 332 and 332a to be coupled to the tubes 332 and 332a.
Here, the first pipe coupling 390 may be coupled to the first refrigerant pipe 320 and the tubes 332 and 332a by welding, brazing, screw-coupling, or fitting, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
The first pipe coupling 390 may have various shapes, but when the two tubes 332 and 332a are coupled to the first pipe coupling 390, the first pipe coupling 390 may form a Y-shape so that the refrigerant may smoothly flow while minimizing the flow resistance of the refrigerant, or may form a T-shape.
Meanwhile, the second refrigerant pipe 360 and the tubes 332 and 332a connected in parallel with each other may be connected by the second pipe coupling 395.
To achieve this, ends of the second
Next Patent: MARINE SEDIMENT REMOVAL SYSTEM FOR VESSELS TO PREVENT RED TIDE