Heat exchanger having micro-channels

Abstract

Disclosed is a heat exchanger configured by laminating layers having micro-channels by adapting a micromachining, wherein the micro-channels having uniform length and cross section are constructed within a heat exchanger body in a curved outer shape, thereby minimizing deviation for each channel and improving heat transfer efficiency.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of and right of priority to Korean Application No. 10-2009-0051898, filed on Jun. 11, 2009, the contents of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to a heat exchanger having micro-channels formed by micromachining.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Heat exchangers employed for special use are used in high temperature and high pressure environments, unlike typical heat exchangers, or required to be compact and durable in order to meet constraint conditions, such as weight, space and the like.[0004]Gas-to-gas heat exchange needs a greater heat transfer area for the same heat exchange due to a low overall heat transfer coefficient, which causes difficulty in adapting the same to cases having constraint conditions of weight and space.[0005]A printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE), as a type of micro-channel heat exchanger, is made by...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]Therefore, in order to obviate such problems of the related art, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger capable of implementing high performance by designing micro-channels having the same flow length when an outer appearance thereof has a curvature.

[0015]According to the heat exchanger relating to the present invention, micro-channels can be formed in a heat exchanger body having a curved outer shape, thereby remarkably improving heat exchange efficiency as compared to a heat exchanger according to the related art.

[0016]According to one example of the present invention, wavy micro-channels may be employed in the heat exchanger body having the curved outer shape such that a total length and a cross section of each micro-channel are the same, thereby minimizing deviation for each channel.

[0017]Also, the heat exchanger having the curved outer shape and excellent heat transfer performance can be easily installed even at a place where it is difficult to install a linear type heat exchanger of the related art, thereby improving the installation.

Problems solved by technology

Gas-to-gas heat exchange needs a greater heat transfer area for the same heat exchange due to a low overall heat transfer coefficient, which causes difficulty in adapting the same to cases having constraint conditions of weight and space.

However, by a design of the form of a micro-channel heat exchanger, the large amount of heat transfer can be generated with maintaining a small amount of pressure drop.

However, in case of a rectangular heat exchanger designed by the related art, since the shape and outline of flow channels are simple, it is relatively easy to design the shape of the flow channels, but usually difficult to meet a spatial condition within a device for mounting the heat exchanger therein.

In particular, if an overall outline has a curvature, the design of flow channels having the same flow length becomes more difficult.

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