Heat exchanger and water heater thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of water heaters, in particular to a heat exchanger and a water heater thereof. The heat exchanger comprises a collecting pipe and a plurality of flat pipes, at least one end of each flat pipe is inserted into the collecting pipe and communicated with the collecting pipe, each flat pipe is provided with a flow channel used for medium circulation, the flat pipes are evenly distributed at intervals, a limiting piece is arranged between every two adjacent flat pipes, and the two ends of each limiting piece abut against every two adjacent flat pipes respectively. The flat pipe is provided with an inner side face used for being attached to the water tank, and the limiting piece is flush with the inner side face. The heat exchanger has the advantages that the flat pipes are communicated with the collecting pipes, the limiting pieces can limit the two adjacent flat pipes through the abutting effect of the limiting pieces, the flat pipes are prevented from deviating in the bending process, it is guaranteed that the positions of the flat pipes relative to the collecting pipes are fixed, stress concentration at the connecting positions of the flat pipes and the collecting pipes is prevented, and medium leakage caused by damage of the flat pipes and / or the collecting pipes is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of water heaters, and in particular to a heat exchanger and a water heater thereof. Background Art

[0002] Water heaters usually use flat tubes to heat the water tank. A flow channel for the medium is opened in the flat tube. The two ends of the flat tube are inserted into the manifold and connected to the manifold. The heat exchange medium flows into the flow channel through the manifold to exchange heat with the water tank, thereby heating the water stored in the water tank.

[0003] For aesthetic reasons, water storage capacity, and processing and installation considerations, the water tank of a water heater is usually circular. Therefore, the flat tubes need to be bent into an arc that matches the outer wall of the water tank, so that they fit the outer circumference of the water tank. This increases the heat exchange area with the water tank and improves the heating efficiency of the water heater. However, during the bending process, the flat tubes are prone to position shifting, causing stress concentration at the connection point between the flat tubes and the manifold, leading to deformation and damage of the flat tubes and / or the manifold, and causing leakage of the heat exchange medium. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on this, the present invention provides a heat exchanger to address the above technical problems.

[0005] A heat exchanger is fixedly connected to the outside of a water tank, comprising: two collecting pipes, the two collecting pipes being arranged at intervals; a plurality of flat tubes, arranged between the two collecting pipes, the two collecting pipes being connected through the plurality of flat tubes, the plurality of flat tubes being arranged at intervals along the length direction of the collecting pipes, the flat tubes having an inner side surface for fitting against the water tank, a limiting member being provided between two adjacent flat tubes, the limiting member being arranged flush with the inner side surface, and the two ends of the limiting member being respectively connected to or abutting against the two adjacent flat tubes.

[0006] With this arrangement, the flat tubes communicate with the header, and the stoppers, through their abutment effect, can limit the position of the two adjacent flat tubes, preventing them from shifting during bending. This ensures that the flat tubes are fixed relative to the header, preventing stress concentration at the connection between the flat tubes and the header, and avoiding damage to the flat tubes and / or the header that could cause leakage of the medium. Furthermore, because the stoppers are flush with the inner side, they can contact the water tank, increasing the contact area between the flat tubes and the tank and thus improving heat exchange efficiency.

[0007] In one embodiment, the limiting member is configured as a convex rib, and the two adjacent flat tubes are a first flat tube and a second flat tube. At least one of the first flat tube and the second flat tube is provided with a convex rib, and the convex rib extends toward and abuts the other of the first flat tube and the second flat tube.

[0008] In one embodiment, the first flat tube is provided with a first rib protruding toward the second flat tube, and the second flat tube is provided with a second rib protruding toward the first flat tube, an end of the first rib close to the second flat tube abuts against an end of the second rib close to the first flat tube, and at least one of the first rib and the second rib is arranged flush with the inner side surface on a side close to the water tank.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first flat tube is provided with a first rib protruding toward the second flat tube, and the second flat tube is provided with a second rib protruding toward the first flat tube. The first rib and the second rib are arranged in parallel, and the first rib abuts against the second flat tube, and the second rib abuts against the first flat tube. At least one of the first rib and the second rib is arranged flush with the inner side surface on a side close to the water tank.

[0010] In one embodiment, along the thickness direction of the flat tube, the thickness of the rib is T1, and T1 satisfies: 0.3 mm ≤ T1 ≤ 1.5 mm; and / or,

[0011] Along the width direction of the flat tube, the width of the rib is W, and W satisfies: 0.2≤W / T1≤2.

[0012] In one embodiment, the ribs are provided on both sides of the flat tube along the width direction of the flat tube;

[0013] Wherein, the ribs on both sides of the flat tube are staggered in the thickness direction of the flat tube; or, the ribs on both sides of the flat tube are connected to the same thickness of the flat tube.

[0014] In one embodiment, a limit member is provided on at least one side of the flat tube, and along the length direction of the flat tube, two ends of the limit member are spaced apart from two ends of the flat tube, and both ends of the limit member abut against the outer tube wall of the collecting pipe.

[0015] In one embodiment, along the length direction of the flat tube, both ends of the limiting member are spaced a first distance X from both ends of the flat tube, the outer diameter of the collecting pipe is set to D, and X and D satisfy: 0.25≤X / D≤0.75.

[0016] In one embodiment, 2 mm ≤ X ≤ 10 mm.

[0017] The present invention also provides a water heater, comprising the heat exchanger as described above and a water tank, wherein the heat exchanger is fixedly connected to the outer peripheral side of the water tank.

[0018] Compared to existing technologies, the heat exchanger provided by the present invention employs stoppers to ensure that the flat tubes are relatively fixed in position when inserted into the manifold, preventing them from shifting during bending. This ensures that the flat tubes are fixed relative to the manifold, preventing stress concentration at the connection between the flat tubes and the manifold, and thus preventing damage to the flat tubes and / or the manifold that could cause leakage of the medium. Furthermore, the stoppers are configured to contact the water tank, increasing the heat exchange area between the flat tubes and the tank and improving the heating efficiency of the water heater. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the heat exchanger provided by the present invention installed on a water tank;

[0020] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the flat tube provided by the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the flat tube provided by the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of one embodiment of the flat tube provided by the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the heat exchanger provided by the present invention being inserted into a header;

[0024] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of one embodiment of the flat tube provided by the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of the heat exchanger provided by the present invention inserted into a header;

[0026] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the flat tube provided by the present invention;

[0027] Figure 9 A partial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the flat tube provided by the present invention;

[0028] Figure 10 A partial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the flat tube provided by the present invention;

[0029] Figure 11 A partial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the flat tube provided by the present invention;

[0030] Figure 12 A partial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the flat tube provided by the present invention.

[0031] The symbols in the figure mean the following:

[0032] 100. Heat exchanger; 10. Flat tube; 11. Flow channel; 12. Protrusion; 13. Outer surface; 14. Inner surface; 15. First rounded corner; 16. Second rounded corner; 20. Rib; 21. First rib; 22. Second rib; 30. Water tank; 40. Collecting pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description sets forth many specific details to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0034] It should be noted that when a mechanism is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another mechanism, it may be directly on the other mechanism or there may be a central mechanism. When a mechanism is considered to be "connected to" another mechanism, it may be directly connected to the other mechanism or there may be a central mechanism at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in the specification of this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.

[0035] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0036] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, when a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, it can mean that the first feature is directly in contact with the second feature, or the first feature and the second feature are indirectly in contact through an intermediary. Furthermore, when a first feature is "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. When a first feature is "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0037] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the specification of this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" used in the specification of this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0038] In order to adapt to the cylindrical water tank 30, the heat exchanger 100 needs to be bent and fit onto the outer circumference of the water tank 30. However, the flat tube 10 is prone to positional displacement during the bending process, resulting in stress concentration at the connection position between the flat tube 10 and the manifold 40, causing deformation and damage to the flat tube 10 and / or the manifold 40, leading to problems such as medium leakage.

[0039] To address this issue, the present invention provides a heat exchanger 100 that is fixedly connected to the outside of the water heater tank 30. Limiting members are provided between adjacent flat tubes 10 to ensure that the position of the flat tubes 10 relative to the manifold 40 is more fixed, thereby avoiding the problem of positional displacement of the flat tubes 10.

[0040] See Figure 1 The heat exchanger 100 includes a header 40 and a plurality of flat tubes 10. There are two headers 40 and they are arranged at intervals. The flat tubes 10 are arranged between the headers 40. The two headers 40 are connected through the plurality of flat tubes 10. The flat tubes 10 have an inner side for fitting with the water tank 30. The flat tubes 10 are configured with flow channels 11 for medium circulation. The plurality of flat tubes 10 are evenly spaced along the length direction of the header 40, and a limit member is provided between adjacent flat tubes 10. The limit member is flush with the inner side 14, and the two ends of the limit member are respectively connected to or abutted against the two adjacent flat tubes 10. In this way, the flat tubes 10 are connected to the manifold 40. The stoppers, through their abutment effect, can limit the position of two adjacent flat tubes 10, preventing the flat tubes 10 from shifting during bending. This ensures that the flat tubes 10 are fixed relative to the manifold 40, prevents stress concentration at the connection between the flat tubes 10 and the manifold 40, and avoids damage to the flat tubes 10 and / or the manifold 40, which could cause leakage of the medium. Furthermore, because the stoppers are flush with the inner side surface 14, they can contact the water tank 30, increasing the contact area between the flat tubes 10 and the water tank 30 and thus improving heat exchange efficiency.

[0041] See Figure 2-Figure 3The retaining member is configured as a rib 20. The two adjacent flat tubes 10 are a first flat tube 10 and a second flat tube 10. At least one of the first flat tube 10 and the second flat tube 10 is provided with a rib 20. The rib 20 extends toward and abuts the other of the first and second flat tubes 10. This provides a simple and stable structure for the rib 20, making it easy and cost-effective to manufacture. The rib 20 connects to one of the first flat tubes 10 and abuts the other, thereby maintaining a relative position between the two adjacent flat tubes 10.

[0042] In other embodiments, the limiting member may also be configured as other structures, such as a limiting block or an elastic pad, and is not limited to the above-mentioned rib 20 embodiment. It only needs to be able to prevent the flat tube 10 from positional displacement during the bending process.

[0043] Furthermore, the first flat tube 10 has a first rib 21 protruding toward the second flat tube 10, and the second flat tube 10 has a second rib 22 protruding toward the first flat tube 10. The end of the first rib 21 closest to the second flat tube 10 abuts the end of the second rib 22 closest to the first flat tube 10. At least one of the first rib 21 and the second rib 22 is flush with the inner side surface 14 on the side closest to the water tank 30. Thus, the adjacent ends of the two ribs 20 abut each other. Therefore, compared to providing ribs 20 on only the first flat tube 10 or the second flat tube 10, the protruding lengths of the first and second ribs 21, 22, respectively, can be shortened, resulting in higher structural strength and easier assembly and abutment of the first and second flat tubes 10, 10.

[0044] Preferably, the first rib 21 and the second rib 22 have the same width in the width direction of the first flat tube 10 and the second flat tube 10, so that the molds of the first rib 21 and the second rib 22 are the same, which facilitates processing and reduces costs. The resistance of the first rib 21 and the second rib 22 is also more balanced.

[0045] It should be explained that the thickness direction of the flat tube 10 refers to the thickness of the flat tube 10 in the direction away from the water tank 30, that is, the radial direction of the water tank 30. The flat tube 10 is connected to the outer peripheral side of the water tank 30 in a surrounding form. Therefore, the width direction of the flat tube 10 refers to the circumferential direction of the water tank 30. Along the axial direction of the water tank 30, multiple flat tubes 10 are evenly spaced. Therefore, the length direction of the flat tube 10 refers to the direction parallel to the axial direction of the water tank 30.

[0046] In another embodiment, the first rib 21 and the second rib 22 are arranged in parallel, with the first rib 21 abutting the second flat tube 10, and the second rib 22 abutting the first flat tube 10. At least one of the first rib 21 and the second rib 22 is flush with the inner side surface 14 on the side closest to the water tank 30. This creates four stress points between the first and second flat tubes 10, 10, through the first and second ribs 21, 22. Compared to an embodiment in which the first and second ribs 21, 22 abut against each other, this arrangement stabilizes the relative position of the first and second flat tubes 10.

[0047] See Figure 4 Along the thickness direction of the flat tube 10, the rib 20 has a thickness T1, where T1 satisfies 0.3mm≤T1≤1.5mm. This prevents the rib 20 from being too thick, which would waste material costs, and the rib 20 from being too thin, which would result in insufficient structural strength and unstable abutment between adjacent flat tubes 10.

[0048] Exemplarily, the value of T1 is 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.9 mm, 1.1 mm, 1.3 mm or 1.5 mm, etc., but is not limited to the above two endpoint values.

[0049] Along the width of the flat tube 10, the rib 20 has a width W, where W satisfies 0.2 ≤ W / T1 ≤ 2. This optimally designed width of the rib 20 prevents it from being too wide, which could compromise structural strength and potentially cause breakage. Furthermore, when the rib 20 faces the water tank 30 and connects to it, it increases the contact area between the flat tube 10 and the water tank 30, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency between the two. Therefore, 0.2 ≤ W / T1 prevents the rib 20 from being too narrow and failing to improve heat exchange efficiency.

[0050] Exemplarily, the value of W / T1 is 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 or 2, as long as it can achieve the above technical effects, and is not limited to the above two endpoint values.

[0051] See Figure 2-Figure 4 Along the width of the flat tube 10, ribs 20 are provided on both sides of the flat tube 10. The ribs 20 on both sides of the flat tube 10 are arranged in a staggered manner, or the ribs 20 on both sides of the flat tube 10 are connected to the same thickness of the flat tube 10. This allows the position and layout of the ribs 20 to be flexibly adjusted and varied, allowing for adaptive adjustments based on the different working environments and requirements of the flat tube 10, making the flat tube 10 more applicable.

[0052] See Figure 5-Figure 7Furthermore, along the length of the flat tubes 10, the ends of the stoppers are spaced apart from the ends of the flat tubes 10. As the ends of the flat tubes 10 are inserted into the manifold 40, the ends of the stoppers abut against the outer tube wall of the manifold 40. In this way, the stoppers can also serve to locate the relative positions of the flat tubes 10 and the manifold 40. When the stoppers abut against the outer tube wall of the manifold 40, the flat tubes 10 cannot extend further into the manifold 40, thereby ensuring that the flat tubes 10 do not extend excessively into the manifold 40. This ensures that the depth of insertion of the flat tubes 10 into the manifold 40 is relatively constant, thereby ensuring normal flow of the medium between the flat tubes 10 and the manifold 40, ensuring product consistency, and facilitating the processing of the heat exchanger 100.

[0053] Furthermore, along the length of the flat tubes 10, both ends of the stopper are separated from both ends of the flat tubes 10 by a first distance X. The outer diameter of the manifold 40 is set to D, and X and D satisfy the following relationship: 0.25 ≤ X / D ≤ 0.75. This effectively regulates the insertion depth of the flat tubes 10 into the manifold 40, preventing the flat tubes 10 from being inserted too shallowly, which could lead to welding blockage or fall out of the manifold 40. It also prevents excessive insertion depth, which could lead to poor flow of the medium, excessive weight, and high cost.

[0054] For example, the ratio of X to D may be 0.25, 0.5 or 0.75, as long as the above technical effects can be achieved, and is not limited to the above example ratios.

[0055] In this embodiment, 2 mm ≤ X ≤ 10 mm, so as to prevent the first distance X from being too small to affect the connection strength of the flat tubes 10 and prevent the flat tubes 10 from being poorly welded with the manifold 40 , and to prevent X from being too long to cause material waste and increase costs.

[0056] For example, X can be 2 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm, 8 mm, or 10 mm, as long as it meets the requirements between the two endpoint values, and is not limited to the above examples.

[0057] The present invention further provides a water heater, comprising the heat exchanger 100 as described above and a water tank 30 , wherein the heat exchanger 100 is connected to the outer peripheral side of the water tank 30 .

[0058] Compared to existing technologies, the heat exchanger 100 provided by the present invention employs stoppers to ensure that the flat tubes 10 are relatively fixed when inserted into the manifold 40, preventing them from shifting during bending. This ensures that the flat tubes 10 are fixed relative to the manifold 40, preventing stress concentration at the connection between the flat tubes 10 and the manifold 40, and thus preventing damage to the flat tubes 10 and / or the manifold 40 and leakage of the medium. Furthermore, the stoppers are configured to contact the water tank 30, increasing the heat exchange area between the flat tubes 10 and the water tank 30 and improving the heating efficiency of the water heater.

[0059] See Figure 8 The flat tube 10 is configured with a flow channel 11 for medium circulation. The flat tube 10 has an inner side surface 14 for connecting to the water heater and an outer side surface 13 facing away from the inner side surface 14. Along the width direction of the flat tube 10, both side edges of the outer side surface 13 of the flat tube 10 have a first chamfered corner 15, and both side edges of the inner side surface 14 of the flat tube 10 have a second chamfered corner 16. The fillet radius of the first chamfered corner 15 is R1, and the fillet radius of the second chamfered corner 16 is R2, satisfying: R1>R2.

[0060] Because both the edges of the inner side 14 and the outer side 13 of the flat tube 10 are chamfered, the chamfers prevent stress concentration and protect the flat tube 10 from deformation and damage during the bending process. Furthermore, because the first and second chamfers 15, 16 have different radii, users can distinguish between the inner side 14 and the outer side 13 of the flat tube 10 during bending. This prevents the user from reversing the bending direction during bending. Furthermore, because the second chamfer 16 is located on the inner side 14, which is intended to contact the water tank, the second chamfer 16 reduces the contact area between the inner side 14 and the water tank. Therefore, the second chamfer 16 is designed to have a smaller radius than the first chamfer 15, minimizing the impact of the second chamfer 16 on the heat exchange area between the flat tube 10 and the water tank.

[0061] It should be explained that the thickness direction of the flat tube 10 refers to the thickness of the flat tube 10 in the direction away from the water tank, that is, the radial direction of the water tank. The flat tube 10 is connected to the outer peripheral side of the water tank in a surrounding form, so the width direction of the flat tube 10 refers to the circumferential direction of the water tank. Along the axial direction of the water tank, multiple flat tubes 10 are evenly spaced, so the length direction of the flat tube 10 refers to the direction parallel to the axial direction of the water tank.

[0062] Furthermore, 0≤R2≤0.5mm. In this way, the second rounded corners 16 are prevented from being too large to affect the heat exchange area between the flat tubes 10 and the water tank, and the second rounded corners 16 are prevented from being too small to play a role in stress distribution.

[0063] For example, the value of R2 may be 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, etc., but is not limited to the two endpoint values ​​mentioned above.

[0064] Moreover, 1.1*R2≤R1≤8*R2. This prevents the first rounded corner 15 from being too small to play a role in stress distribution, and also prevents the first rounded corner 15 from being too large to affect the opening of the flow channel 11 in the flat tube 10.

[0065] The width of the flow channel 11 gradually decreases along the width direction of the flat tube 10 from the inner side 14 to the outer side 13. Specifically, the flat tube 10 is wider near the inner side 14. Because the inner side 14 is in contact with the water tank, the wider width here allows for greater heat transfer, a larger contact area between the heat transfer medium and the inner side 14, and higher heat transfer efficiency. On the side near the outer side 13, since the heat transfer medium does not exchange heat with the inner side 14, the flow channel 11 is smaller, which improves the structural strength of the flat tube 10 and reduces its impact on the structural strength.

[0066] See Figure 12 The inner wall of the flow channel 11 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 12, which are located on the inner wall of the flow channel 11 near the inner side surface 14. The protrusions 12 can also increase the contact area between the flow channel 11 and the heat exchange medium, further improving the heat exchange efficiency, and can also have a disturbing effect on the heat exchange medium, causing turbulence in the heat exchange medium and more uniform temperature mixing and transfer.

[0067] Furthermore, a protrusion 12 is also provided on the inner wall of the flow channel 11 close to the outer side surface 13, thereby further increasing the heat exchange area and heat exchange efficiency and optimizing temperature uniformity.

[0068] The height of the protrusions 12 near the inner side 14 is greater than the height of the protrusions 12 near the outer side 13 , thereby optimizing the heat exchange efficiency of the inner side 14 and specifically improving the heat exchange capacity of the inner side 14 of the flat tube 10 .

[0069] In this embodiment, three protrusions 12 are provided on the inner wall surfaces on both sides of the flow channel 11 in the thickness direction to balance processing cost, heat exchange efficiency, and structural strength. In other embodiments, one, two, or four protrusions 12 may be provided on the inner wall surface on each side of the flow channel 11, and are not limited to the above embodiment.

[0070] See Figure 8-Figure 9 The cross-section of the flow channel 11 can be configured in a variety of shapes. Taking a semicircular flow channel 11 as an example, the thickness of the flat tube 10 is T0, the shortest distance between the flow channel 11 and the outer side surface 13 is T2, and the shortest distance between the flow channel 11 and the inner side surface 14 is T3, satisfying the following: 0.2 ≤ (T2 + T3) / T0 ≤ 0.5. This effectively sets the ratio of the thickness of the flow channel 11's walls to the thickness of the flat tube 10, preventing an excessively large ratio (thick inner walls, which would affect the heat transfer capacity of the flat tube 10) and preventing excessively thin walls, which would affect the service life of the flat tube 10.

[0071] Preferably, 1.1*T3≤T2≤2*T3. The smaller T3 is, the higher the heat exchange efficiency between the flat tube 10 and the water tank is. Taking into account the structural strength and service life, the ratio of T2 to T3 is reasonably specified to make the performance of the flat tube 10 more balanced.

[0072] See Figure 10 The cross section of the flow channel 11 can also be set to a trapezoidal shape. When the cross section of the flow channel 11 is defined as a trapezoidal shape, the shortest distance between the flow channel 11 and the outer side surface 13 is T4, and the shortest distance between the flow channel 11 and the inner side surface 14 is T5. In this case, the following conditions are satisfied: 0.2 ≤ (T4 + T5) / T0 ≤ 0.5; and / or 1.1 * T5 ≤ T4 ≤ 2 * T5. The technical effect is the same as that of a semicircular cross section, and will not be repeated here.

[0073] Furthermore, when the cross-section of the flow channel 11 is trapezoidal, both sides of the width direction of the trapezoidal flow channel 11 are hypotenuses, and the angle α between the extension lines of the mutually adjacent hypotenuses of two adjacent flow channels 11 satisfies the following: 10°≤α≤60°. This prevents α from being set too large, which would limit the flow area of ​​the flow channel 11 and make it too small, resulting in insufficient heat exchange capacity. It also prevents α from being too small, which would result in an excessively small hypotenuse angle, and an excessively small increase in the contact area between the medium and the inner wall of the flow channel 11, making the trapezoidal shape ineffective.

[0074] See Figure 11 In another embodiment, the inner wall of the flow channel 11 near the outer side 13 is arc-shaped. In this case, the shortest distance between the flow channel 11 and the outer side 13 is defined as T6, and the shortest distance between the flow channel 11 and the inner side 14 is defined as T7, satisfying the following conditions: 0.2 ≤ (T6 + T7) / T0 ≤ 0.5; and / or 1.1 * T7 ≤ T6 ≤ 2 * T7. This technical effect is the same as that of a semicircular cross-section and is not further described here.

[0075] Furthermore, the fillet radius of the arc-shaped portion of the inner wall of flow channel 11 is R3, satisfying the following relationship: 0.15 ≤ R3 / T0 ≤ 0.6. A smaller ratio results in a smaller flow area for flow channel 11 and higher pressure resistance, but lower heat exchange efficiency. A larger ratio results in a larger flow area for flow channel 11 but lower pressure resistance. This ratio setting provides a reasonable balance between heat exchange efficiency and pressure resistance.

[0076] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0077] The above-described embodiments merely illustrate several implementations of the present invention, and while their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art would be able to make numerous variations and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the patent for this invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger fixedly connected to the outside of a water tank (30), characterized in that: include: Two collecting pipes (40), the two collecting pipes (40) are arranged at intervals; A plurality of flat tubes (10) are arranged between two of the manifolds (40), the two manifolds (40) are connected through the plurality of flat tubes (10), the plurality of flat tubes (10) are spaced apart along the length direction of the manifold (40), the flat tubes (10) have inner side surfaces (14) for fitting against the water tank (30), a limiting member is provided between two adjacent flat tubes (10), the limiting member is provided flush with the inner side surfaces (14), and both ends of the limiting member are respectively connected to or abutted against the two adjacent flat tubes (10).

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that The limiting member is configured as a convex rib (20); the two adjacent flat tubes (10) are a first flat tube (10) and a second flat tube (10); at least one of the first flat tube (10) and the second flat tube (10) is provided with a convex rib (20); the convex rib (20) extends toward and abuts against the other of the first flat tube (10) and the second flat tube (10).

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, characterized in that The first flat tube (10) is provided with a first convex rib (21) protruding in the direction of the second flat tube (10), and the second flat tube (10) is provided with a second convex rib (22) protruding in the direction of the first flat tube (10), an end of the first convex rib (21) close to the second flat tube (10) abuts against an end of the second convex rib (22) close to the first flat tube (10), and at least one of the first convex rib (21) and the second convex rib (22) is provided flush with the inner side surface (14) on a side close to the water tank (30).

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, characterized in that The first flat tube (10) is provided with a first convex rib (21) protruding in the direction of the second flat tube (10), and the second flat tube (10) is provided with a second convex rib (22) protruding in the direction of the first flat tube (10), the first convex rib (21) and the second convex rib (22) are arranged in parallel, and the first convex rib (21) abuts against the second flat tube (10), and the second convex rib (22) abuts against the first flat tube (10), and at least one of the first convex rib (21) and the second convex rib (22) is arranged flush with the inner side surface (14) on a side close to the water tank (30).

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, characterized in that Along the thickness direction of the flat tube (10), the thickness of the rib (20) is T1, and T1 satisfies: 0.3 mm ≤ T1 ≤ 1.5 mm; and / or, Along the width direction of the flat tube (10), the width of the rib (20) is W, and W satisfies: 0.2≤W / T1≤2.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, characterized in that Along the width direction of the flat tube (10), the convex ribs (20) are protruded on both sides of the flat tube (10); Wherein, the ribs (20) on both sides of the flat tube (10) are staggered in the thickness direction of the flat tube (10); or, The ribs (20) on both sides of the flat tube (10) are connected to the same thickness of the flat tube (10).

7. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: A limiting member is provided on at least one side of the flat tube (10), and along the length direction of the flat tube (10), two ends of the limiting member are spaced apart from two ends of the flat tube (10), and both ends of the limiting member abut against the outer tube wall of the collecting tube (40).

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 7, characterized in that Along the length direction of the flat tube (10), both ends of the limiting member are spaced apart from both ends of the flat tube (10) by a first distance X, the outer diameter of the collecting pipe (40) is set to D, and X and D satisfy the following: 0.25≤X / D≤0.

75.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 8, characterized in that 2mm≤X≤10mm.

10. A water heater, characterized in that: It comprises a heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and a water tank (30), wherein the heat exchanger is fixedly connected to the outer peripheral side of the water tank (30).

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