Heat exchanger and water heater having the same

Abstract

The application provides a heat exchanger and a water heater with the heat exchanger, which comprises a heat exchange assembly, a water inlet pipe, a water outlet pipe and a plurality of connecting pipes. The heat exchange assembly comprises a heat exchange fin set and a heat exchange pipe set, the heat exchange fin set comprises a plurality of heat exchange fins, the heat exchange pipe set comprises a plurality of heat exchange pipes, and the heat exchange pipes are arranged in the heat exchange fins. One of the heat exchange pipes is connected with the water inlet pipe, another heat exchange pipe is connected with the water outlet pipe, and the plurality of connecting pipes are independently connected between different two heat exchange pipes. At least one of the connecting pipes comprises a first contact part, at least another connecting pipe comprises a second contact part, and the first contact part and the second contact part are in thermal contact. The application adopts the technical scheme to reduce the water stop temperature rise of the water heater.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of water heater technology, and more specifically, to a heat exchanger and a water heater having the heat exchanger. Background Technology

[0002] Existing water heaters typically operate on a water-controlled combustion principle. When a user briefly turns off the water heater, the heat in the combustion chamber and heat exchanger cannot dissipate in time, causing the water temperature in the heat exchanger to rise sharply. When the user turns the water heater back on shortly afterward, the flowing water temperature will be significantly higher than the set temperature, resulting in a poor user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides a heat exchanger and a water heater having the heat exchanger to reduce the temperature rise of the water heater during water outages.

[0004] The first technical solution adopted in this application is: providing a heat exchanger, including: a heat exchange component, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, and a plurality of connecting pipes. The heat exchange component includes a heat exchange fin group and a heat exchange tube group. The heat exchange fin group includes a plurality of heat exchange fins, and the heat exchange tube group includes a plurality of heat exchange tubes, with the heat exchange tubes passing through the heat exchange fins. The inlet pipe is connected to one of the heat exchange tubes; the outlet pipe is connected to another heat exchange tube; the plurality of connecting pipes are independently connected between different two heat exchange tubes, at least one of the connecting pipes includes a first contact portion, and at least one of the connecting pipes includes a second contact portion, with the first contact portion and the second contact portion being thermally connected.

[0005] In some embodiments, the connecting pipe having a first contact portion and the connecting pipe having a second contact portion are bent relative to the heat exchange pipe.

[0006] In some embodiments, the length of at least one of the connecting pipes is greater than or equal to 30% of the length of at least one heat exchange pipe connected thereto.

[0007] In some embodiments, the length of at least one of the connecting pipes is greater than or equal to 50% of the length of at least one heat exchange pipe connected thereto.

[0008] In some embodiments, the heat exchange assembly has a first end and a second end disposed opposite to each other, with an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe located at the first end, and a connecting pipe having a first contact portion and a connecting pipe having a second contact portion located at the second end.

[0009] In some embodiments, the number of heat exchange tubes is 2N and the number of connecting tubes is (2N-1); where N≥2.

[0010] In some embodiments, a plurality of heat exchange fins are arranged sequentially along a first direction, and the heat exchange tube group includes a first heat exchange tube, a second heat exchange tube, a third heat exchange tube, and a fourth heat exchange tube arranged sequentially along a second direction, with the first direction and the second direction being perpendicular; the number of connecting tubes is 3.

[0011] In some embodiments, the connecting pipe includes a first connecting pipe, a second connecting pipe, and a third connecting pipe.

[0012] The inlet pipe, the second heat exchange pipe, the first connecting pipe, the third heat exchange pipe, the second connecting pipe, the fourth heat exchange pipe, the third connecting pipe, the first heat exchange pipe and the outlet pipe are connected in series, or the inlet pipe, the fourth heat exchange pipe, the first connecting pipe, the third heat exchange pipe, the second connecting pipe, the second heat exchange pipe, the third connecting pipe, the first heat exchange pipe and the outlet pipe are connected in series.

[0013] The first contact portion is located in the first connecting pipe, and the second contact portion is located in the third connecting pipe.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first contact portion and the second contact portion are connected by solder or thermally conductive adhesive.

[0015] In some embodiments, the heat exchange plate includes a first perforation and a second perforation, the heat exchange tube is inserted through the first perforation, and the diameter of the second perforation is smaller than the diameter of the first perforation.

[0016] In some embodiments, the inlet pipe includes a first through hole in its wall, the outlet pipe includes a second through hole in its wall, and the heat exchanger further includes a bypass pipe, with the first through hole and the second through hole connected to its two ends respectively.

[0017] The second technical solution adopted in this application is to provide a water heater, including the heat exchanger as described above.

[0018] Unlike existing technologies, the heat exchanger and water heater with the heat exchanger provided in this application have the following advantages: By setting multiple connecting pipes, and making the connecting pipe with a first contact portion and the connecting pipe with a second contact portion thermally connected through the first and second contact portions, when the heat exchanger is turned off, the residual heat causes the water temperature in the heat exchanger to rise. Due to the temperature difference between the water in the two connecting pipes, heat can be transferred from the connecting pipe with the higher water temperature to the connecting pipe with the lower water temperature, which helps to balance the water temperature in different connecting pipes, reduce the average water temperature in the heat exchanger, thereby reducing the temperature of the hot water flowing out of the outlet pipe, and thus reducing the water heater's temperature rise during water outages. Furthermore, the connecting pipes can exchange heat with the surrounding environment through their outer surfaces, and heat will dissipate from the connecting pipes to the surrounding environment, thereby reducing the water temperature in the connecting pipes, lowering the temperature of the water entering the heat exchange tube from the connecting pipes, and thus reducing the temperature of the hot water flowing out of the outlet pipe, further reducing the water heater's temperature rise during water outages.

[0019] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above contents and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, specific embodiments of this application are given below. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a heat exchanger according to some embodiments of this application;

[0022] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A disassembly diagram of the provided heat exchanger;

[0023] Figure 3 These are schematic diagrams of the heat exchangers according to other embodiments of this application;

[0024] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A disassembly diagram of the provided heat exchanger;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heat exchange fins in the heat exchanger of some embodiments of this application;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second end plate in a heat exchanger according to some embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 7 yes Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of region A in the middle.

[0028] Marker explanation:

[0029] Heat exchange assembly 10, first heat exchange tube 111, second heat exchange tube 112, third heat exchange tube 113, fourth heat exchange tube 114, heat exchange plate 12, first perforation 121, second perforation 122, water inlet pipe 20, water outlet pipe 30, first connecting pipe 40, second connecting pipe 50, third connecting pipe 60, first bend 601, first extension 602, connecting part 603, second extension 604, second bend 605, bypass pipe 70, second end plate 80, fourth perforation 801, first end plate 90. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0031] The terms "first," "second," and "third" in this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. All directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movements between components in a specific orientation (as shown in the figures). If the specific orientation changes, the directional indications also change accordingly. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0032] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0033] Please refer to them together. Figures 1-4 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a heat exchanger according to some embodiments of this application. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The provided diagram shows the disassembly of the heat exchanger. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a heat exchanger according to other embodiments of this application. Figure 4 yes Figure 3The provided disassembly diagram of the heat exchanger shows that this application provides a heat exchanger including: a heat exchange assembly 10, an inlet pipe 20, an outlet pipe 30, and a plurality of connecting pipes. The heat exchange assembly 10 includes a heat exchange plate group and a heat exchange tube group (not shown). The heat exchange plate group includes a plurality of heat exchange plates 12, and the heat exchange tube group includes a plurality of heat exchange tubes (not shown), with the heat exchange tubes passing through the heat exchange plates 12. The inlet pipe 20 connects to one of the heat exchange tubes, and the outlet pipe 30 connects to another heat exchange tube. The plurality of connecting pipes are independently connected between two different heat exchange tubes. At least one of the connecting pipes includes a first contact portion (not shown), and at least one of the connecting pipes includes a second contact portion (not shown). The first contact portion and the second contact portion are thermally connected.

[0034] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, multiple connecting pipes are provided, and connecting pipes with a first contact portion and connecting pipes with a second contact portion are thermally connected through the first and second contact portions. When the heat exchanger is turned off, residual heat causes the water temperature in the heat exchanger to rise. Due to the temperature difference between the water in the two connecting pipes, heat can be transferred from the connecting pipe with the higher water temperature to the connecting pipe with the lower water temperature, which helps to balance the water temperature in different connecting pipes, reduce the average water temperature in the heat exchanger, thereby reducing the temperature of the hot water flowing out of the outlet pipe 30, and thus reducing the water outage temperature rise of the water heater. Furthermore, the connecting pipes can exchange heat with the surrounding environment through their outer surfaces, and heat will dissipate from the connecting pipes to the surrounding environment, thereby reducing the water temperature in the connecting pipes. This lowers the temperature of the water entering the heat exchanger from the connecting pipes, further reducing the temperature of the hot water flowing out of the outlet pipe 30, and reducing the water outage temperature rise of the heat exchanger.

[0035] In some embodiments, the connecting pipe having a first contact portion and the connecting pipe having a second contact portion are bent relative to the heat exchange pipe.

[0036] In the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the connecting pipe with the first contact portion and the connecting pipe with the second contact portion are bent relative to the heat exchange tube, which increases the water storage capacity of the heat exchanger while reducing the impact on the overall size of the heat exchanger and improving the applicability of the heat exchanger in space-constrained environments.

[0037] In some embodiments, the extending direction of the connecting pipe having the first contact portion and the connecting pipe having the second contact portion is the direction in which the connecting pipe is away from the heat exchange assembly 10, and the extending direction of the connecting pipe is at an angle to the extending direction of the heat exchange pipe.

[0038] In the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 yes Figure 2The enlarged view of area A shows that the connecting pipe 40 with the first contact portion and the connecting pipe 60 with the second contact portion extend away from the heat exchange component 10, which increases the water storage capacity of the heat exchanger. When the heat exchanger is shut down, the increased water storage capacity, under the same residual heat, can lower the average temperature of the water in the heat exchanger, which is beneficial for lowering the temperature of the hot water flowing out of the outlet pipe 30, thereby reducing the temperature rise of the heat exchanger during water outage. Since the connecting pipe is located outside the heat exchange component 10 and does not directly contact the high-temperature flue gas, the temperature of the water in the connecting pipe is lower than the temperature of the water in the two heat exchange pipes it is connected to. Furthermore, the connecting pipe can dissipate heat through heat exchange with the surrounding environment. By extending the connecting pipe away from the heat exchange component 10, the heat dissipation area of ​​the connecting pipe can be increased, further reducing the temperature of the water in the connecting pipe, thereby lowering the temperature of the water entering the heat exchange pipe from the connecting pipe. This is beneficial for lowering the temperature of the hot water flowing out of the outlet pipe 30, and thus reducing the temperature rise of the heat exchanger during water outage.

[0039] In the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, please continue to refer to... Figure 7 The extension direction of the connecting pipe forms an angle c with the extension direction of the heat exchanger tube. Optionally, the angle c can be 60° to 120°. The 60° to 120° angle between the extension direction of the connecting pipe and the extension direction of the heat exchanger increases the water storage capacity of the heat exchanger while reducing its impact on the overall size of the heat exchanger, thus improving its applicability in space-constrained environments. The angle between the extension direction of the connecting pipe and the extension direction of the heat exchanger tube can be 60°, 65°, 70°, 75°, 80°, 85°, 90°, 95°, 100°, 105°, 110°, 115°, 120°, etc., or it can be a range of any two of the above values, such as 60° to 90°, 85° to 110°, 105° to 120°, etc.

[0040] In the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the extension direction of the connecting pipe forms a 90° angle with the extension direction of the heat exchanger tube, which can save the overall size of the heat exchanger and help reduce the overall cost.

[0041] In some embodiments, the length of at least one of the connecting pipes is greater than or equal to 30% of the length of at least one heat exchange pipe connected thereto.

[0042] In the technical solutions of this application embodiment, the length of the connecting pipe refers to the total length of a single connecting pipe. Please refer to... Figure 7For ease of understanding, the following example uses a connecting pipe 60 and heat exchange pipes 111 and 114 connected thereto: The connecting pipe 60 includes at least a first bend 601, a first extension 602, a connecting portion 603, a second extension 604, and a second bend 605 connected in sequence. The first bend 601 connects to heat exchange pipe 111, and the second bend 605 connects to heat exchange pipe 114. The first bend 601 and the second bend 605 are used to bend the connecting pipe 60 relative to heat exchange pipes 111 and 114. The extension direction of the connecting pipe 60 is the same as the extension direction of the first extension 602 or the second extension 604. The length of the connecting pipe 60 includes the total length of the first bend 601, the first extension 602, the connecting portion 603, the second extension 604, and the second bend 605 connected in sequence.

[0043] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, by setting the length of at least one connecting pipe to be greater than or equal to 30% of the length of at least one heat exchange pipe connected to it, the connecting pipe is made longer. When the heat exchanger is turned off, the longer connecting pipe can provide a larger heat dissipation area, allowing more opportunities for heat to exchange with the surrounding environment during the heat transfer process, thereby improving heat dissipation efficiency and helping to reduce the temperature of the water in the connecting pipe. By reducing the temperature of the water in the connecting pipe, the temperature of the water entering the heat exchange pipe from the connecting pipe can be reduced, thereby reducing the water temperature in the outlet pipe 30, and thus reducing the temperature rise of the heat exchanger when the water is turned off.

[0044] In some embodiments, the length of at least one of the connecting pipes is greater than or equal to 50% of the length of at least one heat exchange pipe connected thereto.

[0045] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, by setting the length of at least one connecting pipe to be greater than or equal to 50% of the length of at least one heat exchange pipe connected to it, the connecting pipe is made longer. When the heat exchanger is turned off, the longer connecting pipe can provide a larger heat dissipation area, allowing more opportunities for heat to exchange with the surrounding environment during the heat transfer process, thereby improving heat dissipation efficiency and helping to reduce the temperature of the water in the connecting pipe. By reducing the temperature of the water in the connecting pipe, the temperature of the water entering the heat exchange pipe from the connecting pipe can be reduced, thereby reducing the water temperature in the outlet pipe 30, and thus reducing the temperature rise of the heat exchanger when the water is turned off.

[0046] In some embodiments, the heat exchange assembly 10 has a first end and a second end disposed opposite to each other, with the inlet pipe 20 and the outlet pipe 30 located at the first end, and the connecting pipe having a first contact portion and the connecting pipe having a second contact portion located at the second end.

[0047] In some embodiments, the number of heat exchange tubes is 2N and the number of connecting tubes is (2N-1); where N≥2.

[0048] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, the number of heat exchange tubes is even, and the number of connecting tubes is odd. N can be 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 20, 50, 100, etc., or it can be a range of any two of the above values, such as 2 to 9, 8 to 20, 15 to 100, etc.

[0049] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, a plurality of heat exchange fins 12 are arranged sequentially along a first direction, and the heat exchange tube group includes a first heat exchange tube 111, a second heat exchange tube 112, a third heat exchange tube 113, and a fourth heat exchange tube 114 arranged sequentially along a second direction, with the first and second directions perpendicular to each other; the number of connecting tubes is three, including a first connecting tube 40, a second connecting tube 50, and a third connecting tube 60. In other embodiments, the number of heat exchange tubes can be 6, 8, 10, 12, etc., and the number of connecting tubes can be set to 5, 7, 9, 11, etc. respectively.

[0050] In some embodiments, the heat exchange fins 12 can be interconnected in various ways, including interference fit, welding, mechanical connection (such as expansion joint, threaded connection, flange connection), sealing connection (such as gasket connection, O-ring connection), and other connection methods (such as adhesive bonding, riveting). These connection methods can be selected according to different application requirements, and the embodiments of this application do not impose specific limitations.

[0051] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a heat exchanger according to some embodiments of this application. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The provided disassembly diagram of the heat exchanger shows that the inlet pipe 20, the second heat exchange pipe 112, the first connecting pipe 40, the third heat exchange pipe 113, the second connecting pipe 50, the fourth heat exchange pipe 114, the third connecting pipe 60, the first heat exchange pipe 111, and the outlet pipe 30 are connected in series. For other embodiments, please refer to... Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a heat exchanger according to other embodiments of this application. Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The provided disassembly diagram of the heat exchanger shows that the inlet pipe 20, the fourth heat exchange pipe 114, the first connecting pipe 40, the third heat exchange pipe 113, the second connecting pipe 50, the second heat exchange pipe 112, the third connecting pipe 60, the first heat exchange pipe 111, and the outlet pipe 30 are connected in series.

[0052] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, by sequentially connecting the inlet pipe 20, multiple heat exchange pipes, multiple connecting pipes, and the outlet pipe 30 to form a continuous fluid channel, it is beneficial for the smooth flow of water inside the heat exchanger. This allows the cold water in the inlet pipe 20 to be heated and exchanged by the heat exchange components 10 of the heat exchanger, and finally flow out as hot water at the set temperature from the outlet pipe 30. When the heat exchanger is turned off, since the connecting pipes 40, 50, and 60 are located outside the heat exchange components 10 and do not directly contact the high-temperature flue gas, the water in the connecting pipes 40, 50, and 60 will not experience a rapid temperature rise due to residual heat, unlike the heat exchange pipes. Furthermore, the connecting pipes 40, 50, and 60 can exchange heat with the surrounding environment through their outer surfaces, and heat will dissipate from the connecting pipes 40, 50, and 60 to the surrounding environment, thereby reducing the temperature of the water in the connecting pipes 40, 50, and 60. By lowering the temperature of the water in the connecting pipe, the temperature of the water entering the heat exchange tube from the connecting pipe can be lowered, thereby lowering the water temperature in the outlet pipe 30, and thus reducing the temperature rise of the heat exchanger during water outage.

[0053] In some embodiments, the connection points of the inlet pipe 20, multiple heat exchange pipes, multiple connecting pipes, and outlet pipe 30 can be sealed with solder or sealant. This not only improves the connection strength of the heat exchanger but also enhances its sealing performance, reduces water leakage through the connection points, and helps improve the overall stability and reliability of the heat exchanger.

[0054] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 The first contact portion is located in the first connecting pipe 40, and the second contact portion is located in the third connecting pipe 60.

[0055] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, the water in the third connecting pipe 60 has a higher temperature because it flows through three heat exchange tubes for heat exchange, while the water inside the first connecting pipe 40 has a relatively lower temperature because it only passes through one heat exchange tube. The first connecting pipe 40 and the third connecting pipe 60 are thermally connected through the first contact part and the second contact part, which can reduce the temperature of the water in the third connecting pipe 60, thereby reducing the temperature of the water entering the heat exchange tube 111 from the connecting pipe 60, and further reducing the water temperature of the outlet pipe 30, thus reducing the temperature rise of the heat exchanger when the water is turned off.

[0056] In some embodiments, the first contact portion and the second contact portion are connected by solder or thermally conductive adhesive.

[0057] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, the first contact portion and the second contact portion are connected by solder or thermally conductive adhesive, so that there is good physical contact between the first connecting pipe 40 and the third connecting pipe 60. Soldering can provide a high-strength connection, reducing the possibility of loosening or separation of the first connecting pipe 40 and the third connecting pipe 60 during use. Thermally conductive adhesive has good thermal conductivity, which can improve the heat exchange efficiency between the first connecting pipe 40 and the third connecting pipe 60.

[0058] In some embodiments, the heat exchange plate 12 includes a first through hole 121 and a second through hole 122, the heat exchange tube is disposed through the first through hole 121, and the diameter of the second through hole 122 is smaller than the diameter of the first through hole 121.

[0059] In the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a heat exchanger plate in a heat exchanger according to some embodiments of this application. The heat exchanger plate 12 includes a first perforation 121, through which a heat exchange tube passes and contacts the heat exchanger plate 12. The heat exchanger plate 12 transfers heat to the heat exchange tube, thereby exchanging heat with the water in the heat exchange tube. The heat exchanger plate 12 also includes a second perforation 122, which can guide the high-temperature flue gas to form turbulence, increase the contact area between the flue gas and the heat exchange tube, and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger.

[0060] In some embodiments, the heat exchange plate 12 can be made of a metal with high thermal conductivity, such as copper or stainless steel. Using a metal with high thermal conductivity allows more heat to be transferred to the heat exchange tube, increasing the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger. The first perforation 121 can be a flanged hole with a diameter of 6mm to 14mm, and the second perforation 122 can be a flanged hole with a diameter of 2mm to 5mm. By designing the first perforation 121 and the second perforation 122 as flanged holes, the flanges can guide the high-temperature flue gas to the vicinity of the heat exchange tube, preventing heat from accumulating in certain areas of the heat exchange plate 12, thereby distributing heat more evenly and improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger.

[0061] In some embodiments, the wall of the inlet pipe 20 includes a first through hole (not shown), the wall of the outlet pipe 30 includes a second through hole (not shown), and the heat exchanger further includes a bypass pipe 70, with the two ends of the bypass pipe 70 connected to the first through hole and the second through hole, respectively.

[0062] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, by setting a bypass pipe 70, the inlet pipe 20 and the outlet pipe 30 can be connected. When the water heater is temporarily turned off, the water in the heat exchanger may be too hot due to residual heat. The cold water in the inlet pipe 20 can enter the outlet pipe 30 through the bypass pipe 70 and mix with the hot water in the outlet pipe 30, thereby reducing the temperature of the hot water flowing out of the outlet pipe 30 and further reducing the temperature rise of the heat exchanger when the water is turned off.

[0063] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 The heat exchanger also includes a first end plate 90 and a second end plate 80 located at both ends of the heat exchange assembly 10.

[0064] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, the first end plate 90 and the second end plate 80 can be used to fix the heat exchange assembly 10, improve the stability of the heat exchange tube and heat exchange plate 12 during use, reduce structural loosening caused by vibration or water flow impact, and improve the overall stability of the heat exchanger structure.

[0065] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 6 The first end plate 90 has a third through hole (not shown in the figure), and the second end plate 80 has a fourth through hole 801. The first end of the heat exchange tube (not shown in the figure) passes through the fourth through hole 801, and the second end of the heat exchange tube (not shown in the figure) passes through the third through hole.

[0066] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, the first end of the heat exchange tube is connected to the first connecting pipe 40 and the third connecting pipe 60 through a fourth perforation 801, and the second end of the heat exchange tube is connected to the second connecting pipe 50 through a third perforation. This ensures that the connecting pipes are located outside the heat exchange assembly 10 and do not directly contact the high-temperature flue gas. The water in the connecting pipes 40, 50, and 60 will not experience a rapid temperature rise due to residual heat, unlike the heat exchange tubes. Furthermore, the connecting pipes 40, 50, and 60 can exchange heat with the surrounding environment through their outer surfaces, dissipating heat from the connecting pipes 40, 50, and 60 to the surrounding environment, thereby reducing the temperature of the water in the connecting pipes 40, 50, and 60. By reducing the temperature of the water in the connecting pipes, the temperature of the water entering the heat exchange tube from the connecting pipes can be reduced, thereby reducing the water temperature in the outlet pipe 30 and thus reducing the temperature rise during water outage in the heat exchanger.

[0067] This application also provides a water heater, including the heat exchanger described above.

[0068] In some embodiments, the water heater includes a heat exchanger and a combustion chamber (not shown). The heat exchanger includes a heat exchange assembly 10, an inlet pipe 20, an outlet pipe 30, and several connecting pipes. The heat exchange assembly 10 is located inside the combustion chamber (not shown), while the inlet pipe 20, the outlet pipe 30, and the several connecting pipes are located outside the combustion chamber (not shown). The heat exchange assembly 10 includes a heat exchange fin group and a heat exchange tube group. The heat exchange fin group includes several heat exchange fins 12, and the heat exchange tube group includes several heat exchange tubes, which pass through the heat exchange fins 12. The inlet pipe 20 connects to one of the heat exchange tubes, and the outlet pipe 30 connects to another heat exchange tube. The several connecting pipes are independently connected between two different heat exchange tubes. At least one of the connecting pipes includes a first contact portion, and at least one of the connecting pipes includes a second contact portion. The first contact portion and the second contact portion are thermally connected.

[0069] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, the heat exchange component 10 is located in the combustion chamber, directly contacting the high-temperature flue gas in the combustion chamber, absorbing heat and transferring it to the cold water in the heat exchange tube. The connecting pipe is located outside the combustion chamber and does not directly contact the high-temperature flue gas. When the water heater is turned off, the water in the connecting pipe will not experience a rapid temperature rise due to the residual heat in the combustion chamber, unlike the heat exchange tube. Furthermore, the connecting pipe can exchange heat with the surrounding environment through its outer surface, and heat will dissipate from the connecting pipe to the surrounding environment, thereby reducing the temperature of the water in the connecting pipe. By reducing the temperature of the water in the connecting pipe, the temperature of the water entering the heat exchange tube from the connecting pipe can be reduced, thereby reducing the water temperature in the outlet pipe 30, and thus reducing the water heater's temperature rise during water outages. Furthermore, by setting multiple connecting pipes, and making the connecting pipe with the first contact portion and the connecting pipe with the second contact portion thermally connected through the first contact portion and the second contact portion, since there is a temperature difference between the water in the two connecting pipes, heat can be transferred from the connecting pipe with the higher water temperature to the connecting pipe with the lower water temperature. This helps to balance the water temperature in different connecting pipes, reduce the average water temperature in the heat exchanger, and thus reduce the temperature of the hot water flowing out of the outlet pipe 30, thereby reducing the water outage temperature rise of the water heater. Moreover, the connecting pipes can exchange heat with the surrounding environment through their outer surface, and heat will dissipate from the connecting pipes to the surrounding environment, thereby reducing the water temperature in the connecting pipes. This lowers the temperature of the water entering the heat exchanger from the connecting pipes, further reducing the temperature of the hot water flowing out of the outlet pipe 30, and reducing the water outage temperature rise of the water heater.

[0070] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger, characterized in that, include A heat exchange assembly, comprising a heat exchange plate group and a heat exchange tube group, wherein the heat exchange plate group comprises a plurality of heat exchange plates and the heat exchange tube group comprises a plurality of heat exchange tubes, wherein the heat exchange tubes pass through the heat exchange plates. A water inlet pipe is connected to one of the heat exchange tubes; The outlet pipe is connected to another of the heat exchange pipes described herein; A plurality of connecting pipes are independently connected between two different heat exchange pipes, at least one of the connecting pipes includes a first contact portion, and at least one of the connecting pipes includes a second contact portion, wherein the first contact portion and the second contact portion are thermally connected.

2. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting pipe having the first contact portion and the connecting pipe having the second contact portion are bent relative to the heat exchange pipe.

3. The heat exchanger as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The length of at least one of the connecting pipes is greater than or equal to 30% of the length of at least one of the heat exchange pipes connected thereto.

4. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The length of at least one of the connecting pipes is greater than or equal to 50% of the length of at least one of the heat exchange pipes connected thereto.

5. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The heat exchange assembly has a first end and a second end that are arranged opposite to each other. The inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are located at the first end, and the connecting pipe having the first contact portion and the connecting pipe having the second contact portion are located at the second end.

6. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The number of heat exchange tubes is 2N, and the number of connecting tubes is (2N-1). Where N≥2.

7. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The plurality of heat exchange plates are arranged sequentially along a first direction, and the heat exchange tube group includes a first heat exchange tube, a second heat exchange tube, a third heat exchange tube, and a fourth heat exchange tube arranged sequentially along a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular. The number of connecting pipes is 3.

8. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, The connecting pipe includes a first connecting pipe, a second connecting pipe, and a third connecting pipe; The inlet pipe, the second heat exchange pipe, the first connecting pipe, the third heat exchange pipe, the second connecting pipe, the fourth heat exchange pipe, the third connecting pipe, the first heat exchange pipe, and the outlet pipe are connected in series, or the inlet pipe, the fourth heat exchange pipe, the first connecting pipe, the third heat exchange pipe, the second connecting pipe, the second heat exchange pipe, the third connecting pipe, the first heat exchange pipe, and the outlet pipe are connected in series. The first contact portion is located in the first connecting pipe, and the second contact portion is located in the third connecting pipe.

9. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The first contact portion and the second contact portion are connected by solder or thermally conductive adhesive.

10. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The heat exchange plate includes a first perforation and a second perforation, the heat exchange tube is inserted through the first perforation, and the diameter of the second perforation is smaller than the diameter of the first perforation.

11. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The inlet pipe has a first through hole in its wall, the outlet pipe has a second through hole in its wall, and the heat exchanger also includes a bypass pipe, the two ends of which are connected to the first through hole and the second through hole, respectively.

12. A water heater, characterized in that, Includes the heat exchanger as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

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