Heat exchange device

Abstract

To provide a heat exchange device that facilitates pipe connection work, and comprises a planar heat exchanger that is not particularly bulky.SOLUTION: In a heat exchange device, a planar heat exchanger 120A is immersed in a water storage layer serving as a heat source or buried underground, the planar heat exchanger comprising a first header pipe 121 on a heat medium inflow side and a second header pipe 122 on a heat medium outflow side, which are arranged substantially parallel to each other, with a plurality of flexible heat exchange tubes 123 connected in parallel between them, where a heat medium supply pipe 141 and a heat medium return pipe 142 are both connected to an upper end 121U of the first header pipe 121 and an upper end 122U of the second header pipe 122.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat exchanger, and more particularly to a heat exchanger in which a heat exchanger is immersed in a water reservoir serving as a heat source or buried underground. [Background technology]

[0002] Groundwater (well water), agricultural water, spring water, hot spring water, industrial wastewater, and other flowing water contain unused thermal energy (renewable energy). As part of efforts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, this type of energy is being extracted and used for heating, cooling, and other purposes.

[0003] One method for effectively utilizing the thermal energy of flowing water is the open-loop geothermal heat exchanger. An example of this is shown in Figure 4. This heat exchanger 100 basically comprises a water tank 110, a heat exchanger 120 immersed in the water tank 110, and a heat-source water supply means 130 for supplying heat-source water into the water tank 110.

[0004] The water tank 110 may be a reservoir excavated into the ground or a water tank installed on the ground surface. Alternatively, a portion of a river may be used. In this example, the water tank 110 is used as a water tank, and heat source water such as groundwater (well water), river water, industrial wastewater, agricultural water, spring water, etc. is supplied from a heat source water supply hose 131 serving as heat source water supply means 130. Excess heat source water is discharged outside the tank through an overflow pipe 132.

[0005] The heat exchanger 120 is incorporated in a heat medium circulation pipe 140 that contains a heat medium such as antifreeze liquid. In many cases, the heat medium in the heat medium circulation pipe 140 exchanges heat with a refrigerant on the indoor unit side in the conditioned room via a heat exchanger (heat pump) 150 on the user side.

[0006] Referring to FIG. 5, the heat exchanger 120 employs a planar heat exchanger in which a plurality of heat exchange tubes 123 are connected in parallel between a first header pipe (end pipe) 121 on the heat medium inflow side and a second header pipe (end pipe) 122 on the heat medium outflow side.

[0007] For example, a polyethylene pipe material having an outer diameter of 50 mm is used for the first header pipe 121 and the second header pipe 122. The heat exchange tube 123 is a flexible synthetic resin tube, for example, a polyethylene tube, and is connected to the first header pipe 121 and the second header pipe 122.

[0008] As an example, the heat exchange tubes 123 are φ6 mm x 3.8 m long tubes, and 117 of them are arranged parallel to each other at equal intervals between the header pipes 121 and 122 by beam members 124, giving the appearance of a single sheet, and therefore the planar heat exchanger is sometimes called a heat exchange sheet or sheet-like heat exchanger. Planar heat exchangers can also be rolled up (see Patent Document 1).

[0009] The heat medium circulation pipeline 140 includes a heat medium supply pipe 141 having a circulation pump 143, and a heat medium return pipe 142. The heat medium supply pipe 141 is connected to the first header pipe 121 side, and the heat medium return pipe 142 is connected to the second header pipe 122 side.

[0010] Then, by operating the circulation pump 143, the heat medium is supplied to the first header pipe 121, passes through each heat exchange tube 123, flows toward the second header pipe 122, exchanges heat with the water in the water tank 110, is returned from the second header pipe 122, and circulates within the heat medium circulation pipeline 140.

[0011] Normally, the heat exchanger (surface-shaped heat exchanger) 120 is immersed in the water tank 110 in a vertical position with the header pipes 121, 122 standing upright, but when flowing the heat medium, it is flowed from bottom to top, i.e., the upper end 121U of the first header pipe 121 and the lower end 122L of the second header pipe 122 are closed, and the heat medium is supplied from the lower end 121L side of the first header pipe 121 and flows out from the upper end 122U side of the second header pipe 122.

[0012] To achieve this, the heat medium supply pipe 141 is connected to the lower end 121L of the first header pipe 121. However, since a straight heat medium supply pipe 141 cannot be connected as is, a U-shaped joint 144, for example, is used to connect the heat medium supply pipe 141 to the lower end 121L of the first header pipe 121.

[0013] However, this requires the preparation of a separate joint part called a U-joint 144, and the piping connection work becomes complicated. Another method is to bend the end of the heat medium supply pipe 141 into, for example, a J-shape, but this processing requires additional costs.

[0014] Furthermore, because the U-joints 144 protrude from the lower edge of the planar heat exchanger 120, increasing its bulk, an unnecessary gap is created between the bottom of the water reservoir and the lower edge of the planar heat exchanger. Furthermore, if a trench is dug in the ground to bury the planar heat exchanger, the trench must be dug deep enough to accommodate the bulk of the U-joints 144. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0015] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-109036 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0016] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a heat exchanger device including a planar heat exchanger that allows easy piping connection work and is not particularly bulky. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a heat exchanger device in which a planar heat exchanger is immersed in a water reservoir serving as a heat source or buried underground, the planar heat exchanger comprising a first header pipe on the heat medium inlet side and a second header pipe on the heat medium outlet side, the first header pipe and the second header pipe being arranged substantially parallel to each other, and a plurality of flexible heat exchange tubes connected in parallel between the first header pipe and the second header pipe. One end of the first header pipe serves as a heat medium inlet to which a heat medium supply pipe is connected and the other end of the first header pipe is a closed end, one end of the second header pipe on the same side as the one end of the first header pipe serves as a heat medium outlet to which a heat medium return pipe is connected, and the other end of the second header pipe on the same side as the other end of the first header pipe is a closed end.

[0018] In the present invention, the planar heat exchanger is preferably immersed in the water reservoir or buried underground, with the heat medium inlet of the first header pipe and the heat medium outlet of the second header pipe at the top and the closed ends of the first header pipe and the second header pipe at the bottom.

[0019] The present invention includes a first aspect in which N (N is an integer of 2 or more) of the above-mentioned planar heat exchangers are provided, in which the N planar heat exchangers are connected in series such that the heat medium supply pipe is connected to the heat medium inlet of the first header pipe of a first planar heat exchanger, and the heat medium outlet of the second header pipe of the first planar heat exchanger is connected to the heat medium inlet of the first header pipe of a next planar heat exchanger via a connecting pipe, and the heat medium return pipe is connected to the heat medium outlet of the second header pipe of the Nth planar heat exchanger.

[0020] Furthermore, the present invention includes a second aspect in which N (N is an integer of 2 or more) of the above-mentioned planar heat exchangers are provided, in which the heat medium inlets of the first header pipes of each of the planar heat exchangers are connected in parallel to the heat medium supply pipe, and the heat medium outlets of the second header pipes of each of the planar heat exchangers are connected in parallel to the heat medium return pipe. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a heat exchange device including a planar heat exchanger that allows easy piping connection work and is not particularly bulky. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a planar heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment (series connection system) using a plurality of planar heat exchangers of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a second embodiment (parallel connection system) using a plurality of planar heat exchangers of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an open-loop geothermal heat exchanger. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a conventional planar heat exchanger. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Next, several embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0024] The heat exchange device of the present invention includes a planar heat exchanger 120A of the aspect shown in Fig. 1. The basic configuration of the planar heat exchanger 120A according to this embodiment is the same as that of the planar heat exchanger 120 previously described in Fig. 5, and therefore the reference numerals thereto are used.

[0025] This planar heat exchanger 120A may also be applied to the open-loop geothermal heat exchanger described above in Fig. 4. That is, this planar heat exchanger 120A is incorporated into a heat medium circulation pipe 140 filled with a heat medium such as antifreeze. In the heat exchanger according to this embodiment, too, the heat medium in the heat medium circulation pipe 140 exchanges heat with a refrigerant on the indoor unit side in the conditioned room via a user-side heat exchanger 150.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 1, the heat exchanger according to this embodiment, like the heat exchanger 120 described above, employs a planar heat exchanger 120A in which a plurality of heat exchange tubes 123 are connected in parallel between a first header pipe (end pipe) 121 on the heat medium inflow side and a second header pipe (end pipe) 122 on the heat medium outflow side.

[0027] For example, a polyethylene pipe material having an outer diameter of 50 mm may be used for the first header pipe 121 and the second header pipe 122. The heat exchange tube 123 is a flexible synthetic resin tube, for example, a polyethylene tube, and is connected to the first header pipe 121 and the second header pipe 122.

[0028] As an example, the heat exchange tubes 123 are tubes with a diameter of 6 mm and a length of 3.8 m, and 117 of them are arranged parallel to each other at equal intervals between the header pipes 121 and 122 by beam members 124, giving the appearance of a single sheet, so the surface heat exchanger is sometimes called a heat exchange sheet or sheet-like heat exchanger.

[0029] 4, the heat medium circulation pipeline 140 includes a heat medium supply pipe 141 having a circulation pump 143, and a heat medium return pipe 142. The heat medium supply pipe 141 is connected to the first header pipe 121 side, and the heat medium return pipe 142 is connected to the second header pipe 122 side.

[0030] Then, by operating the circulation pump 143, the heat medium is supplied to the first header pipe 121, passes through each heat exchange tube 123, flows toward the second header pipe 122, exchanges heat with the water in the water tank 110, is returned from the second header pipe 122, and circulates within the heat medium circulation pipeline 140.

[0031] The planar heat exchanger 120A is immersed in the water tank 110 in a vertical position with the header pipes 121, 122 standing upright. However, in the present invention, in order to facilitate the piping connection work and to avoid any bulkiness, both the heat medium supply pipe 141 and the heat medium return pipe 142 are directly connected to the header pipes 121, 122.

[0032] Therefore, with respect to the first header pipe 121, one end, i.e., the upper end 121U, is used as a heat medium inlet to which the heat medium supply pipe 141 is connected, and the other end, i.e., the lower end 121L, is closed with a plug or the like (not shown) to form a closed end.

[0033] Furthermore, with regard to the second header pipe 122, an upper end 122U, which is one end on the same side as the upper end 121U, which is one end of the first header pipe 121, is a heat medium outlet to which the heat medium return pipe 142 is connected, and a lower end 122L, which is the other end on the same side as the lower end 121L, which is the other end of the first header pipe 121, is closed with a plug or the like (not shown) to form a closed end.

[0034] This allows the heat medium supply pipe 141 and the heat medium return pipe 142 to be directly connected to the heat medium inlet at the upper end 121U of the first header pipe 121 and the heat medium inlet at the upper end 122U of the second header pipe 122, making the piping connection work easy. Furthermore, since no joints are required for piping connection, the number of parts is reduced and the system does not become bulky. The present invention also includes an embodiment in which a trench is dug in the ground and the planar heat exchanger is buried therein.

[0035] By operating the circulation pump 143, the heat medium enters from the upper end 121U of the first header pipe 121, passes through each heat exchange tube 123, flows toward the second header pipe 122, exchanges heat with the water in the water tank 110, is returned from the upper end 122U of the second header pipe 122, and circulates within the heat medium circulation pipeline 140. Compared to the conventional example in which the heat medium flows from bottom to top as described in Figure 3, the amount of heat exchange is almost the same, and there is not much difference.

[0036] Next, we will explain an embodiment in which multiple planar heat exchangers 120A are connected (linked) to accommodate various water channels, for example. Figure 2 shows a series connection system, and Figure 3 shows a parallel connection system, and in both cases, three planar heat exchangers 120A, 120A1, 120A2, and 120A3, are used as an example.

[0037] First, in the series connection method of Figure 2, a heat medium supply pipe 141 is connected to the heat medium inlet at the upper end 121U of the first header pipe 121 of the first planar heat exchanger 120A1, and a heat medium outlet at the upper end 122U of the second header pipe 122 of the first planar heat exchanger 120A1 is connected to the heat medium inlet at the upper end 121U of the first header pipe 121 of the second planar heat exchanger 120A2 via a connecting pipe 145.

[0038] In addition, the heat medium outlet at the upper end 122U of the second header pipe 122 of the second planar heat exchanger 120A2 is connected to the heat medium inlet at the upper end 121U of the first header pipe 121 of the third planar heat exchanger 120A3 via a connecting pipe 145, and a heat medium return pipe 142 is connected to the heat medium outlet at the upper end 122U of the second header pipe 122 of the third planar heat exchanger 120A3.

[0039] According to this series connection method, the heat medium is supplied from the heat medium supply pipe 141 to the first planar heat exchanger 120A1, flows sequentially from the first planar heat exchanger 120A1 to the second planar heat exchanger 120A2 to the third planar heat exchanger 120A3, exchanges heat with the heat source water, and then passes through the heat medium return pipe 142 and returns to the indoor heat exchanger (heat pump) 150.

[0040] Next, in the parallel connection method of Figure 3, the heat medium inlets at the upper ends 121U of the first header pipes 121 of each of the planar heat exchangers 120A1, 120A2, and 120A3 are connected in parallel to the heat medium supply pipe 141, and the heat medium outlets at the upper ends 122U of the second header pipes 122 of each of the planar heat exchangers 120A1, 120A2, and 120A3 are connected in parallel to the heat medium return pipe 142.

[0041] According to this parallel connection method, the heat medium is supplied individually to each of the planar heat exchangers 120A1, 120A2, and 120A3 from the heat medium supply pipe 141, and after heat exchange with the heat source water, is collected in the heat medium return pipe 142 and returned to the indoor heat exchanger (heat pump) 150.

[0042] According to the present invention, a series connection method or a parallel connection method can be selected depending on the shape of the water channel through which the heat source water flows and the reservoir in which the heat source water is stored, etc. Note that the heat exchange characteristics, such as the heat exchange amount, of the planar heat exchanger 120A used in these methods may be different.

[0043] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the description of the above embodiments. Modifications or improvements made to the above embodiments by those skilled in the art are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 100 Heat exchange equipment 110 Reservoir 120,120A(120A1~120A3) Planar heat exchanger 121 First header pipe 121U Upper end of first header pipe (heat medium inlet) 121L Lower end of first header pipe (closed end) 122 Second header pipe 122U Upper end of second header pipe (heat medium outlet) 122L Lower end of second header pipe (closed end) 130 Heat source water supply means 140 Heat medium circulation pipe 141 Heat medium supply pipe 142 Heat medium return pipe 143 Circulation Pump 145 Connecting pipe 150 Indoor heat exchanger (heat pump) 160 Indoor unit

Claims

1. A heat exchange device in which a planar heat exchanger is used by immersing it in a water reservoir serving as a heat source or by burying it underground, the planar heat exchanger comprising a first header pipe on the heat medium inflow side and a second header pipe on the heat medium outflow side, the first header pipe and the second header pipe being arranged substantially parallel to each other and having a plurality of flexible heat exchange tubes connected in parallel between the first header pipe and the second header pipe, a heat exchanger device, characterized in that one end of the first header pipe of the planar heat exchanger serves as a heat medium inlet to which a heat medium supply pipe is connected, and the other end of the first header pipe is a closed end, one end of the second header pipe on the same side as the one end of the first header pipe serves as a heat medium outlet to which a heat medium return pipe is connected, and the other end of the second header pipe on the same side as the other end of the first header pipe is a closed end.

2. 2. The heat exchange device according to claim 1, wherein the planar heat exchanger is immersed in the water reservoir or buried underground with the heat medium inlet of the first header pipe and the heat medium outlet of the second header pipe facing up and the closed ends of the first header pipe and the second header pipe facing down.

3. 3. The heat exchange device according to claim 1, further comprising: N planar heat exchangers (N being an integer of 2 or greater); the N planar heat exchangers are connected in series such that the heat medium supply pipe is connected to the heat medium inlet of the first header pipe of a first planar heat exchanger, and the heat medium outlet of the second header pipe of the first planar heat exchanger is connected to the heat medium inlet of the first header pipe of a next planar heat exchanger via a connecting pipe; and the heat medium return pipe is connected to the heat medium outlet of the second header pipe of the Nth planar heat exchanger.

4. 3. The heat exchange device according to claim 1, further comprising N (N is an integer of 2 or more) planar heat exchangers, wherein the heat medium inlets of the first header pipes of each planar heat exchanger are connected in parallel to the heat medium supply pipe, and the heat medium outlets of the second header pipes of each planar heat exchanger are connected in parallel to the heat medium return pipe.

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