Cooling heat exchanger

Abstract

To provide a cooling heat exchanger with a novel structure that is expected to further improve cooling performance.SOLUTION: A cooling heat exchanger 10 includes a cooling flow path 18 formed between two plates 14, 16 having a cooling surface 12, at least one of which is placed on an object to be cooled, through which a cooling heat transfer medium flows. The cooling flow path 18 includes a wall portion provided with a protrusion 24, which extends in a direction intersecting the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path 18, and the protrusion 24 has a pair of inclined portions 26, 26 which extend to both sides in the flow path width direction toward the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path 18, and the pair of inclined portions 26, 26 includes a low protrusion 28 with a low height and a high protrusion 30 with a high height.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling heat exchanger used to cool an object to be cooled, such as a battery used in an electric vehicle, for example. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, cooling heat exchangers used for cooling batteries, inverters, etc. have been known. As disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-165939 (Patent Document 1), the cooling heat exchanger has a structure in which a refrigerant passage through which a cooling medium flows is formed in an internal region between a pair of opposing outer shell plates that are overlapped with each other. The surfaces of the outer shell plates are cooled by heat exchange with the cooling medium flowing through the refrigerant passage, thereby cooling an object to be cooled that is overlapped on the surfaces. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-165939 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, cooling heat exchangers such as those in Patent Document 1 have a problem in that the cooling medium flowing near the object to be cooled in the refrigerant passage is easily warmed by heat exchange with the object to be cooled, while the cooling medium flowing away from the object to be cooled is less likely to exchange heat with the object to be cooled and is less likely to contribute to cooling performance. To address this problem, Patent Document 1 forms protrusions (reduced portions) that protrude into the refrigerant passage, so that the cooling medium is agitated by climbing over the protrusions.

[0005] However, the inventors of the present invention have found that even if protrusions such as those in Patent Document 1 are provided, the cooling performance may still be insufficient in some cases.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a cooling heat exchanger having a novel structure that is expected to further improve cooling performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The following describes preferred embodiments for understanding the present invention, but the embodiments described below are merely examples and may be appropriately combined with one another. Multiple components described in each embodiment may be recognized and employed independently to the greatest extent possible, and may also be appropriately combined with any of the components described in other embodiments. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and various other embodiments may be realized.

[0008] The first aspect is a cooling heat exchanger in which a cooling flow path through which a cooling heat medium flows is formed between two plates having a cooling surface, at least one of which is placed over an object to be cooled, and a protrusion is provided on the wall of the cooling flow path, the protrusion extending in a direction perpendicular to the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path, and the protrusion is provided with a pair of inclined portions extending on both sides in the flow path width direction toward the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path, and the pair of inclined portions is provided with a low protrusion with a low height and a high protrusion with a high height.

[0009] In the cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this aspect, since the protrusions are shaped with a pair of inclined portions, the flow of the heat medium that passes over the inclined portions in a direction substantially perpendicular to the flow path length direction is directed in a direction inclined in the flow path width direction with respect to the flow path length direction. In this way, by generating the flow of the heat medium not only in the flow path length direction but also in the flow path width direction, it is possible to more effectively obtain the stirring action due to the turbulent flow of the heat medium, and it is possible to suppress the temperature rise of the heat medium near the cooling surface further downstream.

[0010] Furthermore, since the low protrusions and the high protrusions, which have different heights, are provided at different positions in the flow path width direction on the protrusions, the agitation action of the heat medium by the protrusions and the flow rate of the heat medium can be made to differ in the flow path width direction. This makes it possible to adjust the cooling performance in the flow path width direction, and to achieve a higher level of cooling performance according to, for example, the temperature distribution of the object to be cooled.

[0011] In a second aspect, in the cooling heat exchanger according to the first aspect, the projections are V-shaped when viewed in the projecting direction.

[0012] In a cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this embodiment, the V-shaped protrusions make it easier for the heat medium that passes over the protrusions to form turbulent flows such as vortices, thereby efficiently improving cooling performance by stirring the heat medium, etc.

[0013] In a third aspect, in the cooling heat exchanger described in the first or second aspect, the protrusion height of the protrusions gradually increases from the low protrusion portion to the high protrusion portion.

[0014] According to a cooling heat exchanger constructed in accordance with this embodiment, the flow pattern of the heat medium is prevented from changing suddenly in the width direction of the flow path, realizing a smooth flow of the heat medium, while the stirring action by the protrusions and the flow rate, etc. are gradually changed in the width direction of the flow path, making it possible to effectively adjust the cooling performance in the width direction of the flow path.

[0015] In a fourth aspect, in the cooling heat exchanger described in any one of the first to third aspects, the protrusions are arranged in a row in the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path, and the multiple protrusions arranged in the flow path length direction include multiple types in which the positions of the low protrusions in the flow path width direction are different from each other and the positions of the high protrusions in the flow path width direction are different from each other.

[0016] According to a cooling heat exchanger constructed in accordance with this embodiment, for example, when the required cooling performance in the flow path width direction changes in the flow path length direction, the required cooling performance can be achieved to a higher degree by appropriately arranging multiple types of protrusions in which the positions of the low protrusions and high protrusions are different from each other.

[0017] In a fifth aspect, in a cooling heat exchanger described in any one of the first to fourth aspects, either the low protrusion or the high protrusion is located in the central portion of the protrusion in the flow path width direction, and either the low protrusion or the high protrusion is located at each end portion of the protrusion in the flow path width direction.

[0018] In a cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this aspect, the flow of heat medium that flows over the central portion of the protrusions in the flow path width direction can be made different in stirring effect, flow velocity, etc., from the flow of heat medium that flows over the both end portions of the protrusions in the flow path width direction. Therefore, the influence of the protrusions on the cooling performance can be made different between the central portion and both end portions in the flow path width direction, and the cooling performance can be adjusted in the flow path width direction.

[0019] In a sixth aspect, in the cooling heat exchanger described in the fifth aspect, the protrusions are arranged in a row in the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path, and the protrusions are configured by alternatingly arranging first protrusions in the flow path length direction, the first protrusions having the low protrusion portion set in the central portion in the flow path width direction and the high protrusions set at both end portions, and second protrusions having the high protrusion portion set in the central portion in the flow path width direction and the low protrusions set at both end portions.

[0020] In a cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this embodiment, first protrusions having a low protrusion set in the center of the flow path width direction and second protrusions having low protrusions set at both ends of the flow path width direction are alternately arranged in the flow path length direction, so that, for example, the flow of the heat medium connecting the low protrusions, which tend to have low flow resistance, meanders in the flow path width direction, and the heat medium can be stirred in the flow path width direction. Furthermore, for example, by having the heat medium pass through the low protrusion of one protrusion and flow toward the high protrusion of the next protrusion, the heat medium that passes smoothly through the low protrusion with relatively low flow resistance can be expected to collide with the high protrusion and be efficiently stirred.

[0021] A seventh aspect is a cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the cooling surface is set on one of the plates, and the protrusion is formed on the other of the plates.

[0022] In a cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this aspect, by providing protrusions on one plate opposite to the plate having the cooling surface, the protrusions can effectively agitate the heat medium flowing on the side farther from the cooling surface where heat exchange with the object to be cooled is less likely to occur. Also, since the cooling surface is set on a plate different from the part where the protrusions are formed, it is possible to prevent the protrusions from affecting the shape of the cooling surface, for example.

[0023] In an eighth aspect, in a cooling heat exchanger described in any one of the first to seventh aspects, a support portion is provided that protrudes from the other plate and is fixed to the one plate, and the protrusion is arranged adjacent to the downstream side of the support portion.

[0024] In a cooling heat exchanger constructed in accordance with this embodiment, the flow of heat medium that is divided in the flow path width direction by the support pillar portion is guided to the protrusions located on the downstream side of the support pillar portion, thereby efficiently obtaining stirring effects, etc., from the protrusions.

[0025] A ninth aspect is a cooling heat exchanger described in any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the two plates each have the cooling surface, an inner fin is arranged between the two plates, and the cooling flow paths are formed on both sides of the inner fin, and the inner fin is provided with a surface protrusion that protrudes into one of the cooling flow paths and a back protrusion that protrudes into the other cooling flow path.

[0026] With a cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this aspect, for example, the cooling target can be cooled by each of the cooling surfaces on both sides. Furthermore, since the protrusions are formed on the inner fins arranged between the plates, rather than on the plates with the cooling surfaces, it is possible to prevent the protrusions from affecting the shape of the cooling surfaces. Since the inner fins are provided with front and back protrusions that protrude to one side, the protrusions effectively provide a stirring effect, etc., for both of the two cooling channels separated by the inner fin.

[0027] In a tenth aspect, in the cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, the cooling flow path has a parallel flow path portion consisting of a plurality of flow path portions extending in parallel, and a plurality of the protrusions are arranged in a line in the flow path length direction with respect to the flow path portions constituting the parallel flow path portion.

[0028] In a cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this embodiment, for example, the flow path width of the cooling flow path in the parallel flow path section can be secured to increase the area of ​​the cooling surface, while the flow path width of each flow path section can be adjusted to adjust the flow of the heat medium. Furthermore, by providing multiple protrusions aligned along the length of the flow path section, the cooling performance can be improved over a wide range along the length of the flow path section, based on the stirring effect of the protrusions. Note that, in this embodiment, protrusions do not necessarily have to be provided on all flow path sections; it is sufficient that multiple protrusions aligned along the length of the flow path are provided in at least one flow path section.

[0029] An eleventh aspect is the cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the cooling flow path has a length of 200 mm or more.

[0030] In a cooling flow path longer than 200 mm, such as in a cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this embodiment, the heat medium on the downstream side is likely to reach a higher temperature due to heat exchange with the object to be cooled over a long period of time. Therefore, by providing protrusions with low and high protrusions on the pair of inclined portions to efficiently agitate the heat medium, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise of the heat medium on the downstream side even when the cooling flow path is long, and to maintain cooling performance further downstream.

[0031] A twelfth aspect is a cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein the protrusions extend across the entire width of the cooling flow path and are continuous with the side wall portions of the cooling flow path at both ends.

[0032] In a cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this aspect, the flow of heat medium between the side wall of the cooling flow path and the protrusions can be prevented from bypassing the protrusions, thereby efficiently improving cooling performance. Furthermore, if the protrusions are spaced apart from the side wall of the cooling flow path, the flow rate of the heat medium between the side wall of the cooling flow path and both ends of the protrusions tends to increase, which may cause wear on the wall of the cooling flow path and the protrusions. However, in the cooling heat exchanger according to this aspect, the protrusions extend across the entire width of the flow path and are continuous with the side wall of the cooling flow path, so that the heat medium is prevented from flowing between the side wall of the cooling flow path and the protrusions, preventing wear on the wall of the cooling flow path and the protrusions.

[0033] In a thirteenth aspect, in the cooling heat exchanger described in any one of the first to twelfth aspects, the protrusions have a cross-sectional shape that tapers toward the protrusion tip in a cross section of the cooling flow path in the flow path length direction, and an arc-shaped protrusion apex, an upstream inclined portion extending at an angle from the protrusion apex toward the upstream side of the cooling flow path toward the protrusion base, which is the bottom side of the cooling flow path, and a downstream inclined portion extending at an angle from the protrusion apex toward the downstream side toward the protrusion base are provided smoothly and continuously without corners.

[0034] In a cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this aspect, the surfaces of the protrusions are smoothly continuous in the cross section in the longitudinal direction of the flow passage, so that the heat medium flows smoothly over the protrusions.

[0035] In a fourteenth aspect, in the cooling heat exchanger described in the thirteenth aspect, in a cross section of the cooling flow path in the flow path length direction, the radius of curvature of the protrusion top is within a range of 0.05 to 1.5 times the length dimension of the protrusion base, and in a cross section of the cooling flow path in the flow path length direction, the inclination angle of the upstream inclined portion with respect to the bottom surface of the cooling flow path is within a range of 20 to 70°.

[0036] In a cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this aspect, the radius of curvature of the projection apex is 0.05 times or more the length of the projection base, so that the projection apex has a smooth arc-shaped cross section without being substantially angular. Furthermore, the radius of curvature of the projection apex is 1.5 times or less the length of the projection base, so that the length of the projection in the flow path direction is prevented from becoming excessively long, and the inclination angle of the upstream inclined portion and the downstream inclined portion, which are smoothly continuous with the projection apex, with respect to the bottom surface can be set sufficiently large.

[0037] By setting the inclination angle of the upstream inclined portion relative to the bottom surface of the cooling channel to 20° or more, the flow of the heat transfer medium from the upstream side toward the protrusions is effectively disturbed by the upstream inclined portion, improving cooling performance through a stirring effect. Also, by setting the inclination angle of the upstream inclined portion relative to the bottom surface of the cooling channel to 70° or less, the flow of the heat transfer medium can be prevented from being excessively restricted by the protrusions.

[0038] A fifteenth aspect is a cooling heat exchanger according to the thirteenth aspect, wherein the inclination angle of the upstream inclined portion relative to the bottom surface of the cooling flow path in a cross section of the cooling flow path in the flow path length direction is 25° or less.

[0039] In the cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this embodiment, the inclination angle of the upstream inclined portion relative to the bottom surface of the cooling flow path is set to 25° or less, so that the pressure loss can be set sufficiently small, and it becomes possible to circulate the heat transfer medium using, for example, a less expensive pump with lower performance.

[0040] A sixteenth aspect is a cooling heat exchanger in which a cooling flow path is formed inside through which a heat transfer medium for cooling flows, and which cools a cooling object placed over the cooling surface, wherein a protrusion is provided on the wall of the cooling flow path, and the protrusion extends in a direction intersecting the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path, and the protrusion is provided with a pair of inclined portions that extend on both sides in the flow path width direction toward the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path, and the pair of inclined portions are provided with a low protrusion with a low height and a high protrusion with a high height.

[0041] The cooling heat exchanger constructed according to this aspect can achieve the same effects as the cooling heat exchanger described in aspect 1. Furthermore, even when the wall of the cooling flow path is not constructed of two plates but is constructed of a single member such as a tube, the cooling performance can be improved by providing the protrusions having the above-described structure with low and high protrusions in the internal cooling flow path. [Effects of the Invention]

[0042] According to the present invention, the cooling performance of the cooling heat exchanger can be further improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0043] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a cooling heat exchanger according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1, which corresponds to the cross section II-II of FIG. 3. [Figure 3] III-III cross section of Figure 2 [Figure 4] 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the VV cross section of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a cooling heat exchanger according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling heat exchanger shown in FIG. 6, which corresponds to the cross section VII-VII of FIG. 8. [Figure 8] Cross section VIII-VIII of Figure 7 [Figure 9] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling heat exchanger shown in FIG. 6, which corresponds to the cross section IX-IX of FIG. [Figure 10] Enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to cross section XX in Figure 9 [Figure 11] Enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross section XI-XI of Figure 9 [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a cooling heat exchanger according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a cooling heat exchanger according to a third embodiment of the present invention, which corresponds to the XIII-XIII cross section of FIG. [Figure 14] Enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to the XIV-XIV section of Figure 13 [Figure 15] Enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to the XV-XV section of Figure 13 [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a cooling heat exchanger according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17]FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a cooling heat exchanger according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a plan view of an inner fin constituting a cooling heat exchanger according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 19] 20 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the inner fin shown in FIG. 18, which corresponds to the XIX-XIX cross section of FIG. 20. [Figure 20] Enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to the XX-XX cross section of Figure 18 [Figure 21] Enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to section XXI-XXI in Figure 18 [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a plan view of an inner fin constituting a cooling heat exchanger according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 23] An enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross section XXIII-XXIII of Figure 22. [Figure 24] An enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross section XXIV-XXIV of Figure 22. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an inner fin constituting a cooling heat exchanger according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0044] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0045] 1 to 5 show a cooling heat exchanger 10 as a first embodiment of the present invention. The cooling heat exchanger 10 has a structure in which a flat upper plate 14 having a cooling surface 12 is superimposed on a concave lower plate 16, and a cooling flow path 18 through which a cooling heat medium flows is formed between the upper plate 14 and the lower plate 16. The cooling heat exchanger 10 cools an object to be cooled, such as a battery (not shown), superimposed on the cooling surface 12, by heat exchange with the heat medium via the upper plate 14.

[0046] The cooling flow path 18 preferably has a flow path length of 200 mm or more, more preferably 300 mm or more, and even more preferably 500 mm or more. The cooling flow path 18 has a parallel flow path section 22 consisting of multiple flow path sections 20 extending in parallel, and a protrusion 24 protrudes from the bottom wall of each flow path section 20. The protrusion 24 is integrally formed with the lower plate 16, protrudes toward the upper plate 14, and extends in a direction intersecting the flow path length direction of the flow path section 20. The protrusion 24 has a pair of inclined portions 26, 26 that extend to both sides in the flow path width direction toward the flow path length direction, and has a V-shape that tapers toward the upstream side when viewed in the vertical direction. The inclined portions 26 of the protrusion 24 have a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape and extend linearly in the flow path intersecting direction. A plurality of protrusions 24 are provided in the flow path section 20 so as to be aligned in the flow path length direction. The protrusions 24 in this embodiment are provided continuously across the entire flow path section 20 in the flow path width direction, and both end portions are integrally continuous with the side wall portions of the flow path section 20. Therefore, in this embodiment, there are no gaps between the protrusions 24 and the side wall portions of the flow path section 20 where the protrusions 24 are not present.

[0047] The pair of inclined portions 26, 26 of the protrusion 24 are provided with a low protruding portion 28 and a high protruding portion 30. The protruding height of the protrusion 24 gradually (continuously) increases from the low protruding portion 28 toward the high protruding portion 30. The protruding height of the protrusion 24 refers to the vertical distance from the inner surface of the bottom wall of the flow path portion 20 to the ridge line 32.

[0048] The protrusions 24 include a first protrusion 24a having a low protrusion 28 in the center of the flow path width direction and high protrusions 30, 30 at both ends, and a second protrusion 24b having a high protrusion 30 in the center of the flow path width direction and low protrusions 28, 28 at both ends. Therefore, the multiple protrusions 24 arranged in the length direction of the flow path section 20 include two types (first protrusions 24a and second protrusions 24b) in which the positions of the low protrusions 28 in the flow path width direction are different from each other and the positions of the high protrusions 30 in the flow path width direction are different from each other. The multiple protrusions 24 provided in the flow path section 20 of this embodiment are configured such that the first protrusions 24a and the second protrusions 24b are alternately arranged in the flow path length direction.

[0049] In the cooling heat exchanger 10 constructed according to this embodiment, a battery pack (not shown) or the like as an object to be cooled is placed on the cooling surface 12. A low-temperature heat medium is supplied from the upstream side to the cooling flow path 18, and as the heat medium flows through the cooling flow path 18 from the upstream side to the downstream side, heat exchange occurs between the heat medium and the battery pack via the upper plate 14, and the battery pack is cooled by the cooling heat exchanger 10.

[0050] Due to heat exchange with the battery pack, the heat medium flowing through the upper part of the cooling channel 18, which is closer to the upper plate 14, tends to become hotter than the heat medium flowing through the lower part of the cooling channel 18, which is farther from the upper plate 14. Here, the cooling channel 18 is provided with protrusions 24, which disturb the flow of the heat medium as it flows over the protrusions 24, thereby stirring the heat medium. This causes the heat medium flowing through the upper part of the cooling channel 18 to mix with the heat medium flowing through the lower part, thereby reducing the temperature difference in the vertical direction within the cooling channel 18. As a result, the temperature difference between the heat medium flowing through the upper part of the cooling channel 18 and the battery pack can be maintained large up to the downstream side of the cooling channel 18, thereby achieving excellent cooling performance over a wider area of ​​the cooling surface 12.

[0051] The cooling flow path 18 of this embodiment preferably has a flow path length of 200 mm or more, more preferably 300 mm or more, and even more preferably 500 mm or more. Even when such a long cooling flow path 18 is provided, the cooling performance can be improved by the stirring action of the protrusions 24, ensuring cooling performance further downstream.

[0052] The protrusions 24 have a V-shape narrowing toward the upstream side in a top view, and include a pair of inclined portions 26. The heat medium flows over the pair of inclined portions 26 in a direction that is likely to be perpendicular to the pair of inclined portions 26 (ridge lines 32). For example, the heat medium flows over the pair of inclined portions 26 inward in the flow path width direction, approaching each other, and these heat medium flows merge together downstream of the protrusions 24. This further disturbs the heat medium flow downstream of the protrusions 24, thereby effectively stirring the heat medium. Furthermore, for example, a vortex flow is formed by the merger of the heat medium flows over the pair of inclined portions 26, and this vortex flow can be expected to efficiently stir the heat medium.

[0053] The protrusions 24 include a first protrusion 24a having a low protrusion 28 in the center of the flow path width direction and high protrusions 30, 30 at both ends, and a second protrusion 24b having a high protrusion 30 in the center of the flow path width direction and low protrusions 28, 28 at both ends. By employing protrusions 24 whose height varies in the flow path width direction, the agitation effect of the heat medium by the protrusions 24 and the flow rate of the heat medium can be varied in the flow path width direction. This makes it possible to adjust the cooling performance of the cooling flow path 18 in the flow path width direction, and to provide a cooling heat exchanger 10 having cooling performance that corresponds to the temperature distribution of a battery pack, for example.

[0054] In the present embodiment, the protrusions 24 have a protruding height that changes continuously in the length direction of the pair of inclined portions 26, 26. This prevents the flow pattern of the heat medium from changing suddenly in the flow path width direction, realizing a smooth flow of the heat medium, while gradually changing the stirring action and flow velocity of the protrusions 24 in the flow path width direction, thereby effectively adjusting the cooling performance in the flow path width direction.

[0055] In this embodiment, the first protrusions 24a and the second protrusions 24b are arranged alternately in the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path 18. As a result, when the heat medium flows through the low protrusions 28 with relatively low flow resistance, the heat medium alternately passes through, for example, the low protrusion 28 of the first protrusion 24a located in the center in the flow path width direction and the low protrusions 28, 28 of the second protrusions 24b located at both ends in the flow path width direction, thereby forming a serpentine flow of the heat medium, and it is possible to expect that the serpentine flow will act to stir the heat medium.

[0056] Furthermore, since the first protrusions 24a and the second protrusions 24b are alternately arranged in the length direction of the cooling flow passage 18, for example, the heat medium that has passed through the low-protrusion portions 28 of the first protrusions 24a flows toward the high-protrusion portions 30 of the second protrusions 24b that are arranged adjacent to and downstream of the first protrusions 24a. As a result, the heat medium that has smoothly passed through the low-protrusion portions 28 of the first protrusions 24a collides with the high-protrusion portions 30 of the second protrusions 24b, strongly disturbing the flow of the heat medium and advantageously exhibiting a stirring effect. Similarly, the heat medium that has passed through the low-protrusion portions 28, 28 of the second protrusions 24b collides with the high-protrusion portions 30, 30 of the first protrusions 24a that are arranged adjacent to and downstream of the second protrusions 24b, and thus a stirring effect of the heat medium can be expected.

[0057] 6 to 11 show a cooling heat exchanger 40 as a second embodiment of the present invention. The cooling heat exchanger 40 has a structure in which inner fins 46 are housed between the overlapping surfaces of an upper plate 42, the upper surface of which is the cooling surface 12, and a lower plate 44, the lower surface of which is the cooling surface 12. In the following description, members and parts that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals in the drawings, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] 7 and 8, the cooling heat exchanger 40 has cooling channels 48 formed on both sides of the inner fin 46. That is, a front-side cooling channel 48a is formed between the opposing surfaces of the inner fin 46 and the upper plate 42, and a back-side cooling channel 48b is formed between the opposing surfaces of the inner fin 46 and the lower plate 44.

[0059] 9 to 11, the inner fin 46 is formed with front surface protrusions 50 that protrude into the cooling flow passage 48a on the front side and back surface protrusions 52 that protrude into the cooling flow passage 48b on the back side. In short, the protrusions of this embodiment are composed of a plurality of front surface protrusions 50 and a plurality of back surface protrusions 52 that protrude from both sides of the inner fin 46.

[0060] The front surface protrusions 50 and the back surface protrusions 52 are each substantially V-shaped, similar to the protrusions 24 of the first embodiment. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the front surface protrusions 50 are composed of a first front surface protrusion 50a as a first protrusion having a low protrusion 28 in the center portion in the flow path width direction and a second front surface protrusion 50b as a second protrusion having a low protrusion 28 at both end portions in the flow path width direction. Similarly, the back surface protrusions 52 are composed of a first back surface protrusion 52a as a first protrusion having a low protrusion 28 in the center portion in the flow path width direction and a second back surface protrusion 52b as a second protrusion having a low protrusion 28 at both end portions in the flow path width direction.

[0061] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the protrusions 50, 52 have a protrusion height at both ends in the flow path width direction that rapidly decreases outward in the flow path width direction, and the height dimension becomes zero without reaching the wall of the flow path section 20. In other words, the protrusions 50, 52 have a greater rate of change in protrusion height at both ends than in other portions. The protrusions 50, 52 are provided only in the middle portion of the flow path section 20 in the flow path width direction, and do not reach both ends. Note that the protrusion height at both ends of the protrusions 50, 52 decreases outward in the flow path width direction, whether they are first protrusions or second protrusions.

[0062] 12, the intermediate portion in the flow path width direction may have a substantially constant protrusion height, and the protrusion height may vary only at both ends. In other words, both end portions of the front surface protrusion 54 and the back surface protrusion 56, where the height decreases sharply toward the outside in the flow path width direction, may be regarded as part of the pair of inclined portions 26, 26.

[0063] In the cooling heat exchanger 40 of this embodiment, a battery pack or the like (not shown) as an object to be cooled is placed on each of the upper and lower cooling surfaces 12. The battery pack is cooled by heat exchange with the heat medium.

[0064] The inner fin 46 separating the cooling channels 48a and 48b is formed with front surface protrusions 50 that protrude into the cooling channel 48a and back surface protrusions 52 that protrude into the cooling channel 48b. As a result, the protrusions 50 and 52 have a stirring effect on both the heat medium flowing through the cooling channel 48a and the heat medium flowing through the cooling channel 48b, improving the cooling performance by stirring the heat medium.

[0065] 13 to 15 show a cooling heat exchanger 60 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The cooling heat exchanger 60 includes a protrusion 62 protruding from the lower plate 16. When viewed from the protruding direction shown in FIG. 13 , the protrusion 62 of this embodiment has two inverted V-shaped structures arranged in the width direction of the flow passage, each V-shaped structure facing in the opposite direction to the protrusion 24 of the first embodiment, resulting in a generally inverted W-shaped structure overall. Therefore, the protrusion 62 includes four inclined portions 26, 26, 26, 26, and each inclined portion 26 has a low protrusion 28 and a high protrusion 30 at both ends. Two of the four inclined portions 26, 26, 26, 26 that make up the protrusion 62 extend in the same direction, and the remaining two extend in different directions. The protrusion 62 includes a first protrusion 62a having low protrusions 28 at the center and both end portions in the width direction of the flow path, and a second protrusion 62b having high protrusions 30 at the center and both end portions in the width direction of the flow path.

[0066] The cooling heat exchanger 60 of this embodiment also exhibits the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0067] Furthermore, for example, if the flow path width dimension of the flow path section 20 is large, providing a protrusion having a single V-shape or an inverted V-shape would require increasing the length dimension of the protrusion in the flow path length direction or reducing the inclination angle of the inclined portion 26 with respect to the flow path width direction in order to set the width dimension of the protrusion sufficiently large relative to the flow path width dimension of the flow path section 20, but either approach could adversely affect the improvement of cooling performance achieved by the protrusion. In this embodiment, the protrusion 62 has a shape in which two inverted V-shapes are arranged in the flow path width direction. This makes it possible to prevent the length dimension of the protrusion 62 in the flow path length direction from becoming excessively large even when the flow path width dimension of the flow path section 20 is large, and also allows for a large degree of freedom in setting the inclination angle of the inclined portion 26 with respect to the flow path width direction.

[0068] 16 shows a cooling heat exchanger 70 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The protrusion 72 of the cooling heat exchanger 70 includes a pair of inclined portions 26, 26 that are offset from each other in the flow path length direction, and is configured by a pair of inclined portions 26, 26 that are spaced apart from each other. The protrusion 72 includes a first protrusion 72a in the pair of inclined portions 26, 26, which has a low protrusion 28 provided in the center in the flow path width direction, and a second protrusion 72b in the pair of inclined portions 26, 26, which has a high protrusion 30 provided in the center in the flow path width direction.

[0069] In this embodiment, the pair of inclined portions 26, 26 constituting the protrusion 72 have their adjacent ends on the flow path width center side positioned with no gap between them or overlapping each other when viewed in the flow path length direction. Also, in this embodiment, the pair of inclined portions 26, 26 have their adjacent ends on the flow path width center side both formed as low-protruding portions or high-protruding portions, and have approximately the same protruding height. Also, in this embodiment, the distance between the adjacent ends on the flow path width center side of the pair of inclined portions 26, 26 in the flow path length direction is equal to or less than the dimension of each inclined portion 26 in the flow path length direction.

[0070] 17 shows a cooling heat exchanger 80 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The cooling heat exchanger 80 has support pillars 82 that protrude from the lower plate 16 toward the upper plate 14, and the support pillars 82 securely connect the lower plate 16 and the upper plate 14. Protrusions 84 are formed adjacent to the downstream side of the support pillars 82. The protrusions 84 are positioned laterally outward in the flow path width direction relative to the support pillars 82, for example, on both sides of the downstream side of the support pillars 82. The protrusions 84 are V-shaped, widening outward in the flow path width direction toward the downstream side, and include a low protrusion 28 and a high protrusion 30, similar to the protrusion 24 of the first embodiment.

[0071] According to the cooling heat exchanger 80 constructed in accordance with this embodiment, for example, the support portion 82 of the lower plate 16 is used as the fixing portion to the upper plate 14, thereby improving the fixing strength between the upper plate 14 and the lower plate 16.

[0072] Furthermore, since the support pillars 82 are provided in the flow path section 20, the heat medium flowing through the flow path section 20 is divided into two paths in the width direction of the flow path relative to the support pillars 82. Therefore, by arranging the protrusions 84 on the downstream side of the support pillars 82, which is on the flow path of the heat medium divided by the support pillars 82, the flow of the heat medium can be guided toward the protrusions 84, and the stirring action of the protrusions 84 can be efficiently obtained.

[0073] Fig. 18 shows an inner fin 90 constituting a cooling heat exchanger according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. Since the inner fin 90 of this embodiment can be used in place of the inner fin 46 of the second embodiment, the reference numerals of the second embodiment may be used to describe components and parts that are substantially the same as those of the second embodiment. The left side of Fig. 18 is the upstream side of the cooling flow path, and the right side of Fig. 18 is the downstream side of the cooling flow path.

[0074] The inner fin 90 is formed of a metal, a synthetic resin, or the like, and has a thin plate shape. In this embodiment, the inner fin 90 is a pressed metal piece. The inner fin 90 has a cross section that is folded back in a zigzag or wave shape. In this embodiment, a plurality of flat inclined plate portions 92 that extend at an angle in the up-down and front-rear directions are provided so that the apexes 94 of the folds are integrally connected in the front-rear direction, forming a zigzag cross section. The inner fin 90 has a substantially uniform cross-sectional shape and extends linearly in the left-right direction. The number of folds (the number of apexes 94) of the zigzag or wave-shaped inner fin 90 is not particularly limited and can be appropriately set taking into consideration, for example, the width dimension of the cooling surface 12 and the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path portion 20 defined by the inner fin 90.

[0075] The inner fin 90 is disposed between the upper plate 14 and the lower plate 16, similar to the inner fin 46 of the second embodiment. The inner fin 90 is positioned relative to the upper plate 14 and the lower plate 16, for example, by brazing a top portion 94 to the upper plate 14 and the lower plate 16. The cooling flow passage 18 between the upper plate 14 and the lower plate 16 is divided by the inner fin 90 into a plurality of flow passage sections 20 arranged in the flow passage width direction. A plurality of flow passage sections 20 are formed on both the upper and lower sides of the inner fin 90, so that the cooling surface 12 of the upper plate 14 and the cooling surface 12 of the lower plate 16 are cooled by the heat medium flowing through the upper and lower flow passage sections 20. The flow passage section 20 of this embodiment is formed by two slanted plate sections 92, 92 whose walls are connected via a single top portion 94 to the upper plate 14 or the lower plate 16, and has a substantially triangular cross section.

[0076] The inner fin 90 is formed with protrusions 102. The protrusions 102 extend in a generally V-shape on the surface of the inner fin 90 and taper (become narrower) toward the upstream side of the cooling flow path. The protrusions 102 are generally V-shaped when viewed from the up-down direction. The protrusions 102 are composed of a first protrusion 102a that protrudes from the upper surface side of the inner fin 90 and a second protrusion 102b that protrudes from the lower surface side of the inner fin 90.

[0077] Fig. 19 shows an enlarged cross section of one protrusion 102 in the flow channel length direction. In the cross section shown in Fig. 19, the protrusion 102 has a tapered cross section that narrows in the flow channel length direction toward the protrusion tip. More specifically, in the cross section shown in Fig. 19, the protrusion 102 has a cross-sectional outer shape that continuously includes an arc-shaped protrusion apex 104, an upstream inclined portion 108 that extends at an incline upstream from the upstream end of the protrusion apex 104 toward the protrusion base 106 (the connection end of the protrusion 102 with the swash plate portion 92), and a downstream inclined portion 110 that extends at an incline downstream from the downstream end of the protrusion apex 104 toward the protrusion base 106. The cross section of the protrusion 102 shown in Figure 19 is a cross section in the flow path length direction passing through the center in the flow path width direction, but any cross section of the protrusion 102 perpendicular to the ridge line 32 has a cross-sectional shape similar to that shown in Figure 19, and the same numerical ranges, etc. as those explained in Figure 19 are suitably applied to any cross section perpendicular to the ridge line 32.

[0078] In the cross section in the flow channel length direction shown in Figure 19, the radius of curvature R of the protrusion apex 104, including the ridge line 32, is preferably within a range of 0.05 to 1.5 times, and more preferably within a range of 0.2 to 1.45 times, the length dimension L of the protrusion base 106 in the flow channel length direction. By setting the radius of curvature R of the protrusion apex 104 to 0.05 times or more the length dimension L of the protrusion base 106, the protrusion apex 104 has a smooth arc-shaped cross section without any substantial corners. Furthermore, by setting the radius of curvature R of the protrusion apex 104 to 1.5 times or less the length dimension L of the protrusion base 106, it is possible to prevent the length dimension of the protrusion 102 in the flow channel length direction from becoming excessively long, and it is possible to set the inclination angles α and β of the upstream inclined portion 108 and the downstream inclined portion 110, which are smoothly continuous with the protrusion apex 104, to be sufficiently large. In this embodiment, the radius of curvature R of the projection top 104 is set to be within the range of 0.05 to 0.5 times the length dimension L of the projection base .

[0079] Although the upstream inclined portion 108 may have a curved shape, in this embodiment it has a linear shape. The upper end of the upstream inclined portion 108 extends tangentially from the upstream end of the protrusion apex 104 and smoothly connects to the protrusion apex 104 without any corners. The lower end of the upstream inclined portion 108 may be curved in an arc shape, in which case it is desirable that the lower end of the upstream inclined portion 108 smoothly connects to the swash plate portion 92 that forms the bottom surface of the cooling flow path 18 without any corners.

[0080] The inclination angle α of the upstream inclined portion 108 relative to the swash plate portion 92 that forms the bottom surface of the cooling flow channel 18 is set to a range of 20 to 70°, and more preferably a range of 30 to 60°. When the upstream inclined portion 108 has a curved shape, the inclination angle α of the upstream inclined portion 108 relative to the swash plate portion 92 can be understood as, for example, the average value of the inclination angles of the upstream inclined portion 108 relative to the swash plate portion 92.

[0081] By setting the inclination angle α of the upstream inclined portion 108 to 20° or more, the flow of the heat medium from the upstream side toward the protrusions 102 is effectively disturbed by the upstream inclined portion 108, which forms a sufficiently large angle with the flow direction of the heat medium, thereby improving cooling performance through a stirring effect. In addition, by setting the inclination angle α of the upstream inclined portion 108 to 70° or less, the flow of the heat medium can be prevented from being excessively restricted by the protrusions 102.

[0082] The downstream inclined portion 110 may be curved, but in this embodiment, it is linear. The upper end of the downstream inclined portion 110 extends tangentially from the downstream end of the protrusion apex 104 and smoothly connects to the protrusion apex 104 without any corners. The lower end of the downstream inclined portion 110 may be curved in an arc, in which case it is desirable that the lower end of the downstream inclined portion 110 smoothly connect to the swash plate portion 92 that forms the bottom surface of the cooling flow path 18 without any corners.

[0083] The inclination angle β of the downstream inclined portion 110 relative to the swash plate portion 92 that forms the bottom surface of the cooling flow passage 18 is set to a range of 20 to 70°, and more preferably a range of 30 to 60°. When the downstream inclined portion 110 has a curved shape, the inclination angle β of the downstream inclined portion 110 relative to the swash plate portion 92 can be understood as, for example, the average value of the inclination angle of the downstream inclined portion 110 relative to the swash plate portion 92.

[0084] By setting the inclination angle β of the downstream inclined portion 110 to 20° or more, it is expected that the flow of the heat medium that passes over the protrusions 102 will easily separate from the downstream inclined portion 110, thereby making it easier for a turbulent flow such as a vortex to occur downstream of the protrusions 102. Furthermore, by setting the inclination angle β of the downstream inclined portion 110 to 70° or less, the flow of the heat medium along the downstream inclined portion 110 is also ensured, and it is expected that the heat medium will be efficiently stirred by merging with the flow that has separated from the downstream inclined portion 110.

[0085] 20 and 21, the protrusion height of the protrusions 102 in this embodiment varies in the front-to-rear direction, which is the flow channel width direction. The multiple protrusions 102 are configured with a central low protrusion 116 having a low protrusion portion 112 with a low protrusion height in the front-to-rear center and high protrusion portions 114 with a high protrusion height at both front and rear ends, and a central high protrusion 118 having a high protrusion portion 114 with a high protrusion height in the front-to-rear center and low protrusion portions 112 with a low protrusion height at both front and rear ends. Both the first protrusion 102a and the second protrusion 102b are configured to include a plurality of central low protrusions 116 and a plurality of central high protrusions 118.

[0086] 18, the plurality of first protrusions 102a and second protrusions 102b arranged in the flow path length direction each have a central low protrusion 116 and a central high protrusion 118 arranged alternately in the left-right direction, which is the flow path length direction. Therefore, in the center of the flow path section 20 in the flow path width direction, the low protrusions 112 of the central low protrusion 116 and the high protrusions 114 of the central high protrusion 118 are arranged alternately in the flow path length direction. In addition, at both end portions of the flow path section 20 in the flow path width direction, the high protrusions 114, 114 of the central low protrusion 116 and the low protrusions 112, 112 of the central high protrusion 118 are arranged alternately in the flow path length direction.

[0087] According to the inner fin 90 of this embodiment, the high protruding portion 114 with a large protruding height dimension can obtain a stronger stirring effect of the heat medium, and the low protruding portion 112 with a small protruding height dimension suppresses the flow resistance of the heat medium, thereby reducing pressure loss.

[0088] In this embodiment, the low-protrusion portions 112 and the high-protrusion portions 114 are arranged adjacent to each other in the flow path length direction, and the heat transfer medium that flows smoothly through the low-protrusion portions 112 is efficiently agitated by the high-protrusion portions 114 located downstream of the low-protrusion portions 112, thereby efficiently improving cooling performance. Furthermore, the heat transfer medium whose flow has been strongly disturbed by the high-protrusion portions 114 flows relatively smoothly through the low-protrusion portions 112 located downstream of the high-protrusion portions 114, and therefore is less likely to stagnate.

[0089] Furthermore, the heat medium flows more easily through the low-protrusions 112, which have lower flow resistance than the high-protrusions 114, but by arranging the central low protrusions 116 and the central high protrusions 118 alternately in the flow path length direction, the low-protrusions 112 are alternately located in the center and both end portions in the flow path width direction in the flow path length direction. Therefore, in the flow path section 20, a flow of the heat medium meanders in the flow path width direction so as to connect the low-protrusions 112, which is expected to have the effect of eliminating bias in the temperature distribution of the heat medium in the flow path width direction.

[0090] 22 to 24 show an inner fin 120 constituting a cooling heat exchanger according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. The inner fin 120 has a zigzag cross-sectional shape similar to the inner fin 90 of the sixth embodiment.

[0091] The inner fin 120 is provided with protrusions 122. The protrusions 122 are composed of a plurality of first protrusions 122a protruding from the upper surface and a plurality of second protrusions 122b protruding from the lower surface. Like the protrusions 102 of the inner fin 90, the protrusions 122 are V-shaped as a whole when viewed in the up-down direction, but are not continuous at the end on the upstream side (left side in FIG. 22). That is, the protrusions 122 of this embodiment are composed of two mutually separated convex portions 124, 124 that extend obliquely from the center in the flow channel width direction to both sides and downstream (right side in FIG. 22).

[0092] Like the protrusion 102 of the fifth embodiment, the protrusion 122 of this embodiment includes a central low protrusion 116 and a central high protrusion 118. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multiple central low protrusions 116 and the multiple central high protrusions 118 are arranged alternately in the flow channel length direction. Note that the protrusion 122 of this embodiment is composed of two protrusions 124, 124 that are spaced apart from each other in the central portion in the flow channel width direction, and therefore the low protrusion 112 of the central low protrusion 116 and the high protrusion 114 of the central high protrusion 118, which are located on the central side in the flow channel width direction, are provided on the two protrusions 124, 124, respectively.

[0093] The inner fin 120 having the structure according to this embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the inner fin 90 of the fifth embodiment. Furthermore, since the protrusions 122 are provided only on the swash plate portion 92 and not on the top portion 94, it is expected that the protrusions 122 can be easily formed by press working.

[0094] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the specific description. For example, it is desirable that the height of the protrusions gradually change from the lower protrusions to the higher protrusions, but the height may also change in a stepped or staircase-like manner.

[0095] When a plurality of protrusions are provided, the plurality of protrusions may differ from one another in, for example, shape, size, spacing (arrangement density), etc.

[0096] The protrusion may be, for example, an inverted V-shape that widens toward both sides in the width direction of the flow channel toward the upstream side. Alternatively, the protrusion may be, for example, a W-shape, such as two V-shapes that widen toward both sides in the width direction of the flow channel toward the downstream side, arranged side by side in the width direction of the flow channel. Alternatively, the protrusion may have at least one V-shaped or inverted V-shaped portion partially in the width direction of the flow channel, and may be, for example, three or more V-shaped portions arranged side by side.

[0097] While FIG. 19 shows the protrusion 102 in which the inclination angle of the upstream inclined portion 108 is within the range of 20 to 70 degrees, a protrusion 140 as shown in FIG. 25 may also be employed. That is, the protrusion 140 shown in FIG. 25 has a large radius of curvature at the protrusion apex 142, and both the upstream inclined portion 144, which is the upstream side, and the downstream inclined portion 146, which is the downstream side, are curved surfaces. The protrusion apex 142 and the swash plate portion 92 are smoothly connected without corners in a cross section taken along the flow path length direction. Therefore, the entire cross-sectional outline of the protrusion 140 in the flow path length direction has a continuously curved shape. Furthermore, the protrusion 140 shown in FIG. 25 has a radius of curvature R of the protrusion apex 142, which is arc-shaped in a cross section taken along the flow path length direction, that is preferably 0.7 times or more, and more preferably 1 time or more, the length L of the protrusion base 148. 25, the inclination angle α of the upstream inclined portion 144 of this embodiment with respect to the bottom surface of the flow path section 20 is 25° or less, and the inclination angle β of the downstream inclined portion 146 of this embodiment is 25° or less. In short, compared to the protrusion 102 shown in FIG. 19, the protrusion 140 of this embodiment has a flattened shape in the cross section of the flow path length direction, in which the ratio of the protrusion height dimension to the length dimension L of the protrusion base 148 is smaller, and the rate of change in the flow path cross-sectional area due to the protrusion 140 is smaller. Such protrusions 140 reduce pressure loss caused by the heat medium flowing over the protrusions 140, making it possible to circulate the heat medium using an inexpensive pump with relatively low performance.

[0098] The protrusions do not necessarily need to be provided continuously across the entire width of the flow path section. However, the width of the protrusions in the width direction is preferably 50% or more, more preferably 70% or more, of the width of the flow path section. This restricts the flow that bypasses the protrusions and makes it easier for the flow to overcome the protrusions, thereby efficiently disrupting the flow of the heat medium. Note that, when a zigzag inner fin is used, for example, and the flow path width of the flow path section varies in the depth direction, the width of the protrusions is preferably 50% or more, more preferably 70% or more, of the maximum width of the flow path section (the width between the apexes of the zigzag inner fins). Note that, when the flow path width of the flow path section varies in the length direction, the width of the protrusions is preferably set within the above-mentioned range with respect to the flow path width at the position where the protrusions are provided.

[0099] The pair of inclined portions constituting the protrusion do not necessarily have to have the same shape or size, and may, for example, have different lengths, different maximum protrusion heights and / or different minimum protrusion heights, etc. Furthermore, the pair of inclined portions may have different inclination angles in the flow channel width direction relative to the flow channel length direction line.

[0100] For example, a low protrusion may be provided in the middle of the inclined portion, and high protrusions may be provided at both ends of the inclined portion. In other words, there may be only one low protrusion and one high protrusion on one inclined portion, or at least one low protrusion and one high protrusion may be provided multiple times on one inclined portion. Furthermore, it is sufficient that at least one low protrusion and one high protrusion are provided on one protrusion, and for example, one inclined portion may have a low protrusion and the other inclined portion may have a high protrusion.

[0101] Furthermore, the inclination angle of the pair of inclined portions (the inclination angle in the width direction of the flow channel relative to the length direction of the flow channel) is not limited. Furthermore, when employing an inclined portion in which the height dimension continuously changes between the low-protruding portion and the high-protruding portion, the rate or amount of change in height is not limited. Furthermore, when employing an inclined portion in which the height dimension continuously changes between the low-protruding portion and the high-protruding portion, the region in which the height dimension changes does not have to be the entire inclined portion, and the proportion of the region in which the height dimension changes relative to the entire inclined portion is not limited. Furthermore, the protrusions do not have to be provided over the entire width direction of the flow channel, and the proportion of the protrusions in the width direction of the flow channel to the entire flow channel is not limited. Furthermore, the height dimension of the protrusions can be set appropriately, and the proportion of the high-protruding portion and the low-protruding portion of the protrusions relative to the height dimension of the flow channel is not limited. Furthermore, the cross section orthogonal to the extension direction of the inclined portion is not limited to a triangular cross section. Furthermore, the cross section orthogonal to the extension direction of the inclined portion is not limited to a substantially similar shape in the extension direction of the inclined portion, and may have different shapes in the extension direction of the inclined portion. Furthermore, the width of the inclined portion in the longitudinal direction of the flow path does not need to vary depending on the height, and may be constant.

[0102] For example, when two types of protrusions such as the first protrusions 24a and the second protrusions 24b in the first embodiment are provided, the two types of protrusions may be arranged every third or every fourth protrusion in the length direction of the flow path, or there may be an area where protrusions of the same type are arranged adjacent to each other in the length direction of the flow path.

[0103] The cooling flow path does not necessarily have to include a parallel flow path portion consisting of multiple flow path portions arranged in parallel, but may be composed of only one flow path portion. Furthermore, multiple protrusions may be provided in one flow path portion aligned in the width direction of the flow path. Furthermore, the multiple flow path portions constituting the parallel flow path portion may differ from one another in terms of depth, width, length, etc.

[0104] The cooling flow path is not limited to one that extends linearly, but may extend, for example, in a U-shape or a serpentine shape by folding back, or may extend while bending in an L-shape.

[0105] The other plate (lower plate 16) on which the projections are provided may also be made of metal.

[0106] The cooling heat exchanger is not necessarily limited to a structure in which two plates (the upper plate 14 and the lower plate 16 in the above embodiment) are stacked on top of each other, but may be, for example, tubular, with the entire wall of the cooling flow path being made up of a single member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 10 Cooling heat exchanger (first embodiment) 12 Cooling surface 14 Upper plate (plate) 16 Lower plate (plate) 18 Cooling Channel 20 Flow path section 22 Parallel flow path section 24 protrusions 24a First protrusion 24b Second protrusion 26 Slope 28 Low protrusion 30 High protrusion 32 Ridgeline 40 Cooling heat exchanger (second embodiment) 42 Upper plate (plate) 44 Lower plate (plate) 46 Inner fin 48 Cooling Channels 48a Front cooling channel 48b Backside cooling channel 50 Surface protrusion (protrusion) 50a First surface protrusion (first protrusion) 50b Second surface protrusion (second protrusion) 52 Back protrusion (protrusion) 52a First back protrusion (first protrusion) 52b Second back protrusion (second protrusion) 54 Surface protrusion (another embodiment protrusion) 56 Back protrusion (protrusion) 60 Cooling heat exchanger (third embodiment) 62 Protrusion 62a First protrusion 62b Second protrusion 70 Cooling heat exchanger (fourth embodiment) 72 Protrusion 72a First protrusion 72b Second protrusion 80 Cooling heat exchanger (fifth embodiment) 82 Pillar section 84 Protrusion 90 Inner fin (sixth embodiment) 92 Swash plate section 94 Top 102 Protrusion 102a First protrusion 102b Second protrusion 104 Top of protrusion 106 Protrusion base 108 Upstream slope 110 Downstream slope 112 Low protrusion 114 High protrusion 116 Central low protrusion 118 Central high protrusion 120 Inner fin (seventh embodiment) 122 Protrusion 122a First protrusion 122b Second protrusion 124 convex part 140 Protrusion (another embodiment) 142 Top of protrusion 144 Upstream slope 146 Downstream slope 148 Protrusion base R Radius of curvature of the top of the projection L Length of the protrusion base α Inclination angle of the upstream slope β Inclination angle of downstream slope

Claims

1. A cooling heat exchanger having a cooling flow path formed between two plates having a cooling surface, at least one of which is placed on an object to be cooled, through which a heat medium for cooling flows, a protrusion is provided on a wall of the cooling channel; The protrusion extends in a direction intersecting the length direction of the cooling flow passage, The protrusion is provided with a pair of inclined portions extending toward both sides in a width direction of the cooling flow path in a length direction of the cooling flow path, The pair of inclined portions are provided with a low protruding portion having a low height and a high protruding portion having a high height.

2. 2. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the projection is V-shaped when viewed from the protruding direction.

3. 3. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the protrusions have a height that gradually increases from the lower protrusions toward the higher protrusions.

4. a plurality of the protrusions are arranged in a line in the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path, 3. A cooling heat exchanger as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of protrusions arranged in the flow path length direction include a plurality of types in which the positions of the low protrusions in the flow path width direction are different from each other and the positions of the high protrusions in the flow path width direction are different from each other.

5. 3. A cooling heat exchanger as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein either the low protrusion or the high protrusion is located in the central portion of the protrusion in the flow path width direction, and the other of the low protrusion or the high protrusion is located at each end portion of the protrusion in the flow path width direction.

6. a plurality of the protrusions are arranged in a line in the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path, 6. A cooling heat exchanger as described in claim 5, wherein the plurality of protrusions are configured by alternatingly arranging first protrusions in the flow path length direction, the first protrusions having the low protrusions set in the central portion in the flow path width direction and the high protrusions set in both end portions, and second protrusions having the high protrusions set in the central portion in the flow path width direction and the low protrusions set in both end portions.

7. 3. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the cooling surface is provided on one of the plates, and the protrusions are formed on the other of the plates.

8. 3. A cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein a support portion is provided that protrudes from the other plate and is fixed to the one plate, and the protrusion is arranged adjacent to the downstream side of the support portion.

9. Both of the two plates have the cooling surface, An inner fin is disposed between the two plates, and the cooling flow passages are formed on both sides of the inner fin, 3. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the inner fin has a surface protrusion that protrudes into one of the cooling flow paths and a back protrusion that protrudes into the other of the cooling flow paths.

10. the cooling flow path has a parallel flow path portion made up of a plurality of flow path portions extending in parallel, 3. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the protrusions are arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction of the flow passages constituting the parallel flow passages.

11. 3. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the cooling flow path has a length of 200 mm or more.

12. 3. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the projections extend across the entire width of the cooling flow passage and are continuous with the sidewalls of the cooling flow passage at both ends.

13. 3. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion has a cross-sectional shape that tapers toward the protrusion tip in a cross section of the cooling flow path in the flow path length direction, and has an arc-shaped protrusion apex, an upstream inclined portion that extends at an angle from the protrusion apex toward the upstream side of the cooling flow path toward the protrusion base, which is the bottom side of the cooling flow path, and a downstream inclined portion that extends at an angle from the protrusion apex toward the downstream side toward the protrusion base, which is the bottom side of the cooling flow path, all of which are provided smoothly and continuously without corners.

14. In a cross section of the cooling flow path in the flow path length direction, the radius of curvature of the projection top is within a range of 0.05 to 1.5 times the length dimension of the projection base, and The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 13, wherein the inclination angle of the upstream inclined portion relative to the bottom surface of the cooling flow path is within a range of 20 to 70 degrees in a cross section of the cooling flow path in the flow path length direction.

15. 14. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 13, wherein an inclination angle of the upstream inclined portion relative to the bottom surface of the cooling flow passage is 25° or less in a cross section of the cooling flow passage in the flow passage length direction.

16. A cooling heat exchanger having a cooling flow path formed therein through which a heat medium for cooling flows, for cooling an object to be cooled that is placed on a cooling surface, a protrusion is provided on a wall of the cooling channel; The protrusion extends in a direction intersecting the length direction of the cooling flow passage, The protrusion is provided with a pair of inclined portions extending toward both sides in a width direction of the cooling flow path in a length direction of the cooling flow path, The pair of inclined portions are provided with a low protruding portion having a low height and a high protruding portion having a high height.

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