heat exchange system

Abstract

This invention provides a heat exchange system that is both cost-effective and compact, even when using general-purpose heat exchangers. [Solution] The heat exchange system S comprises a plurality of heat exchangers 3 that perform heat exchange between a first medium and a second medium, a first medium circuit 1 through which the first medium flows, and a second medium circuit 2 through which the second medium flows. The first medium circuit 1 has a first parallel flow path 11 that connects the plurality of heat exchangers 3 in parallel, and the second medium circuit 2 has a second series flow path 31 that connects the plurality of heat exchangers 3 in series.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat exchange system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a cooling system or the like, a heat exchange system including a plurality of heat exchangers that perform heat exchange between different fluids has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a heat exchange system in which two heat exchangers are arranged on a flow path through which a high-temperature fluid circulates. By using two heat cycles and performing heat exchange between the high-temperature fluid and the low-temperature fluid in each heat exchanger, an improvement in cooling efficiency is achieved.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In a heat exchange system including a plurality of heat exchangers, when selecting a heat exchanger, it is necessary to design in accordance with the allowable pressure losses of both the high-temperature fluid and the low-temperature fluid, resulting in a dedicated design according to the system, which may increase the cost. Also, when using a general-purpose heat exchanger, the specification is in accordance with the allowable pressure loss of either the high-temperature fluid or the low-temperature fluid, so the balance of the water equivalent ratio may be disrupted, and there is a risk of a decrease in the heat transfer rate. Furthermore, when using a general-purpose heat exchanger, if an attempt is made to secure a heat transfer area to satisfy the desired heat exchange amount, there is a problem that the heat exchanger becomes large-sized.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its objective is to provide a heat exchange system that can be made low-cost and miniaturized even when using a general-purpose heat exchanger. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The characteristic configuration of the heat exchange system according to the present invention is that it comprises a plurality of heat exchangers that perform heat exchange between a first medium and a second medium, a first medium circuit through which the first medium flows, and a second medium circuit through which the second medium flows, wherein the first medium circuit has a first parallel flow path that connects the plurality of heat exchangers in parallel, and the second medium circuit has a second series flow path that connects the plurality of heat exchangers in series.

[0008] In this configuration, in the first medium circuit, multiple heat exchangers are connected in parallel by a first parallel flow path, making the flow rate of the first medium into each of the multiple heat exchangers smaller than the flow rate of the first medium in the entire first medium circuit. Similarly, in the second medium circuit, multiple heat exchangers are connected in series by a second series circuit, making the flow rate of the second medium into each of the multiple heat exchangers equal to the flow rate of the second medium in the entire second medium circuit. Therefore, when there is a difference between the flow rate of the first medium in the first medium circuit and the flow rate of the second medium in the second medium circuit, for example, when the flow rate of the first medium is greater than the flow rate of the second medium, the difference in flow rates between the first and second mediums into the heat exchangers can be reduced. This makes it possible to optimize the water equivalent ratio of the first and second mediums in the heat exchangers. As a result, even if cooling efficiency is improved by using multiple heat exchangers, it is not necessary to design the heat exchangers specifically for the system, and general-purpose heat exchangers can be used, reducing costs. Furthermore, the required heat transfer area is minimized, enabling miniaturization of the heat exchange system. In addition, the miniaturization of the heat exchange system reduces the required amounts of the first and second mediums. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a circuit diagram of a heat exchange system. [Figure 2] This is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of the heat exchangers connected in series in the second media circuit. [Figure 3] This is a circuit diagram of a heat exchange system showing a state in which some heat exchangers are connected in series in the second media circuit. [Figure 4] This is a circuit diagram of a heat exchange system according to another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the heat exchange system S according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the heat exchange system S comprises a first medium circuit 1 through which a first medium flows, a second medium circuit 2 through which a second medium flows, a plurality of heat exchangers 3 (six in this embodiment) that perform heat exchange between the first medium and the second medium, and a control unit (not shown). In Figure 1, the first medium circuit 1 is shown by a dashed line and the second medium circuit 2 is shown by a solid line. The heat exchange system S is used, for example, in a refrigeration cycle, and in this embodiment, it is used to cool an in-vehicle battery pack.

[0012] The first medium circuit 1 is a circuit through which the first medium circulates, and has a first flow path 10 and a first parallel flow path 11. A battery 6, a first pump 4 for circulating the first medium, a thermometer T1 for measuring the temperature of the first medium, and a pressure gauge P1 for measuring the pressure of the first medium are arranged on the first flow path 10. On the downstream side of the flow direction of the first medium in the battery 6 (hereinafter, the upstream and downstream sides in the flow direction of the first medium will be simply referred to as the upstream side and the downstream side), the pressure gauge P1, thermometer T1, and the first pump 4 are arranged in this order. The first medium is, for example, an antifreeze mainly composed of ethylene glycol, a highly electrically insulating coolant such as long-life coolant (LLC) or a fluorine-based inert liquid, or water.

[0013] The first parallel flow path 11 branches off from the first flow path 10 and is a flow path that connects multiple heat exchangers 3 in parallel. In the following description, when distinguishing between the multiple heat exchangers 3, they will be referred to as heat exchangers 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, and 3f, starting from the upstream side of the first medium in the first medium circuit 1 and moving downstream (from the right side of the page in Figure 1 to the left side). Furthermore, when distinguishing between the first parallel flow paths 11 connected to each heat exchanger 3, the flow path connected to heat exchanger 3a will be referred to as the first parallel flow path 11a, the flow path connected to heat exchanger 3b as the first parallel flow path 11b, the flow path connected to heat exchanger 3c as the first parallel flow path 11c, the flow path connected to heat exchanger 3d as the first parallel flow path 11d, the flow path connected to heat exchanger 3e as the first parallel flow path 11e, and the flow path connected to heat exchanger 3f as the first parallel flow path 11f. Thus, the first medium circuit 1 has six first parallel flow paths 11.

[0014] The second medium circuit 2 is a circuit through which the second medium circulates, and includes a second flow path 20, a second parallel flow path 21, and a second series flow path 31. A second pump 5 for circulating the second medium, a thermometer T2 for measuring the temperature of the second medium, and a pressure gauge P2 for measuring the pressure of the second medium are arranged on the second flow path 20. Any second medium can be used as long as it can exchange heat with the first medium in the heat exchanger 3, but examples include refrigerants such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs).

[0015] The second parallel flow path 21 branches off from the second flow path 20 and connects multiple heat exchangers 3 in parallel. To distinguish between the second parallel flow paths 21 connected to each heat exchanger 3, the flow path connected to heat exchanger 3a is called the second parallel flow path 21a, the flow path connected to heat exchanger 3b is called the second parallel flow path 21b, the flow path connected to heat exchanger 3c is called the second parallel flow path 21c, the flow path connected to heat exchanger 3d is called the second parallel flow path 21d, the flow path connected to heat exchanger 3e is called the second parallel flow path 21e, and the flow path connected to heat exchanger 3f is called the second parallel flow path 21f. Thus, the second medium circuit 2 has six second parallel flow paths 21.

[0016] In the second parallel flow path 21a, a check valve 22a and a solenoid valve 23a (an example of a switching mechanism) are arranged in this order on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 3a in the flow direction of the second medium (hereinafter, the upstream and downstream sides in the flow direction of the second medium will be simply referred to as the upstream side and the downstream side), and a solenoid valve 24a (an example of a switching mechanism) and a check valve 25a are arranged in this order on the downstream side of the heat exchanger 3a. Similarly in the second parallel flow paths 21b to 21e, check valves 22b to 22e (an example of a switching mechanism) and solenoid valves 23b to 23e are arranged in this order on the upstream side of the heat exchangers 3b to 3e, and in the second parallel flow paths 21b to 21f, solenoid valves 24b to 24f and check valves 25b to 25f are arranged in this order on the downstream side of the heat exchangers 3b to 3f. No check valves or solenoid valves are arranged on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 3f in the second parallel flow path 21f. Thus, the second parallel channel 21 is designed so that the first medium does not flow backward from the downstream side to the upstream side.

[0017] The second series flow path 31 is a flow path that connects multiple heat exchangers 3 in series. In the following description, when distinguishing between the second series flow paths 31, the flow path connecting heat exchanger 3a and heat exchanger 3b will be referred to as the second series flow path 31a, the flow path connecting heat exchanger 3b and heat exchanger 3c will be referred to as the second series flow path 31b, the flow path connecting heat exchanger 3c and heat exchanger 3d will be referred to as the second series flow path 31c, the flow path connecting heat exchanger 3d and heat exchanger 3e will be referred to as the second series flow path 31d, and the flow path connecting heat exchanger 3e and heat exchanger 3f will be referred to as the second series flow path 31e. In this embodiment, the second media circuit 2 has five second series flow paths 31.

[0018] In the second series flow path 31, the first medium flows from the left side to the right side of the paper surface of FIG. 1, that is, from the heat exchanger 3f toward the heat exchanger 3a. In each of the second series flow paths 31a to 31f, check valves 33a to 33e and solenoid valves 32a to 32e (an example of a switching mechanism) are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side. Therefore, in the second series flow path 31, it is designed so that the second medium does not flow backward from the downstream side to the upstream side. In FIG. 1, the solenoid valves 32a to 32e are in a closed state, and the second medium does not flow through the second series flow path 31. Also, the solenoid valves 23a to 23e, 24a to 24f are all in an open state, and the second medium flows through the second parallel flow path 21. That is, FIG. 1 shows a state in which all of the plurality of heat exchangers 3a to 3f are connected in parallel. In FIG. 1, the flows of the first medium and the second medium are shown by thick lines.

[0019] The heat exchange system S includes a control unit (not shown). The control unit is composed of a microcontroller including a processor, a semiconductor memory, etc., and controls the opening and closing operations of the solenoid valves 23a to 23e, 24a to 24f, 32a to 32e.

[0020] Subsequently, the flows of the first medium and the second medium in the first medium circuit 1 and the second medium circuit 2 will be described. The first medium that flows through the first flow path 10 by the first pump 4 and is sent to the first parallel flow paths 11a to 11f flows into the respective heat exchangers 3a to 3f and exchanges heat with the second medium. Specifically, the first medium in a state of being heated by taking the heat of the battery 6 is deprived of heat by the second medium in the heat exchanger 3 and cooled. The first medium flowing out of the heat exchanger 3 flows through the first parallel flow paths 11a to 11f respectively, merges into the first flow path 10, flows through the first flow path 10, and takes the heat of the battery 6 again to cool the battery 6. The first medium transfers the heat of the battery 6 to the second medium by circulating through the first medium circuit 1.

[0021] Similarly, in Figure 1, the second medium sent to the second parallel channels 21a to 21f by the second pump 5 flows into the respective heat exchangers 3a to 3f and performs heat exchange with the first medium. Specifically, the second medium absorbs heat from the first medium in the heat exchanger 3 and is heated. The second medium that flows out of the heat exchanger 3 flows through the second parallel channels 21a to 21f and merges into the second channel 20, where it is cooled by a cooling device (not shown) installed on the second channel 20, which absorbs heat from the first medium. The second medium absorbs heat from the first medium by circulating through the second medium circuit 2.

[0022] In the heat exchanger 3, the heat transfer coefficient can be improved by optimizing the water equivalent ratio between the first medium and the second medium. The water equivalent ratio is the ratio of the water equivalents of the first medium and the second medium, and the respective water equivalents can be determined from the mass flow rate and specific heat of the first medium and the second medium. Since the specific heat and density of the first medium and the second medium are approximately constant, the water equivalent ratio changes depending on the flow rates of the first medium and the second medium. For example, if the flow rate of the first medium flowing through the first channel 10 is 108 L / min and the flow rate of the second medium flowing through the second channel 20 is 18 L / min, and both flow through the first parallel channel 11 and the second parallel channel 21, then the flow rate of the first medium in the first parallel channel 11 is 18 L / min and the flow rate of the second medium in the second parallel channel 21 is 3 L / min. In this case, if a general-purpose heat exchanger 3 is used, the flow rate of the second medium is small compared to the flow rate of the first medium into the heat exchanger 3, disrupting the balance of the water equivalent ratio and reducing the heat transfer coefficient. Furthermore, optimizing the water equivalent ratio by designing the specifications of heat exchanger 3 specifically for heat exchange system S resulted in increased costs.

[0023] Therefore, even if a general-purpose heat exchanger 3 is used as the heat exchanger in this embodiment, in the second medium circuit 2, the state in which a plurality of heat exchangers 3 are connected in parallel and the state in which two or more heat exchangers 3 are connected in series are configured to be switchable so that the water equivalent ratio of the first medium and the second medium can be optimized. Specifically, by the opening and closing operations of the electromagnetic valves 23a to 23e, 24a to 24f, and 32a to 32e, the second medium can be circulated through the second parallel flow path 21 or the second series flow path 31.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of heat exchangers 3 are connected in series in the second medium circuit 2, that is, a state in which the second medium flows through the second series flow path 31. In FIG. 2, the electromagnetic valves 23a to 23e and 24b to 24f are in the closed state, and the electromagnetic valves 24a and 32a to 32e are in the open state. Therefore, the second medium that has flowed through the second flow path 20 flows through the second parallel flow path 21f and flows into the heat exchanger 3f, and then flows through the second series flow path 31e, the heat exchanger 3e, the second series flow path 31d, the heat exchanger 3d, the second series flow path 31c, the heat exchanger 3c, the second series flow path 31b, the heat exchanger 3b, the second series flow path 31a, and the heat exchanger 3a, respectively, and then flows through the second parallel flow path 21a and returns to the second flow path 20.

[0025] Since the heat exchangers 3a to 3f are connected in series by the second series flow path 31, the flow rate of the second medium flowing into each of the heat exchangers 3a to 3f is the same as the flow rate of the second medium flowing through the second flow path 20, which is 18 L / min. At this time, since the flow rate of the first medium flowing through the first parallel flow path 11 is also 18 L / min, the flow rates of the first medium and the second medium flowing into the heat exchanger 3 can be combined. Thus, by adjusting the flow rate of the second medium flowing into the heat exchanger 3, the water equivalent ratio of the first medium and the second medium in each heat exchanger 3 can be optimized, and a decrease in the heat transfer coefficient can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to miniaturize the entire heat exchange system S without increasing the heat transfer area of the heat exchanger 3.

[0026] In the example above, all heat exchangers 3 were connected in series in the second media circuit 2, but some of the heat exchangers 3 may be connected in series. For example, as shown in Figure 3, by opening solenoid valves 23c to 23e, closing solenoid valves 23a and 23b, opening solenoid valves 24a, 24d to 24f, closing solenoid valves 24b and 24c, opening solenoid valves 32a and 32b, and closing solenoid valves 32c to 32e, heat exchangers 3d to 3f may be connected in parallel and heat exchangers 3a to 3c may be connected in series. This makes it possible to adjust the water equivalent ratio in the heat exchangers 3 according to changes in the flow rate of the first and second media circulating in the first media circuit 1 and the second media circuit 2, or the type of media.

[0027] Furthermore, the control unit may control the opening and closing states of the solenoid valves 23a-23e, 24a-24f, and 32a-32e based on the water equivalent ratio of the first medium and the second medium. That is, the flow rate of the first medium in the first flow path 10 and the flow rate of the second medium in the second flow path 20 may be detected from the rotational speeds of the first pump 4 and the second pump 5, and the system may switch between connecting the heat exchangers 3 in parallel in the second medium circuit 2 and connecting two or more heat exchangers 3 in series in order to optimize the water equivalent ratio of the first medium and the second medium in each heat exchanger 3. The switching may be performed by referring to the specific heat and density of the first and second mediums and calculating the flow rate into the heat exchanger 3 so that they have the optimal water equivalent ratio. In addition, the medium flowing through the first medium circuit 1 or the second medium circuit 2 may change, and information regarding the first medium, second medium, etc., may be stored in the memory unit of the heat exchange system S.

[0028] Because the heat exchange system S has the configuration described above, even if a general-purpose heat exchanger 3 is used, it is possible to perform heat exchange with the optimal water equivalent ratio in each heat exchanger 3, minimizing the required heat transfer area, and thus enabling the heat exchange system S to be miniaturized. Furthermore, miniaturization of the heat exchange system S makes it possible to reduce the amount of first and second media used, thereby reducing costs.

[0029] [Other Embodiments] (a) In the above embodiment, the opening and closing operations of the solenoid valves 23a~23e, 24a~24f, and 32a~32e are controlled based on the water equivalent ratio of the first medium and the second medium. However, the opening and closing operations of the solenoid valves 23a~23e, 24a~24f, and 32a~32e may also be controlled based on the temperature or pressure of the first medium or the second medium. Specifically, based on the values ​​measured by thermometers T1 and T2 and pressure gauges P1 and P2, for example, if the temperature or pressure of the first medium is high, the solenoid valves 23a~23e, 24a~24f, and 32a~32e may be operated to increase the flow rate of the second medium flowing into each heat exchanger 3 in order to increase the amount of heat exchanged in each heat exchanger 3, and the heat exchangers 3 may be connected in series.

[0030] (b) As shown in Figure 4, the first media circuit 1 may also have a first series flow path 41 that connects two or more heat exchangers 3 in series. The first series flow path 41 includes a first series flow path 41a connecting heat exchanger 3a and heat exchanger 3b, a first series flow path 41b connecting heat exchanger 3b and heat exchanger 3c, a first series flow path 41c connecting heat exchanger 3c and heat exchanger 3d, a first series flow path 41d connecting heat exchanger 3d and heat exchanger 3e, and a first series flow path 41e connecting heat exchanger 3e and heat exchanger 3f. Furthermore, solenoid valves 42a to 42e and check valves 43a to 43e are arranged in this order in the first series flow paths 41a to 41e, check valves 12b to 12f and solenoid valves 13b to 13f are arranged in this order upstream of each heat exchanger 3b to 3f in the first parallel flow paths 11b to 11f, and solenoid valves 14a to 14e and check valves 15a to 15e are arranged in this order downstream of each heat exchanger 3a to 3e in the first parallel flow paths 11a to 11e.

[0031] In embodiment (b), the control unit may control solenoid valves 23a~23e, 24a~24f, 32a~32e to switch their open / closed states so that the water equivalent ratio of the first medium to the second medium in each heat exchanger 3 is optimal, thereby switching between a state in which the heat exchangers 3 are connected in parallel and a state in which two or more heat exchangers 3 are connected in series. Alternatively, the control unit may control solenoid valves 13b~13f, 14a~14e, 42a~42e to switch their open / closed states so that the heat exchangers 3 are connected in parallel and a state in which two or more heat exchangers 3 are connected in series in the first medium circuit 1.

[0032] (c) In the above embodiment, the state in which the heat exchangers 3 are connected in parallel and the state in which two or more heat exchangers 3 are connected in series are switched in the first medium circuit 1 or the second medium circuit 2. However, the open / closed state of the solenoid valves 13b~13f, 14a~14e, 42a~42e, 23a~23e, 24a~24f, 32a~32e may be switched so that the first medium or the second medium does not flow into one or more heat exchangers 3. This is useful when the amount of heat exchange between the first medium and the second medium is small.

[0033] (d) In the above embodiment, the second medium circuit 2 is said to have a second parallel flow path 21 and a second series flow path 31, but it may have only the second series flow path 31. If the first medium circuit 1 has a first parallel flow path 11 and the second medium circuit 2 has a second series flow path 31, even if the flow rate of the first medium flowing through the first medium circuit 1 is greater than the flow rate of the second medium flowing through the second medium circuit 2, the difference in the flow rates of the first medium and the second medium flowing into each heat exchanger 3 can be reduced, so that the water equivalent ratio can be brought closer to the optimal value. For this reason, even if multiple heat exchangers 3 are used, it is possible to use general-purpose heat exchangers 3, and the cost of the heat exchange system S can be reduced.

[0034] (e) In the above embodiment, the first parallel flow path 11 and the second parallel flow path 21 are configured to connect multiple heat exchangers 3 in parallel, but these may be configured to connect two or more heat exchangers 3 in parallel.

[0035] In the embodiment described above, the following configuration can be envisioned. (1) A heat exchange system S comprising a plurality of heat exchangers 3 that perform heat exchange between a first medium and a second medium, a first medium circuit 1 through which the first medium flows, and a second medium circuit 2 through which the second medium flows, wherein the first medium circuit 1 has a first parallel flow path 11 that connects the plurality of heat exchangers 3 in parallel, and the second medium circuit 2 has a second series flow path 31 that connects the plurality of heat exchangers 3 in series.

[0036] In this configuration, in the first medium circuit 1, multiple heat exchangers 3 are connected in parallel by a first parallel flow path 11, so that the flow rate of the first medium flowing into each of the multiple heat exchangers 3 is smaller than the flow rate of the first medium in the entire first medium circuit 1. In the second medium circuit 2, multiple heat exchangers 3 are connected in series by a second series flow path 31, so that the flow rate of the second medium flowing into each of the multiple heat exchangers 3 is equal to the flow rate of the second medium in the entire second medium circuit 2. Therefore, when there is a difference between the flow rate of the first medium in the first medium circuit 1 and the flow rate of the second medium in the second medium circuit 2, for example, when the flow rate of the first medium is greater than the flow rate of the second medium, the difference in flow rates between the first medium and the second medium flowing into the heat exchanger 3 can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to optimize the water equivalent ratio of the first medium and the second medium in the heat exchanger 3, so even if cooling efficiency is improved by using multiple heat exchangers, it is not necessary to design the heat exchanger 3 to be a dedicated design for the system, and a general-purpose heat exchanger 3 can be used, reducing costs. In addition, the required heat transfer area is minimized, making it possible to miniaturize the heat exchange system S. Furthermore, miniaturization of the heat exchange system S reduces the required amounts of the first and second media.

[0037] (2) The heat exchange system S of (1) is further provided with a switching mechanism for switching the flow state of each medium to the multiple heat exchangers 3 in the second medium circuit 2, the second medium circuit 2 has a second parallel flow path 21 which connects two or more heat exchangers 3 in parallel, and the switching mechanism preferably switches between a state in the second medium circuit 2 where the multiple heat exchangers 3 are connected in series and a state where two or more heat exchangers 3 are connected in parallel.

[0038] With this configuration, if there is a difference between the flow rate of the first medium in the first medium circuit 1 and the flow rate of the second medium in the second medium circuit 2, the flow rate of the second medium flowing into the heat exchanger 3 can be increased or decreased by switching between a state in which multiple heat exchangers 3 are connected in series and a state in which two or more heat exchangers 3 are connected in parallel in the second medium circuit 2. This makes it possible to optimize the water equivalent ratio of the first medium and the second medium in the heat exchanger 3, so there is no need to design the heat exchanger 3 to be specially tailored to the system, and a general-purpose heat exchanger 3 can be used, thereby reducing costs. In addition, even if there are fluctuations in the flow rate of the first medium in the first medium circuit 1 and the flow rate of the second medium in the second medium circuit 2, the water equivalent ratio can be optimized by adjusting these flow rates into the heat exchanger 3.

[0039] In the heat exchange system S of (3)(2), the switching mechanism preferably switches between a state in which multiple heat exchangers 3 are connected in series and a state in which two or more heat exchangers 3 are connected in parallel in the second medium circuit 2, based on the water equivalent ratio of the first medium and the second medium.

[0040] According to this configuration, the switching mechanism can switch between a state in which multiple heat exchangers 3 are connected in series and a state in which two or more heat exchangers 3 are connected in parallel in the second medium circuit 2, so as to optimize the water equivalent ratio of the first medium and the second medium flowing into the heat exchangers 3. Therefore, general-purpose heat exchangers 3 can be used, making it possible to miniaturize the entire heat exchange system S.

[0041] (4) In the heat exchange system S of (2), the second medium circuit 2 is further provided with thermometers T1, T2 and pressure gauges P1, P2, and the switching mechanism preferably switches between a state in which multiple heat exchangers 3 are connected in series and a state in which two or more heat exchangers 3 are connected in parallel in the second medium circuit 2 based on the values ​​measured by the thermometers T1, T2 and pressure gauges P1, P2.

[0042] With this configuration, the amount of heat exchanged between the first medium and the second medium can be optimized by controlling the flow rate of the second medium into the heat exchanger 3 according to the temperature and pressure of the second medium. [Industrial applicability]

[0043] This invention is applicable to heat exchange systems having multiple heat exchangers. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1: First medium circuit, 2: Second medium circuit, 3: Heat exchanger, 3a: Heat exchanger, 3b: Heat exchanger, 3c: Heat exchanger, 3d: Heat exchanger, 3e: Heat exchanger, 3f: Heat exchanger, 11: First parallel channel, 11a: First parallel channel, 11b: First parallel channel, 11c: First parallel channel, 11d: First parallel channel, 11e: First parallel channel, 11f: First parallel channel, 21: Second parallel channel, 21a: Second parallel channel, 21b: Second parallel channel, 21c: Second parallel channel, 21d: Second parallel channel, 21e: Second parallel channel, 21f: Second parallel channel, 31: Second series channel, 31a: Second series channel, 31b: Second series channel, 31c: Second series channel, 31d: Second series channel, 31e: Second series channel, P1: Pressure gauge, P2: Pressure gauge, S: Heat exchange system, T1: Thermometer, T2: Thermometer

Claims

1. Multiple heat exchangers that perform heat exchange between a first medium and a second medium, A first medium circuit through which the first medium flows, The system comprises a second medium circuit through which the second medium flows, The first media circuit has a first parallel flow path that connects the plurality of heat exchangers in parallel, The second media circuit is a heat exchange system having a second series flow path connecting the plurality of heat exchangers in series.

2. The second media circuit further includes a switching mechanism for switching the flow state of each medium to the plurality of heat exchangers, The second media circuit has a second parallel flow path that connects two or more of the heat exchangers in parallel, The heat exchange system according to claim 1, wherein the switching mechanism switches between a state in which the plurality of heat exchangers are connected in series and a state in which two or more of the heat exchangers are connected in parallel in the second media circuit.

3. The heat exchange system according to claim 2, wherein the switching mechanism switches between a state in which the plurality of heat exchangers are connected in series and a state in which two or more of the heat exchangers are connected in parallel in the second medium circuit, based on the water equivalent ratio of the first medium and the second medium.

4. The second media circuit further includes a thermometer and a pressure gauge, The heat exchange system according to claim 2, wherein the switching mechanism switches in the second medium circuit between a state in which the plurality of heat exchangers are connected in series and a state in which two or more of the heat exchangers are connected in parallel, based on the values ​​measured by the thermometer and the pressure gauge.

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