Heat exchanger and refrigeration cycle device

Abstract

This heat exchanger comprises: a plurality of flat heat transfer tubes which are disposed upright in the vertical direction and provided in parallel at intervals in a direction orthogonal to an air circulation direction; and corrugated fins disposed between the plurality of flat heat transfer tubes. The corrugated fins of the heat exchanger have a configuration in which plate-shaped fin parts are continuous in wave shapes in a tube axis direction of the plurality of flat heat transfer tubes, and the fin parts include drainage slits that are formed extending in a tube parallel arrangement direction, which is the parallel arrangement direction of the plurality of flat heat transfer tubes, and cause water on the upper surfaces of the fin parts to drop off and drain, and a plurality of louvers having louver slits extending in the tube parallel arrangement direction and plate parts that are inclined with respect to a flat plate-shaped flat plate parts of the fin parts. The plurality of louvers are divided into a first louver group formed on an upstream side of the drainage slits in the air circulation direction, and a second louver group formed on the downstream side of the drainage slits in the air circulation direction. The plate parts of the first louver group and the plate parts of the second louver group are inclined in opposite directions to each other with respect to the flat plate parts. The drainage slits are formed in a plurality at intervals in the air circulation direction between the first louver group and the second louver group.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heat exchanger having corrugated fins and a refrigeration cycle apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, corrugated fin tube-type heat exchangers, which are constructed by alternately stacking flat heat transfer tubes and corrugated fins, are in widespread use. When such a heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, the surface temperature of the corrugated fins may drop below the freezing point, causing condensed water on the fin surface to freeze. When the condensed water on the fin surface freezes, it becomes a resistance to the air passing through the heat exchanger, which causes a decrease in the heat transfer performance of the corrugated fins. In order to drain the water from the fin surface, there is a heat exchanger in which drainage slits formed by through holes are provided in the corrugated fins, and the condensed water on the fin surface is discharged through the drainage slits (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The condensed water is water that is condensed from the moisture in the air and adheres to the surface of the heat exchanger. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-183908 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The heat exchanger of Patent Document 1 has drainage slits to drain condensed water from the fin surface, but increasing the opening of the drainage slits to improve drainage leads to a decrease in heat transfer performance due to a decrease in the heat transfer area while improving drainage. The heat exchanger of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of improving drainage while maintaining heat transfer performance.

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a heat exchanger and a refrigeration cycle apparatus that can improve drainage performance while maintaining heat transfer performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The heat exchanger according to the present disclosure is a heat exchanger including a plurality of flat heat transfer tubes, each having a flat cross section, a plurality of flow paths formed by through holes, and arranged vertically and parallel to each other at intervals in a direction perpendicular to an air flow direction, and corrugated fins arranged between the plurality of flat heat transfer tubes, wherein the corrugated fins have a configuration in which plate-shaped fin portions are connected in a wave-like shape in the tube axial direction of the plurality of flat heat transfer tubes, and the fin portions are formed extending in a tube juxtaposition direction, which is the direction in which the plurality of flat heat transfer tubes are arranged parallel to each other, and include drainage slits that drop and drain water on an upper surface of the fin portions, and a plurality of louvers each having louver slits extending in the tube juxtaposition direction and plate portions inclined with respect to the flat plate portions of the fin portions, A plurality of flat heat transfer tubes are arranged in a plurality of rows at intervals in the air flow direction, and a corrugated fin is arranged commonly to the plurality of rows. The corrugated fin is formed with a plurality of louvers and drainage slits corresponding to each row, and inter-row drainage slits are formed at positions corresponding to the positions between the rows in the air flow direction, extending in the tube arrangement direction, and for dropping and draining water from the fin portion, and a plurality of louvers and drainage slits are formed corresponding to each of two rows adjacent in the air flow direction with the inter-row drainage slits in between. Multiple louvers are Between rows A first louver group formed upstream of the drainage slit in the air flow direction; Between rows and a second louver group formed downstream of the drainage slit in the air flow direction, the plate portions of the first louver group and the plate portions of the second louver group are inclined in opposite directions to each other with respect to the flat plate portion, Between rows A plurality of drainage slits are formed between the first louver group and the second louver group at intervals in the air flow direction, Between two adjacent rows in the air flow direction The opening area of ​​the drainage slit formed between the first louver group located upstream of the inter-row drainage slit in the air flow direction is defined as A. A , Between two adjacent rows in the air flow direction The opening area of ​​the drainage slit formed between the second louver group located downstream of the inter-row drainage slit in the air flow direction is defined as A. B , Multiple columns located between two columns Opening area of ​​inter-row drainage slits Sum of A C When we define C >A A +A B It satisfies the above.

[0007] A refrigeration cycle device according to the present disclosure includes the above heat exchanger. Effect of the Invention

[0008] In the heat exchanger according to the present disclosure, a plurality of drainage slits are formed between the first louver group and the second louver group at intervals in the air flow direction. The first louver group formed on the upstream side of the plurality of drainage slits in the air flow direction and the second louver group formed on the downstream side are inclined in opposite directions. Therefore, the heat exchanger according to the present disclosure can improve drainage while maintaining heat transfer performance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a heat exchanger according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of the heat exchanger according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a flat plate portion of a corrugated fin according to a first embodiment, taken in the air flow direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the position of drainage slits in the fin portion of the corrugated fin according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a modified example of the heat exchanger according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the flow of condensed water in the configuration of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an analysis result of drainage characteristics according to the number of rows of drainage slits. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a graph showing the relationship between drainage performance and the ratio of the inter-louver ventilation cross-sectional area AL to the drainage slit opening area As. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing dimensions of each part used to explain the relationship in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of dimensions of each part used to explain the relationship in FIG. 8. [Figure 11]10 is an explanatory diagram of warpage deformation of a corrugated fin of a comparative example during hole drilling. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an analysis result of drainage characteristics according to louver angle. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an arrangement pattern 1 of drainage slit openings in the corrugated fin according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a second arrangement pattern of drainage slit openings in the corrugated fin according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an arrangement pattern 3 of drainage slit openings in the corrugated fin according to the first embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an arrangement pattern 4 of drainage slit openings in the corrugated fin according to the first embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the process of drilling drainage slits using a corrugated cutter. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing an enlarged portion of a heat exchanger according to a second embodiment. [Figure 19] 19 is a diagram showing an arrangement pattern of drain slit openings in the corrugated fins of the heat exchanger of FIG. 18. FIG. [Figure 20] 10 is a schematic plan view showing an enlarged portion of a modified example of the heat exchanger 10 according to the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 21] 20 is a diagram showing an arrangement pattern of drain slit openings in the corrugated fins of the heat exchanger of FIG. 19. FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing an enlarged portion of a heat exchanger according to a third embodiment. [Diagram 23] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing an enlarged portion of a modified example of the heat exchanger according to the third embodiment. [Figure 24] 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 22 and FIG. 23. [Diagram 25] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing an enlarged portion of a heat exchanger according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 26] 26 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 25 taken along line B-B. [Figure 27]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air-conditioning apparatus according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view showing an enlarged portion of a heat exchanger according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 29] 29 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 28 taken along line B-B. [Diagram 30] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a heat exchanger according to the sixth embodiment. [Diagram 31] FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view showing an enlarged portion of a heat exchanger according to a seventh embodiment. [Diagram 32] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between (Lf / L1)×100 and low-temperature heating capacity in the heat exchanger according to the seventh embodiment. [Diagram 33] 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between the recessed amount of the corrugated fins and the refrigerant flow paths inside the flattened heat transfer tube in the seventh embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, a heat exchanger and a refrigeration cycle device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In the following drawings, the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent, and are common throughout the entire embodiment described below. The forms of the components shown in the entire specification are merely examples, and are not limited to the forms described in the specification. In particular, the combination of the components is not limited to the combination in each embodiment, and the components described in other embodiments can be applied to other embodiments. In the following description, the upper side in the figure will be described as the "upper side", and the lower side will be described as the "lower side". Furthermore, to facilitate understanding, terms expressing directions (for example, "right", "left", etc.) will be used as appropriate, but these terms are for the purpose of explanation and do not limit the present disclosure. In addition, the high and low levels of humidity and temperature are not determined in relation to absolute values, but are determined relatively in the state and operation of the device, etc. In addition, the relationship of the sizes of the components in the drawings may differ from the actual ones.

[0011] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a heat exchanger according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 1, a heat exchanger 10 according to embodiment 1 is a parallel piping type corrugated fin tube type heat exchanger. The heat exchanger 10 has a plurality of flat heat transfer tubes 1, a plurality of corrugated fins 2, and a pair of headers 3.

[0012] The pair of headers 3 are each connected to other devices constituting the refrigeration cycle apparatus, and are pipes through which a refrigerant, which is a fluid that serves as a heat exchange medium, flows in and out, and through which the refrigerant branches or merges. The pair of headers 3 have a header 3A and a header 3B. The headers 3A and 3B are arranged vertically with a gap between them. When the heat exchanger 10 is used as an evaporator, liquid refrigerant passes through the upper header 3B, and gaseous refrigerant passes through the lower header 3A. When the heat exchanger 10 is used as a condenser, gaseous refrigerant passes through the upper header 3B, and liquid refrigerant passes through the lower header 3A.

[0013] A plurality of flat heat transfer tubes 1 are arranged between the pair of headers 3 perpendicular to each header 3, and the plurality of flat heat transfer tubes 1 are arranged parallel to one another. The plurality of flat heat transfer tubes 1 are arranged side by side at equal intervals in a direction perpendicular to the air flow direction. Hereinafter, the direction in which the flat heat transfer tubes 1 are arranged side by side (the left-right direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the "pipe arrangement direction", and the axial direction of the flat heat transfer tubes 1 (the up-down direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the "pipe axial direction".

[0014] The flat heat transfer tube 1 has a flat cross section. The flat heat transfer tube 1 is a heat transfer tube in which the outer surface on the long side of the flat cross section (hereinafter referred to as the flat surface) is flat, and the outer surface on the short side of the flat shape is curved. The flat heat transfer tube 1 is a multi-hole flat heat transfer tube having a plurality of refrigerant flow paths formed by through holes inside the tube. Each flat heat transfer tube 1 is arranged upright in the vertical direction, and the through holes of the flat heat transfer tube 1 extend in the vertical direction and communicate with a pair of headers 3. The flat heat transfer tube 1 is arranged so that the long side of the flat cross section is along the air flow direction. Each flat heat transfer tube 1 is joined to a pair of headers 3 by inserting both ends of the flat heat transfer tube 1 into insertion holes (not shown) formed in each of the pair of headers 3 and brazing them. For example, a brazing material containing aluminum is used for brazing.

[0015] Here, when the heat exchanger 10 is used as an evaporator, a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flows through the refrigerant flow passages in the flat heat transfer tubes 1. When the heat exchanger 10 is used as a condenser, a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows through the refrigerant flow passages in the flat heat transfer tubes 1. The arrows in Fig. 1 show the flow of the refrigerant when the heat exchanger 10 is used as an evaporator.

[0016] The first embodiment describes the drainage of condensed water generated on the fin surface when the heat exchanger 10 is used as an evaporator. Therefore, the flow of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 10 when the heat exchanger 10 is used as an evaporator will be described below. As shown by the arrow in FIG. 1, the refrigerant flows into the header 3A through a pipe (not shown) that supplies the refrigerant from an external device (not shown) to the heat exchanger 10. The refrigerant that flows into the header 3A is distributed and passes through each flat heat transfer tube 1. The flat heat transfer tube 1 exchanges heat between the refrigerant passing through the inside of the tube and the outside air, which is the outside atmosphere passing outside the tube. At this time, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the atmosphere while passing through the flat heat transfer tube 1. The refrigerant that has passed through each flat heat transfer tube 1 and exchanged heat flows into the header 3B and merges in the header 3B. The refrigerant that has merged in the header 3B passes through a pipe (not shown) connected to the header 3B and is returned to the external device (not shown).

[0017] Corrugated fins 2 are arranged between the flat heat transfer tubes 1. The corrugated fins 2 are arranged to increase the heat transfer area between the refrigerant and the outside air. The corrugated fins 2 are formed by corrugating a flat fin material and folding it in a zigzag pattern with repeated mountain and valley folds, forming a corrugated shape like an accordion. Here, the folded parts due to the unevenness created by the corrugated shape become the apexes of the corrugated shape. In the first embodiment, the apexes of the corrugated fins 2 are aligned along the height direction. (a) to (e) of FIG. 1 will be described later.

[0018] Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a part of the heat exchanger according to embodiment 1. The white arrows in Fig. 2 indicate the air flow direction. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a flat plate portion of the corrugated fin according to embodiment 1 cut in the air flow direction. The diagonal solid arrows in Fig. 3 indicate the flow of condensed water. The corrugated fin 2 is joined to the flat surface 1a of the flat heat transfer tube 1, except for an upstream protruding portion 2a that protrudes upstream from the flat heat transfer tube 1 in the air flow direction. This joint portion is brazed and joined with a brazing material. The material of the fin material constituting the corrugated fin 2 is, for example, an aluminum alloy. A brazing material layer is clad on the surface of the fin material constituting the corrugated fin 2. The main material of the clad brazing material layer is, for example, an aluminum-silicon brazing material containing aluminum. Here, the plate thickness of the fin material constituting the corrugated fin 2 is, for example, about 50 μm to 200 μm.

[0019] The corrugated fin 2 has a configuration in which plate-shaped fin portions 24 are connected in a wave shape in the tube axial direction. When viewed in the air flow direction, the corrugated fin 2 has a shape in which the fin portions 24 are connected in the tube axial direction with alternating inclinations in opposite directions. The fin portions 24 have a flat plate portion 21 and curved apex portions 20 at both ends of the flat plate portion 21 in the tube juxtaposition direction. The corrugated fin 2 is joined to the flat heat transfer tube 1 at the apex portions 20 in surface contact with the flat surfaces 1a of the flat heat transfer tube 1.

[0020] A plurality of louvers 22 are formed in the fin portion 24 in a line in the air flow direction. The louvers 22 have louver slits 22a that allow air to pass through, and plate portions 22b that guide air to the louver slits 22a. The plate portions 22b are inclined with respect to the flat plate portion 21. The louver slits 22a and the plate portions 22b are configured in a rectangular shape extending in the pipe arrangement direction. The louvers 22 are formed by cutting and raising the plate portions 22b from the flat plate portion 21.

[0021] The multiple louvers 22 are divided into a first louver group 22A formed upstream in the air flow direction of drainage slits 23 (described later) formed in the fin portion 24, and a second louver group 22B formed downstream in the air flow direction of the drainage slits 23. The drainage slits 23 are openings for allowing water that has accumulated on the upper surface of the fin portion 24, particularly on the flat plate portion 21 which is nearly horizontal, to fall to the lower surface.

[0022] Here, in Fig. 3, l1 is a virtual center auxiliary line in the plate thickness direction of the plate portion 22b of the first louver group 22A, and l2 is a virtual center auxiliary line in the plate thickness direction of the plate portion 22b of the second louver group 22B. As shown in Fig. 3, when the upper surface and the lower surface of the flat plate portion 21 are defined based on the direction of gravity g, the plate portion 22b of the first louver group 22A and the plate portion 22b of the second louver group 22B are set to have an inclination direction such that the center auxiliary line l1 and the center auxiliary line l2 intersect on the lower surface side. In other words, the plate portion 22b of the first louver group 22A and the plate portion 22b of the second louver group 22B are inclined in opposite directions to each other with respect to the flat plate portion 21. By forming the plate portions 22b of the louvers 22 in this direction, the condensed water flowing along the plate portions 22b of the louvers 22 formed on a certain fin portion 24 is guided toward the drainage slits 23 of the underlying fin portion 24. Therefore, the heat exchanger 10 having this configuration can greatly improve the drainage performance.

[0023] The fin portion 24 is formed with drainage slits 23 for draining condensed water generated on the fin portion 24. The drainage slits 23 are through holes formed in the corrugated fin 2. The drainage slits 23 are formed in a rectangular shape extending longitudinally in the pipe arrangement direction, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the air flow direction. The drainage slits 23 are formed in the center of the fin portion 24 in the air flow direction, excluding the upstream protruding portion 2a. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the drainage slits 23 are formed in two rows in the air flow direction, the number of rows of the drainage slits 23 may be one row, or three or more rows. When multiple rows of the drainage slits 23 are formed, the area of ​​the fin portion 24 between the drainage slits 23 in each row is the heat transfer area 503. When multiple rows of the drainage slits 23 are formed, the multiple rows of the drainage slits 23 are formed adjacent to each other in the center of the fin portion 24 in the air flow direction, excluding the upstream protruding portion 2a. Adjacent to each other means that there is no louver 22 between the drainage slits 23.

[0024] The heat transfer regions 503 between the rows of drainage slits 23 are typically flat, similar to the flat plate portion 21. In addition, between the drainage slits 23 at the most upstream side in the air flow direction and the first louver group 22A, and between the drainage slits 23 at the most downstream side in the air flow direction and the second louver group 22b, among the rows of drainage slits 23, flat regions may be formed similar to the flat plate portion 21. Note that the number of rows of drainage slits 23 is synonymous with the number of drainage slits 23, and hereinafter, the number of drainage slits 23 will be expressed using either the expression "number of rows" or "number".

[0025] When the heat exchanger 10 is used as an evaporator, the surface temperature of the flat heat transfer tube 1 and the corrugated fin 2 becomes lower than the temperature of the air passing through the heat exchanger 10. Therefore, moisture in the air condenses, and condensed water 4 is generated on the surfaces of the flat heat transfer tube 1 and the corrugated fin 2. The condensed water 4 generated on the surface of the fin portion 24 of the corrugated fin 2 flows down from the drainage slit 23 to the lower fin portion 24. At that time, in the area of ​​the surface of the fin portion 24 where the amount of condensed water 4 is large, the condensed water 4 is likely to flow on the surface of the fin portion 24 and is likely to flow down through the drainage slit 23. On the other hand, in the area of ​​the surface of the fin portion 24 where the amount of condensed water 4 is small, the condensed water 4 is unlikely to flow on the surface of the fin portion 24 and is likely to be held and retained on the surface of the fin portion 24. Although the fin portion 24 is inclined when viewed in the air flow direction, it has been found that such retention occurs. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the position of the drainage slit 23 is set as follows to improve drainage.

[0026] [Position of drainage slit 23] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the position of the drainage slits in the fin portion of the corrugated fin according to the first embodiment. Each of FIG. 4(a) to FIG. 4(e) corresponds to the fin portion 24 at each position of FIG. 1(a) to (e). That is, FIG. 4(a) to FIG. 4(e) show the fin portions 24 adjacent to each other in the pipe axis direction. FIG. 4(a) to FIG. 4(c) show a configuration in which two rows of drainage slits 23 are formed in the air flow direction, and two drainage slits 23 are formed in each row in the pipe arrangement direction, resulting in a total of four drainage slits. FIG. 4(d) to FIG. 4(e) show a configuration in which two rows of drainage slits 23 are formed, and one drainage slit 23 is formed in each row, resulting in a total of two drainage slits.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 4, the drainage slits 23 are arranged such that the positions of the fin portions 24 adjacent to each other in the pipe axial direction are shifted from each other in the pipe arrangement direction. By arranging the drainage slits 23 as described above, the flow of condensed water in the corrugated fin 2 is as follows. Here, the flow of condensed water will be explained using two fin portions 24 adjacent to each other vertically.

[0028] Condensed water generated on the surface of the upper fin portion 24 flows down from the drainage slits 23 of the upper fin portion 24 onto the lower fin portion 24. Here, as described above, the positions of the drainage slits 23 are shifted in the pipe juxtaposition direction between the fin portions 24 adjacent to each other in the pipe axial direction. Therefore, a part of the area directly below the drainage slits 23 of the upper fin portion 24 is a part where the drainage slits 23 of the lower fin portion 24 are not formed, and is a part where condensed water is generated and held. Therefore, the condensed water 4 that falls from the drainage slits 23 of the upper fin portion 24 onto the lower fin portion 24 merges with the condensed water 4 that is held on the surface of the lower fin portion 24 and is difficult to flow. The condensed water 4, which has increased in amount by merging, becomes easier to flow down and is drained through the drainage slits 23 of the lower fin portion 24. The above-mentioned flow of condensed water is repeated in the vertical direction between two fin portions 24 adjacent to each other in the pipe axial direction, so that the condensed water 4 held on the surface of each fin portion 24 is reduced, and efficient drainage is achieved.

[0029] 4(a), 4(b) and 4(c), the drainage slits 23 are formed overlapping the apex 20 at both ends of the flat plate portion 21 in the pipe juxtaposition direction when viewed in the pipe axis direction. In Fig. 4(d) and 4(e), the drainage slits 24 are formed overlapping the apex 20 at one end of the flat plate portion 21 in the pipe juxtaposition direction when viewed in the pipe axis direction. Hereinafter, the portion of the fin portion 24 where the drainage slits 23 overlap the apex 20 is referred to as the drainage apex 20a, and for convenience of explanation, the portion of the fin portion 24 where the drainage slits 23 do not overlap the apex 20 is referred to as the non-drainage apex 20b.

[0030] In Figures 4(a), 4(b) and 4(c), there are two rows of drainage slits 23, and two drainage slits 23 in each row overlap the apexes 20 at both ends in the pipe arrangement direction of the fin section 24. Therefore, in Figures 4(a), 4(b) and 4(c), there are four drainage apexes 20a in the fin section 24.

[0031] In Fig. 4(d), there are two rows of drainage slits 23, and one drainage slit 23 in each row overlaps with the apex 20 at one end side (right side in Fig. 4) of the fin section 24 in the pipe juxtaposition direction. Therefore, the fin section 24 in Fig. 4(d) has two drainage apexes 20a. In Fig. 4(d), one drainage slit 23 in each row does not overlap with the apex 20 at the other end side (left side in Fig. 4) of the fin section 24 in the pipe juxtaposition direction. Therefore, the fin section 24 in Fig. 4(d) has two non-drainage apexes 20b.

[0032] In Fig. 4(e), there are two rows of drainage slits 23, and one drainage slit 23 in each row overlaps with the apex 20 at the other end side (left side in Fig. 4) of the fin section 24 in the pipe arrangement direction. Therefore, the fin section 24 in Fig. 4(e) has two drainage apexes 20a. In Fig. 4(e), one drainage slit 23 in each row does not overlap with the apex 20 at one end side (right side in Fig. 4) of the fin section 24 in the pipe arrangement direction. Therefore, the fin section 24 in Fig. 4(d) has two non-drainage apexes 20b.

[0033] The top 20 is formed by bending a flat fin material into a V-shape, so the inner space of the top 20 is narrow (see FIG. 6 described later). Therefore, the condensed water 4 generated on the inner surface of the top 20 is easily retained and accumulated in the inner space of the top 20 due to the surface tension generated in the condensed water 4. Therefore, by having the drainage top 20a in the top 20, it is possible to prevent the condensed water from accumulating in the inner space of the top 20, and the drainage performance can be improved. Note that the more the number of drainage tops 20a is increased, the more the drainage performance can be improved, but on the other hand, since the top 20 is a part that is joined to the flat heat transfer tube 1 and heat transfer is performed, increasing the number of drainage tops 20a leads to a decrease in heat transfer. Therefore, the ratio of the number of drainage tops 20a to the number of non-drainage tops 20b can be determined in consideration of the drainage performance and heat transfer performance. Also, if the number of drainage tops 20a is increased, the joint parts between the fin part 24 and the flat heat transfer tube 1 are reduced, resulting in a decrease in strength. For this reason, it is desirable that the corrugated fin 2 has a configuration in which the drainage apexes 20a and the non-drainage apexes 20b are distributed in a well-balanced manner over the entire corrugated fin 2.

[0034] With this configuration, it is possible to expect improvement in drainage while suppressing deterioration in heat transfer performance without reducing the contact area between the flat heat transfer tubes 1 and the corrugated fins 2.

[0035] In addition, Figure 4 shows an example in which the drainage slits 23 are formed at positions overlapping with the apexes 20 at both ends of the flat portion 21 in the pipe arrangement direction when viewed in the pipe axis direction, but they may also be formed at the positions shown in Figure 5 below.

[0036] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a modified example of the heat exchanger according to embodiment 1. Fig. 5(a) shows the upper fin portion 24 of the fin portions 24 adjacent in the tube axis direction, and Fig. 5(b) shows the lower fin portion 24 of the fin portions 24 adjacent in the tube axis direction. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the flow of condensed water in the configuration of Fig. 5. In FIG. 5, the drainage slits 23 are formed at positions that do not overlap either of the apexes 20 at both ends of the flat plate portion 21 in the pipe arrangement direction when viewed in the pipe axial direction.

[0037] The flow of condensed water in the modified example of Fig. 5 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Of the two fins 24 constituting the top 20 enclosed in a dotted circle in Fig. 6, the upper fin 24A corresponds to the fin 24 in Fig. 5(a), and the lower fin 24B corresponds to the fin 24 in Fig. 5(b). In fin section 24A and fin section 24B, drainage slits 23 are arranged so as not to overlap apex 20 when viewed in the pipe axial direction, and therefore apex 20 between fin section 24A and fin section 24B becomes non-drainage apex 20b. For this reason, condensed water is likely to accumulate in the inner space of non-drainage apex 20b due to the surface tension generated in condensed water 4. Below, the portion where condensed water 4 accumulates is referred to as apex accumulation section 30. Below, drainage of condensed water 4 accumulated in apex accumulation section 30 will be described.

[0038] Condensed water generated and accumulated on the surface of fin section 24C above fin section 24A flows down from drainage slits 23 of fin section 24C toward fin section 24A. Here, drainage slits 23 of fin section 24C and drainage slits 23 of fin section 24A are formed with a shift in the pipe juxtaposition direction (left and right direction in FIG. 6). Therefore, condensed water 4 flowing down from the end of drainage slit 23 of fin section 24C in the pipe juxtaposition direction (here, the end on the left side in FIG. 6) passes through drainage slits 23 of fin section 24A and merges with condensed water 4 accumulated in top retention section 30. By this merger, the surface tension of condensed water 4 in top retention section 30 is broken and it flows out of top retention section 30, and flows on the surface of fin section 24B as shown by the dotted arrow in FIG. 6. In this way, drainage can be improved even in fin section 24 where drainage slits 23 are formed at a position that does not overlap with top section 20 when viewed in the pipe axis direction.

[0039] [Relationship between the number of rows of drainage slits 23 and drainage performance] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an analysis result of the drainage characteristics according to the number of rows of drainage slits. The vertical axis of FIG. 7 shows the amount of residual water in the heat exchanger, and the horizontal axis shows time. The faster the rate at which the amount of residual water decreases, the higher the drainage performance. The drainage performance is the amount of drainage per unit time. The measurement of drainage performance is generally performed as follows. Experimental model heat exchangers having fin sections with one row of drainage slits 23 with the same opening area, two rows of fin sections, and three rows of fin sections are fabricated. Then, each heat exchanger is immersed in a water tank and taken out, and the amount of residual water remaining in each heat exchanger is measured over time. FIG. 7 summarizes an example of a calculation result simulating the above test evaluation using a three-dimensional analysis of gas-liquid two-phase flow developed by the inventors.

[0040] 7, it can be seen that the drainage performance is higher when the number of rows of the drainage slits 23 is greater. This is because by forming multiple rows of the drainage slits 23, the total opening area of ​​the drainage slits 23 in one fin portion 24 can be increased.

[0041] In addition, in an example of the analysis results by the inventors, when comparing the drainage performance of a case where two drainage slits 23 are provided with a case where one drainage slit 23 having the combined opening area of ​​the two drainage slits 23 is provided, it was found that the drainage performance can be improved when two drainage slits 23 are provided. According to the analysis by the inventors, the mechanism of this improvement in drainage performance was found to be as follows. Even if the opening area of ​​the drainage slit 23 is increased, the area near the center of the drainage slit 23 does not contribute to drainage, and in fact, water flows down along the inner peripheral part of the drainage slit 23. Therefore, even if the opening area of ​​the drainage slit 23 is increased, the effect of improving drainage is small, while on the other hand, the performance degradation due to the reduction in the heat transfer area increases. Therefore, it is effective to have a configuration having multiple rows of drainage slits 23 so that the inner peripheral length of the drainage slits 23 is long in order to improve drainage performance. As a result, the heat exchanger 10 can improve drainage performance while suppressing the deterioration of heat transfer performance.

[0042] In addition, it is believed that the drainage slits 23 at the portions where the two louver groups with opposite inclinations approach each other are separated, which has the effect of improving drainage with a small drainage opening area. According to the inventors' experiments and analysis, it was found that in order to achieve both improved drainage and heat transfer performance, it is not necessarily the case that the opening area should be increased. This is because increasing the opening area also reduces the heat transfer area, which reduces the heat exchanger performance. According to the inventors' analysis, it was found that the wet edge length of the drainage slit is important for drainage.

[0043] According to the analysis results, it is possible to increase the wet edge length and improve drainage by providing small drainage slits in succession, rather than arranging drainage slits with large openings. Based on this idea, it is possible to increase the wet edge length of the drainage slits 23 per louver group, particularly by having two louver groups with opposite inclinations close to different drainage slits 23, and this makes it possible to improve drainage while minimizing the opening area of ​​the drainage slits 23.

[0044] As described above, by providing the drainage slits 23 in a plurality of rows between the first louver group 22A and the second louver group 22B, the heat exchanger 10 can improve the drainage performance while maintaining the heat transfer performance.

[0045] [Relationship between the ratio of the ventilation cross-sectional area between louvers AL to the drainage slit opening area As, and the drainage speed] The inventors have found through experiments and analysis that there is a relationship between the ratio of the inter-louver ventilation cross-sectional area AL to the drainage slit opening area As and the drainage speed. This point will be described below.

[0046] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a graph showing the relationship between the ratio of the ventilation cross-sectional area AL between the louvers to the drainage slit opening area As and the drainage performance. The drainage performance is the amount of drainage per unit time, and the greater the drainage performance, the more water is drained per unit time. Here, as an example, a graph showing the analysis results showing the relationship when the ratio of the ventilation cross-sectional area AL between the louvers to the drainage slit opening area As is 0.25 is defined as 100%. This analysis result is a summary of an example of the calculation results in which the heat exchanger is immersed in a water tank and taken out, and the amount of water remaining in each heat exchanger is calculated for a certain arbitrary time, as in the case of FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the dimensions of each part used to explain the relationship in FIG. 8, and is a schematic plan view of a part of the heat exchanger. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the dimensions of each part used to explain the relationship in FIG. 8, and is a schematic cross-sectional view of the fin part cut in the air flow direction.

[0047] The drainage speed is greatly affected by the ratio of the ventilation cross-sectional area between the louvers AL to the drainage slit opening area As. The ventilation cross-sectional area between the louvers AL is defined as NL×Ls×Lw=NL×((Lp×sinθ)-t)×Lw. The drainage slit opening area As is defined as Ns×Sw×Ss. Where: NL[-]: Number of louvers 22 θ [rad]: Angle of plate portion 22b with respect to flat plate portion 21 (hereinafter referred to as louver angle) Lp [mm]: Pitch between adjacent louvers 22 Lw [mm]: width of louver 22 in the pipe arrangement direction (hereinafter referred to as louver width) t [mm]: thickness of corrugated fin Ns[-]: Number of rows of drainage slits 23 Sw [mm]: width of the drainage slit 23 in the pipe arrangement direction (hereinafter referred to as drainage slit width) Ss [mm]: length of the drain slit 23 in the air flow direction (hereinafter referred to as drain slit length)

[0048] When AL / As is 4 or less, the smaller the AL / As value, the higher the drainage speed and the rate of increase. Therefore, when the inter-louver ventilation cross-sectional area AL is constant, the greater the drainage slit opening area As, the greater the effect of improving the drainage speed. For this reason, by providing multiple rows of drainage slits 23 and increasing the drainage slit opening area As, the drainage speed can be increased.

[0049] However, if AL / As falls below 1, the drainage speed can be increased, but the rate of increase in the drainage speed relative to an increase in the drainage slit opening area As decreases. This is because, when AL / As is less than 1, the drainage slit opening area As exceeds the inter-louver ventilation cross-sectional area AL, so the amount of drainage processed by the drainage slits 23 is large and the rate is limited by the drainage characteristics of the louvers 22. Also, when AL / As is less than 1, the drainage speed is fast and drainage is good, but the heat transfer performance decreases as the drainage slit opening area As increases. For this reason, it is preferable to set AL / As ≧ 1 in terms of the balance between drainage and heat transfer performance.

[0050] On the other hand, when AL / As exceeds 4, the drainage speed does not increase in proportion to the increase in the drainage slit opening area As. For this reason, making AL / As exceed 4 is not effective in improving drainage. The reason why the drainage speed does not increase in proportion to the increase in the drainage slit opening area As is thought to be because the inter-louver ventilation cross-sectional area AL is too large compared to the drainage slit opening area As, so that the condensed water guided by the louvers 22 cannot be sufficiently treated by the drainage slits 23.

[0051] From the above, when AL / As is in the range of 1 to 4, the drainage slits 23 can effectively improve the drainage and ensure the heat transfer performance. The graph of the relationship in FIG. 8 also applies to the corrugated fin 2 in which the upstream protruding portion 2a of the fin portion 24 is thick, as described in the fourth embodiment described later. The graph of the relationship in FIG. 8 also applies to the corrugated fin 2 provided with the louvers 22 and the drainage slits 23, regardless of the number and arrangement of the drainage slits 23. Therefore, a heat exchanger having the corrugated fin 2 provided with the louvers 22 and the drainage slits 23 and satisfying 1≦AL / As≦4 can improve the drainage while maintaining the heat transfer performance. Note that hs in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 is the length of the heat transfer area 503 (the dotted hatched portion in FIG. 9) in the air flow direction, and this length hs will be described below.

[0052] [Relationship between the length hs of the heat transfer area 503 in the air flow direction and the length Ss of one drainage slit in the air flow direction] When the drainage slits 23 are formed in a plurality of rows, a heat transfer area 503 (see FIG. 9 and FIG. 10) is formed between the drainage slits. The heat transfer area 503 is, so to speak, an area surrounded by the drainage slits 23, and therefore has a low heat transfer effect as a heat transfer surface, but generates vortices and exhibits a heat transfer promotion effect downstream of the heat transfer area 503 by promoting turbulence. Due to the characteristics of promoting turbulence, the heat transfer performance can be improved when the length hs of the heat transfer area 503 in the air flow direction is shorter than the length Ss of the drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction. Furthermore, according to the inventors' analysis, the drainage performance can be improved as described below when the length hs of the heat transfer area 503 in the air flow direction is shorter than the length Ss of the drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction.

[0053] When the length hs of the heat transfer area 503 in the air flow direction is shorter than the length Ss of the drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction, the distance between adjacent drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction becomes closer. When the distance between adjacent drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction becomes closer, the water droplets falling from each drainage slit 23 join together and fall as one large water droplet. In other words, two narrow drainage slits 23 function as one wide slit. Therefore, it is considered that the effect of improving drainage is greater when the length hs of the heat transfer area 503 in the air flow direction is shorter than the length Ss of the drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction.

[0054] It is considered that the effect of improving drainage can be obtained if the length hs of the heat transfer area 503 in the air flow direction is slightly longer than the length Ss of the drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction. This is because the louvers 22 approaching each drainage slit 23 are inclined in the opposite direction, and each drainage slit 23 is separated. However, if the length hs of the heat transfer area 503 in the air flow direction is significantly longer than the length of the drainage slits 23, there is an advantage in improving the strength, but condensed water is likely to remain on the heat transfer area 503, and water droplets fall separately from each drainage slit 23. For this reason, it is considered that the effect of improving drainage is reduced if the length hs of the heat transfer area 503 in the air flow direction is longer than the length Ss of the drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction. In short, in order to obtain the effect of improving drainage, it is important to form a plurality of drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction, and in order to minimize the reduction in the heat transfer area, it is even better to shorten the interval between the drainage slits 23.

[0055] For the same reason as above, it is preferable that the distance in the air flow direction between the louver groups 22A, 22B and the drainage slit 23 is short. If there is a long flat area in the air flow direction between the heat transfer area 503 and the drainage slit 23, condensed water is likely to remain. Therefore, it is preferable that the distance in the air flow direction between the drainage slit 23 located most upstream in the air flow direction and the first louver group 22A, and between the drainage slit 23 located most downstream in the air flow direction and the second louver group 22b, be equal to or less than the length of one louver 22 in the air flow direction, for example.

[0056] Moreover, the heat transfer areas 503 and the drainage slits 23 are alternately arranged in the air flow direction. From another perspective, this configuration corresponds to a configuration in which a thin bridge extending in the pipe arrangement direction (left and right direction in FIG. 9) is placed halfway across one large hole in the air flow direction, dividing the one large hole into multiple parts. This bridge corresponds to the heat transfer area 503. It is considered that the mechanism for improving drainage is that the configuration in which the heat transfer area 503 equivalent to the thin bridge is provided, making it easier for water to flow through the heat transfer area 503 and be guided to the center in the air flow direction between the two drainage slits 23.

[0057] Water that falls near the center between the drainage slits 23 of one fin portion 24 falls near the center between the drainage slits 23 of another fin portion 24 located immediately below, and is combined with water guided from the other fin portion 24 and falls into the fin portion 24 located further below. As a result, even if the multiple fin portions 24 are separated vertically, the drainage slits 23 smoothly drain water in the vertical direction. In other words, the heat transfer area 503 located between the drainage slits 23, in other words, the flat plate portion 21 located between the drainage slits 23, also functions as a water guide portion. Hereinafter, the portion of the flat plate portion 21 located between the drainage slits 23 may be referred to as the water guide portion 21A. The water guide portion 21A has a long plate shape with the longitudinal direction being the pipe arrangement direction and the lateral direction being the air flow direction.

[0058] From the above, a heat exchanger in which the length hs of the heat transfer area 503 in the air flow direction is shorter than the length Ss of the drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction can improve drainage while maintaining heat transfer. When three or more drainage slits 23 are provided, the drainage slits 23 may be formed in the air flow direction at intervals shorter than the length Ss of the drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction.

[0059] Incidentally, the heat transfer area 503 acts as a pressure member to suppress warpage deformation of the fin material that occurs when the fin material is drilled to form the drainage slits 23. This point will be explained using a corrugated fin as a comparative example that does not have the heat transfer area 503.

[0060] Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the warpage deformation of the corrugated fin of the comparative example during hole punching. Fig. 11 shows the fin material before corrugation. The dotted lines extending vertically in Fig. 11 indicate the boundary lines between the fin portions. The fin material 500 of the comparative example does not include a heat transfer region 503, and has one large opening 500a that serves as a drainage slit. The opening 500a is disposed in the center of the fin material 500 in the air flow direction excluding the upstream protruding portion 2a. For this reason, the opening 500a is in a position offset with respect to the center line 504 of the fin material 500 in the air flow direction. When the opening 500a is in such an offset position, a moment is generated on the offset side (the upper side in FIG. 11), causing the fin material 500 to warp and deform.

[0061] In contrast, the corrugated fin 2 of the first embodiment corresponds to a configuration in which the single large opening 500a in the comparative example is divided into multiple small openings. In this configuration, heat transfer areas 503 are formed between the small openings. In other words, fin material portions that are not holes are formed between the small openings. As a result, these fin material portions act as pressure plates that suppress warpage, and the corrugated fin 2 of the first embodiment can improve warpage.

[0062] [Louver 22 angle] According to experiments and analysis conducted by the inventors, it has been found that the louver angle has a large effect on drainage performance. This point will be described below.

[0063] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the analysis result of the drainage characteristic according to the louver angle. The vertical axis of FIG. 12 shows the residual water amount of the heat exchanger, and the horizontal axis shows the time. The faster the residual water amount decreases, the higher the drainage performance. This analysis is performed as follows. A calculation model of a heat exchanger having a fin part formed with a louver with a louver angle of 15°, a fin part formed with a louver with a louver angle of 20°, a fin part formed with a louver with a louver angle of 30°, and a fin part formed with a louver with a louver angle of 40° is created. Then, using a three-dimensional analysis technique of gas-liquid two-phase flow developed by the inventors, the heat exchanger is immersed in a water tank and taken out, and the residual water amount remaining in each heat exchanger is calculated over time. The analysis result in FIG. 12 is a summary of the measurement results.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 12, it can be seen that the speed at which the amount of residual water decreases increases with an increase in the louver angle, and the drainage performance improves. This is thought to be because the drainage effect due to gravity increases with an increase in the louver angle, making it easier for the surface tension of condensed water generated on the surface of the louver 22 to be broken. The speed at which the amount of residual water decreases increases with an increase in the louver angle, but the degree of increase becomes relatively small when the louver angle exceeds 30°. Furthermore, as the louver angle increases, the ventilation resistance at the plate portion 22b of the louver 22 increases, making it difficult for air to flow. Therefore, in order to achieve both improved drainage performance and ease of air flow, it is preferable to set the louver angle to 15° to 30°.

[0065] [Processing of drainage slits 23 in corrugated fin 2] As described above, it is desirable for the corrugated fin 2 to have a well-balanced configuration of drainage apexes 20a and non-drainage apexes 20b. To achieve such a configuration, drainage slits 23 may be formed in the fin material before corrugation in the following arrangement. Four patterns of arrangements of drainage slits 23 in the fin material will be explained below with reference to Figs. 13 to 16 below. Figs. 13 to 16 below show flat fin material before corrugation. Also, dotted lines extending vertically in Figs. 13 to 16 indicate boundary lines l3 between fin portions.

[0066] [Shape of drainage slit 23] The main drainage mechanism of condensed water in the corrugated fin 2 is that it flows down in the air flow direction by the louvers 22 and is collected in the drainage slits 23 and drained. For this reason, even if the drainage slits 23 have the same opening area and wet periphery length, if they are long in the pipe arrangement direction and short in the air flow direction, drainage can be improved while minimizing the reduction in heat transfer area. Therefore, taking into account workability, etc., it is preferable that the drainage slits be, for example, rectangular in shape, as shown in Figures 4, 5, 9, and 18.

[0067] (Layout pattern 1) 13 is an explanatory diagram of an arrangement pattern 1 of drain slit openings in the corrugated fin according to the first embodiment. In arrangement pattern 1, the width L2 of the openings 23a that become the drainage slits 23 is longer than the length L1 of the fin portion 24 in the pipe arrangement direction. The openings 23a of adjacent fin portions 24 are spaced equally apart. In other words, the length L3 of this space is the same at each position in the longitudinal direction of the fin material 50. The openings 23a are arranged so as to straddle the boundary line l3. By processing the openings 23a that become the drainage slits 23 in the fin material 50 before corrugation with the above size and arrangement, it is possible to form a configuration in which the drainage apexes 20a and non-drainage apexes 20b are mixed in a well-balanced manner in the corrugated fin 2 after corrugation.

[0068] (Layout pattern 2) FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of an arrangement pattern 2 of drainage slit openings in the corrugated fin according to the first embodiment. In the arrangement pattern 2, the width L2 of the openings 23a that become the drainage slits 23 is shorter than the length L1 of the fin portion 24 in the pipe arrangement direction. The openings 23a of the adjacent fin portions 24 are spaced at equal intervals. That is, the length L3 of this interval is the same at each position in the longitudinal direction of the fin material 50. The length L3 takes a value other than the value obtained by subtracting L2 from L1. This is because, if L3 is the value obtained by subtracting L2 from L1, the drainage crests 20a and the non-drainage crests 20b are not mixed, and all the crests 20 may be drainage crests 20a or non-drainage crests 20b. By processing the openings 23a that become drainage slits in the fin material 50 before the corrugation process with the above size and arrangement, a configuration in which the drainage crests 20a and the non-drainage crests 20b are mixed in a well-balanced manner can be formed in the corrugated fin 2 after the corrugation process.

[0069] (Layout pattern 3) FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of an arrangement pattern 3 of drainage slit openings in the corrugated fin according to the first embodiment. In arrangement pattern 3, width L2 of openings 23a that become drainage slits 23 is shorter than length L1 of fin portion 24 in the pipe juxtaposition direction. Furthermore, the interval between openings 23a of adjacent fin portions 24 is not equal. In other words, length L3 of this interval varies at each position in the longitudinal direction of fin material 50. Pattern 3 is configured such that an arrangement pattern having five openings 23a in the longitudinal direction of fin material 50 constitutes one period, and this arrangement pattern is repeated periodically in the longitudinal direction of fin material 50.

[0070] By processing the openings 23a in the above-mentioned size and arrangement in the fin material 50 before corrugation, a configuration in which the drainage crests 20a and non-drainage crests 20b are mixed in a well-balanced manner can be formed in the corrugated fin 2 after corrugation. In particular, by adjusting L3, the ratio of the drainage crests 20a and non-drainage crests 20b in one corrugated fin 2 can be adjusted, so that the drainage performance and heat transfer performance can be balanced based on the design.

[0071] (Layout pattern 4) FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of an arrangement pattern 4 of drainage slit openings in the corrugated fin according to the first embodiment. In arrangement pattern 4, the width L2 of the openings 23a that become the drainage slits 23 varies at each position. The openings 23a of adjacent fin portions 24 are spaced equally apart. That is, the length L3 of this space is the same at each position in the longitudinal direction of the fin material 50. Pattern 4 is configured such that an arrangement pattern having five openings 23a in the longitudinal direction of the fin material 50 constitutes one period, and this arrangement pattern is repeated periodically in the longitudinal direction of the fin material 50.

[0072] By processing the openings 23a in the above-mentioned size and arrangement in the fin material 50 before corrugation, a configuration in which the drainage crests 20a and non-drainage crests 20b are mixed in a well-balanced manner can be formed in the corrugated fin 2 after corrugation. In particular, by adjusting L2, the ratio of the drainage crests 20a and non-drainage crests 20b in one corrugated fin 2 can be adjusted, so that the drainage performance and heat transfer performance can be balanced based on the design.

[0073] In addition, the fin materials 50 of the above-mentioned arrangement patterns 1 to 4 are all configured such that a specific arrangement pattern is periodically repeated in the longitudinal direction of the fin material 50. Therefore, the corrugated fin 2 produced by corrugating the fin material 50 of the above-mentioned configuration has a configuration in which the fin portions 24 having the same position of the drainage slits 23 in the pipe juxtaposition direction periodically appear every several fin portions in the pipe axial direction. By having this configuration, the heat exchanger 10 can be configured to have a well-balanced mixture of drainage apexes 20a and non-drainage apexes 20b. As a result, it is possible to obtain a heat exchanger 10 that maintains heat transfer performance while improving drainage performance.

[0074] [Drainage slit 23 drilling] In the case of a configuration in which a specific arrangement pattern is periodically repeated in the longitudinal direction of the fin material 50, such as arrangement patterns 1 to 4, the drainage slits 23 can be processed using a corrugated cutter or a corrugated hole punching roller. The following Fig. 17 shows the state of hole punching using a corrugated cutter.

[0075] FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of the process of drilling drainage slits using a corrugated cutter. A pair of corrugated cutters 501, 502 are disposed opposite each other, and a fin material 50 is disposed between the pair of corrugated cutters 501, 502. As the fin material 50 is fed in the direction of the outline arrow, the pair of corrugated cutters 501, 502 rotate in the direction of the solid arrow, and while rotating, they open openings 23a that become drainage slits 23 in the fin material 50.

[0076] In this way, by using a corrugated cutter or a corrugated hole punching roller to process the drainage slits 23, it is possible to increase the processing speed when manufacturing the corrugated fin 2. Note that if the arrangement pattern is not a periodically repeated configuration, manufacturing using a corrugated cutter is not possible, but the present disclosure is not limited to a configuration in which the arrangement pattern is periodically repeated.

[0077] [effect] As described above, the heat exchanger 10 of the first embodiment is a heat exchanger including a plurality of flat heat transfer tubes 1 each having a flat cross section, a plurality of flow paths formed by through holes, and arranged vertically and spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the air flow direction, and a corrugated fin 2 arranged between the flat heat transfer tubes 1. The corrugated fin 2 has a configuration in which plate-shaped fin portions 24 are arranged in a corrugated shape in the tube axis direction of the flat heat transfer tubes 1. The fin portion 24 is formed extending in the tube juxtaposition direction, which is the juxtaposition direction of the flat heat transfer tubes 1, and includes drainage slits 23 that drop and drain water on the upper surface of the fin portion 24, and a plurality of louvers 22 each having a louver slit 22a extending in the tube juxtaposition direction and a plate portion 22b inclined with respect to the flat plate portion 21 of the fin portion 24. The multiple louvers 22 are divided into a first louver group 22A formed upstream of the drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction, and a second louver group 22B formed downstream of the drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction. The plate portions 22b of the first louver group 22A and the plate portions 22b of the second louver group 22B are inclined in opposite directions relative to the flat plate portion 21. A plurality of drainage slits 23 are formed between the first louver group 22A and the second louver group 22B at intervals in the air flow direction.

[0078] With the above-described configuration, the heat exchanger 10 of the first embodiment can improve the drainage performance while maintaining the heat transfer performance.

[0079] The distance between the drainage slits 23 is shorter than the length Ss of the drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction. The distance between the drainage slits 23 is the length hs in the air flow direction of the heat transfer area 503, which is the area of ​​the fin portion 24 sandwiched in the air flow direction by the multiple drainage slits 23 formed. Therefore, the length hs of the heat transfer area 503 in the air flow direction is shorter than the length Ss of the drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction.

[0080] With the above-described configuration, the heat exchanger 10 of the first embodiment can improve the drainage performance while maintaining the heat transfer performance.

[0081] Furthermore, in the heat exchanger 10 of embodiment 1, when the inter-louver ventilation cross-sectional area AL is defined as AL = ((Lp × sin θ) - t) × NL × Lw and the drainage slit opening area As is defined as As = Ns × Sw × Ss, 1 ≦ AL / As ≦ 4 is satisfied.

[0082] With the above-described configuration, the heat exchanger 10 of the first embodiment can improve the drainage performance while maintaining the heat transfer performance.

[0083] The angle of each plate portion 22b of the plurality of louvers 22 relative to the flat plate portion 21 is 15° to 30°.

[0084] With the above-described configuration, the heat exchanger 10 of the first embodiment can achieve both improved drainage and easier air flow.

[0085] The fin portion 24 has apexes 20 joined to the flat heat transfer tubes 1 at both ends of the flat plate portion 21 in the tube arrangement direction. Some of the fin portions 24 have drainage slits 23 formed in positions overlapping one or both of the apexes 20 at both ends when viewed in the tube axis direction. Some of the fin portions 24 have drainage slits 23 formed in positions not overlapping either of the apexes 20 at both ends when viewed in the tube axis direction.

[0086] With the above-described configuration, the heat exchanger 10 of the first embodiment can achieve a balance between drainage performance and heat transfer performance based on design.

[0087] The positions of the drainage slits 23 in the pipe arrangement direction are shifted from each other in the fin portions adjacent to each other in the pipe axial direction.

[0088] With the above-described configuration, the heat exchanger 10 of the first embodiment can improve the drainage performance.

[0089] The corrugated fin 2 has a configuration in which fin portions 24, each having the same position of the drainage slits 23 in the air flow direction, appear periodically and repeatedly in the pipe axial direction.

[0090] With the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to obtain a heat exchanger 10 that maintains its heat transfer performance while improving its drainage performance.

[0091] Embodiment 2 The second embodiment relates to a configuration including a plurality of heat exchangers 10 according to the first embodiment arranged in the air flow direction. The following description will focus on the differences between the second embodiment and the first embodiment, and the configuration not described in the second embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment.

[0092] Fig. 18 is a schematic plan view showing an enlarged portion of a heat exchanger according to embodiment 2. Fig. 19 is a diagram showing an arrangement pattern of drain slit openings in the corrugated fins of the heat exchanger of Fig. 18. The heat exchanger 10A according to the second embodiment has a configuration in which a plurality of flat heat transfer tubes 1 are arranged in two rows at intervals in the air flow direction, and a corrugated fin 2 is arranged in common to the two rows. Here, the flat heat transfer tube 1 on the windward side (also referred to as the upstream side in the air flow direction) is referred to as the flat heat transfer tube 1A, and the flat heat transfer tube 1 on the downwind side (also referred to as the downstream side in the air flow direction) is referred to as the flat heat transfer tube 1B. The dimension L4 in the longitudinal direction of the flat cross section of the flat heat transfer tube 1A and the dimension L5 in the longitudinal direction of the flat cross section of the flat heat transfer tube 1B may be the same or different. Note that, although a configuration in which the flat heat transfer tubes 1 are arranged in two rows is shown here, three or more rows may be used.

[0093] The corrugated fins 2 of the heat exchanger 10A according to the second embodiment are disposed in common to the flat heat transfer tubes 1A and 1B, and are brazed and joined to the flat heat transfer tubes 1A and 1B. The corrugated fins 2 are provided with louvers 22 and drainage slits 23 corresponding to each row.

[0094] The first drainage slit 23A, which is the windward drainage slit 23, is formed within a range corresponding to the longitudinal length of the flat cross section of the flat heat transfer tube 1A. The windward louvers 22 are divided into a first louver group 22A formed upstream of the first drainage slit 23A in the air flow direction and a second louver group 22B formed downstream of the drainage slit 23 in the air flow direction. Although not shown, the plate portion 22b of the first louver group 22A and the plate portion 22b of the second louver group 22B are inclined in opposite directions to each other with respect to the flat plate portion 21.

[0095] The second drainage slit 23B, which is the drainage slit 23 on the leeward side, is formed within a range corresponding to the longitudinal length of the flat cross section of the flat heat transfer tube 1B. The multiple louvers 22 on the leeward side are divided into a first louver group 22A formed upstream of the second drainage slit 23B in the air flow direction, and a second louver group 22B formed downstream of the second drainage slit 23B in the air flow direction. Although not shown, the plate portion 22b of the first louver group 22A and the plate portion 22b of the second louver group 22B are inclined in opposite directions to each other with respect to the flat plate portion 21.

[0096] In Fig. 18, the first drainage slits 23A and the second drainage slits 23B are each formed in two rows in the air flow direction, and two are formed in each row in the pipe juxtaposition direction, but this configuration is not limited to this. Also, in Fig. 18 and Fig. 19, the positions of the first drainage slits 23A and the second drainage slits 23B in the fin portion 24 in the pipe juxtaposition direction are the same, but they may be different as shown in the following Fig. 20 and Fig. 21.

[0097] 20 is a schematic plan view showing an enlarged portion of a modified example of the heat exchanger according to embodiment 2. FIG 21 is a diagram showing an arrangement pattern of drain slit openings in the corrugated fins of the heat exchanger of FIG. In a heat exchanger 10A of this modified example, the positions of the first drainage slits 23A and the second drainage slits 23B in the fin portion 24 in the juxtaposed pipe arrangement direction are different.

[0098] [Adjustment of drainage and heat transfer] In the heat exchanger 10A according to the second embodiment, the drainage and heat transfer performance can be adjusted separately on the windward side and the leeward side by adjusting the position of the drainage slits 23 or the width of the drainage slits 23. Specifically, the drainage can be improved by adjusting the position of the drainage slits 23 to increase the number of drainage peaks 20a, and the heat transfer can be improved by decreasing the number of drainage peaks 20a. Furthermore, the drainage can be improved by increasing the width of the drainage slits 23, and the heat transfer can be improved by decreasing the width of the drainage slits 23.

[0099] Incidentally, when heat exchanger 10A is used as an evaporator, the heat transfer performance on the windward side is higher than that on the leeward side, so condensation is more likely to occur on the windward side. Therefore, drainage performance is required on the windward side. On the other hand, the heat transfer performance on the leeward side is lower than that on the windward side, so condensation is less likely to occur on the leeward side, so heat transfer performance is required rather than drainage. In other words, when heat exchanger 10A is used as an evaporator, a configuration that prioritizes drainage on the windward side and heat transfer on the leeward side is required.

[0100] To achieve this configuration, the positions of the drainage slits 23 may be adjusted as follows. That is, the number of drainage apexes 20a on the windward side in one corrugated fin 2 is defined as N, and the number of drainage apexes 20a on the leeward side as M. In this case, the positions of the first drainage slits 23A and the second drainage slits 23B are adjusted so that N>M is satisfied. This makes it possible to configure a heat exchanger in which the windward side prioritizes drainage and the leeward side prioritizes heat transfer. Also, the total drainage slit width of the multiple first drainage slits 23A on the windward side in one corrugated fin 2 is defined as Sw F The total drainage slit width of the plurality of second drainage slits 23B on the leeward side is Sw B In this case, Sw F >Sw B This makes it possible to configure a heat exchanger in which the windward side has priority over drainage and the leeward side has priority over heat transfer.

[0101] By configuring heat exchanger 10A in this way, with the leeward side being given priority in heat transfer, the difference in heat transfer performance between the windward side and the leeward side can be reduced. By reducing the difference in heat transfer performance between the windward side and the leeward side, the thickness of frost that forms on the fin surface under low temperature air conditions can be made more uniform. By making the thickness of frost that forms on the fin surface more uniform, the heat exchange performance under low temperature air conditions is improved.

[0102] [effect] As described above, the heat exchanger 10A of the second embodiment has the same effects as those of the first embodiment, and also has the following effects. The heat exchanger 10A of the second embodiment has a configuration in which a plurality of flat heat transfer tubes 1 aligned in the tube juxtaposition direction are arranged in a plurality of rows at intervals in the air flow direction, and the corrugated fins 2 are arranged in common to the plurality of rows. With this configuration, the drainage and heat transfer performance can be adjusted on the windward side and the leeward side by adjusting one or both of the positions and the drainage slit widths of the first drainage slits 23A and the second drainage slits 23B in each row. As a result, the heat exchanger 10A of the second embodiment can improve the heat exchange performance under low-temperature air conditions.

[0103] Embodiment 3 The third embodiment relates to a configuration in which inter-row drainage slits are further formed in the heat exchanger 10A of the second embodiment. The following description will focus on the differences between the third embodiment and the second embodiment, and the configuration not described in the third embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment.

[0104] FIG. 22 is a schematic plan view showing an enlarged portion of the heat exchanger according to the third embodiment. The heat exchanger 10B according to the third embodiment has a configuration in which inter-row drainage slits 23C are formed in the non-jointed region 21a between the flat heat transfer tubes 1A and 1B, which is not joined to the flat heat transfer tube 1. The inter-row drainage slits 23 are through holes formed in the corrugated fin 2. By providing the inter-row drainage slits 23C in the non-jointed region 21a, it is possible to improve the drainage performance in the region where the heat transfer performance is low. Note that, although FIG. 22 shows an example in which the inter-row drainage slits 23C are formed in two rows in the air flow direction, the inter-row drainage slits 23C may be formed in one row or three or more rows. Also, in FIG. 22, the positions of the two rows of inter-row drainage slits 23C in the tube arrangement direction are aligned, but the positions may be shifted as shown in the following FIG. 23.

[0105] FIG. 23 is a schematic plan view showing an enlarged portion of a modified example of the heat exchanger according to the third embodiment. In a heat exchanger 10B of this modified example, the positions of two inter-row drainage slits 23C in the juxtaposed pipe arrangement direction are offset from each other.

[0106] Fig. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 22 and Fig. 23. The dashed line in Fig. 24 is a center line showing the center position of the inter-row drainage slits 23C formed in two rows in the air flow direction. The arrows in Fig. 24 show the flow of condensed water during drainage. The heat exchanger 10B of the third embodiment uses the inter-row drainage slit 23C as a main drainage slit. Therefore, the drainage slit that divides the multiple louvers 22 into the first louver group 22A and the second louver group 22B is the inter-row drainage slit 23C. That is, the louver group upstream of the inter-row drainage slit 23C in the air flow direction is the first louver group 22A, and the louver group downstream of the inter-row drainage slit 23C in the air flow direction is the second louver group 22B. As described in the first embodiment, the plate portion 22b of the first louver group 22A and the plate portion 22b of the second louver group 22B are inclined in opposite directions to each other with respect to the flat plate portion 21. With this configuration, the condensed water that flows along the plate portion 22b of the louver 22 is guided toward the inter-row drainage slit 23C of the lower fin portion 24, thereby improving drainage.

[0107] The opening area of ​​the inter-row drainage slit 23C is configured to be larger than the opening area of ​​each of the first drainage slit 23A and the second drainage slit 23B. In this configuration, condensed water is guided toward the inter-row drainage slit 23C. Therefore, by making the opening area of ​​the inter-row drainage slit 23C larger than the opening area of ​​each of the first drainage slit 23A and the second drainage slit 23B, the drainage performance can be improved compared to the case where the opening areas are the same. From the viewpoint of improving the drainage performance, it is preferable that the opening area of ​​the inter-row drainage slit 23C is larger than the opening area of ​​each of the first drainage slit 23A and the second drainage slit 23B, but the opening areas may be the same. In addition, the inter-row drainage slit 23C may be in one row, but when it is in multiple rows, the effect of improving the drainage performance is greater, which is further preferable. In addition, the positions of the first drainage slit 23A, the second drainage slit 23B, and the inter-row drainage slit 23C in the pipe arrangement direction may be shifted from each other or may be aligned.

[0108] 22 and 23, the area of ​​heat transfer region 503 formed between two rows of inter-row drainage slits 23C in the air flow direction is smaller in the configuration of FIG. 23 than in the configuration of FIG. 22. The dotted shaded areas in FIG. 22 and FIG. 23 are heat transfer regions 503. Heat transfer region 503 is formed between inter-row drainage slits 23C, and can therefore be considered a weak portion. In the configuration of FIG. 23, the area of ​​this weak portion can be made smaller than in FIG. 23, so that a heat exchanger with stronger fin strength can be formed than in the configuration of FIG. 22.

[0109] [effect] As described above, the heat exchanger 10B of the third embodiment has the same effects as those of the second embodiment, and since the inter-row drainage slits 23C are formed at positions corresponding to the gaps between the flat heat transfer tubes 1 in the air flow direction, the drainage performance can be improved. The plate portion 22b of the first louver group 22A located upstream of the inter-row drainage slits 23C in the air flow direction and the plate portion 22b of the second louver group 22B located downstream of the inter-row drainage slits 23C in the air flow direction are inclined in opposite directions with respect to the flat plate portion 21. This allows condensed water to be guided toward the inter-row drainage slits 23C, improving the drainage performance. In addition, since the opening area of ​​the inter-row drainage slits 23C is larger than the opening areas of the first drainage slits 23A and the second drainage slits 23B, which are drainage slits other than the inter-row drainage slits, the drainage performance can be improved compared to the case where the opening areas are the same.

[0110] Embodiment 4 In the fourth embodiment, the upstream protruding portion 2a of the fin portion 24 in the heat exchanger 10B of the third embodiment is configured to be thick. The following description will focus on the differences between the fourth embodiment and the third embodiment, and the configuration not described in the fourth embodiment is the same as that of the third embodiment.

[0111] Fig. 25 is a schematic enlarged plan view showing a part of the heat exchanger according to embodiment 4. Fig. 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of Fig. 25. In a heat exchanger 10C of the fourth embodiment, the upstream protruding portion 2a of the corrugated fin 2 is thicker than the other portions of the corrugated fin 2. The upstream protruding portion 2a is formed to be thick by folding back the fin portion 24 protruding upstream of the flat heat transfer tube 1 as shown in FIG.

[0112] When the heat exchanger 10C is used as an evaporator, condensation is likely to occur at the upstream protruding portion 2a of the corrugated fin 2, where air first collides. For this reason, frost is likely to form on the upstream protruding portion 2a under low-temperature air conditions, and the upstream protruding portion 2a is required to have a strength sufficient to withstand the formation of frost.

[0113] Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, the upstream protruding portion 2a of the corrugated fin 2 is made thicker than the other portions of the corrugated fin 2. This ensures the strength of the upstream protruding portion 2a and suppresses deformation of the upstream protruding portion 2a when frost forms.

[0114] [effect] As described above, the heat exchanger 10C of the fourth embodiment has the same effects as those of the third embodiment, and since the upstream protruding portion 2a of the corrugated fin 2 is made thicker than the other portions, the following effects are obtained. That is, the strength of the upstream protruding portion 2a can be improved, and deformation of the upstream protruding portion 2a when frost adheres to the upstream protruding portion 2a can be suppressed. If the upstream protruding portion 2a were to deform, the air flow path would be obstructed, resulting in a decrease in heat exchange capacity. However, in the fourth embodiment, deformation of the upstream protruding portion 2a can be suppressed, and thus the heat exchange capacity can be maintained.

[0115] The upstream protruding portion 2a is thickened by folding back the fin portion protruding upstream of the flat heat transfer tube 1. Therefore, the upstream protruding portion 2a can be easily formed with a thick wall. From the viewpoint of ensuring the strength of the upstream protruding portion 2a, a method of increasing the thickness of the entire corrugated fin is also considered. However, in this method, the thickness of the plate portion 22b of the louver 22 is also increased, so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the ventilation between the louvers is reduced, and the drainage of condensed water from between the louvers is reduced. In contrast, in the heat exchanger 10C of the fourth embodiment, only the upstream protruding portion 2a is thickened. Therefore, in the heat exchanger 10C of the fourth embodiment, the strength of the upstream protruding portion 2a can be improved without reducing the drainage.

[0116] In addition, in embodiment 4, in the heat exchanger of embodiment 3, the upstream protruding portion 2a of the flat plate portion 21 is made to have a thick wall configuration, but in the heat exchanger of embodiment 1 or embodiment 2, the upstream protruding portion 2a of the flat plate portion 21 may also be made to have a thick wall configuration.

[0117] Embodiment 5. The fifth embodiment relates to an air conditioner as an example of a refrigeration cycle apparatus including the heat exchanger according to the first to fourth embodiments.

[0118] FIG. 27 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to the fifth embodiment. The air conditioner uses the heat exchanger according to the first to fourth embodiments as the outdoor heat exchanger 230. However, this is not limited to this, and the heat exchanger according to the first to fourth embodiments may be used as the indoor heat exchanger 110, or may be used for both the outdoor heat exchanger 230 and the indoor heat exchanger 110.

[0119] As shown in Fig. 27, the air conditioner configures a refrigerant circuit by piping-connecting an outdoor unit 200 and an indoor unit 100 with gas refrigerant piping 300 and liquid refrigerant piping 400. The outdoor unit 200 has a compressor 210, a four-way valve 220, an outdoor heat exchanger 230, and an outdoor fan 240. The air conditioner of the fifth embodiment is configured such that one outdoor unit 200 and one indoor unit 100 are connected by piping, although the number of units is arbitrary.

[0120] The compressor 210 compresses the sucked refrigerant and discharges it. Although not particularly limited, the compressor 210 can change the capacity of the compressor 210 by arbitrarily changing the operating frequency using, for example, an inverter circuit. The four-way valve 220 is a valve that switches the flow of the refrigerant depending on whether the operation is cooling or heating.

[0121] The outdoor heat exchanger 230 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the outdoor air. During heating operation, the outdoor heat exchanger 230 functions as an evaporator, evaporating and vaporizing the refrigerant. During cooling operation, the outdoor heat exchanger 230 functions as a condenser, condensing and liquefying the refrigerant. The outdoor fan 240 sends outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 230 to promote heat exchange in the outdoor heat exchanger 230.

[0122] On the other hand, the indoor unit 100 has an indoor heat exchanger 110, a pressure reducing device 120, and an indoor fan 130. The indoor heat exchanger 110 exchanges heat between the indoor air to be air-conditioned and the refrigerant. During heating operation, the indoor heat exchanger 110 functions as a condenser, condensing and liquefying the refrigerant. During cooling operation, the indoor heat exchanger 110 functions as an evaporator, evaporating and vaporizing the refrigerant.

[0123] The pressure reducing device 120 reduces the pressure of the refrigerant to expand it. The pressure reducing device 120 is configured with, for example, an electronic expansion valve. When the pressure reducing device 120 is configured with an electronic expansion valve, the pressure reducing device 120 adjusts the opening degree based on an instruction from a control device (not shown) or the like. The indoor fan 130 passes indoor air through the indoor heat exchanger 110 and supplies the air that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 110 to the room.

[0124] Next, the operation of each device of the air conditioner will be described based on the flow of the refrigerant. First, the heating operation will be described. During the heating operation, the four-way valve 220 is switched to the dotted line side in FIG. 27. The high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed and discharged by the compressor 210 passes through the four-way valve 220 and flows into the indoor heat exchanger 110. The gas refrigerant that flows into the indoor heat exchanger 110 condenses and liquefies by exchanging heat with the air in the space to be air-conditioned. The liquefied refrigerant is depressurized by the decompression device 120 to a gas-liquid two-phase state, and then flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 230. The refrigerant that flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 230 evaporates and gasifies by exchanging heat with the outdoor air sent from the outdoor fan 240. The gasified refrigerant passes through the four-way valve 220 and is sucked into the compressor 210 again. The refrigerant circulates in the above manner, and the air conditioner performs air conditioning related to heating.

[0125] Next, the cooling operation will be described. During the cooling operation, the four-way valve 220 is switched to the solid line side in FIG. 27. The high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed and discharged by the compressor 210 passes through the four-way valve 220 and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 230. The gas refrigerant that flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 230 is condensed and liquefied by heat exchange with the outdoor air supplied by the outdoor fan 240. The liquefied refrigerant is depressurized by the decompression device 120 to a gas-liquid two-phase state, and then flows into the indoor heat exchanger 110. The refrigerant that flows into the indoor heat exchanger 110 is evaporated and gasified by heat exchange with the air in the space to be air-conditioned. The gasified refrigerant passes through the four-way valve 220 and is sucked into the compressor 210 again. The refrigerant circulates in the above manner, and the air conditioner performs air conditioning related to cooling.

[0126] [effect] The air conditioner of the fifth embodiment is equipped with the heat exchanger of the first to fourth embodiments, and therefore it is possible to improve the drainage performance while maintaining the heat transfer performance in the heat exchanger.

[0127] In the fifth embodiment, the refrigeration cycle apparatus has been described as an air-conditioning apparatus, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be a cooling apparatus for cooling a refrigerated warehouse or a hot water supply apparatus.

[0128] Embodiment 6 The sixth embodiment corresponds to a modification of the above-mentioned third embodiment. The following description will focus on the differences between the sixth embodiment and the third embodiment, and the configuration not described in the sixth embodiment is the same as that in the third embodiment.

[0129] FIG. 28 is a schematic plan view showing an enlarged portion of the heat exchanger according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 29 is a BB cross-sectional view of FIG. 28. In the third embodiment, the number of the drainage slits 23A and the drainage slits 23B is not particularly mentioned, and two examples of each are shown in FIG. 22. The drainage slits 23A are drainage slits formed between the first louver groups 22A in the air flow direction, and the drainage slits 23B are drainage slits formed between the second louver groups 22B in the air flow direction. In contrast, the heat exchanger 10D according to the sixth embodiment has the drainage slits 23A and the drainage slits 23B limited to one as shown in FIG. 28. That is, the number of the drainage slits 23A and the drainage slits 23B is not limited to a plurality of drainage slits, and may be one. The number of the inter-row drainage slits 23C is a plurality of drainage slits.

[0130] The drainage behavior of condensed water on the fin surface in the sixth embodiment will be described. The condensed water on the fin surface is collected near the middle (hereinafter referred to as near the center between the rows) in the air flow direction (the direction of the white arrow in FIG. 28) of the fin portion 24 by the first louver group 22A and the second louver group 22B, and drained from the inter-row drainage slits 23C. For this reason, the amount of condensed water is greater near the center between the rows. Thus, the amount of condensed water near the center of the formation area of ​​the first louver group 22A and near the center of the formation area of ​​the second louver group 22B is relatively smaller than the amount near the center between the rows. In other words, the drainage rate is limited near the center between the rows. Note that the "center" here means the center in the air flow direction.

[0131] In this way, the amount of condensed water near the center of the formation area of ​​the first louver group 22A and near the center of the formation area of ​​the second louver group 22B is relatively smaller than near the center between the rows. For this reason, heat exchanger 10D has multiple inter-row drainage slits 23C, which have a relatively large amount of condensed water, and one drainage slit 23A and one drainage slit B, which have a relatively small amount of condensed water. This allows heat exchanger 10D to have excellent heat transfer performance while improving the drainage of condensed water.

[0132] Furthermore, according to the distribution of condensed water based on the inventors' analysis, if the heat exchanger 10D satisfies the following relationship, it is possible to achieve both improved drainage performance appropriate for the distribution of condensed water and improved heat transfer performance, which is even more preferable. A C >A A Or A C >A B , preferably A C >A A +A B Where: A A [mm 2 ]: Opening area of ​​drainage slit 23A formed between first louver group 22A in the air flow direction A B [mm 2 ]: Opening area of ​​drainage slit 23B formed between second louver group 22B in the air flow direction A C [mm 2 ]: Opening area of ​​inter-row drainage slit 23C

[0133] In addition, Figure 28 describes a case where the drainage slits 23A, the drainage slits 23B and the inter-row drainage slits 23C are not periodically shifted in the pipe arrangement direction, but of course they may be formed with a periodic shift as described in embodiment 1.

[0134] As explained in the first embodiment, the flat plate portions 21 located between the drainage slits 23 function as the water guide portions 21A. In terms of the configuration of the sixth embodiment, the flat plate portions 21 located between the inter-row drainage slits 23C correspond to the water guide portions 21A. If the water guide portions 21A are long in the air flow direction, the intervals between the inter-row drainage slits 23C will be widened, and the arrangement area of ​​the drainage slits 23 and the louvers 22 will be narrowed accordingly. For this reason, it is preferable that the water guide portions 21A are formed as short as possible in the air flow direction. In the heat exchanger 10D, if the water guide portions 21A are formed as short as possible in the air flow direction, the drainage slits 23 and the louvers 22 can be densely mounted on the fin portions 24, and the performance can be improved. Specifically, the length δ of the water guide portions 21A in the air flow direction 1 [mm] is δ1 <δ 2 It is preferable that the above-mentioned condition is satisfied. Where: δ 2 [mm]: the distance in the air flow direction between adjacent louvers 22 and inter-row drainage slits 23C (two in this case) in the air flow direction. In other words, the distance in the air flow direction between the louver 22 at the end of the inter-row center among the multiple louvers 22 and the inter-row drainage slit 23C closest to this louver 22.

[0135] FIG. 30 is a diagram showing another example of a heat exchanger according to the sixth embodiment. In this example, the inter-row drainage slits 23C are formed in the fin section 24 between the opposing tips of the flat heat transfer tubes 1A and 1B adjacent in the air flow direction. Here, the opposing tips are the leeward tip 1Ab (hereinafter, leeward end 1Ab) of the flat heat transfer tube 1A, and the windward tip 1Ba (hereinafter, windward end 1Ba) of the flat heat transfer tube 1B. It is even better to provide the inter-row drainage slits 23C only in such an area, in other words, only in an area where the flat heat transfer tubes are not arranged side by side, because this improves drainage for the following reasons. In a configuration in which inter-row drainage slits 23C are provided only in areas where flat heat transfer tubes are not arranged side by side, condensed water 4 near the center between the rows is concentrated and drained effectively using three locations: the inter-row drainage slits 23C, the downwind end surface of the flat heat transfer tube 1A, and the upwind end surface of the flat heat transfer tube 1B, thereby improving drainage performance.

[0136] [effect] As described above, the heat exchanger 10D of the sixth embodiment has the same effects as those of the third embodiment. 1 is δ 1 <δ 2 Since the above relationship is satisfied, the heat exchanger 10D can mount the drain slits 23 and the louvers 22 at a high density on the fin portion 24, thereby improving the performance.

[0137] In the heat exchanger 10D of the sixth embodiment, the inter-row drainage slits 23C are formed in the fin portion 24 between the downwind end 1Ab of the flat heat transfer tube 1A and the upwind end 1Ba of the flat heat transfer tube 1B in the air flow direction. This improves the drainage performance of the heat exchanger 10D.

[0138] Embodiment 7 The seventh embodiment differs from the heat exchanger 10D of the sixth embodiment in the positional relationship between the upstream ends of the windward flat heat transfer tube 1A and the corrugated fins 2. The following description will focus on the differences between the seventh embodiment and the sixth embodiment, and the configuration not described in the seventh embodiment is the same as that of the sixth embodiment.

[0139] FIG. 31 is a schematic plan view showing an enlarged portion of a heat exchanger according to the seventh embodiment. The heat exchanger 10E according to the seventh embodiment has a configuration in which the windward-most tip 2aa (hereinafter, windward end 2aa) of the corrugated fin 2 in the air flow direction (direction of the white arrow in FIG. 31) is recessed to the downwind side from the windward-most tip 1Aa (hereinafter, windward end 1Aa) of the flat heat transfer tube 1A in the air flow direction. From another perspective, the windward end 1Aa of the flat heat transfer tube 1A in the air flow direction protrudes to the upwind side from the windward end 2aa of the corrugated fin 2. The flat heat transfer tube 1A is the flat heat transfer tube in the windward-most row of the flat heat transfer tubes 1 arranged in a plurality of rows (two rows in this case). L 1 is the length of the heat exchanger 10E in the air flow direction, and is the distance in the air flow direction between the windward end 1Aa of the flat heat transfer tube 1A and the leeward-most tip 1Bb of the flat heat transfer tube 1B (hereinafter, the leeward end 1Bb).

[0140] The operation of the above configuration will now be described. When the heat exchanger 10E is used as an evaporator, a refrigerant below freezing flows inside the heat transfer tubes, and when air passes through the heat exchanger 10E, the air exchanges heat with the refrigerant inside the heat transfer tubes sequentially as it passes through the heat exchanger 10E from the windward side to the leeward side, and is cooled. Condensation occurs on the fin surfaces due to the cooled air. In the heat exchanger 10E, the temperature difference between the refrigerant and the air is larger on the windward side, and the amount of heat exchange is larger. Therefore, the amount of condensation occurring on the fin surfaces increases on the windward side of the heat exchanger 10E, and the amount of frost also increases on the windward side of the heat exchanger 10E.

[0141] In the heat exchanger 10E, frost is likely to form on the protruding portions 11a including the tips 1Aa of the flat heat transfer tubes 1A, which are the portions that protrude further upwind than the corrugated fins 2. Here, the heat exchanger 10E has a configuration in which the tips 2aa of the corrugated fins 2 are recessed further downwind than the tips 1Aa on the upwind side of the flat heat transfer tubes 1A in the air flow direction, so that a wide frosting space can be provided. Because the heat exchanger 10E can provide a wide frosting space, it is possible to reduce the temperature difference between the fin portions 24 themselves and the air on the upwind side.

[0142] Here, the frost space refers to the space around the part of the windward part of the flat heat transfer tubes 1A on the windward side in FIG. 31 where the corrugated fins 2 are not provided, and the absence of fins allows for a larger space for frost formation. In addition, since there are no fins on the windward part of the flat heat transfer tubes 1A, the heat transfer coefficient is small and the amount of heat exchange can be reduced. That is, the heat exchanger 10E can reduce the amount of frost formation. As a result, the heat exchanger 10E can make the amount of frost formation on the fin portion 24 in the air flow direction closer to uniform, and can improve the heating capacity under low-temperature air conditions.

[0143] During defrosting operation to melt the frost formed on the corrugated fins 2, the heat exchanger 10E can drain the water from the part with a large amount of frost at the protruding portion 11a of the flat heat transfer tube 1A, and improved defrosting performance can be expected. Furthermore, since the corrugated fins 2 are not present on the protruding portion 11a of the flat heat transfer tube 1A, the frost adhering to the protruding portion 11a can slide down along the surface of the protruding portion 11a in a semi-melted state before completely turning into condensed water, and the heat exchanger 10E can improve its drainage performance.

[0144] In addition, the inventors have found, through an example of an experiment, a relationship between the recessed amount of the corrugated fins 2 and the effect of improving low-temperature heating capacity by making the amount of frost uniform. This point will be described below.

[0145] FIG. 32 shows the (L f / L 1 )×100 and low-temperature heating capacity. f / L 1 )×100[%], and the vertical axis is low-temperature heating capacity [%]. f is the recession amount of the corrugated fin 2, and is the distance in the air flow direction between the windward end 2aa of the corrugated fin 2 and the windward end 1Aa of the flat heat transfer tube 1A. 1 is the length of the heat exchanger 10E in the air flow direction, and is the distance in the air flow direction between the upwind end 1Aa of the flat heat transfer tube 1A and the downwind end 1Bb of the flat heat transfer tube 1B. The vertical axis shows the improvement in low-temperature heating capacity compared to a configuration without the protruding portion 11a, assuming that the low-temperature heating capacity is 50% in the case of a configuration without the protruding portion 11a.

[0146] As shown in Figure 32, (L f / L 1 When the protrusion amount L ) × 100 is 4.5% or more, the low-temperature heating capacity increases by 46% compared to a configuration without the protrusion portion 11a, and it has been confirmed that the low-temperature heating capacity is significantly improved. fIf L is made too large, in other words, if the recession amount of the corrugated fin 2 is made too large, the area of ​​the fin portion 24 becomes small, and a structure for ensuring the desired heat transfer area is required. Specifically, the structure for ensuring the desired heat transfer area is to increase the dimensions of the heat transfer tube and the corrugated fin 2. This structure significantly deteriorates the cost performance. For this reason, f It is preferable that is as small as possible while taking into consideration the balance between the effect of improving low-temperature heating capacity and ensuring a heat transfer area.

[0147] According to Figure 32, (L f / L 1 )×100 is greater than 0% and within 11% to improve low-temperature heating capacity. f / L 1 When L exceeds 11%, the reduction in the heat transfer area becomes significant in spite of the improvement in the low-temperature heating capacity. f / L 1 It is preferable that the ratio is greater than 0 and is within 11%.

[0148] FIG. 33 is a diagram showing the relationship between the recessed amount of the corrugated fins and the refrigerant flow path inside the flat heat transfer tube in the seventh embodiment. In FIG. t is the distance in the air flow direction between the windward end 1Aa of the flat heat transfer tube 1A and the windward end 11ba of the refrigerant passage 11b inside the flat heat transfer tube 1A. t ≧L fThe relationship is satisfied. In a configuration that satisfies this relationship, the refrigerant flow path 11b is not formed in the flat heat transfer tube 1A in the range in the air flow direction where the corrugated fin 2 is retracted. In other words, in a configuration that satisfies the above relationship, the refrigerant flow path 11b is not formed in the protruding portion 11a. Therefore, the temperature of the protruding portion 11a can be made relatively high relative to the refrigerant temperature. As a result, the heat exchanger 10E can reduce the temperature difference between the protruding portion 11a itself and the air, and can prevent frost from being formed concentratedly on the protruding portion 11a, and can uniformly form frost on the windward side of the heat exchanger 10E. As a result, the heat exchanger 10E can improve the low-temperature heating capacity. In addition, the heat exchanger 10E can improve the defrosting performance and drainage performance by forming frost uniformly.

[0149] [effect] As described above, the heat exchanger 10E of the seventh embodiment can obtain the same effects as those of the sixth embodiment, and can also obtain the following effects. The heat exchanger 10E has a configuration in which the windward ends 2aa of the corrugated fins 2 are recessed further downwind than the windward ends 1Aa of the windward flat heat transfer tubes 1A. Therefore, the heat exchanger 10E can reduce the temperature difference between the fin portion 24 itself and the air on the windward side, and can make the amount of frost on the fin portion 24 more uniform in the air flow direction. As a result, the heat exchanger 10E can improve the heating capacity under low-temperature air conditions.

[0150] In addition, the heat exchanger 10E is L t ≧L f By satisfying the above relationship, it is possible to prevent frost from being formed unevenly on the protruding portion 11a, and to uniformly form frost on the windward side of the heat exchanger 10E. As a result, the heat exchanger 10E can improve the low-temperature heating capacity. Furthermore, the heat exchanger 10E can improve the defrosting performance and drainage performance by uniformly forming frost. [Explanation of symbols]

[0151] 1 flat heat transfer tube, 1A flat heat transfer tube, 1B flat heat transfer tube, 1a flat surface, 1Aa windward end (windward-most tip), 1Ab leeward end (leeward-most tip), 1Ba windward end (windward-most tip), 1Bb leeward end (leeward-most tip), 2 corrugated fin, 2a upstream protrusion, 2aa windward end (windward-most tip), 3 header, 3A header, 3B header, 4 condensate, 10 heat exchanger, 10A heat exchanger, 10B heat exchanger, 10C heat exchanger, 10D heat exchanger, 10E heat exchanger, 11ba windward end, 20 top, 20a drainage top, 20b non-drainage top, 21 flat plate portion, 21a non-jointed region, 21A water conducting portion, 22 Louver, 22A first louver group, 22B second louver group, 22a louver slit, 22b plate portion, 23 drainage slit, 23A first drainage slit, 23B second drainage slit, 23C inter-row drainage slit, 23a opening, 24 fin portion, 24A fin portion, 24B fin portion, 24C fin portion, 30 top retention portion, 50 fin material, 100 indoor unit, 110 indoor heat exchanger, 120 pressure reducing device, 130 indoor fan, 200 outdoor unit, 210 compressor, 220 four-way valve, 230 outdoor heat exchanger, 240 outdoor fan, 300 gas refrigerant piping, 400 liquid refrigerant piping, 500 fin material, 500a opening, 501 corrugated cutter, 502 corrugated cutter, 503 heat transfer area, 504 center line.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger including: a plurality of flat heat transfer tubes each having a flat cross section, a plurality of flow paths formed by through holes, and arranged vertically and spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to an air flow direction; and corrugated fins arranged between the plurality of flat heat transfer tubes, The corrugated fin has a configuration in which plate-shaped fin portions are connected in a corrugated shape in the tube axis direction of the flat heat transfer tubes, The fin portion is A drainage slit is formed extending in a tube arrangement direction, which is a direction in which the flat heat transfer tubes are arranged side by side, and drains water on an upper surface of the fin portion by dropping it therethrough; a plurality of louvers each having a louver slit extending in the pipe arrangement direction and a plate portion inclined with respect to a flat plate portion of the fin portion; The flat heat transfer tubes are arranged in a plurality of rows at intervals in the air flow direction, and corrugated fins are arranged in common to the plurality of rows, The corrugated fin is provided with the plurality of louvers and the drainage slits corresponding to each row, Inter-row drainage slits are formed at positions corresponding to the positions between the rows in the air flow direction, extending in the pipe arrangement direction, and allowing water from the fin portion to fall and be drained. The plurality of louvers formed corresponding to each of two rows adjacent to each other in the air flow direction with the inter-row drainage slit between them are The louver group is divided into a first louver group formed upstream of the inter-row drainage slits in the air flow direction and a second louver group formed downstream of the inter-row drainage slits in the air flow direction, and the plate portion of the first louver group and the plate portion of the second louver group are inclined in opposite directions to each other with respect to the flat plate portion, The inter-row drainage slits are A plurality of louvers are formed between the first louver group and the second louver group at intervals in the air flow direction, In two rows adjacent to each other in the air flow direction, the opening area of ​​the drainage slit formed between the first louver group located upstream in the air flow direction of the inter-row drainage slit located between the two rows is defined as A. Ａ , In two rows adjacent to each other in the air flow direction, the opening area of ​​the drainage slit formed between the second louver group located downstream in the air flow direction of the inter-row drainage slit located between the two rows is defined as A. Ｂ , The total opening area of ​​the plurality of inter-row drainage slits located between the two rows is A Ｃ When defined as above, A Ｃ >A Ａ +A Ｂ A heat exchanger that satisfies the above.

2. A heat exchanger including: a plurality of flat heat transfer tubes each having a flat cross section, a plurality of flow paths formed by through holes, and arranged vertically and spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to an air flow direction; and corrugated fins arranged between the plurality of flat heat transfer tubes, The corrugated fin has a configuration in which plate-shaped fin portions are connected in a corrugated shape in the tube axis direction of the flat heat transfer tubes, The fin portion is A drainage slit is formed extending in a tube arrangement direction, which is a direction in which the flat heat transfer tubes are arranged side by side, and drains water on an upper surface of the fin portion by dropping it therethrough; a plurality of louvers each having a louver slit extending in the pipe arrangement direction and a plate portion inclined with respect to a flat plate portion of the fin portion; The flat heat transfer tubes are arranged in a plurality of rows at intervals in the air flow direction, and the corrugated fins are arranged in common to the plurality of rows, The corrugated fin is provided with the plurality of louvers and the drainage slits corresponding to each row, Inter-row drainage slits are formed at positions corresponding to the positions between the rows in the air flow direction, extending in the pipe arrangement direction, and allowing water from the fin portion to fall and be drained. The plurality of louvers formed corresponding to each of two rows adjacent to each other in the air flow direction with the inter-row drainage slit between them are The louver group is divided into a first louver group formed upstream of the inter-row drainage slits in the air flow direction and a second louver group formed downstream of the inter-row drainage slits in the air flow direction, and the plate portion of the first louver group and the plate portion of the second louver group are inclined in opposite directions to each other with respect to the flat plate portion, A heat exchanger in which, in two rows adjacent to each other in the air flow direction, there is one drainage slit formed in the air flow direction of the first louver group located upstream of the inter-row drainage slit located between the two rows in the air flow direction, and one drainage slit formed in the air flow direction of the second louver group located downstream of the inter-row drainage slit in the air flow direction, and there is a plurality of inter-row drainage slits located between the two rows.

3. The length of the water guide portion between the plurality of inter-row drainage slits in the flat plate portion in the air flow direction is defined as δ １ Among the plurality of louvers and the plurality of inter-row drainage slits, the distance in the air flow direction between the louvers and the inter-row drainage slits adjacent to each other in the air flow direction is defined as δ ２ Then, δ １ <δ ２ 3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2, which satisfies the following:

4. 4. The heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein the water guide portion has a long plate shape whose longitudinal direction is the direction in which the tubes are arranged side by side and whose lateral direction is the air flow direction.

5. The fin portion has top portions joined to the flat heat transfer tubes at both ends of the flat plate portion in the tube arrangement direction, A heat exchanger as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a portion of the multiple fin portions has a drainage slit formed at a position overlapping with the apex of one or both of the end portions when viewed in the tube axis direction.

6. 6. The heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein the drain slits are formed in some of the fin portions at positions that do not overlap either of the apexes at both ends when viewed in the tube axis direction.

7. The corrugated fin has an upstream protrusion that protrudes upstream of the plurality of flat heat transfer tubes, and the thickness of the upstream protrusion is thicker than that of a portion other than the upstream protrusion.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 7 , wherein the upstream protruding portion of the corrugated fin is thickened by folding back the fin portion protruding upstream of the plurality of flat heat transfer tubes.

9. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the positions of the drainage slits in the tube juxtaposition direction of the fin portions adjacent to each other in the tube axial direction are offset from each other.

10. A heat exchanger as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the corrugated fin has a configuration in which the fin portions, each of which is positioned in the air flow direction of the drainage slit, appear periodically and repeatedly in the tube axis direction.

11. The total opening area of ​​the inter-row drainage slits is larger than the opening area of ​​each of the drainage slits formed between the first louver group in the air flow direction and the drainage slits formed between the second louver group in the air flow direction. The heat exchanger according to claim 2 or any one of claims 3 to 10 dependent on claim 2.

12. A heat exchanger as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the inter-row drainage slits are formed in the fin portion between the opposing tips of the flat heat transfer tubes in each row adjacent to each other in the air flow direction.

13. A heat exchanger as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the tip of the corrugated fin in the air flow direction is recessed downwind from the upwind ends of the plurality of flat heat transfer tubes in the windward-most row of the plurality of flat heat transfer tubes arranged in multiple rows.

14. 14. The heat exchanger according to claim 13, wherein in the plurality of flat heat transfer tubes in the windward-most row, the flow passages are not formed in a range in the air flow direction where the corrugated fins are recessed.

15. The amount of retraction of the corrugated fin is L ｆ The length of the heat exchanger in the air flow direction is L １ When this is done, (L ｆ / L １ 15. The heat exchanger according to claim 13 or 14, wherein x 100 is greater than 0% and within 11%.

16. A refrigeration cycle device comprising the heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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