Microchannel heat exchanger

Abstract

To suppress local and intensive generation of thermal stress in a layer having a plurality of flow passages through which a cooling medium or hydrogen gas flows.SOLUTION: A microchannel type heat exchanger 10 for cooling hydrogen gas with a cooling medium includes: a cooling side layer having a plurality of medium flow passages through which the cooling medium flows; and a high temperature side layer 12 having a plurality of hydrogen flow passages 33 through which hydrogen gas flows, and a first introduction port 37 which allows the hydrogen gas to flow into the hydrogen flow passages 33. The first introduction port 37 is circular or elliptical. Inflow ends of the hydrogen flow passages 33 are connected to a peripheral surface of the first introduction port 37. The hydrogen flow passage 33 extends from the first introduction port 37 to a first lead-out port 38 without branching.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a microchannel heat exchanger.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in consideration of the environment, the use of hydrogen as fuel for power generation, automobiles and the like has been considered, and the demand for hydrogen is increasing. Hydrogen stations for filling hydrogen gas into tanks of automobiles and the like are also known. On the other hand, although not used for cooling hydrogen gas, microchannel heat exchangers are also known as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below. The microchannel heat exchanger has a first heat transfer plate formed with a large number of groove-shaped first flow passages through which a first fluid flows, and a large number of groove-shaped second flow passages through which a second fluid flows. and a second heat transfer plate formed with the heat transfer plates, and the heat transfer plates are joined in a state of being superposed on each other.

[0003] In the microchannel heat exchanger disclosed in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 5, an introduction passage 82 for introducing one fluid into the first flow passage 81 is provided through the first heat transfer plate 83 and the second heat transfer plate 84. As shown in FIG. 6, one relay flow passage 85 is connected to the peripheral surface of the introduction passage 82, and a large number of first flow passages 81 are connected to the relay flow passage 85 so as to branch off from the relay flow passage 85.

[0004] Similarly, in the microchannel heat exchanger disclosed in Patent Document 2, the introduction passage is provided so as to penetrate the first heat transfer plate and the second heat transfer plate. However, in the heat exchanger disclosed in Patent Document 2, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of relay flow passages 85 are connected to the peripheral surface of the introduction passage 82, and a large number of first flow passages 81 are connected to the relay flow passages 85 so as to branch off from the plurality of relay flow passages 85.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] In the microchannel heat exchangers disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the cross-section of the introduction channel 82 is circular, so even if one or more intermediate channels 85 are connected to the circumferential surface of the introduction channel 82, the localized generation of thermal stress at the connection point is suppressed. That is, since the introduction channel 82 has a circular cross-section and no corners like a semicircle are formed, stress concentration is less likely to occur in the introduction channel 82. However, simply having a circular cross-section for the introduction channel 82 is insufficient to suppress stress concentration.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned prior art, and its object is to suppress the localized and concentrated generation of thermal stress in a microchannel type heat exchanger, in a layer having multiple channels through which a cooling medium or hydrogen gas flows. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The inventors of this invention have conducted extensive research in light of the fact that thermal stress can occur locally concentrated in the heat transfer plates that form the flow channels in microchannel heat exchangers. As a result, they have discovered that the local magnitude of thermal stress differs depending on the cross-sectional shape of the inlet channel, and also depending on whether or not there are branches in the flow channels connected to the inlet channel. This invention was conceived based on these research results.

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the microchannel heat exchanger according to the present invention is a microchannel heat exchanger for cooling hydrogen gas with a cooling medium, comprising: a cooling side layer having a plurality of medium channels for circulating the cooling medium; a high-temperature side layer superimposed on the cooling side layer and having a plurality of hydrogen channels for circulating the hydrogen gas, and an inlet for introducing the hydrogen gas into the plurality of hydrogen channels. The inlet is circular or elliptical in shape. The inlet ends of each of the plurality of hydrogen channels are connected to the circumferential surface of the inlet. The inlet ends of the plurality of hydrogen channels are positioned at intervals from one another around the entire circumference of the inlet, and the distance between adjacent inlet ends is 1 / 4 or less of the circumference of the inlet. The cooling side layer and the high-temperature side layer include a heat exchange region in which the plurality of medium channels and the plurality of hydrogen channels overlap in the direction in which they overlap. The plurality of hydrogen channels extend from the inlet end to the heat exchange region without branching.

[0010] In the microchannel heat exchanger according to the present invention, when hydrogen gas is cooled by a cooling medium, thermal stress is generated in the high-temperature side layer or the cooling side layer due to the temperature difference between the cooling medium and the hydrogen gas. Furthermore, when high-pressure hydrogen gas is circulated, such as when supplying hydrogen gas to a hydrogen station, the inside of the heat exchanger is exposed to high pressure, so the stress generated in the microchannel heat exchanger becomes even greater. However, since the inlet for introducing hydrogen gas has a circular or elliptical cross-section, the localized concentration of stress, such as the thermal stress, in the part where multiple hydrogen flow paths connect to the circumferential surface of the inlet is suppressed. That is, if the inlet is semicircular, stress may occur locally at the corners of the semicircle due to the effect of temperature differences (and the effect of internal pressure when high-pressure hydrogen gas is circulated), but since the inlet is circular or elliptical, stress concentration is less likely to occur. Furthermore, since the hydrogen flow path does not branch in the region through which hydrogen gas flows before being cooled by the cooling medium, it is possible to suppress the localized concentration of thermal stress caused by the temperature difference (and, in the case of circulating high-pressure hydrogen gas, stress caused by internal pressure). In other words, in the portion of the hydrogen flow path through which hydrogen gas flows before being cooled by the cooling medium, thermal stress tends to be high due to the large temperature difference between the cooling medium and the hydrogen gas. If a branch were provided in this section, thermal stress would likely concentrate at the branching point. However, since there is no branch in the hydrogen flow path in this section, the localized concentration of thermal stress is suppressed. Also, when circulating high-pressure hydrogen gas, stress caused by internal pressure may occur, but even in that case, since there is no branch in the hydrogen flow path, the localized concentration of stress caused by internal pressure is suppressed.

[0012] Also , Because the inlet ends of multiple hydrogen channels are located at intervals from each other around the entire circumference of the inlet,This allows for the connection of a large number of hydrogen channels to the inlet. In other words, increasing the number of hydrogen channels increases the hydrogen gas flow rate, which in turn increases the likelihood of thermal stress caused by the temperature difference between the cooling medium and the hydrogen gas. However, as mentioned above, localized thermal stress is suppressed, allowing for an increase in hydrogen gas flow rate while minimizing the adverse effects of stress concentration.

[0013] The microchannel heat exchanger may be provided with an outlet for releasing hydrogen gas that has passed through the heat exchange region from the high-temperature side layer. In this case, the plurality of hydrogen flow paths may extend from the inlet to the outlet without branching.

[0014] In this embodiment, since the hydrogen flow path does not branch, the localization of stress throughout the hydrogen flow path can be suppressed. Therefore, even when the microchannel heat exchanger is used in applications where stress due to thermal stress or internal pressure is likely to occur, the impact on the durability of the high-temperature side layer or the cooling side layer can be suppressed.

[0015] The aforementioned microchannel heat exchanger may also be a heat exchanger used as a precooler in a hydrogen station.

[0016] At hydrogen stations, hydrogen gas supply and cessation operations are repeatedly performed depending on the presence or absence of fuel cell vehicles and other vehicles that are the destination for hydrogen gas refueling. Therefore, the precooler also repeatedly cools and stops the hydrogen gas. Moreover, since hydrogen gas at very high pressure (10 MPa or more) flows through the precooler, fluctuations in internal pressure and thermal changes cause very large localized stress to be repeatedly generated and released, which may affect the durability of the microchannel heat exchanger. However, since the microchannel heat exchanger used as a precooler is configured in a way that suppresses the localized concentration of stress, the impact on the durability of the microchannel heat exchanger can be mitigated. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] As described above, according to the present invention, in a microchannel heat exchanger, local and concentrated generation of thermal stress in a layer having a plurality of flow paths through which a cooling medium or hydrogen gas flows can be suppressed. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a side view of the microchannel heat exchanger according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a partial cross-sectional view of a laminated body in the microchannel heat exchanger. [Figure 3] It is a top view of a metal plate constituting the high-temperature side layer of the microchannel heat exchanger. [Figure 4] It is a top view of a metal plate constituting the cooling side layer of the microchannel heat exchanger. [Figure 5] It is a side view of a conventional microchannel heat exchanger. [Figure 6] It is a top view of a first heat transfer plate constituting the conventional microchannel heat exchanger. [Figure 7] It is a top view of a first heat transfer plate constituting the conventional microchannel heat exchanger. [Modes for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0019] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0020] The microchannel heat exchanger according to this embodiment is used as a precooler in a hydrogen station and is configured as a heat exchanger that cools hydrogen gas with a cooling medium. That is, hydrogen gas supplied from a hydrogen station is filled into a tank, for example, a fuel cell vehicle, at high pressure (10 MPa or more), and therefore its temperature rises inside the tank. For this reason, the hydrogen gas before filling is cooled by a cooling medium in the precooler. Brine, carbon dioxide, alternative fluorocarbons, etc., can be used as the cooling medium. However, the microchannel heat exchanger is not limited to being used as a precooler in a hydrogen station, as long as it is used as a heat exchanger for cooling hydrogen gas.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the microchannel heat exchanger 10 comprises a plurality of high-temperature side layers 12 and a plurality of cooling side layers 14. The high-temperature side layers 12 and the cooling side layers 14 are arranged alternately and overlapped in the thickness direction.

[0022] The high-temperature side layer 12 and the cooling side layer 14 are each composed of metal plates 12a and 14a made of a material with high thermal conductivity. A laminate 18 of the high-temperature side layer 12 and the cooling side layer 14 is formed by, for example, diffusion bonding the overlapping metal plates 12a and 14a together. End plates 19a and 19b are provided on both sides of the laminate 18 in the stacking direction (vertical direction in Figure 1).

[0023] Furthermore, the high-temperature side layer 12 and the cooling side layer 14 are not limited to being joined by diffusion bonding. When the metal plates 12a and 14a are diffuse-bonded to each other, the boundary between the high-temperature side layer 12 and the cooling side layer 14 is not clearly visible, but when other bonding methods are used, the boundary between the layers 12 and 14 may be visible.

[0024] The laminate 18 is provided with a first introduction header 21 for introducing hydrogen gas into a hydrogen channel 33 (described later), a first exit header 22 for releasing hydrogen gas from the hydrogen channel 33, a second introduction header 23 for introducing a cooling medium into a medium channel 34 (described later), and a second exit header 24 for releasing the cooling medium from the medium channel 34. Figure 1 shows a configuration in which the first introduction header 21 and the first exit header 22 are provided on one side of the laminate 18, but alternatively, the first introduction header 21 and the first exit header 22 may be provided on opposite sides of the laminate 18. The same applies to the second introduction header 23 and the second exit header 24.

[0025] The first introduction header 21 is connected to the first introduction channel 27. The first introduction channel 27 is a channel for allowing hydrogen gas to flow from the outside of the laminate 18 (or the first introduction header 21) to each of the hydrogen channels 33 described later, and is formed to penetrate multiple high-temperature side layers 12 and multiple cooling side layers 14. The end of the first introduction channel 27 opposite to the first introduction header 21 is closed.

[0026] The first outlet header 22 is connected to the first outlet passage 28. The first outlet passage 28 is a passage for releasing hydrogen gas that has flowed through each of the hydrogen flow paths 33 (described later) to the outside of the laminate 18 (or the first outlet header 22), and is formed to penetrate multiple high-temperature side layers 12 and multiple cooling side layers 14. The end of the first outlet passage 28 opposite to the first outlet header 22 is closed.

[0027] The second introduction header 23 is connected to the second introduction channel 29 (see Figure 4). The second introduction channel 29 is a channel for allowing the cooling medium to flow from the outside of the laminate 18 (or the second introduction header 23) to the various medium channels 34 described later, and is formed to penetrate multiple high-temperature side layers 12 and multiple cooling side layers 14. The end of the second introduction channel 29 opposite to the second introduction header 23 is closed.

[0028] A second outlet passage 30 (see Figure 4) is connected to the second outlet header 24. The second outlet passage 30 is a passage for guiding the cooling medium that has flowed through each of the medium flow paths 34 (described later) to the outside of the laminate 18 (or the second outlet header 24), and is formed to penetrate multiple high-temperature side layers 12 and multiple cooling side layers 14. The end of the second outlet passage 30 opposite to the second outlet header 24 is closed.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, each high-temperature side layer 12 is formed as a flattened region containing a plurality of hydrogen channels 33, and each cooling side layer 14 is formed as a flattened region containing a plurality of medium channels 34. The plurality of hydrogen channels 33 are arranged in one direction (the lateral direction in Figure 2) in the high-temperature side layer 12, and the plurality of medium channels 34 are arranged in the cooling side layer 14, hydrogen Flow channel 33 The components are arranged in a direction parallel to the direction in which they are aligned. That is, multiple grooves are formed on one side of the metal plates 12a and 14a, and the metal plates 12a and 14a are joined together by overlapping them, so that multiple hydrogen channels 33 and multiple medium channels 34 are aligned in one direction. In the stacking direction (up and down direction in Figure 2), multiple hydrogen channels 33 and multiple medium channels 34 are arranged alternately. Both the hydrogen channels 33 and the medium channels 34 have a semicircular cross-section.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, the metal plate 12a forming the high-temperature side layer 12 is rectangular in shape when viewed from above, and multiple hydrogen channels 33 are formed on the upper surface of this metal plate 12a.

[0031] The metal plate 12a has a first inlet 37 and a first outlet 38 formed therein, penetrating the metal plate 12a in the thickness direction. The first inlet 37 is a portion of the high-temperature side layer 12 of the first inlet passage 27 that penetrates the plurality of high-temperature side layers 12 and the plurality of cooling side layers 14. The first outlet 38 is a portion of the high-temperature side layer 12 of the first outlet passage 28 that penetrates the plurality of high-temperature side layers 12 and the plurality of cooling side layers 14.

[0032] The first inlet 37 and the first outlet 38 are circular or elliptical in shape, and one end (inlet end) of a plurality of hydrogen channels 33 is connected to the circumferential surface of the first inlet 37. Specifically, the inlet ends of each hydrogen channel 33 are connected to the circumferential surface of the first inlet 37 at intervals from each other, and these connection points extend across the entire circumferential surface of the first inlet 37. Here, "extends across the entire circumferential surface" means that multiple connection points exist at intervals from each other throughout the entire circumferential surface. Therefore, there may be parts of the circumferential surface where hydrogen channels 33 are not connected. Also, the multiple connection points do not need to be equally spaced, so there may be places where the distance between adjacent connection points is wider than the distance between other connection points, as long as the width of the distance between adjacent connection points is 1 / 4 (or 1 / 8) or less of the circumferential surface.

[0033] The other ends (outlet ends) of the multiple hydrogen channels 33 are connected to the circumferential surface of the first outlet 38. Each hydrogen channel 33 extends from the first inlet 37 to the first outlet 38 without branching. The hydrogen gas in the first inlet 27 is divided into each hydrogen channel 33 at each high-temperature side layer 12. The hydrogen gas flowing through each hydrogen channel 33 merges into the first outlet 28 without branching and is sent to the outside of the microchannel heat exchanger 10 through the first outlet header 22.

[0034] Furthermore, since the temperature of the hydrogen gas at the outlet end of the hydrogen channel 33 is close to the temperature of the cooling medium, the first outlet 38 does not need to be circular or elliptical; for example, it may be semicircular. Also, the connection point of the hydrogen channel 33 to the first outlet 38 does not need to extend across the entire circumferential surface of the first outlet 38; for example, it may be located within a range of 2 / 3 of the circumferential surface.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, the metal plate 14a forming the cooling side layer 14 is rectangular in shape when viewed from above, and multiple medium channels 34 are formed on the upper surface of the metal plate 14a. However, the number of medium channels 34 is greater than the number of hydrogen channels 33. Therefore, the cooling medium flowing through the medium channels 34 does not change much in temperature even when it exchanges heat with hydrogen gas. On the other hand, the hydrogen gas flowing through the hydrogen channels 33 changes significantly in temperature when it exchanges heat with the cooling medium, and approaches the temperature of the cooling medium. In other words, the amount of temperature change of the hydrogen gas is greater than the amount of temperature change of the cooling medium.

[0036] The metal plate 14a has a second inlet 39 and a second outlet 40 formed therein, penetrating the metal plate 14a in the thickness direction. The second inlet 39 is a portion of the cooling side layer 14 of a second inlet passage 29 that penetrates the multiple high-temperature side layers 12 and the multiple cooling side layers 14. The second outlet 40 is a portion of the cooling side layer 14 of a second outlet passage 30 that penetrates the multiple high-temperature side layers 12 and the multiple cooling side layers 14.

[0037] The second inlet 39 and the second outlet 40 are semicircular in shape, with a larger area than the first inlet 37 and the first outlet 38. That is, the flow rate of the cooling medium introduced through the second inlet passage 29 is greater than the flow rate of hydrogen gas introduced through the first inlet passage 27. Note that the second inlet 39 and the second outlet 40 are not limited to semicircular shapes, but may be circular or elliptical, for example, as long as the flow rate of the cooling medium can be ensured.

[0038] Multiple media channels 34 have one end (inlet end) connected to the semicircular chord portion of the circumferential surface of the second inlet 39. The other ends (outlet ends) of the multiple media channels 34 have one end (outlet end) connected to the semicircular chord portion of the circumferential surface of the second outlet 40. Each media channel 34 extends from the second inlet 39 to the second outlet 40. The cooling medium in the second inlet passage 29 is divided into each media channel 34 at each cooling side layer 14. The cooling medium flowing through each media channel 34 merges without dividing at the second outlet passage 30 (second outlet 40) and is sent to the outside of the microchannel heat exchanger 10 through the second outlet header 24.

[0039] In the hydrogen channel 33, the region that overlaps with the medium channel 34 in the direction in which the high-temperature side layer 12 and the cooling side layer 14 overlap (the vertical direction in Figure 2) becomes the heat exchange region 43. That is, even if hydrogen gas flows into the hydrogen channel 33 from the first inlet 37, it hardly exchanges heat with the cooling medium until it reaches this heat exchange region 43. Then, in this heat exchange region 43, the hydrogen gas exchanges heat with the cooling medium flowing in the medium channel 34 while flowing through the hydrogen channel 33.

[0040] In this embodiment, each hydrogen channel 33 extends from the first inlet 37 to the first outlet 38 without branching. Therefore, at least from the first inlet 37 to the heat exchange region 43, there is no branching, and even within the heat exchange region 43, there is no branching in the first half where the temperature difference with the cooling medium is relatively large. However, in the latter half of the heat exchange region 43 and beyond, each hydrogen channel 33 may branch.

[0041] Hydrogen gas flows into the hydrogen channel 33 at a temperature of, for example, 30°C or higher, while the cooling medium flows into the medium channel 34 at a temperature of -30°C or lower. The hydrogen gas may also flow under very high pressure (pressure of 10 MPa or higher). When it passes through the heat exchange region 43, the hydrogen gas is cooled to a temperature of -30°C or lower. In other words, the temperature of the hydrogen gas changes from the positive temperature range to the negative temperature range while flowing through the hydrogen channel 33. On the other hand, the cooling medium maintains a temperature of -30°C or lower even after passing through the heat exchange region 43. In other words, the cooling medium flows through the medium channel 34 while remaining in the negative temperature range. Therefore, the temperature change of the hydrogen gas from the first inlet 37 to the first outlet 38 is greater than the temperature change of the cooling medium from the second inlet 39 to the second outlet 40.

[0042] As explained above, in this embodiment, when cooling hydrogen gas with a cooling medium, thermal stress is generated in the high-temperature side layer 12 or the cooling side layer 14 due to the temperature difference between the cooling medium and the hydrogen gas. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the microchannel type heat exchanger 10 is intended for a hydrogen station, and since very high-pressure hydrogen gas is circulated through it, the inside of the heat exchanger 10 is exposed to high pressure. As a result, the stress generated in the microchannel type heat exchanger 10 becomes even greater. However, since the first inlet 37 for introducing hydrogen gas has a circular or elliptical cross-section, the localized concentration of stress, such as the thermal stress, in the part where multiple hydrogen flow paths 33 are connected to the circumferential surface of the first inlet 37 is suppressed. That is, if the first inlet 37 were semicircular, localized stress may occur at the corners of the semicircle, but since the first inlet 37 is circular or elliptical, stress concentration is less likely to occur. Furthermore, since the hydrogen channel 33 does not branch in the area through which hydrogen gas flows before being cooled by the cooling medium, it is possible to suppress the localized concentration of thermal stress caused by the temperature difference and stress caused by internal pressure. In other words, in the part of the hydrogen channel 33 through which hydrogen gas flows before being cooled by the cooling medium, not only is stress caused by high internal pressure generated, but thermal stress due to the large temperature difference between the cooling medium and the hydrogen gas tends to be high. For this reason, if a branch were provided in this part, stress would likely concentrate at the branching point. However, since there is no branch in the hydrogen channel 33 in this part, the localized concentration of stress is suppressed. This also contributes to a stable supply of hydrogen gas.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the inlet end of the hydrogen channel 33 extends across the entire circumferential surface of the first inlet 37, it is possible to connect a large number of hydrogen channels 33 to the first inlet 37. In other words, increasing the number of hydrogen channels 33 increases the hydrogen gas flow rate, and consequently, thermal stress due to the temperature difference between the cooling medium and the hydrogen gas is more likely to occur. However, as described above, localized generation of thermal stress is suppressed, so the hydrogen gas flow rate can be increased while suppressing the adverse effects of stress concentration.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the hydrogen flow path 33 does not branch from the first inlet 37 to the first outlet 38, local stress generation can be suppressed throughout the hydrogen flow path 33. Therefore, even when the microchannel heat exchanger 10 is used in applications where stress due to thermal stress or internal pressure is likely to occur, the impact on the durability of the high-temperature side layer 12 or the cooling side layer 14 can be suppressed.

[0045] Furthermore, the microchannel heat exchanger 10 according to this embodiment is used as a precooler in a hydrogen station. In a hydrogen station, the supply and cessation of hydrogen gas are repeated depending on whether or not there are fuel cell vehicles or the like that which are the destinations for hydrogen gas refueling. For this reason, the cooling and cessation of hydrogen gas are also repeated in the precooler. Moreover, since hydrogen gas at a very high pressure (pressure of 10 MPa or more) flows through the precooler, fluctuations in internal pressure and thermal changes cause very large localized stress to be generated and released repeatedly, which may affect the durability of the microchannel heat exchanger 10. However, since the microchannel heat exchanger 10 used as a precooler is configured in a way that suppresses the localized concentration of stress, the impact on the durability of the microchannel heat exchanger 10 can be suppressed.

[0046] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and improvements are possible without departing from its spirit. For example, in the embodiments described above, the second inlet 39 and the second outlet 40 are formed as part of a second inlet passage 29 or a second outlet passage 30 that penetrates a plurality of high-temperature side layers 12 and a plurality of cooling side layers 14, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the second inlet 39 and the second outlet 40 may open on the outer circumferential surface (side surface) of the metal plates 12a, 14a forming the high-temperature side layers 12 or the cooling side layers 14. In this case, the second inlet header 23 is provided on the side surface of the laminate 18 where the second inlet 39 opens, and the second outlet header 24 is provided on the side surface of the laminate 18 where the second outlet 40 opens. In this case, the second inlet passage 29 and the second outlet passage 30 are omitted.

[0047] Furthermore, if the microchannel heat exchanger 10 is directly connected to upstream and downstream equipment without the need for piping or other means, the inlet headers 21 and 23 and the outlet headers 22 and 24 will be omitted. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 10: Microchannel heat exchanger 12:High temperature side layer 14: Cooling side layer 33: Hydrogen channel 34: Media channel 37: First Inlet 38: 1st outlet 43:Heat exchange area

Claims

1. A microchannel heat exchanger for cooling hydrogen gas with a cooling medium, A cooling side layer having multiple media channels formed for the circulation of the cooling medium, A high-temperature side layer is superimposed on the cooling side layer and has a plurality of hydrogen channels for circulating the hydrogen gas and an inlet for introducing the hydrogen gas into the plurality of hydrogen channels. Equipped with, The aforementioned inlet is circular or oval in shape. The inlet ends of each of the plurality of hydrogen flow paths are connected to the circumferential surface of the inlet. The inlet ends of the plurality of hydrogen channels are positioned at intervals from one another around the entire circumference of the inlet. The distance between adjacent inlet ends is less than or equal to 1 / 4 of the circumference of the inlet. The cooling side layer and the high-temperature side layer include a heat exchange region in which the plurality of medium channels and the plurality of hydrogen channels overlap in the direction in which they are superimposed. A microchannel type heat exchanger in which the plurality of hydrogen channels extend without branching from the inlet end to the heat exchange region.

2. The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the inlet ends of the plurality of hydrogen flow paths are located at equal intervals around the entire circumference of the inlet.

3. The system includes an outlet for releasing hydrogen gas that has passed through the heat exchange region from the high-temperature side layer, The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of hydrogen flow paths extend from the inlet to the outlet without branching.

4. A microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 1, used as a precooler for a hydrogen station.

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