Heat exchanger assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger assembly. In an embodiment, the heat exchanger assembly includes: a housing that has a certain height and includes a plurality of fluid inlet / outlet ports; a heater unit that is stacked on the housing along the height direction of the housing; a cover case that is coupled to the housing and covers the heater unit; and a heat exchanger which is stacked on the cover case and in which heat is exchanged between a first heat exchange fluid and a second heat exchange fluid, wherein a flow path connecting one inlet / outlet port among the plurality of fluid inlet / outlet ports to another of the inlet / outlet ports is formed inside the housing, and the first heat exchange fluid can flow through the flow path.

Description

heat exchanger assembly

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heat exchanger assembly, and to a layout structure between a heat exchanger, a heater unit, and a housing.

[0002] Recent advancements in eco-friendly technology have led to a rapid transition from internal combustion engines to electric and hybrid vehicles. These vehicles are adopting refrigerant and coolant systems to effectively manage internal heat generation. In particular, refrigerant and coolant systems are required to ensure that electrical components, such as batteries, maintain the appropriate temperature range.

[0003] Accordingly, various studies are being conducted on electric, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles, including adding heat pumps to the air conditioning system to allow them to serve as heat sources, or installing separate heat sources such as electric heaters. Electric heaters, which can more easily heat coolant, are widely used for indoor heating and battery thermal management. They also help electrical components like batteries maintain an appropriate temperature range even in low-temperature environments.

[0004] However, if a separate heat source such as an electric heater is provided in the thermal management system, the layout of the system needs to be optimized to prevent the heat from the electric heater from being transferred to unnecessary locations, and the size of the system needs to be optimized to enable installation even in a narrow engine room.

[0005] [Prior Art Literature]

[0006] (Patent Document 1) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0091584 (Published on August 16, 2018)

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a heat exchanger assembly that is easy to cope with low-temperature and high-temperature environments can be provided.

[0008] Additionally, a heat exchanger assembly can be provided that maintains the temperature of the heater unit within an appropriate range and is physically protectable.

[0009] Additionally, a compact heat exchanger assembly can be provided for easy installation even in confined spaces in the engine room.

[0010] Additionally, components can be directly connected to provide a heat exchanger assembly with improved thermal efficiency.

[0011] The tasks of the present invention are not limited to the tasks mentioned above, and other tasks not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0012] The present disclosure relates to a heat exchanger assembly, comprising: a housing having a predetermined height and a plurality of fluid inlet and outlet ports formed therein; a heater unit stacked on the housing along a height direction of the housing; a cover case coupled to the housing and covering the heater unit; and a heat exchanger stacked on the cover case, wherein heat exchange is performed between a first heat exchange fluid and a second heat exchange fluid; wherein a flow path is formed inside the housing, communicating from one of the plurality of fluid inlet and outlet ports to another of the plurality of fluid inlet and outlet ports, and the first heat exchange fluid can flow in the flow path.

[0013] The above cover case can be coupled to the housing along the height direction of the housing.

[0014] The above heater unit is formed in a plate shape so that one side faces the housing and the other side faces the cover case.

[0015] A gap is formed between the heater unit and the cover case, so that the surface of the heater unit facing the cover case may not come into contact with the cover case.

[0016] The housing may include a first entrance / exit port formed along a height direction and a second entrance / exit port formed along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first entrance / exit port is formed.

[0017] The above-mentioned flow path includes a first flow path, a second flow path, and a third flow path, the first flow path is formed on one side of the housing and communicates with the first inlet port, the second flow path is formed on the other side of the housing and communicates with the second inlet port, and the third flow path is formed between the first flow path and the second flow path to connect the first flow path and the second flow path.

[0018] The heater unit may further include a control unit for controlling the heater unit, and when the heater unit is laminated on one surface of the housing, the control unit may be provided on the other surface of the housing.

[0019] The control unit includes a printed circuit board and a heating element installed on the printed circuit board, and the heating element can be installed to face one of the first and second flow paths.

[0020] The above heater unit is formed in a plate shape having a predetermined area, and the heater unit can be stacked on a portion of one surface of the housing where the third flow path is formed.

[0021] The third euro above has a plurality of protrusions formed in the height direction, and the plurality of protrusions can be formed to form a predetermined pattern.

[0022] The cross-section of the above protrusion can be formed to be symmetrical with respect to the front-rear direction.

[0023] The pattern formed by the above plurality of protrusions can be formed to be symmetrical in the front-back direction with respect to the center of the third euro.

[0024] The heat exchanger includes a heat exchange core in which heat exchange between the first heat exchange fluid and the second heat exchange fluid takes place, a 1-1 heat exchange passage and a 1-2 heat exchange passage in which the first heat exchange fluid flows along the height direction of the heat exchange core, and a 2-1 heat exchange passage and a 2-2 heat exchange passage in which the second heat exchange fluid flows along the height direction of the heat exchange core, wherein the 1-1 heat exchange passage may be formed on one side of the heat exchange core, the 1-2 heat exchange passage may be formed on the opposite side of the 1-1 heat exchange passage, the 2-1 heat exchange passage may be formed on the other side of the heat exchange core, and the 2-2 heat exchange passage may be formed on the opposite side of the 2-1 heat exchange passage.

[0025] The cover case may be configured to be coupled to the lower portion of the heat exchange core so that the cover case and the heat exchanger are integrated.

[0026] The housing includes a first inlet / outlet port formed along a height direction and a second inlet / outlet port formed along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first inlet / outlet port is formed, and the first inlet / outlet port can be directly connected to the first-second heat exchange path.

[0027] The above heat exchange core has a plurality of plates stacked so that the first heat exchange fluid and the second heat exchange fluid can alternately flow between the plurality of plates and mutually exchange heat.

[0028] The above heater unit, the cover case, and the heat exchanger can be sequentially stacked on one side of the housing and modularized with each other.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a heat exchanger assembly that is easy to cope with low-temperature environments and high-temperature environments can be provided.

[0030] It can also provide the advantage that the temperature of the heater unit can be maintained within an appropriate range and physically protected.

[0031] It can also provide a compact heat exchanger assembly and the advantage of being easily installed in narrow spaces in the engine room.

[0032] Additionally, components can be directly connected to provide a heat exchanger assembly with improved thermal efficiency.

[0033] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from this specification and the attached drawings.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger assembly according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of Figure 1.

[0036] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A'.

[0037] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the housing (100).

[0038] Figures 5 and 6 are drawings showing the direction in which the first heat exchange fluid (F1) flows in the flow paths (P1, P2, P3) formed inside the housing.

[0039] Figure 7 is a drawing showing an example including and an example not including a protrusion.

[0040] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing a housing and control unit according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 9 is a front perspective view of the heat exchanger and cover case.

[0042] Figure 10 is a rear perspective view of Figure 9.

[0043] Figure 11 shows the flow of the first heat exchange fluid and the second heat exchange fluid in Figure 9.

[0044] FIG. 12 illustrates the flow of a first heat exchange fluid (F1) and a second heat exchange fluid (F2) in a heat exchanger assembly according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0045] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, these are merely exemplary and the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described as examples.

[0046] A heat exchanger assembly (1000) according to an example of the present disclosure can be applied to vehicles including hybrid electric vehicles, fuel vehicles, and pure electric vehicles, and the fluid heat exchange device can also be applied to other heat exchange fields such as household or industrial applications, and some equipment required for cooling and heating can also be used.

[0047] Hereinafter, a heat exchanger assembly according to an example of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger assembly according to an example of the present disclosure, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of FIG. 1.

[0048] A heat exchanger assembly (1000) according to an example of the present disclosure largely includes a housing (100), a heater unit (200), a cover case (300), and a heat exchanger (400), and may further include a control unit (500).

[0049] The housing may be formed to have a predetermined height (+z-axis direction in FIG. 1) and may be formed with a plurality of fluid inlet and outlet ports (110, 120). A flow path through which a fluid can flow may be formed inside the housing (100), which is hereinafter referred to as a flow path (P1, P2, P3). The flow path may be a flow path that connects one inlet port to another inlet port among the plurality of inlet and outlet ports of the housing (100). Specifically, a first heat exchange fluid (F1), which will be described later, may flow in the flow path, and the contents thereof will be described later.

[0050] The heater unit (200) is a means for transferring heat to a fluid flowing through the flow path of the housing (100), and may be formed, for example, by an electric heater that generates heat through electrical energy. Specifically, the heater unit (200) may be formed of at least one heater selected from among a PTC heater, a sheath heater, a cast heater, and a film heater.

[0051] According to one example of the present disclosure, by providing a heater unit (200), the temperature of the heat exchange fluid can be increased more easily even in a low-temperature environment, thereby meeting the required temperature range of electrical components such as batteries. In addition, even when exposed to a high-temperature environment, the amount of heat generated by the heater unit can be reduced or controlled on / off, thereby having the advantage of being able to control the amount of heat transferred to the heat exchange fluid depending on the situation.

[0052] The heater unit (200) can be stacked on the housing along the height direction of the housing (100). As shown in FIG. 2, the heater unit (200) can be formed smaller than the edges of the housing (100) and the cover case (300), so that the heater unit (200) is not exposed to the outside when the housing (100) and the cover case (300) are combined. In other words, the heater unit (200) can be protected from the outside through the housing (100) and the cover case (300).

[0053] The cover case (300) is combined with the housing (100) and can cover the heater unit (200). The heater unit (200) may be damaged if a physical force is applied from the outside, but this can be prevented through the cover case (300).

[0054] The cover case (300) can be coupled with the housing (100) along the height direction of the housing (100). The heater unit (200) has a plate shape, one side of which faces the housing (100), and the other side of which faces the cover case (300). The heater unit (200) is most vulnerable to physical impact applied in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface (the z-axis direction in FIG. 2), but the cover case (300) can effectively protect the heater unit (200) by being coupled along the height direction of the housing (100).

[0055] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, a gap (D) is formed between the cover case (300) and the heater unit (200), so that the surface of the heater unit (200) facing the cover case (300) may not directly contact the cover case (300).

[0056] If the heater unit (200) and the cover case (300) are in direct contact, the heater unit (200) may overheat, which may damage the heater and other components, and in severe cases, may lead to a risk of fire. Therefore, according to one example of the present disclosure, the heater unit and the cover case are prevented from being in direct contact, thereby providing the advantage of preventing the surface temperature of the heater unit (200) from overheating beyond an appropriate temperature range.

[0057] Meanwhile, the formation of a gap between the cover case (300) and the heater unit (200) may be desirable from an impact perspective. When a vertical impact is applied from the outside of the heat exchanger assembly (1000), only the cover case (300) and the housing (100) are primarily impacted, and no direct impact is applied to the heater unit (200), thereby providing the advantage of safely protecting the heater unit (200) from external physical force or pressure.

[0058] The reason why a gap is formed at the part where the heater unit (200) and the cover case (300) face each other is not only for safety reasons against the aforementioned physical impact, but also to increase thermal efficiency by transmitting most of the heat generation of the heater unit (200) through the housing surface in contact with the heater unit (200).

[0059] For example, the heater unit (200) can be sealed on both sides with one side in contact with the housing (100) and the other side facing the cover case (300), thereby improving thermal efficiency.

[0060] In addition, most of the heat generation of the heater unit (200) can be transferred by conduction to the housing (100) in contact with one surface of the heater unit (200), and the remaining portion can be transferred by convection to the air contained in the gap (D). Since most of the heat generation is transferred by conduction, the heat generation can be efficiently transferred to the first heat exchange fluid (F1) flowing in the housing (100), thereby improving thermal efficiency, and preventing the heater unit (200) from overheating, thereby improving safety.

[0061] In addition, the gap (D) may be required to have a certain length to physically protect the heater unit (200) during the process of combining the cover case (300) and the heat exchanger (400) with the housing (100). It may be desirable to secure the length at least as long as the height of the power element of the heater unit (200). However, since the overall size of the heat exchanger assembly (1000) increases as the length of the gap (D) increases, it may be desirable to configure the length of the gap (D) to be equal to or slightly larger than the height of the power element of the heater unit (200).

[0062] The heat exchanger (400) is a means for mutual heat exchange between the first heat exchange fluid (F1) and the second heat exchange fluid (F2), and can be stacked on the cover case (300).

[0063] The control unit (500) is a means for controlling the heater unit (200). When the heater unit (200) is laminated on one surface of the housing (100), the control unit (500) can be provided on the other surface of the housing.

[0064] Hereinafter, a housing (100) according to an example of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the housing (100), and FIGS. 5 and 6 are drawings showing the direction in which the first heat exchange fluid (F1) flows in the flow paths (P1, P2, P3) formed inside the housing (100).

[0065] A housing (100) may be formed with a plurality of inlet and outlet ports through which a first heat exchange fluid (F1) enters and exits. One of the plurality of inlet and outlet ports may be a first inlet and outlet port (110) formed along a height direction (+z direction), and the other may be a second inlet and outlet port (120) formed along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first inlet and outlet port (110) is formed. The housing (100) may be manufactured, for example, as a plastic injection molded product, and may be formed integrally with the plurality of inlet and outlet ports described above.

[0066] The first inlet port (110) is formed in the height direction (+z-axis direction) so that it can be directly connected to the cover case (300) and the heat exchanger (400). Therefore, a compact heat exchanger assembly (1000) can be provided, and it can provide the advantage of being easily installed even in a narrow space in an engine room.

[0067] The second inlet port (120) is formed in a direction perpendicular to the first inlet port (110), thereby improving the convenience of connection with components (pumps, valves, etc.) placed on the side of the heat exchanger assembly (1000).

[0068] The housing (100) may be provided with a mounting portion (130) formed concavely from the housing so that the heater unit (200) can be mounted in the correct position at the portion where the heater unit (200) is stacked. It is preferable, from the viewpoint of heat exchange efficiency, that the heater unit (200) be stacked on the outer surface of the housing (100) on which the third flow path (P3) to be described later is formed, and thus the mounting portion (130) may be provided on the outer surface of the housing on which the third flow path is formed.

[0069] The flow of the first heat exchange fluid (F1) in the housing (100) will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 below.

[0070] The first heat exchange fluid (F1) may flow through the heat exchanger (400) and then be introduced into the housing (100) through the first inlet port (110), or may flow in the opposite direction to the above-described direction, flow inside the housing (100), and then be introduced into the heat exchanger (400) through the first inlet port (110).

[0071] A flow path can be formed inside the housing (100) so that the first heat exchange fluid (F1) can flow, and the flow path can be broadly divided into a first flow path (P1), a second flow path (P2), and a third flow path (P3).

[0072] The first flow path (P1) may be connected to the first inlet port (110), and the second flow path (P2) may be connected to the second inlet port (120). As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the second inlet port (120) may be formed on the opposite side where the first inlet port (110) is formed, and accordingly, the first flow path (P1) and the second flow path (P2) may be formed parallel to each other, but spaced apart from each other.

[0073] A third flow path (P3) may be formed in a space between the first flow path (P1) and the second flow path (P2). The first flow path (P2) and the second flow path (P2) are formed in a left-right direction (x-axis direction) so that the first heat exchange fluid (F1) flows in the left-right direction, but the third flow path (P3) is formed in a front-back direction (y-axis direction) perpendicular to the left-right direction so that the first heat exchange fluid (F1) flows in the front-back direction (y-axis direction). The heater unit (200) may be laminated on the outer surface of the housing (100) in which the third flow path (P3) is formed, so that the first heat exchange fluid (F1) can efficiently absorb the heat generation of the heater unit (200) when flowing in the third flow path (P3).

[0074] In FIGS. 5 and 6, the flow of the first heat exchange fluid (F1) is illustrated by black arrows. As shown in FIG. 5, the first heat exchange fluid (F1) is introduced into the housing (100) through the first inlet port (110), and then sequentially flows through the first flow path (P1), the third flow path (P3), and the second flow path (P2) before being discharged to the outside through the second flow path (120).

[0075] Conversely, as shown in FIG. 6, the first heat exchange fluid (F1) may be introduced into the housing (100) through the second inlet port (120), and then sequentially flow through the second flow path (P2), the third flow path (P3), and the first flow path (P1) and be discharged to the outside through the first inlet port (110).

[0076] Hereinafter, the protrusion (140) and the pattern of the protrusion (140) will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B' of FIG. 5, and illustrates, by way of example, the direction in which the first heat exchange fluid (F1) flows in the third flow path (P3).

[0077] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a protrusion may be provided on the third flow path (P3) as shown in (a) of FIG. 7, and according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a protrusion may not be provided on the third flow path (P3) as shown in (b) of FIG. 7. Whether or not a protrusion (140) is provided may be appropriately selected in consideration of aspects such as heat efficiency and manufacturing convenience, and in FIGS. 5 and 6, an embodiment in which a protrusion (140) is provided is exemplarily illustrated.

[0078] Hereinafter, a protrusion (140) according to an example of the present disclosure will be described. The third flow path (P3) may be provided with a plurality of protrusions (140) so that the first heat exchange fluid (F1) can efficiently absorb the heat generation of the heater unit (200). The protrusions (140) may be provided along the height direction (z-axis direction) of the housing within the third flow path (P3). By providing the protrusions, the flow speed of the first heat exchange fluid (F1) can increase and the heat exchange area can also increase, thereby providing an advantage of improving heat exchange efficiency by efficiently absorbing the heat generation amount of the heater unit (200).

[0079] In order to increase heat exchange efficiency, the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion (140) can be appropriately designed and changed, for example, it can be formed into a hexagonal diamond dimple shape or a rhombus shape. In Fig. 5, the cross-section of the protrusion (140) is shown as an example of a rhombus shape.

[0080] In addition, the protrusions (140) may be formed to be symmetrical in the front-back direction (y-axis direction). In addition, a plurality of protrusions (140) may be provided on the third flow path (P3), and the protrusions (140) may be formed to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval to form a predetermined pattern. The pattern formed by the plurality of protrusions (140) may be formed to be symmetrical in the front-back direction (y-axis direction) with respect to the center of the third flow path (P3). In this way, by forming the shape of the protrusions (140) and the pattern formed by the plurality of protrusions to form a symmetrical structure, it is possible to provide an advantage in that the thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger assembly (1000) is improved regardless of the flow direction of the first heat exchange fluid (F1).

[0081] Hereinafter, a control unit (500) according to an example of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a drawing showing a housing (100) and a control unit (500) according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0082] The control unit (500) is a means that is electrically connected to the heater unit (200) and can control the heater unit (200). When the heater unit (200) is stacked on one side of the housing (100), the control unit (500) can be provided on the other side of the housing (100).

[0083] Specifically, a heater unit (200) may be arranged on one side and a control unit (500) may be arranged on the other side with the housing (100) in between. By arranging as described above, the control unit (500) can be prevented from overheating due to the heat generation amount of the heater unit (200). In addition, even if the heat generation amount of the heater unit increases, the control unit can be cooled by the flow of the first heat exchange fluid (F1), so that the control unit can maintain an appropriate temperature range and provide the advantage of improved design freedom of the heater unit.

[0084] The control unit (500) may include a printed circuit board (510) to control electrically connected components, and various electronic components may be arranged on the printed circuit board (510). Among the electronic components on the printed circuit board, there may be power components, amplifier components, power components, etc. that generate a lot of heat, and the components that generate a lot of heat are hereinafter referred to as heat generating components (515A, 515B).

[0085] A control unit (500) according to an example of the present disclosure may include the above-described heating elements (515A, 515B), and in order to stably operate the control unit, it is necessary to appropriately cool the heating elements. At this time, the third flow path (P3) is a section that intensively absorbs the heat generation amount of the heater unit (200), and since the temperature of the first heat exchange fluid (F1) is expected to be low at a position immediately before flowing through the third flow path (P3), it is preferable to place the heating element at that position.

[0086] Therefore, when the first heat exchange fluid (F1) flows as in Fig. 5, it may be preferable in terms of efficient cooling of the heat generating element to place the heat generating element facing the first flow path (P1) as in 515A, and when the first heat exchange fluid (F1) flows as in Fig. 6, it may be preferable in terms of efficient cooling of the heat generating element to place the heat generating element facing the second flow path (P2) as in 515B.

[0087] Hereinafter, a heat exchanger (400) and a cover case (300) according to an example of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of the heat exchanger and the cover case, and FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view of FIG. 9.

[0088] A heat exchanger (400) may include a heat exchange core (410) in which heat exchange occurs between a first heat exchange fluid (F1) and a second heat exchange fluid (F2), a 1-1 heat exchange path (411) and a 1-2 heat exchange path (412) in which the first heat exchange fluid flows along the height direction of the heat exchange core (410), and a 2-1 heat exchange path (421) and a 2-2 heat exchange path (422) in which the second heat exchange fluid (F2) flows along the height direction of the heat exchange core.

[0089] At this time, the 1-1 heat exchange channel (411) may be formed on one side of the heat exchange core, the 1-2 heat exchange channel (412) may be formed on the opposite side of the 1-1 heat exchange channel (411), the 2-1 heat exchange channel (421) may be formed on the other side of the heat exchange core, and the 2-2 heat exchange channel (422) may be formed on the opposite side of the 2-1 heat exchange channel (421).

[0090] The ports of the 1-1 heat exchange channel, the 2-1 heat exchange channel, and the 2-2 heat exchange channel can all be formed on the upper side of the heat exchange core (410), but the port of the 1-2 heat exchange channel can be formed on the lower side of the heat exchange core (410) or the cover case (300).

[0091] By forming the flow paths within the heat exchange core as described above, heat exchange can be performed without mixing between the first heat exchange fluid (F1) and the second heat exchange fluid (F2), and the first heat exchange fluid (F1) can flow within the heat exchange core (410) and the housing (100). That is, the first heat exchange fluid (F1) can flow through the heat exchange core (410) and exchange heat with the second heat exchange fluid (F2), and flow through the housing (100) and exchange heat with the heater unit (200).

[0092] Meanwhile, the heat exchange core (410) may be formed as a plate-type heat exchanger in which a plurality of plates are stacked, and a first heat exchange fluid (F1) and a second heat exchange fluid (F2) may alternately flow between the plurality of plates to exchange heat with each other.

[0093] Hereinafter, the cover case (300) will be described. The cover case (300) can be coupled to the lower portion of the heat exchange core (410). That is, the cover case (300) can be coupled to the lower portion of the heat exchange core and formed integrally with the heat exchanger. Accordingly, the cover case (300) can serve as the lowermost plate of the heat exchange core (410).

[0094] Next, the flow of the first heat exchange fluid (F1) and the second heat exchange fluid (F2) according to an example of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. The flow of the first heat exchange fluid (F1) is indicated by a black arrow, and the flow of the second heat exchange fluid (F2) is indicated by a white arrow.

[0095] The first heat exchange fluid (F1) and the second heat exchange fluid (F2) can be selected from fluids having excellent heat exchange performance. For example, the first heat exchange fluid can be a cooling water and the second heat exchange fluid can be a refrigerant, or both the first heat exchange fluid and the second heat exchange fluid can be cooling water but have different temperatures.

[0096] For example, the first heat exchange fluid (F1) may be a cooling water, and the second heat exchange fluid (F2) may be a refrigerant. Since the refrigerant has an excellent ability to absorb or release heat according to temperature changes, it can maximize heat exchange efficiency when used together with the cooling water, thereby providing the advantage of optimizing the size of the heat exchanger (400) while achieving high heat exchange performance. In addition, the combination of the refrigerant and the cooling water provides the advantage of being able to easily achieve various temperature conditions within the operating range of the system, thereby allowing for precise control of the required cooling and heating levels by controlling the evaporation point or condensation point of the refrigerant.

[0097] For example, the first heat exchange fluid (F1) may be introduced into the heat exchange core (410) through the 1-1 heat exchange passage (411) and heat exchanged with the second heat exchange fluid (F2), and then introduced into the housing (100) through the 1-2 heat exchange passage (412) and heat exchanged with the heater unit (200).

[0098] As another example, the first heat exchange fluid (F1) may flow in the opposite direction to the above-described direction and exchange heat with the heater unit (200), and then flow into the heat exchange core (410) to exchange heat with the second heat exchange fluid (F2).

[0099] The flow example of the first heat exchange fluid (F1) described above can be appropriately selected depending on whether the purpose of the heat exchanger (400) is cooling or heating.

[0100] Meanwhile, the first heat exchange fluid (F1) can flow sequentially inside the heat exchange core (410) and the housing (100), so that the first-second heat exchange path (412) and the first inlet port (110) described above can be directly connected to each other.

[0101] The second heat exchange fluid (F1) is introduced into the heat exchange core through the 2-1 heat exchange passage (421), flows through the heat exchange core, and can then be discharged to the outside through the 2-2 heat exchange passage (422).

[0102] Meanwhile, the heater unit, cover case, and heat exchanger can be sequentially stacked on one side of the housing and modularized. Each component is directly connected without auxiliary connecting parts such as hoses, thereby preventing unnecessary external discharge of heat generated by the heater unit. This increases the efficiency of heat generation from the heater unit to the heat exchanger, thereby providing the advantage of enhanced thermal efficiency.

[0103] Additionally, each component is modularized to provide a compact heat exchanger assembly, which provides the advantage of being easily installed in a narrow engine room.

[0104] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without altering the technical concept or essential features thereof. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive.

[0105] [Explanation of symbols]

[0106] 1000: Heat exchanger assembly

[0107] 100: Housing

[0108] 110: First entry port

[0109] 120: Second entrance port

[0110] 140: Protrusion

[0111] P1: 1st Euro P2: 2nd Euro

[0112] P3: Third Euro

[0113] 200: Heater unit

[0114] 300: Cover Case

[0115] D: Gap

[0116] 400: Heat exchanger

[0117] 410: Heat exchange core

[0118] 411: Heat exchange path 1-1 412: Heat exchange path 1-2

[0119] 421: 2-1 heat exchange path 422: 2-2 heat exchange path

[0120] 500: Control Unit

[0121] 510: Printed Circuit Board

[0122] 515A, 515B: Heating element

Claims

1. A housing having a predetermined height and having multiple fluid inlet and outlet ports; A heater unit stacked on the housing along the height direction of the housing; A cover case that is combined with the housing and covers the heater unit; and A heat exchanger is laminated on the cover case and heat exchange is performed between a first heat exchange fluid and a second heat exchange fluid; Inside the housing, a flow path is formed that connects one of the plurality of fluid inlet and outlet ports to another of the plurality of fluid inlet and outlet ports. In the above flow path, the first heat exchange fluid flows, Heat exchanger assembly.

2. In paragraph 1, The above cover case is coupled to the housing along the height direction of the housing, Heat exchanger assembly.

3. In paragraph 2, The above heater unit is formed in a plate shape, one side facing the housing and the other side facing the cover case. Heat exchanger assembly.

4. In paragraph 3, A gap is formed between the heater unit and the cover case, so that the surface of the heater unit facing the cover case does not come into contact with the cover case. Heat exchanger assembly.

5. In paragraph 1, The housing includes a first entrance / exit port formed along the height direction and a second entrance / exit port formed along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first entrance / exit port is formed. Heat exchanger assembly.

6. In paragraph 5, The above-mentioned flow includes the first, second and third flow, The first euro is formed on one side of the housing and is connected to the first inlet port, The second euro is formed on the other side of the housing and is connected to the second inlet port, The third euro is formed between the first euro and the second euro, connecting the first euro and the second euro. Heat exchanger assembly.

7. In paragraph 6, Further comprising a control unit for controlling the above heater unit, When the above heater unit is laminated on one side of the housing, the control unit is provided on the other side of the housing. Heat exchanger assembly.

8. In paragraph 7, The above control unit includes a printed circuit board and a heating element installed on the printed circuit board, The above heating element is installed to face one of the first and second euros. Heat exchanger assembly.

9. In paragraph 8, The above heater unit is formed in a plate shape having a predetermined area, The above heater unit is laminated on a portion of one side of the housing where the third flow path is formed. Heat exchanger assembly.

10. In paragraph 6, The above third euro has a plurality of protrusions formed in the height direction, The above plurality of protrusions are formed to form a predetermined pattern. Heat exchanger assembly.

11. In paragraph 10, The cross-section of the above protrusion is formed to be symmetrical with respect to the front-back direction. Heat exchanger assembly.

12. In paragraph 6, The pattern formed by the above plurality of protrusions is formed to be symmetrical in the front-back direction based on the center of the third euro. Heat exchanger assembly.

13. In paragraph 1, The heat exchanger includes a heat exchange core in which heat exchange between the first heat exchange fluid and the second heat exchange fluid takes place, a 1-1 heat exchange path and a 1-2 heat exchange path in which the first heat exchange fluid flows along the height direction of the heat exchange core, and a 2-1 heat exchange path and a 2-2 heat exchange path in which the second heat exchange fluid flows along the height direction of the heat exchange core. The above 1-1 heat exchange path is formed on one side of the heat exchange core, The above 1-2 heat exchange path is formed on the opposite side of the above 1-1 heat exchange path, The above 2-1 heat exchange path is formed on the other side of the heat exchange core, The above 2-2 heat exchange path is formed on the opposite side of the above 2-1 heat exchange path. Heat exchanger assembly.

14. In paragraph 13, The cover case is coupled to the lower part of the heat exchange core, and the cover case and the heat exchanger are configured to be integrated. Heat exchanger assembly.

15. In paragraph 13, The housing includes a first entrance / exit port formed along the height direction and a second entrance / exit port formed along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first entrance / exit port is formed. The above first inlet port is directly connected to the above 1-2 heat exchange path. Heat exchanger assembly.

16. In paragraph 13, The above heat exchange core is formed by stacking a plurality of plates, and the first heat exchange fluid and the second heat exchange fluid alternately flow between the plurality of plates to exchange heat with each other. Heat exchanger assembly.

17. In paragraph 1, The above heater unit, the cover case and the heat exchanger are sequentially stacked on one side of the housing and modularized with each other. Heat exchanger assembly.

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