Heat exchange tube, heat exchange module, cooling tower and cooling system

Abstract

A heat exchange tube, a heat exchange module, a cooling tower and a cooling system, relating to the technical field of industrial cooling towers. The heat exchange tube has a tube body, wherein a plurality of fins extending radially outwards are provided on the outer circumference of the tube body, and are arranged in the direction of the length of the heat exchange tube; and the spacing between every two adjacent fins is greater than 5.5 mm. The heat exchange module comprises the heat exchange tube as described above, and the cooling tower comprises the heat exchange module as mentioned above. The cooling system comprises the cooling tower as mentioned above.

Description

Heat exchange tubes, heat exchange modules, cooling towers and cooling systems Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of industrial cooling tower technology, specifically to a heat exchange tube, a heat exchange module including the heat exchange tube, a cooling tower including the heat exchange module, and a cooling system. Background Technology

[0002] In some existing cooling towers, the following sections are arranged from top to bottom: an air mixing section, a water collection and mist extraction section, a spray section, a heat exchange section, an air inlet section, and a water collection section. An exhaust section, including a duct and an induced draft fan, is located at the top of the tower. Water is sprayed from the spray section onto the heat exchange section, which contains multiple sets of packing modules formed by stacked packing plates creating stacked flow paths. The sprayed water flows from top to bottom through each flow path of the packing modules. Meanwhile, air is drawn into the cooling tower from the air inlet at the bottom and flows from bottom to top through each flow path of the packing modules, exchanging heat with the sprayed hot water and thus cooling the hot water.

[0003] The aforementioned process of cooling hot water involves heat exchange through contact and evaporation with the air. The air after this heat exchange is saturated with moisture, which is released into the atmosphere, resulting in a waste of water resources. Especially in high-latitude regions during winter, the mist generated by the cooling tower exhaust can be particularly dense, even forming rain or snow, which can then freeze on equipment and the ground, causing frost damage and adversely affecting the environment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a heat exchange tube, a heat exchange module, a cooling tower, and a cooling system to address the aforementioned technical problems in the prior art, thereby solving the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, a first aspect of the present invention provides a heat exchange tube having a tube body;

[0006] The outer circumference of the tube body is provided with multiple fins extending radially outward, and the multiple fins are arranged along the length direction of the heat exchange tube;

[0007] The distance between two adjacent fins is greater than 5.5 mm, forming a gap between the two adjacent fins that allows at least part of the water droplets to pass through.

[0008] In some embodiments, a plurality of the fins are evenly arranged along the length of the heat exchange tube.

[0009] In some embodiments, the distance between two adjacent fins is greater than or equal to 6 mm.

[0010] In some embodiments, a guide portion is provided between the root of the fin and the tube body, and the guide portion is formed in an arc shape or a chamfer shape.

[0011] In some embodiments, the two guide portions are connected together in the gap between two adjacent fins, forming an arc-shaped bottom that surrounds the tube body at the connection.

[0012] A second aspect of the present invention provides a heat exchange tube having a tube body;

[0013] The outer circumference of the tube is provided with spiral fins that surround the tube, and the fins extend along the length of the heat exchange tube.

[0014] The fins have a pitch greater than 5.5 mm, and a spiral-shaped gap is formed between the spirals of the fins to allow at least part of the water droplets to pass through.

[0015] A third aspect of the present invention provides a heat exchange module, comprising:

[0016] A packing portion formed by stacked packing sheets, wherein the packing sheets have through holes, and in the packing portion formed by the stacked packing sheets, the corresponding through holes are stacked to form a receiving cavity; and

[0017] The heat exchange tube described in any of the preceding claims is disposed in the receiving cavity.

[0018] In some embodiments, there are multiple heat exchange tubes and multiple accommodating cavities;

[0019] The heat exchange tube extends through the receiving cavity;

[0020] The packing section has a first housing on one side of the stacking direction of the packing sheets and a second housing on the other side of the stacking direction;

[0021] One end of the heat exchange tube is connected to the first housing, and the other end is connected to the second housing.

[0022] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a cooling tower comprising the heat exchange module described in any of the preceding claims.

[0023] A fifth aspect of the present invention provides a cooling tower comprising:

[0024] The tower body includes an air inlet formed at its lower part to allow external air to flow in, and an air outlet formed at its upper part to discharge airflow.

[0025] A heat exchange layer, comprising the heat exchange module as described in any one of claims 7 or 8;

[0026] A spray section is disposed on the upper side of the heat exchange layer, and the spray section is used to spray hot water onto the heat exchange layer;

[0027] A water supply pipeline is connected to the spray unit and the heat exchange pipe respectively, and is used to selectively supply water to the spray unit and / or the heat exchange pipe.

[0028] In some embodiments, a plurality of baffles extending along the stacking direction of the packing sheets are vertically arranged in the region between the spray section and the heat exchange layer to form alternating air intake space and water spray space.

[0029] In some embodiments, the partition extends downward from the upper side of the heat exchange layer and extends through the heat exchange layer to the lower side of the heat exchange layer.

[0030] In some embodiments, packing material is provided in the heat exchange layer corresponding to the water spray space.

[0031] The sixth aspect of the present invention provides a heat exchange module having:

[0032] Multiple heat exchange tubes, each heat exchange tube having a tube body, with multiple radially outwardly extending fins on the outer circumference of the tube body, the multiple fins being arranged along the length direction of the heat exchange tube; the spacing between two adjacent fins is greater than 5.5 mm, forming a gap between the two adjacent fins that allows at least some water droplets to pass through;

[0033] A first housing and a second housing, wherein the first housing is connected to the first end of the heat exchange tube, and the second housing is connected to the second end of the heat exchange tube.

[0034] In some embodiments, the first housing is provided with a partition plate, thereby forming a first cavity and a second cavity on both sides of the partition plate. A portion of the first end of the heat exchange tube is connected to the first cavity, and the remaining portion of the first end of the heat exchange tube is connected to the second cavity.

[0035] A seventh aspect of the present invention provides a heat exchange module,

[0036] The device has a heat exchange tube with a tube body. The outer circumference of the tube body is provided with a plurality of radially outwardly extending fins, which are arranged along the length of the heat exchange tube. The distance between two adjacent fins is greater than 5.5 mm, and a gap is formed between the two adjacent fins to allow at least some water droplets to pass through.

[0037] The heat exchange tube is bent into a tortuous shape.

[0038] A ninth aspect of the present invention provides a heat exchange module having a heat exchange tube having a tube body having a plurality of radially outwardly extending fins on the outer circumference of the tube body, the plurality of fins being arranged along the length direction of the heat exchange tube; the spacing between two adjacent fins being greater than or equal to 6 mm, and a gap being formed between the two adjacent fins to allow at least a portion of water droplets to pass through;

[0039] The heat exchange tube is bent into a tortuous shape.

[0040] The tenth aspect of the present invention provides a heat exchange module having a heat exchange tube having a tube body having a plurality of radially outwardly extending fins on the outer circumference of the tube body, the plurality of fins being arranged along the length direction of the heat exchange tube; the spacing between two adjacent fins being greater than or equal to 6 mm, and a gap being formed between the two adjacent fins to allow at least a portion of water droplets to pass through;

[0041] The housing has a partition plate inside, which forms a first cavity and a second cavity on both sides of the partition plate. The first end of the heat exchange tube is connected to the first cavity. The heat exchange tube has a tortuous shape so that the second end of the heat exchange tube is connected to the second cavity.

[0042] The eleventh aspect of the present invention provides a cooling tower having:

[0043] The tower body includes an air inlet formed at its lower part that allows external air to flow in, and an air outlet formed at its upper part that allows airflow to be discharged.

[0044] A heat exchange layer comprising a packing layer and a heat exchange tube layer arranged along the vertical direction; the heat exchange tube layer comprising a heat exchange tube having a tube body, wherein a plurality of radially outwardly extending fins are provided on the outer circumference of the tube body, the plurality of fins being arranged along the length direction of the heat exchange tube; the spacing between two adjacent fins is greater than 5.5 mm, and a gap is formed between the two adjacent fins to allow at least some water droplets to pass through.

[0045] In some embodiments, the heat exchange tube layer is located below the packing layer.

[0046] In some embodiments, it further includes: a spray section disposed on the upper side of the heat exchange layer, the spray section being used to spray hot water onto the heat exchange layer;

[0047] A water receiving section, located at the bottom of the cooling tower, is used to collect water sprayed from the spray section;

[0048] A circulating pump, the suction end of which is connected to the water receiving part to draw water from the water receiving part; the output end of the circulating pump is connected to the spray part.

[0049] The water supply pipeline is connected to the heat source and the heat exchange pipe layer respectively, forming a circulation loop between the heat source and the heat exchange pipe layer.

[0050] A twelfth aspect of the present invention provides a cooling system including a cooling tower, wherein the cooling tower is any of the above-described cooling towers;

[0051] The heat exchange tubes in the heat exchange layers of the multiple cooling towers are connected in parallel.

[0052] This invention designs a heat exchange tube with sparse fins, a heat exchange module, a cooling tower, and a cooling system with the heat exchange tube. The fin gaps of the heat exchange tube can be prevented from being blocked by water, so that it still has high heat exchange efficiency in a water-spraying environment, thus providing a brand-new technical route for the design of water-saving and defogging cooling towers.

[0053] In some embodiments, the packing section has ventilation channels formed by stacked packing sheets. Since the heat exchange tube passes through the receiving cavity, it inevitably intersects with the ventilation channels. Therefore, as the cold airflow flows within the ventilation channels, it encounters the heat exchange tube and exchanges heat with it. Furthermore, the airflow within the packing section is turbulent, which slows down the flow velocity of the cold airflow, facilitating heat exchange between the cold airflow and the heat exchange tube.

[0054] In the heat exchange layer, on one hand, the falling water splashes onto the outside of the heat exchange tubes in the heat exchange module, exchanging heat with the hot water inside the tubes. On the other hand, the cold air flowing upwards in the cooling tower exchanges heat with the walls of the circulating medium inside the heat exchange tubes and with the water sprayed by the spray circulation system. A water film can be formed on both the packing plates and fins, thus providing a carrier for heat exchange between water and air, cooling the circulating medium and circulating water. Due to the special structure of the heat exchange tubes in this invention, the falling water will not clog the gaps between the fins, and the water droplets will slide down to the lower end of the fins and drip off under the guidance of the fins, preventing a reduction in the heat exchange efficiency between the cooling medium inside the heat exchange tubes and the cold air outside.

[0055] Furthermore, during operation, the hot water sprayed from the spray unit cleans the heat exchange tubes, washing away poplar fluff and dust carried from the outside air, thus preventing a decrease in the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange tubes. Attached Figure Description

[0056] Figure 1 is a structural diagram of the heat exchange module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 2 is a structural diagram of the heat exchange module of the first embodiment of the present invention from another perspective, in which some of the packing sheets have been removed.

[0058] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of packing sheets and heat exchange tubes in the heat exchange module of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heat exchange module of the first embodiment of the present invention, in which packing sheets are stacked to form a receiving cavity.

[0060] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the heat exchange tube in the heat exchange module of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heat exchange tube in the heat exchange module of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the heat exchange module assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the packing sheet has been removed.

[0063] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the external structure of a cooling tower using the heat exchange module of the present invention.

[0064] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the heat exchange layer and spray system in the cooling tower shown in Figure 8.

[0065] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 8.

[0066] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of AA in Figure 10.

[0067] Figure 12 shows another embodiment of a cooling tower using the heat exchange module of the present invention.

[0068] Figure 13 shows another embodiment of a cooling tower using the heat exchange module of the present invention.

[0069] Figure 14 shows another embodiment of a cooling tower using the heat exchange module of the present invention, wherein the cooling tower is a hyperbolic cooling tower.

[0070] Figure 15 is a partial top view of the heat exchange module of the present invention.

[0071] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of water droplets forming at the bottom of a coil when using a coil as a heat exchange fitting in some existing technologies.

[0072] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of the process by which the fins of the heat exchange tube guide water droplets in this invention.

[0073] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a heat exchange tube according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of the heat exchange module in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] Figure 20 shows a cooling tower according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the packing layer is located on the upper side of the heat exchange tube layer;

[0076] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of the first working mode of the cooling tower shown in Figure 20;

[0077] Figure 22 is a schematic diagram of the second working mode of the cooling tower shown in Figure 20;

[0078] Figure 23 shows a cooling tower according to another embodiment of the present invention, which is a closed cooling tower;

[0079] Figure 24 shows a cooling tower according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the packing layer is located below the heat exchange tube layer;

[0080] Figure 25 shows a cooling tower according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the cooling tower is provided with a plurality of vertically extending baffles;

[0081] Figure 26 shows a cooling tower according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the packing section and the heat exchange tube assembly are arranged crosswise in the horizontal direction.

[0082] Figure 27 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a heat exchange tube according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] Figure 28 shows a cooling tower according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0084] Figure 29 shows a cooling tower according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the cooling tower is in non-fogging mode.

[0085] Figure 30 shows a cooling tower according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the cooling tower is in defogging mode.

[0086] Figure 31 is a schematic diagram of a cooling system consisting of an air cooler and a closed cooling tower.

[0087] Figure 32 is a schematic diagram of the cooling system composed of the cooling tower combination of the present invention.

[0088] Figure 33 is a schematic diagram of the closed cooling tower provided by the present invention.

[0089] Symbol Explanation: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6', 7, 8, 9, 9' Cooling tower; 1100a, 1100b, 1100n, Cooling tower; 10, Tower body; 11, Air inlet; 12, Air outlet; 20, Spray section; 21, Spray pipe; 22, Spray head; 23, Spray valve; 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, Heat exchange layer; 341, Packing layer; 342, Heat exchange pipe layer; 361, Packing module; 40, Water supply pipeline; 41, Water inlet pipe; 42, Branch valve; 43, Return water pipe; 44, Main pipeline; 45, Main spray valve; 46, Return water pipeline; 47, Return water pump; 48, Constant pressure water supply unit; 50, Baffle plate; 51, Spray space; 52, Air induced space; 60. Mixing layer; 70. Water receiving section; 80. Exhaust section; 81. Power element; 82. Blade; 100, 100a, 100b, 200. Heat exchange module; 110. Packing section; 111. Packing plate; 1111. Ventilation channel; 112. Through hole; 113. Receiving cavity; 120. Heat exchange tube assembly; 121. Heat exchange tube; 122. Fin; 123. Gap section; 124. Tube body; 125. Guide section; 130. First housing; 131. First port; 132. Second port; 133. Separator; 140. Second housing; 700. Spray circulation system; 710. Circulation pump; 800. Heat source; 900. Metal pipe; 910. Water droplet; 920. Collection area. 1000 Cooling system; 9000 Cooling system; 9100 Closed-circuit cooling tower; 9120 Spray section; 9130 Heat exchange layer; 9131 Packing layer; 9132 Bare tube layer; 9200 Air cooler; 9210 Densely packed finned tube layer. Detailed Implementation

[0090] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become clear by explaining the preferred embodiments of the present application below.

[0091] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0092] As shown in the lower right corner of Figure 1, the directions are illustrated in Figure 1 to facilitate a clear description of the technical solution of the present invention. The left-right direction is the width direction of the heat exchange module 100 and the packing sheet 110; the front-back direction is the stacking direction of the packing sheet 110; and the up-down direction is the up-down direction of the cooling tower 1 and the heat exchange module 100.

[0093]

Hot Exchange Module 100

[0094] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the heat exchange module 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the first housing 130 is located on the front side. Figure 2 is a structural diagram of the heat exchange module 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention from another perspective, wherein the first housing 130 is located on the rear side, and in order to clearly show the structure, part of the packing sheet 111 has been removed. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of the packing sheet 111 and the heat exchange tube 121 in the heat exchange module 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the stacked structure of the packing sheet 111 in the heat exchange module 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0095] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, in this embodiment, the heat exchange module 100 includes a packing section 110 formed by stacked packing sheets 111. Multiple packing sheets 111 are stacked in the front-back direction, and flow paths for air and / or water are formed between adjacent packing sheets 111.

[0096] In this embodiment, the packing sheet 111 is provided with a through hole 112. The through hole 112 can be, for example, a circular hole, a square hole, or a hole of other geometric shapes. The present invention does not make any particular limitation on this.

[0097] A packing sheet 111 may have multiple through holes 112, which are distributed in a regular (e.g., array) or irregular manner. In a packing portion 110 formed by stacking packing sheets 111, the corresponding through holes 112 are stacked to form a receiving cavity 113. In some embodiments, the extending direction of the receiving cavity 113 is parallel to the stacking direction of the packing sheets 111; in other embodiments, the extending direction of the receiving cavity 113 has an angle of less than 90° with the stacking direction of the packing sheets 111.

[0098] In some embodiments, the same packing sheet 111 includes a plurality of independent through holes 112; however, in other embodiments, some or all of the through holes 112 may intersect.

[0099] The heat exchange tube 121 passes through the receiving cavity 113. In some embodiments, the length of the heat exchange tube 121 is greater than the length of the receiving cavity 113, with one end of the heat exchange tube 121 extending to the outer side of one side of the receiving cavity 113 in the front-back direction, and the other end extending to the outer side of the other side of the receiving cavity 113 in the front-back direction, i.e., both ends of the heat exchange tube 121 extend from both ends of the receiving cavity 113. In other embodiments, the heat exchange tube 121 can be bent into a U-shape, wherein one of the two branches of the U-shape passes through one receiving cavity 113, and the other passes through another receiving cavity 113. Alternatively, both branches of the U-shape can pass through the same receiving cavity 113. In still other embodiments, the heat exchange tube 121 can be bent two or more times and pass through at least one of the receiving cavities 113. The bending of the heat exchange tube 121 can be achieved by heating and bending, or by welding or connecting elbows.

[0100] In some embodiments, the number of receiving cavities 113 corresponds one-to-one with the number of heat exchange tubes 121. In other embodiments, multiple heat exchange tubes 121 can be placed in one receiving cavity 113, that is, the number of heat exchange tubes 121 is greater than the number of receiving cavities 113. The above-mentioned multiple heat exchange tubes 121 form a heat exchange tube group 120.

[0101] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a first housing 130 is provided on one side of the packing section 110 in the front-back direction (i.e., the stacking direction of the packing sheets 111), and a second housing 140 is provided on the other side in the front-back direction. One end of the heat exchange tube 121 is connected to the first housing 130, and the other end is connected to the second housing 140.

[0102] In some embodiments, the first port 131 and the second port 132 of the heat exchange module 100 are located on the same housing, and a horizontally or vertically extending partition 133 is installed in the middle of the housing, with the first port 131 and the second port 132 located on both sides of the partition 133.

[0103] For example, referring to Figure 1, the partition 133 extends horizontally, dividing the first housing 130 into upper and lower parts: a first cavity on the upper side and a second cavity on the lower side. The first port 131 is located on the front wall of the first housing 130, below the partition 133, while the second port 132 is located on the front wall of the first housing 130, above the partition 133. The second housing 140 does not have a partition; it is a completely empty cavity. Alternatively, the partition 133 can extend vertically, dividing the inner cavity of the first housing 130 into left and right parts: a first cavity on the left and a second cavity on the right. In use, fluid can be injected into the first housing 130 of the heat exchange module 100 through the first port 131. The fluid flows through part of the heat exchange tubes 121 to the second housing 140, then flows back through the remaining heat exchange tubes 121 to the first housing 130 and exits through the second port 132.

[0104] Setting the position of the first port 131 lower than that of the second port 132 helps the fluid to fill each heat exchange tube 121 inside the heat exchange module 110, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0105] In other embodiments, the first port 131 is located on the front wall of the first housing 130, while the second port 132 is located on the rear wall of the second housing 140 (not shown). No partitions are provided inside either the first housing 130 or the second housing 140. In use, fluid flows in through the first port 131 and flows out through the second port 132.

[0106] The aforementioned heat exchange module 100 has multiple operating modes. In the first mode, hot water is introduced into the heat exchange tube assembly 120, and air flows through the outer space of the heat exchange tube assembly 120 along a direction perpendicular to the stacking of the packing plates 111. The air exchanges heat with the hot water inside the heat exchange tubes 121, thus cooling the hot water. In this first mode, the hot water flows through the heat exchange tube assembly 120 without contacting the air, preventing water evaporation and resulting in significant water conservation.

[0107] As shown in Figure 15, the packing section 110 has ventilation channels 1111 formed by stacked packing sheets 111. Since the heat exchange tube 121 passes through the receiving cavity 113, it inevitably intersects with the ventilation channels 1111. Therefore, during the flow of cold air within the ventilation channels 1111, it will encounter the heat exchange tube 121 and exchange heat with it. Furthermore, the airflow within the packing section 110 is turbulent, which slows down the flow velocity of the cold air, facilitating heat exchange between the cold air and the heat exchange tube 121.

[0108] The second working method involves spraying hot water from the upper side of the heat exchange module 100 onto the packing section 110, while air flows upward from the lower side of the heat exchange module 100. The hot water and airflow then exchange heat through contact and evaporation. The advantage of this second working method is its higher heat exchange efficiency.

[0109] The third operating mode involves simultaneously spraying hot water from the upper side of the heat exchange module 100 onto the packing section 110, while a cooling medium (such as chilled water, refrigerant R410A, E32, etc.) is introduced into the heat exchange tube assembly 120. Air flows upwards from the lower side of the heat exchange module 100, allowing for heat exchange through contact and evaporation between the hot water and the airflow. Simultaneously, the cooling medium in the heat exchange tube assembly 120 exchanges heat with the hot water through the tube walls and fins 122 of the heat exchange tubes 121, thus forming an organic combination of multiple heat exchange methods and improving heat exchange efficiency. The heat exchange module 100 of this invention provides a new technical approach for the design of cooling towers.

[0110]

Packaging Section 110

[0111] The packing section 110 can be one or a combination of the following packings: S-wave packing, oblique cross packing, stepped trapezoidal oblique wave packing, differential sinusoidal wave packing, dot wave packing, hexagonal honeycomb packing, bidirectional wave packing, and oblique folded wave packing. The function of the packing in the cooling tower is to increase heat dissipation, extend the residence time of cooling water, increase the heat exchange area, and increase the heat exchange capacity.

[0112] The difference between the packing sheet 111 in the packing section 110 and a conventional packing sheet is that the packing sheet 111 in this embodiment has one or more through holes 112. When multiple packing sheets 111 are stacked to form the packing section 110, the aforementioned through holes 112 are stacked to form a receiving cavity 113 capable of accommodating the heat exchange tube 121.

[0113] [Heat exchange tube 121]

[0114] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the heat exchange tube 121 in the heat exchange module 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of the heat exchange tube 121 in the heat exchange module 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0115] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, multiple radially extending fins 122 are provided on the outer circumference of the heat exchange tube 121. The fins 122 increase the heat dissipation area of ​​the heat exchange tube 121. The heat exchange tube 121 and fins 122 can be made of metals with high thermal conductivity, such as copper or aluminum; or they can be made of other non-metallic materials with high thermal conductivity, such as composite materials containing graphene.

[0116] The plurality of fins 122 are arranged along the length of the heat exchange tube 121. In some embodiments, the plurality of fins 122 are arranged uniformly along the length of the heat exchange tube 121, while in other embodiments, the plurality of fins 122 are arranged non-uniformly along the length of the heat exchange tube 121.

[0117] In conventional heat exchange tubes, the spacing between adjacent fins is very small (approximately 1 mm or even smaller), and they are densely packed. This arrangement aims to increase the contact area with air, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency. For a long time, those skilled in the art have reached a consensus that heat exchange tubes can only be used for heat exchange between air and fluid. The fluid flows inside the heat exchange tube, while air flows past the outside of the tube and exchanges heat with the fluid through the densely packed fins. The denser the fins, the larger the heat exchange area. However, the aforementioned heat exchange tubes with densely packed fins cannot be used for heat exchange in the water-spraying environment inside cooling towers.

[0118] Through extensive exploration and experimentation, the inventors of this application discovered that the reason why the aforementioned heat exchange tube cannot function properly when applied to the heat exchange module 100 of this invention is that the gaps between the fins are blocked by water, causing a significant reduction in the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange tube. Therefore, in the technical solution of this invention, the structure of the heat exchange tube is specially designed. As shown in Figure 6, the distance between two adjacent fins 122, i.e., the width d of the gap 123, is greater than or equal to 4.5 mm, for example, it can be 5.5 mm, 5.6 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 8 mm, etc. In this embodiment, by setting the distance d between two adjacent fins 122 to be greater than or equal to 4.5 mm, i.e., greater than the maximum diameter of at least a portion of the water droplets, the aforementioned gap 123 of the heat exchange tube 121 is prevented from being blocked by water, thus maintaining high heat exchange efficiency even in a water-spraying environment. More preferably, the distance d between the two adjacent fins 122 is greater than or equal to 5 mm.

[0119] In practice, the inventors of this application have also discovered that the low heat exchange efficiency of a metal tube 900 (e.g., a copper tube) without fins in a water-spraying environment is also related to the formation of a water collection area 920 at the lowest point of the lower surface of the metal tube 900 by water droplets. As shown in Figure 16, in a water-spraying environment, water droplets 910 fall onto the metal tube 900, slide down its outer surface, and collect at the lowest point of its lower surface, forming the collection area 920. This collection area 920 covers a portion of the bottom area of ​​the metal tube 900, reducing the heat exchange area between the internal and external media and thus lowering the heat exchange efficiency between the two media.

[0120] The heat exchange tube 121 of this invention can solve the problem of water accumulating at the bottom of the metal tube 900. As shown in Figure 17, water droplets 910 fall onto the tube body 124 of the heat exchange tube 121 and slide down along the outer surface of the tube body 124, accumulating on the lower side of the tube body 124. However, due to the influence of the fins 122, the collected water droplets slide downwards under the influence of the fins 122 and accumulate on the lower side of the fins 122. Since the fins 122 are plate-shaped, their outer contour has a small surface area, which is conducive to the water droplets falling. Therefore, the fins 122 can not only increase the heat dissipation area of ​​the heat exchange tube 121, but also guide the water droplets on the lower side of the tube body 124 in a water spray environment, preventing the accumulation area 920 from forming on the lower side of the tube body 124 and reducing the heat dissipation area of ​​the tube body 124.

[0121] To further enhance the water guiding effect, as shown in Figure 18, a guide portion 125 is provided at the connection between the fin 122 and the tube body 124. The guide portion 125 can be, for example, an arc-shaped structure or a chamfered structure formed between the fin 122 and the tube body 124, making it easier for water droplets to slide from the surface of the tube body 124 towards the fin 122. Furthermore, the guide portions 125 located on both sides of the bottom of the groove in the gap 123 can be connected together, thereby forming an arc-shaped bottom around the tube body 124 at the bottom of the groove in the gap 123, which further facilitates the sliding of water droplets towards the fin 122.

[0122] Furthermore, the cross-section of the tube body 124 of the aforementioned heat exchange tube 121 can be elliptical, while the outer contour of the fins 122 can be circular. Compared to a design where the tube body 124 is circular, with the same cross-sectional width, the elliptical tube body 124 is longer in the vertical direction, resulting in a larger flow area and heat exchange area, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency between the heat exchange tube 121 and water.

[0123] [Combination of heat exchange module 100]

[0124] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the heat exchange module assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In this diagram, the packing sheet has been removed for clearer illustration.

[0125] In the cooling tower, to facilitate water supply to the heat exchange modules 100, as shown in Figure 7, in some embodiments, two heat exchange modules 100 are installed back-to-back to form a combination of heat exchange modules 100. Specifically, when the two heat exchange modules 100a and 100b are installed, the second housing 140 of heat exchange module 100a is adjacent to the second housing 140 of heat exchange module 100b. Thus, the first housing 130 of heat exchange module 100a is located on the outside, and similarly, the first housing 130 of heat exchange module 100b is also located on the outside. At the same time, the first port 131 and the second port 132 are both located on the end plate of the first housing 130 of each heat exchange module 100, thereby facilitating water supply to each heat exchange module 100 through pipelines.

[0126] [Water supply pipeline 40]

[0127] Figure 8 shows an embodiment of a cooling tower using the heat exchange module of the present invention. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heat exchange layer 30 and the spray system in the cooling tower shown in Figure 8.

[0128] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the water supply system is used to supply hot water from both sides of the cooling tower 1 to the heat exchange module 100.

[0129] The following description takes the water supply pipeline 40 on one side of the cooling tower 1 as an example. The water supply pipeline 40 includes a main pipeline 44, which is connected to the first port of each heat exchange module 100 through multiple water inlet pipes 41. The main pipeline 44 is also connected to the spray pipe 21 on the spray section 20 for supplying water to the spray section 20.

[0130] In the heat exchange layer 30, branch valves 42 are connected in series on each water inlet pipe 41. The branch valves 42 are used to open or close the water supply to each heat exchange module 100. That is, when the branch valve 42 is open, hot water flows in the heat exchange pipe 121 of the corresponding heat exchange module 100, and the hot water in the heat exchange pipe 121 can be cooled by the air flowing in the cooling tower 1; when the branch valve 42 is closed, no hot water flows in the heat exchange pipe 121 of the corresponding heat exchange module 100, and the hot water can be cooled by spraying with the air flowing in the cooling tower 1.

[0131] In the spray section 20, there are multiple spray pipes 21 arranged parallel to each other, and multiple nozzles 22 are evenly arranged on the spray pipes 21. In some embodiments, the extending direction of the spray pipes 21 is the same as the length direction of the heat exchange module 100. Preferably, a spray valve 23 is installed at the inlet of each spray pipe 21, so that some areas can be closed while the hot water spray in the remaining areas can be opened. In some embodiments, a main spray valve 45 can also be installed on the main pipeline 44 for uniformly closing or opening the hot water supply of the spray section 20.

[0132] In some embodiments, media can be supplied to the heat exchange module 100 and the spray section 20 through different pipelines, that is, one medium is supplied to the spray section 20 and another medium is introduced into the heat exchange module 100.

[0133] Cooling Tower 1

[0134] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 8, that is, a structural schematic diagram taken along the length of the heat exchange module 100. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view AA in Figure 10.

[0135] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the cooling tower 1 includes a tower body 10, which has an air inlet 11 located on the lower side of the tower body 10 for the inflow of external air, and an air outlet 12 located on the top of the tower body 10 for the discharge of airflow.

[0136] In this embodiment, an exhaust section 80 is provided in the exhaust port 12 of the cooling tower 1. The exhaust section 80 includes a power element 81 and blades 82. The power element 81 is used to drive the blades 82 to rotate to draw in external air, so that cold air flows in from the air inlet 11 of the lower layer of the cooling tower 1, passes through the heat exchange layer 30 and the spray section 20 in sequence, and is discharged from the exhaust port 12 at the top.

[0137] Work Status 1

[0138] As described above, the cooling tower 1 is set to winter operating mode. In this mode, hot water is introduced into the heat exchange tube assembly 120, and air flows from bottom to top through the outer space of the heat exchange tube assembly 120. The air exchanges heat with the hot water inside the heat exchange tubes 121, cooling the hot water. In this operating mode, the hot water flows through the heat exchange tube assembly 120 without contacting the air, preventing water evaporation and resulting in significant water-saving and defogging effects.

[0139] The operation process in working state one is as follows: close the main spray valve 45, open each branch valve 42, and the hot water flows from the main pipeline 44 to the first port 131 of each heat exchange module 100. After being cooled down by each heat exchange module 100, it flows from its second port 132 to the return water pipe 43 and is supplied to the factory for recycling through the return water pipe 43.

[0140] Working Status Two

[0141] When operating in summer, hot water is sprayed from the upper side of the heat exchange module 100 onto the packing section 110, while air flows upward from the lower side of the heat exchange module 100. The hot water and airflow undergo contact heat exchange and evaporative heat exchange, resulting in high heat exchange efficiency.

[0142] The hot water to be treated, sprayed from the spray section 20 to each heat exchange module 100 of the heat exchange layer 30, is cooled by each heat exchange module 100 and falls into the water receiving section 70 at the bottom of the tower body 10. The cooled water is then collected by a collection device, such as a water pump, for recycling in the factory.

[0143] Cooling Tower 2

[0144] The cooling tower 2 further adds multiple baffles 50 to the cooling tower 1. Specifically, multiple baffles 50 extending along the length of the heat exchange module 100 are vertically arranged in the area between the spray section 20 and the heat exchange layer 30. Preferably, the baffles 50 can be arranged, for example, between two adjacent heat exchange modules 100 and extend downward through the heat exchange layer 30. Thus, the baffles 50 divide the corresponding area inside the cooling tower 2 into multiple space intervals 51 and 52. Among them, space interval 51 serves as a water spraying space for spraying hot water (hereinafter referred to as water spraying space 51 for ease of description), and space interval 52 serves as an air intake space for drawing air from bottom to top (hereinafter referred to as air intake space 52 for ease of description). The water spraying space 51 and the air intake space 52 are alternately arranged in the matrix of heat exchange modules 100 in the stacking direction perpendicular to the packing sheets 111.

[0145] Within the aforementioned water spraying space 51, the spray valve 23 on the corresponding upper spray pipe 21 is opened, and the branch valve 42 upstream of the heat exchange module 100 within the water spraying space 51 is closed. Conversely, within the air intake space 52, the spray valve 23 on the corresponding upper spray pipe 21 is closed, and the branch valve 42 upstream of the heat exchange module 100 within the air intake space 52 is opened.

[0146] Based on the above settings, the cooling tower 2 has a third working state, namely, water is sprayed in the water spraying space 51, and water does not circulate in the heat exchange pipe 121 of the heat exchange module 100 in the water spraying space 51; while water is not sprayed in the air intake space 52, but water circulates in the heat exchange pipe 121 of the heat exchange module 100 in the air intake space 52.

[0147] In working state three, the dry and cold air from the outside passes through the water spray space 51 and then undergoes contact heat exchange and evaporation heat exchange with the hot water to become humid and hot air; the dry and cold air from the outside passes through the air intake space 52 and then undergoes heat exchange with the water in the heat exchange tube 121 to become dry and hot air. Both the humid and hot air flow upward and mix in the mixing layer 60, which plays a role in defogging.

[0148] Cooling Tower 3

[0149] Cooling tower 3 is a further improvement on cooling tower 2. The heat exchange module 100 within the water distribution space 51 is replaced with conventional packing material, i.e., packing material without heat exchange pipes, which reduces costs. The aforementioned conventional packing material can be one or a combination of the following packing sheets: S-wave packing, obliquely crossed packing, stepped trapezoidal oblique wave packing, differential sinusoidal wave packing, dot wave packing, hexagonal honeycomb packing, bidirectional wave packing, oblique folded wave packing, etc.

[0150] Cooling Tower 4

[0151] The difference between cooling tower 4 and the aforementioned cooling towers 1, 2, and 3 is that its tower body 10 is a hyperbolic cooling tower. Its principle is to utilize the upward lift of hot air to generate airflow, thereby eliminating the need for power components 81 and blades 82, thus reducing energy consumption. Specifically, cooling tower 4 includes a tower body 10, which has an air inlet 11 located on its lower side for receiving external air, and an exhaust outlet 12 located on its top for discharging airflow.

[0152] Inside the cooling tower 4, a heat exchange layer 33 and a spray section 20 are arranged sequentially from bottom to top. The hot water sprayed from the spray section 20 exchanges heat with the cold air flowing upward inside the cooling tower 4 at the heat exchange layer 33. At the same time, the cold air and spray water can reduce the temperature of the circulating medium in the heat exchange tube 121 inside the heat exchange layer 33.

[0153] The cooling tower 4 is equipped with a spray circulation system 700 that draws water from the water receiving section 70 and supplies water to the spray section 20. The spray circulation system 700 includes a circulation pump 710, the suction end of which is connected to the water receiving section 70 and the discharge end of which is connected to the heat exchange module 200.

[0154] In winter, cold air has a strong cooling capacity, so the circulating pump 710 does not need to be turned on; the circulating medium in the heat exchange tube 121 can be cooled using only cold air. Furthermore, the circulating medium does not come into contact with the cold air, meaning there is no evaporation, thus completely solving the technical problem of fogging at the cooling tower exhaust vents 12 in winter.

[0155] In summer, the outside air temperature is high, which reduces or even eliminates the ability to cool the circulating medium. At this time, the circulating pump 710 is turned on, and the circulating water and air in the cooling tower 4 cool the circulating medium in the heat exchange tube 121. At the same time, a water film forms on the surface of the packing fins 111 and / or the fins 122 of the heat exchange tube 121, which increases the contact area between the circulating water and the air, thus cooling the circulating water.

[0156] The heat exchange module 100 of this invention can be installed in the cooling tower 4. Specifically, the spray section 20 is located on the upper side of the heat exchange layer 33 and is used to spray the medium onto the heat exchange layer 33. When the heat exchange module 100 is used, the heat exchange pipe 121 passes through the receiving cavity 113 formed by the stacked packing plates 111. The heat exchange pipe 121 generates a turbulent flow effect on the air between the packing plates 111, prolonging the heat exchange time between the air and the circulating water. Overall, this improves the cooling effect of the circulating water and air on the circulating medium.

[0157] The heat exchange layer 33 in the cooling tower 4 can have various options. For example, it can be formed by installing only the heat exchange module 100 of this invention, or by arranging the heat exchange module 100 and conventional packing alternately in the horizontal direction. Alternatively, it can be formed by using a heat exchange tube layer 342 composed of heat exchange modules 200 and installing a packing layer 341 composed of ordinary packing on the upper or lower side of the heat exchange modules 200. A detailed description follows.

[0158] [Hot Exchange Module 200]

[0159] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heat exchange module 200 in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0160] As shown in Figure 19, the heat exchange module 200 may include one or more heat exchange tubes 121, which are arranged in parallel. A first housing 130 is provided at one end of each heat exchange tube 121, and a second housing 140 is provided at the other end. The two ends of the heat exchange tube 121 are connected to the first housing 130 and the second housing 140, respectively. There are several possible flow paths for the hot water. One path involves injecting hot water into the first housing 130, where the hot water exchanges heat with the medium outside the heat exchange tube 121 and then flows into the second housing 140. Another path involves providing a partition in the first housing 130 to divide its interior into a first cavity and a second cavity. After injecting hot water into the first cavity, the hot water in the first cavity flows through a portion of the heat exchange tube 121 connected to it into the second housing 140, and then flows from the second housing 140 through the remaining portion of the heat exchange tube 121 connected to the second cavity into the second cavity.

[0161] Furthermore, a heat exchange module 200 may include a heat exchange tube 121, which is formed into a tortuous shape by repeated bending. Thus, hot water enters from one end of the heat exchange tube 121, flows through the entire length of the heat exchange tube 121, and exits from the other end.

[0162] As can be seen, the difference between heat exchange module 200 and heat exchange module 100 is that heat exchange module 200 does not have packing plates 111. Compared with heat exchange module 100, it has the advantages of being easier to maintain and having lower manufacturing costs.

[0163] Cooling Tower 5

[0164] Figure 20 shows a cooling tower according to an embodiment of the present invention using the heat exchange module 200, wherein the packing layer 341 is located above the heat exchange tube layer 342.

[0165] As shown in Figure 20, the heat exchange layer 34 includes a packing layer 341 and a heat exchange tube layer 342, with the heat exchange tube layer 342 located below the packing layer 341. The heat exchange tube layer 342 can be composed of multiple heat exchange modules 200 arranged in a flat layout.

[0166] An air inlet 11 is provided on the lower side wall of the cooling tower 5, and an air outlet 12 is provided on the top of the cooling tower 5. Cold air from the outside flows into the cooling tower 5 through the air inlet 11, and flows through the heat exchange tube layer 342, the packing layer 341, the spray section 20, and the mixing layer 60 in sequence to the air outlet 12.

[0167] Cooling tower 5 has multiple operating modes, which are described one by one below:

[0168] The first working mode is as shown in Figure 21, where hot water is introduced into the spray pipe 21 of the spray section 20 through the main pipeline 44, and the hot water is sprayed from the nozzle 22 to the heat exchange layer 34.

[0169] In the aforementioned heat exchange layer 34, the packing layer 341 and the heat exchange tube layer 342 together provide a heat exchange area for heat exchange between hot water flowing downwards and cold air flowing upwards, thereby increasing the heat exchange area between water and air. In this embodiment, due to the special design of the heat exchange tube 121, such as its wide fin spacing and the fact that the gaps 123 between the fins are not easily blocked by water, it can be used as packing material in a water-spraying environment.

[0170] Water that has cooled down after exchanging heat with the cold air falls into the water receiving section 70 and can be pumped to the return water pipe 46, from where it is transported to the heat source 800 for cooling. The circulating water is heated again after passing through the heat source 800 and then transported to the cooling tower 5 through the main pipe 44 for cooling treatment.

[0171] The second operating mode, as shown in Figure 22, is as follows: In winter, when the outside temperature is cold, the cooling requirement for the circulating water can be met solely through the heat exchange tube layer 342. Therefore, in this second operating mode, the main pipeline 44 supplies hot water to be cooled to each heat exchange module 200 of the heat exchange tube layer 342. The hot water circulates within each heat exchange tube 121 of the heat exchange module 200, while cold air, drawn in by the blades 82 in the exhaust section 80, flows from the air inlet 11 into the cooling tower 5 and exchanges heat with the hot water inside the heat exchange tubes 121, thus cooling the hot water. The cooled hot water can then be discharged into the water receiving section 70 and transported to the heat source 800 for further cooling via the return water pipeline 46, thus forming a circulating flow path.

[0172] In the second working mode, the hot water in the heat exchange module 200 exchanges heat with the cold air through the wall, and the two do not come into direct contact. Therefore, the second working mode completely eliminates the factors that cause water mist formation, and the water-saving and defogging effects are particularly significant.

[0173] Cooling Tower 6

[0174] The internal structure of cooling tower 6 is roughly the same as that of cooling tower 5. The difference is that, as shown in Figure 23, cooling tower 6 is a closed cooling tower.

[0175] Specifically, the cooling tower 6 includes a working circulation system in which the cooling medium flows from the heat source 800 through the main pipeline 44 to the inlet of the heat exchange module 200 in the heat exchange tube layer 342, flows through the heat exchange module 200 and then gathers to the return water pipeline 46, and flows back to the heat source 800 through the return water pipeline 46 to cool the heat source 800. This forms a working circulation loop between the cooling tower 6 and the heat source 800. The cooling medium can be water, coolant, etc.

[0176] The cooling tower 6 also includes a spray circulation system 700, which includes a circulation pump 710. The suction end of the circulation pump 710 is connected to the water receiving section 70, and the discharge end of the circulation pump 710 is connected to the spray section 20. The circulation pump 710 can draw water from the water receiving section 70 and supply water to the spray section 20. The water sprayed by the nozzles 22 of the spray section 20 exchanges heat with the outside air in the packing layer 341, cools down, and then sprays onto the heat exchange tube layer 342.

[0177] In the heat exchange tube layer 342, on the one hand, water falling from the packing layer 341 will spray onto the outside of the heat exchange tube 121 in the heat exchange module 200, exchanging heat with the hot water inside the heat exchange tube 121. On the other hand, the cold air flowing upward in the cooling tower 6 will exchange heat with the wall between the circulating water in the heat exchange tube 121 and with the water sprayed by the spray circulation system 700, cooling both. Due to the special structure of the heat exchange tube 121 in this invention, the sprayed water will not clog the gaps 123 between the fins 122, and the water droplets will slide down to the lower end of the fins 122 and drip off under the guidance of the fins 122, thus preventing a decrease in the heat exchange efficiency between the cooling medium inside the heat exchange tube 121 and the cold air outside.

[0178] Furthermore, during operation, the hot water sprayed from the spray section 20 has a cleaning effect on the heat exchange tube 121, washing away the poplar fluff and dust carried in the outside air, thus preventing a decrease in the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange tube 121.

[0179] Alternatively, heat exchange module 100 can be used instead of heat exchange module 200 in cooling tower 6.

[0180] Cooling tower 6'

[0181] As shown in Figure 24, the difference between cooling tower 6' and cooling towers 5 and 6 is that in cooling tower 6', the heat exchange tube layer 342 is installed on the upper side of the packing layer 341. Water sprayed from the spray section 20 first falls onto the heat exchange tube layer 342, then falls through the heat exchange tube layer 342 into the packing layer 341. Cooling tower 6' can be either an open cooling tower or a closed cooling tower.

[0182] Cooling Tower 7

[0183] The cooling tower 7 further adds multiple baffles 50 to the cooling tower 5. Specifically, as shown in FIG25, multiple baffles 50 extending along the length direction of the heat exchange module 200 are vertically arranged in the area between the spray section 20 and the heat exchange layer 34. Preferably, the baffles 50 can be arranged, for example, between two adjacent heat exchange modules 200 and extend downward through the heat exchange layer 30. Thus, the baffles 50 divide the corresponding area inside the cooling tower 7 into multiple space intervals 51, 52. Among them, space interval 51 serves as a water spraying space for spraying hot water, and space interval 52 serves as an air intake space for drawing gas from bottom to top. The water spraying space 51 and the air intake space 52 are alternately arranged in the matrix of heat exchange modules 200 in the stacking direction perpendicular to the packing sheets 111.

[0184] During the operation of the cooling tower 7, the nozzles 22 of the spray section 20 in the water spraying space 51 are opened, while the nozzles 22 of the spray section 20 in the air intake space 52 are closed. That is, water is sprayed in the water spraying space 51, but not in the air intake space 52. Hot water circulates in the heat exchange pipes 121 of the heat exchange module 100 in the air intake space 52.

[0185] The dry, cold air from the outside passes through the water spray space 51 and then undergoes contact heat exchange and evaporation heat exchange with the hot water to become humid and hot air. The dry, cold air from the outside passes through the air intake space 52 and then undergoes heat exchange with the water in the heat exchange tube 121 to become dry and hot air. Both the humid and hot air flow upward and mix in the mixing layer 60, which plays a role in defogging.

[0186] Cooling Tower 8

[0187] As shown in Figure 26, the heat exchange layer 36 of the cooling tower 8 includes horizontally alternating heat exchange modules 200 and packing modules 361, and also includes multiple baffles 50. Specifically, multiple baffles extending along the length of the heat exchange modules 200 are vertically arranged in the area between the spray section 20 and the heat exchange layer 36. Preferably, the baffles 50 may be arranged, for example, between two adjacent heat exchange modules 200 and extend downward through the heat exchange layer 30. Thus, the baffles 50 divide the corresponding area inside the cooling tower 8 into multiple partition spaces 51, 52. Among them, partition space 51 serves as a water spraying space for spraying hot water (hereinafter referred to as water spraying space 51), and partition space 52 serves as an air intake space for drawing gas from bottom to top (hereinafter referred to as air intake space 52). The water spraying space 51 and the air intake space 52 are arranged alternately.

[0188] During the operation of the cooling tower 8, the nozzles 22 of the spray section 20 in the water spraying space 51 are opened, while the nozzles 22 of the spray section 20 in the air intake space 52 are closed. That is, water is sprayed in the water spraying space 51, but not in the air intake space 52. Hot water circulates in the heat exchange pipes 121 of the heat exchange module 100 in the air intake space 52.

[0189] The dry, cold air from the outside passes through the water spray space 51 and then undergoes contact heat exchange and evaporation heat exchange with the hot water to become humid and hot air. The dry, cold air from the outside passes through the air intake space 52 and then undergoes heat exchange with the water in the heat exchange tube 121 to become dry and hot air. Both the humid and hot air flow upward and mix in the mixing layer 60, which plays a role in defogging.

[0190] [Heat exchange tube 121']

[0191] Figure 27 shows another structure of heat exchange tube 121', which has a tube body 124'; the outer circumference of the tube body 124' is provided with spiral fins 122' that are spirally wrapped around the tube body 124'. The fins 122' extend along the length of the heat exchange tube 121'. The pitch of the fins 122' is greater than or equal to 4.5 mm, for example, 5 mm or 5.5 mm, forming spiral gaps 123' between the spiral fins of the fins 122' that allow at least part of the water droplets to pass through.

[0192] In some embodiments, the pitch of the fin 122' is greater than or equal to 6 mm, for example, 6 mm, 6.1 mm, 6.2 mm, 6.5 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, etc.

[0193] Cooling Tower 9

[0194] In some work scenarios, steam needs to be cooled. For example, when the cooling tower structure shown above is still used as the defogging mode, the steam is condensed into water in the heat exchange modules 100 and 200 in the water spray space; however, in the corresponding heat exchange modules 100 and 200 in the air intake space (without water spray), the steam passes through the heat exchange modules 100 and 200 quickly and cannot be condensed into water, thus failing to achieve the ideal cooling effect.

[0195] Therefore, in the cooling tower 9 of this embodiment, the extension direction of the heat exchange modules 100 and 200 is set such that part of the length of the heat exchange tube 121 is located in the water spray space and part of the length is located in the air intake space.

[0196] As shown in Figure 28, the cooling tower 9 includes multiple longitudinally arranged baffles 50 that divide the interior of the cooling tower 9 into alternating water spraying spaces 51 and air venting spaces 52. The heat exchange layer 37 includes multiple heat exchange modules 100 (or heat exchange modules 200, hereinafter the same). The heat exchange pipes 121 in the heat exchange modules 100 pass through the baffles 50, thus being partially located in the water spraying space 51 and partially located in the air venting space 52.

[0197] Part of the cold air flowing into the cooling tower 9 from the air inlet 11 enters the water spray space 51, where it exchanges heat with the water sprayed onto the surface of the heat exchange module 100 in the heat exchange layer 7, forming hot and humid air. During the above process, the steam in the heat exchange tube 121 is cooled and condensed.

[0198] Part of the cold air flowing into the cooling tower 9 from the air inlet 11 enters the air intake space 52, where it undergoes indirect heat exchange with the steam or hot water in the heat exchange tube 121 in the heat exchange layer 7, becoming dry hot air.

[0199] The aforementioned humid and dry hot air flow upwards into the mixing layer 60 under the traction of the exhaust section 80, mixing to form unsaturated hot air, thereby reducing or eliminating the rain and fog formed on the upper side of the exhaust vent 12.

[0200] It should be noted that in the above embodiments, the extension direction of the heat exchange tube 121 is preferably perpendicular to the partition 50. For example, a mounting hole can be provided on the partition 50, through which the heat exchange module 100 passes. Furthermore, the edge of the mounting hole of the partition 50 can be embedded between two adjacent packing sheets 111, thereby preventing water in the water spraying space 51 from splashing into the air duct space 52.

[0201] In addition, the extension direction of the heat exchange tube 121 and the partition 50 can be at an angle greater than zero degrees, other than perpendicular.

[0202] Cooling tower 9'

[0203] In some work scenarios, steam needs to be cooled. For example, when the cooling tower structure shown above is still used as the defogging mode, the steam is condensed into water in the heat exchange modules 100 and 200 in the water spray space; however, in the corresponding heat exchange modules 100 and 200 in the air intake space (without water spray), the steam passes through the heat exchange modules 100 and 200 quickly and cannot be condensed into water, thus failing to achieve the ideal cooling effect.

[0204] Therefore, in the cooling tower 9 of this embodiment, the extension direction of the heat exchange modules 100 and 200 is set such that part of the length of the heat exchange tube 121 is located in the water spray space and part of the length is located in the air intake space.

[0205] As shown in Figure 28, the cooling tower 9 includes multiple longitudinally arranged baffles 50 that divide the interior of the cooling tower 9 into alternating water spraying spaces 51 and air ducting spaces 52. The following description uses a heat exchange module 100 as an example; the heat exchange layer 37 includes multiple heat exchange modules 100. Heat exchange pipes 121 in the heat exchange module 100 pass through the baffles 50, so that part of the heat exchange pipe 121 is located in the water spraying space 51 and part is located in the air ducting space 52. Alternatively, in some embodiments, two heat exchange pipes 121 can be connected in series via a pipeline, with one heat exchange pipe 121 located in the water spraying space 51 and the other in the air ducting space 52. In summary, when steam flows through the heat exchange pipes 121 of the cooling tower, part of the flow path is located in the water spraying space 51, and the other part of the flow path is located in the air ducting space 52.

[0206] Part of the cold air flowing into the cooling tower 9 from the air inlet 11 enters the water spray space 51, where it exchanges heat with the water sprayed onto the surface of the heat exchange module 100 in the heat exchange layer 7, forming hot and humid air. During the above process, the steam in the heat exchange tube 121 is cooled and condensed.

[0207] Part of the cold air flowing into the cooling tower 9 from the air inlet 11 enters the air intake space 52, where it undergoes indirect heat exchange with the steam or hot water in the heat exchange tube 121 in the heat exchange layer 7, becoming dry hot air.

[0208] The aforementioned humid and dry hot air flow upwards into the mixing layer 60 under the traction of the exhaust section 80, mixing to form unsaturated hot air, thereby reducing or eliminating the rain and fog formed on the upper side of the exhaust vent 12.

[0209] It should be noted that in the above embodiments, the extension direction of the heat exchange tube 121 is preferably perpendicular to the partition 50. For example, a mounting hole can be provided on the partition 50, through which the heat exchange module 100 passes. Furthermore, the edge of the mounting hole of the partition 50 can be embedded between two adjacent packing sheets 111, thereby preventing water in the water spraying space 51 from splashing into the air duct space 52.

[0210] In addition, the extension direction of the heat exchange tube 121 and the partition 50 can be at an angle greater than zero degrees, other than perpendicular.

[0211] Cooling System 9000

[0212] Figure 31 is a schematic diagram of a cooling system consisting of an air cooler and a closed cooling tower.

[0213] In some technical solutions, as shown in Figure 31, the heat generated by the heat source 800 is absorbed by the circulating medium. The heated circulating medium is cooled sequentially by passing through the air cooler 9200 and the closed cooling tower 9100, and then returns to the heat source 800, thus forming the cooling system 9000. The return water pump 47 provides the circulation power for the circulating medium, while the constant pressure water replenishment unit 48 replenishes the circulating medium lost in the circulation.

[0214] Multiple air coolers 9200 can be connected in parallel. Each air cooler 9200 uses air to cool the circulating medium, and is primarily suitable for seasons where the air temperature is lower than the circulating medium temperature, such as winter. Its advantage is that the air and the circulating medium do not directly contact each other, thus preventing evaporation. However, the air cooler 9200 also has some problems. For example, when the air temperature approaches the temperature of the circulating medium, the air cooler 9200 loses its cooling effect; also, impurities in the air can clog the fin gaps of the sealed finned tubes 9210 in the air cooler, reducing its heat dissipation efficiency.

[0215] The aforementioned closed-circuit cooling tower 9100 can also be multiple units connected in parallel. The closed-circuit cooling tower 9100 is used to compensate for the deficiencies of the air cooler 9200. From top to bottom, the closed-circuit cooling tower 9100 is provided with a spray section 9120 and a heat exchange layer 9130. The heat exchange layer 9130 includes a packing layer 9131 and a bare tube layer 9132. The circulating medium circulates within the bare tube layer 9132.

[0216] In addition, the closed cooling tower 9100 also includes a spray circulation system 700, which includes a circulation pump 710. The suction port of the circulation pump 710 is connected to the water pool 9400 at the bottom of the closed cooling tower 900 through a pipeline, and the discharge port of the circulation pump 710 is connected to the spray section 9120 through a pipeline.

[0217] In this closed-loop cooling tower 9100, water sprayed from the spray section 9120 first falls onto the packing layer 9131, where it exchanges heat with the upward-flowing air. Some of the water evaporates, absorbing heat from the sprayed water and cooling the circulating water. Subsequently, the circulating water falls onto the surface of the bare tubes in the bare tube layer 9132, where it exchanges heat with the circulating medium inside the tubes, lowering the temperature of the circulating medium. Simultaneously, the circulating water dripping onto the surface of the bare tubes also exchanges heat with the upward-flowing air, further cooling the circulating medium.

[0218] However, the above system has some problems. First, the combined use of the closed-circuit cooling tower 9100 and the air cooler 9200 increases the construction cost and floor space required, as well as the number of fans and the corresponding operating energy consumption. Second, in summer when temperatures are high, the air cooler 9200 loses its heat dissipation capacity and needs to be shut down. However, the circulating medium still needs to pass through its internal densely packed finned tube layer 9210 (otherwise, the interior of the densely packed finned tube layer 9210 will be blocked and corroded by impurities), thus generating some unnecessary circulation pressure drop and corresponding energy loss. Similarly, when the air cooler 9200 can meet the usage requirements, the closed-circuit cooling tower 9100 often needs to be shut down, but the circulating medium must still flow within the bare tube layer 9132 (otherwise, it will cause blockage and corrosion inside the bare tube), also generating some unnecessary circulation pressure drop and energy loss. In addition, the existing cooling system also has technical problems such as the low heat dissipation efficiency of the closed-circuit cooling tower for the circulating medium and the easy blockage of the fin gaps in the densely packed finned tube layer 9210 of the air cooler 9200.

[0219] Therefore, this invention provides a novel design concept for a cooling system by using a heat exchange tube with sparse fins, which combines the functions of a closed cooling tower and an air cooler into one, and can enhance heat exchange with each other, while also reducing construction costs and floor space, and reducing operating energy consumption.

[0220] Figure 32 is a schematic diagram of the cooling system composed of the cooling tower assembly of the present invention. Figure 33 is a structural schematic diagram of the closed cooling tower provided by the present invention.

[0221] As shown in Figures 32 and 33, the cooling tower system 1000 includes multiple cooling towers 1100 connected in parallel, designated as cooling tower 1100a, cooling tower 1100b, ..., cooling tower 1100n. The required number of cooling towers 1100 can be specifically matched according to different heat dissipation needs.

[0222] Cooling Tower 1100

[0223] Specifically, the cooling tower 1100 includes a working circulation system in which the cooling medium flows from the heat source 800 through the main pipeline 44 to the inlet of the heat exchange module 100 in the heat exchange layer 30, flows through the heat exchange module 100 and then collects to the return water pipeline 46, and flows back to the heat source 800 through the return water pipeline 46 to cool the heat source 800. This forms a working circulation loop between the cooling tower 1100 and the heat source 800. The cooling medium can be water, coolant, etc.

[0224] The cooling tower 1100 also includes a spray circulation system 700, which includes a circulation pump 710. The suction end of the circulation pump 710 is connected to the water receiving section 70, and the discharge end of the circulation pump 710 is connected to the spray section 20. The circulation pump 710 can draw water from the water receiving section 70 and supply water to the spray section 20. The water sprayed by the nozzles 22 of the spray section 20 exchanges heat with the external air and the circulating medium in the heat exchange tube 121 in the heat exchange layer 30.

[0225] In the heat exchange layer 30, on the one hand, the falling water splashes onto the outside of the heat exchange tube 121 in the heat exchange module 100, exchanging heat with the hot water inside the heat exchange tube 121. On the other hand, the cold air flowing upwards in the cooling tower 1100 exchanges heat with the wall between the circulating medium inside the heat exchange tube 121 and with the water sprayed by the spray circulation system 700. Water films can be formed on both the packing fins 111 and the fins 122, thereby providing a carrier for heat exchange between water and air, cooling the circulating medium and circulating water. Due to the special structure of the heat exchange tube 121 in this invention, the falling water will not clog the gaps 123 between the fins 122, and the water droplets will slide down to the lower end of the fins 122 and drip off under the guidance of the fins 122, without reducing the heat exchange efficiency between the cooling medium inside the heat exchange tube 121 and the cold air outside.

[0226] Furthermore, during operation, the hot water sprayed from the spray section 20 has a cleaning effect on the heat exchange tube 121, washing away the poplar fluff and dust carried in the outside air, thus preventing a decrease in the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange tube 121.

[0227] With the cooling tower 1100 of the present invention, the cooling system 1000 has multiple operating modes:

[0228] In winter, when the outside air temperature drops, air cooling alone can meet the cooling requirements of the circulating medium. Therefore, in the cooling tower 1100, the spray circulation system 700 can be closed and the exhaust section 80 can be opened. The cold air outside exchanges heat with the circulating medium in the heat exchange layer 30 and the heat exchange tube 121 at intervals. While meeting the cooling requirements, fogging can be avoided.

[0229] In summer, the spray circulation system 700 and exhaust section 80 are activated, allowing the circulating water and air in the cooling tower 1100 to cool the circulating medium in the heat exchange tube 121. Simultaneously, a water film forms on the surfaces of the packing plates 111 and the fins 122 of the heat exchange tube 121, increasing the contact area between the circulating water and air and further cooling the circulating water. It should also be emphasized that, because the heat exchange tube 121 passes through the receiving cavity 113 formed by the stacked packing plates 111 in the heat exchange module 100, the heat exchange tube 121 creates turbulence on the air between the packing plates 111, prolonging the heat exchange time between the air and the circulating water. Overall, this improves the cooling effect of the circulating water and air on the circulating medium.

[0230] During the middle season, the number of cooling towers 1100 in operation can be adjusted according to permits, thereby reducing the overall energy consumption of the cooling system while meeting the need for cooling the circulating medium.

[0231] In some embodiments, a heat exchange module 200 may be used instead of a heat exchange module 100 in the cooling tower 1100.

[0232] Furthermore, the cooling tower 1100 of the present invention can be composed of cooling towers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 9', and its configuration can be multiple cooling towers connected in parallel or in series, or some cooling towers can be connected in series and some cooling towers can be connected in parallel.

[0233] When cooling towers 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 9' are used to form a system, the cooling system has the function of eliminating fog.

[0234] The heat exchange tube, heat exchange module, and cooling tower of this application have been described in detail with reference to preferred technical solutions. However, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can make any modifications, alterations, and variations based on the above disclosure without departing from the spirit of this application. This application includes the above-described specific embodiments and any equivalent forms.

Claims

1. A heat exchange tube, characterized by comprising: a tube body; a plurality of fins extending radially outward from an outer circumference of the tube body, the plurality of fins being arranged along a length direction of the heat exchange tube; a spacing between adjacent two fins being greater than 5.5 mm, and a gap part allowing at least partial water droplets to pass through being formed between the adjacent two fins.

2. The heat exchange tube according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of fins are uniformly arranged along the length direction of the heat exchange tube.

3. The heat exchange tube according to claim 1, characterized in that the spacing between the adjacent two fins is greater than or equal to 6 mm.

4. The heat exchange tube according to claim 1, characterized in that a guide part is formed between a root of the fin and the tube body, the guide part being formed in an arc shape or a chamfer shape.

5. The heat exchange tube according to claim 4, characterized in that the two guide parts are connected together in the gap part between the adjacent two fins, and an arc-shaped bottom part surrounding the tube body is formed at the connection.

6. A heat exchange tube, characterized by comprising: a tube body; a fin spirally surrounding the tube body and extending along a length direction of the heat exchange tube; a pitch of the fin being greater than 5.5 mm, and a helical gap part allowing at least partial water droplets to pass through being formed between helixes of the fin.

7. A heat exchange module, characterized by comprising: a filler part formed by laminating filler sheets, the filler sheets being provided with through holes, and the corresponding through holes being laminated to form accommodation cavities in the filler part formed by laminating the filler sheets; and the heat exchange tube according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the heat exchange tube being arranged in the accommodation cavities.

8. The heat exchange module according to claim 7, characterized in that: the heat exchange tube and the accommodation cavities are both plural; the heat exchange tube penetrates the accommodation cavities; a first box body is arranged on one side of a lamination direction of the filler sheets of the filler part, and a second box body is arranged on the other side of the lamination direction; one end of the heat exchange tube communicates with the first box body, and the other end of the heat exchange tube communicates with the second box body.

9. A heat exchange module, characterized by comprising the heat exchange module according to any one of claims 7 or 8.

10. A cooling tower, characterized by comprising: a tower body comprising an air inlet formed at a lower part thereof and allowing external air to flow in, and an air outlet formed at an upper part thereof and discharging air flow; a heat exchange layer comprising the heat exchange module according to any one of claims 7 or 8; a spraying part arranged at an upper side of the heat exchange layer, the spraying part being used for spraying hot water to the heat exchange layer; and a water supply pipeline communicating with the spraying part and the heat exchange tube respectively, and being used for selectively supplying water to the spraying part and / or the heat exchange tube.

11. The cooling tower according to claim 10, characterized in that a plurality of partitions extending along a lamination direction of the filler sheets are vertically arranged in a region between the spraying part and the heat exchange layer, and alternating air guiding spaces and water spraying spaces are formed.

12. The cooling tower according to claim 11, characterized in that the partitions extend downward from an upper side of the heat exchange layer and penetrate the heat exchange layer to extend to a lower side of the heat exchange layer. ​ ​ ​ ​ 7. A heat exchange module, characterized by ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 9. A cooling tower characterized by, ​ 10. A cooling tower characterized by, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 13. The cooling tower according to claim 11, wherein The filler is arranged in the heat exchange layer corresponding to the water spraying space.

14. A heat exchange module, characterized by Having: A plurality of heat exchange tubes, the heat exchange tube having a tube body, the outer circumference of the tube body being provided with a plurality of fins extending radially outward, a plurality of the fins being arranged along the length direction of the heat exchange tube; the interval between adjacent two fins is greater than 5.5 mm, and a gap allowing at least part of the water droplets to pass through is formed between the adjacent two fins; A first box and a second box, the first box being connected with the first end of the heat exchange tube, and the second box being connected with the second end of the heat exchange tube.

15. The heat exchange module according to claim 14, wherein The first box is provided with a partition plate, thereby forming a first cavity and a second cavity on both sides of the partition plate, and part of the first ends of the heat exchange tubes are communicated with the first cavity, and the remaining part of the first ends of the heat exchange tubes are communicated with the second cavity.

16. A heat exchange module, comprising: A plurality of heat exchange tubes, the heat exchange tube having a tube body, the outer circumference of the tube body being provided with a plurality of fins extending radially outward, a plurality of the fins being arranged along the length direction of the heat exchange tube; the interval between adjacent two fins is greater than 5.5 mm, and a gap allowing at least part of the water droplets to pass through is formed between the adjacent two fins; The heat exchange tube is bent into a zigzag shape.

17. A heat exchange module, comprising: A plurality of heat exchange tubes, the heat exchange tube having a tube body, the outer circumference of the tube body being provided with a plurality of fins extending radially outward, a plurality of the fins being arranged along the length direction of the heat exchange tube; the interval between adjacent two fins is greater than or equal to 6 mm, and a gap allowing at least part of the water droplets to pass through is formed between the adjacent two fins; The heat exchange tube is bent into a zigzag shape.

18. A heat exchange module, comprising: A plurality of heat exchange tubes, the heat exchange tube having a tube body, the outer circumference of the tube body being provided with a plurality of fins extending radially outward, a plurality of the fins being arranged along the length direction of the heat exchange tube; the interval between adjacent two fins is greater than or equal to 6 mm, and a gap allowing at least part of the water droplets to pass through is formed between the adjacent two fins; A box, the box being provided with a partition plate, thereby forming a first cavity and a second cavity on both sides of the partition plate, the first end of the heat exchange tube being communicated with the first cavity; the heat exchange tube has a zigzag shape, so that the second end of the heat exchange tube is communicated with the second cavity.

19. A cooling tower characterized by, Having: A tower body, comprising an air inlet formed in the lower part of the tower body and allowing external air to flow in, and an air outlet formed in the upper part of the tower body and capable of discharging air flow; A heat exchange layer includes a filler layer and a heat exchange tube layer arranged along the up-down direction; the heat exchange tube layer includes heat exchange tubes having tube bodies with a plurality of fins extending radially outward on the outer periphery of the tube bodies, the plurality of fins being arranged along the length direction of the heat exchange tubes; the pitch between adjacent two fins is greater than 5.5 mm, and a gap part allowing at least part of water droplets to pass through is formed between the adjacent two fins.

20. The cooling tower of claim 19, wherein The heat exchange tube layer is located at the lower side of the filler layer.

21. The cooling tower according to claim 19, wherein Further comprising, A spraying part arranged at the upper side of the heat exchange layer, the spraying part being used for spraying hot water to the heat exchange layer; A water receiving part located at the bottom of the cooling tower and used for containing water sprayed by the spraying part; A circulating pump, the suction end of the circulating pump being connected with the water receiving part to draw water from the water receiving part, and the output end of the circulating pump being connected with the spraying part; And A water supply pipeline in communication with the heat source and the heat exchange tube layer respectively to form a circulating loop between the heat source and the heat exchange tube layer.

22. Cooling system, characterized in that Comprise: The cooling tower is any one of claims 9, 10-13 and 19-20; The heat exchange tubes in the heat exchange layers of the plurality of cooling towers are connected in parallel.

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