Heat exchanger and refrigeration system comprising same

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application is a heat exchanger, comprising a heat exchange housing, a pair of tube sheets, several heat exchange tubes, a pair of tanks and at least one buffer part. The buffer part is connected to at least one of the tube sheets and end plates to buffer the pressure exerted in the direction of length on the at least one of the tube sheets and end plates by fluid in a tank cavity or a heat exchange cavity. The provision of the buffer part on the tube sheets and end plates enables a reduction in the thickness of the tube sheets and end plates while ensuring the pressure-bearing capacity of the tube sheets and end plates. When the end plates comprise end plate buffer parts, reducing the thickness of the end plates not only reduces the cost of the end plates, but also reduces the cost of bolts and hinges used to connect the end plates to a tank housing. When the tube sheets comprise tube sheet buffer parts, reducing the thickness of the tube sheets also reduces the weight and cost of the tube sheets. Moreover, when the tube sheet buffer parts are arranged in the tank cavity, reducing the thickness of the tube sheets can also reduce the length of the portion of the heat exchange tubes passing through the tube sheets, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of the heat exchange tubes.

Description

Heat exchanger and refrigeration system comprising same TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of refrigeration systems, and in particular to a heat exchanger and a refrigeration system comprising the same. BACKGROUND

[0002] A heat exchanger generally comprises a heat exchange housing and a pair of tanks arranged at two ends of the heat exchange housing. A heat exchange cavity in the heat exchange housing is configured to accommodate heat exchange tubes and a fluid flowing outside the heat exchange tubes. A tank cavity in the tank is configured to communicate with the inside of the heat exchange tubes to provide a fluid flowing in the heat exchange tubes.

[0003] The heat exchange housing and the tanks of the heat exchanger used in the refrigeration system need to withstand the pressure of the fluid, for example, the end plate and the tube plate of the heat exchange housing and the tanks need to withstand the pressure of the fluid in the heat exchange cavity and the tank cavity in the length direction of the heat exchanger. Due to the limited size of the end plate and the tube plate, it is generally necessary to increase the thickness of the end plate and the tube plate to improve their pressure-bearing capacity. SUMMARY

[0004] In a first aspect, the present application provides a heat exchanger comprising a heat exchange housing, a pair of tube plates, a plurality of heat exchange tubes, a pair of tanks and at least one buffer. The heat exchange housing defines a heat exchange cavity, and the heat exchange housing has a length direction. The pair of tube plates are connected at two ends of the length direction of the heat exchange housing to close the heat exchange cavity in the length direction. Each heat exchange tube is arranged in the heat exchange cavity and extends along the length direction, wherein two ends of each heat exchange tube are connected to the pair of tube plates. The pair of tanks are respectively connected outside the pair of tube plates in the length direction, and each tank comprises a tank housing and an end plate, the tank housing defines a tank cavity inside, the tank cavity is in fluid communication with the inside of the heat exchange tubes, and the end plate and the corresponding tube plate are connected at two ends of the tank housing in the length direction to close the tank cavity in the length direction. The buffer is connected to at least one of the tube plate and the end plate to buffer the pressure of the fluid in the tank cavity or the heat exchange cavity on at least one of the tube plate and the end plate in the length direction.

[0005] According to the above first aspect, each buffer comprises at least one layer of corrugated board, the corrugated board is bent in the length direction and extends in a direction perpendicular to the length direction.

[0006] According to the first aspect, each of the buffer portions further comprises a surrounding plate and at least one inner sealing plate, the at least one inner sealing plate is arranged corresponding to the at least one layer of corrugated plates, the surrounding plate surrounds the at least one layer of corrugated plates and is connected between at least one of the tube plates or the end plates and the inner sealing plate farthest from the corresponding tube plate or end plate. Wherein each of the inner sealing plates is arranged opposite and spaced apart from the tube plates or the end plates, each of the corrugated plates is connected between two adjacent inner sealing plates or between the inner sealing plate and at least one of the adjacent tube plates or end plates.

[0007] According to the first aspect, each of the corrugated plates is connected to two adjacent inner sealing plates or between the inner sealing plate and at least one of the adjacent tube plates or end plates by a welding process.

[0008] According to the first aspect, the at least one buffer portion comprises a tube plate buffer portion, the tube plate buffer portion is connected to the tube plate and the outer peripheral dimension is arranged such that the tube plate buffer portion is arranged in the tank cavity in the tank shell or in the heat exchange cavity in the heat exchange shell.

[0009] According to the first aspect, the tube plate buffer portion is arranged in the tank cavity in the tank shell, and wherein the plurality of heat exchange tubes pass through the tube plate but do not pass through the tube plate buffer portion.

[0010] According to the first aspect, the corrugated plates and the inner sealing plates of the tube plate buffer portion are provided with a plurality of tube holes, the plurality of tube holes are arranged corresponding to the plurality of heat exchange tubes to communicate the tank cavity and the inside of the heat exchange tubes.

[0011] According to the first aspect, the end of the tank shell comprises an outwardly protruding tank flange, the end plate is pivotally connected to the tank flange through at least one hinge, and the end plate is fastened to the tank flange through a plurality of bolts to be connected to the tank shell. Wherein the at least one buffer portion comprises an end plate buffer portion, the end plate buffer portion is connected to the inner side of the end plate and the outer peripheral dimension is smaller than the outer peripheral dimension of the end plate, so that the end plate buffer portion is arranged in the tank cavity in the tank shell.

[0012] According to the first aspect, the corrugated plates are bent to form a corrugated shape, the corrugated plates are formed by a plurality of peak portions and a plurality of valley portions connected alternately, wherein the top of the peak portion and the top of the valley portion are circular arc shape or planar shape.

[0013] According to the first aspect, each of the buffer portions comprises a plurality of layers of corrugated plates, the plurality of layers of corrugated plates extend in different directions.

[0014] The present application provides, in a second aspect, a refrigeration system comprising a compressor, an evaporator, a throttling device and a condenser arranged in a refrigerant circuit. At least one of the evaporator or the condenser comprises the heat exchanger of any one of the first aspect.

[0015] Other objects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and help to understand the present application from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] Fig. 1A is a perspective view of a heat exchanger according to the present application;

[0017] Fig. 1B is an axial sectional view of one embodiment of the heat exchanger shown in Fig. 1A;

[0018] Fig. 2A is a perspective view of the shell and tube sheet of Fig. 1A at one angle;

[0019] Fig. 2B is a perspective view of the shell and tube sheet of Fig. 2A at another angle;

[0020] Fig. 3A is a perspective view of the end plate and end plate bumper of Fig. 2A;

[0021] Fig. 3B is an exploded view of Fig. 3A;

[0022] Fig. 4A is a perspective view of the tube sheet and tube sheet bumper of Fig. 2A;

[0023] Fig. 4B is an exploded view of Fig. 4A;

[0024] Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view of one embodiment of a bumper according to the present application;

[0025] Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view of another embodiment of a bumper according to the present application;

[0026] Fig. 7 is an exploded view of yet another embodiment of a bumper according to the present application;

[0027] Fig. 8 is a partial axial sectional view of another embodiment of the heat exchanger shown in Fig. 1A;

[0028] Fig. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a refrigeration system according to the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Various specific embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in, and form part of, this specification. It should be understood that, although terms such as "front", "back", "up", "down", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", etc. are used in this application to describe various example structural parts and elements of the application, these terms are used only for the convenience of description based on the example orientation shown in the drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in this application can be arranged in different directions, these terms indicating directions are only for illustration and should not be considered as limiting.

[0030] FIGS. 1A and IB show the general structure of a heat exchanger according to one embodiment of the present application. FIG. 1A shows the external structure of a heat exchanger 100. FIG. IB shows an axial cross-sectional view of the heat exchanger 100 for explaining the internal structure of the heat exchanger 100.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 1A and IB, the heat exchanger 100 includes a heat exchange housing 101, a plurality of heat exchange tubes 123, a pair of tube plates 105, and a pair of headers 110. The heat exchange housing 101 is generally cylindrical in shape and has a length direction L. The heat exchange housing 101 defines a heat exchange cavity 108 therein. The heat exchange cavity 108 is provided with the plurality of heat exchange tubes 123, which extend in the length direction L. In the heat exchange cavity 108, a first fluid in the heat exchange tubes 123 and a second fluid in the heat exchange cavity 108 can exchange heat. The pair of tube plates 105 are connected to both ends of the heat exchange housing 101 in the length direction L, for closing the ends of the heat exchange cavity 108 so that the tube plates 105 and the heat exchange housing 101 together define the closed heat exchange cavity 108. Each of the tube plates 105 is provided with a plurality of tube holes 125 that penetrate the tube plate 105 in the thickness direction, and the two ends of the heat exchange tubes 123 pass through the tube holes 125 in the pair of tube plates 105 to be supported by the tube plates 105.

[0032] A pair of boxes 110 are connected to the outside of the pair of tube sheets 105 in the length direction L. Each box 110 includes a box shell 111 defining a box cavity 118 inside, and an end plate 106. The box cavity 118 is in fluid communication with the inside of the heat exchange tubes 123, but is not in communication with the heat exchange cavity 108. The end plate 106 and the tube sheet 105 are connected to the two ends of the box shell 111 respectively to close the box cavity 118. In this embodiment, each box shell 111 is cylindrical in shape, and is approximately the same size as the heat exchange shell 101. The cylindrical shape is advantageous in reducing the flow resistance of the fluid flowing inside. In other embodiments, the heat exchange shell 101 and the box shell 111 can also be provided in other shapes and sizes. Also in this embodiment, the end plate 106 is a circular plate slightly larger in size than the box shell 111, and the tube sheet 105 is a square plate slightly larger in size than the box shell 111. The square plate shape of the tube sheet 105 is advantageous in supporting and mounting the heat exchanger 100, and the circular plate shape of the end plate 106 is advantageous in saving material for the end plate 106. In other embodiments, the tube sheet 105 and the end plate 106 can also be provided in other shapes and sizes.

[0033] The heat exchange shell 101 is provided with a heat exchange cavity inlet 107 and a heat exchange cavity outlet 109 in communication with the heat exchange cavity 108, to enable the second fluid to enter the heat exchange cavity 108 from the heat exchange cavity inlet 107, and to exit the heat exchange cavity 108 from the heat exchange cavity outlet 109. In this embodiment, the heat exchange cavity inlet 107 is provided at the top of the heat exchange shell 101, and the heat exchange cavity outlet 109 is provided at the bottom of the heat exchange shell 101. In other embodiments, they can also be provided at other parts of the heat exchange shell 101 according to the use of the heat exchanger.

[0034] The box shells 111 of the pair of boxes 110 are provided with a box cavity inlet 102 and a box cavity outlet 103 in fluid communication with the box cavity 118, to enable the first fluid to enter the box cavity 118 from the box cavity inlet 102, and to exit the box cavity 118 from the box cavity outlet 103. In this embodiment, the box cavity inlet 102 and the box cavity outlet 103 are provided on the box shells 111 of different boxes 110 to be in fluid communication with the corresponding box cavities 118. The first fluid enters one of the box cavities 118 from the box cavity inlet 102, then enters the other box cavity 118 after flowing through the heat exchange tubes 123, and finally exits from the box cavity outlet 103. According to the tube side arrangement of the heat exchanger, the box cavity inlet 102 and the box cavity outlet 103 can also be provided on the same box shell 111.

[0035] Further in combination with FIG. IB, the heat exchanger 100 further comprises a buffer connected to at least one of the tube sheets 105 or the end sheets 106 to buffer the pressure in the length direction L on the corresponding tube sheet 105 or end sheet 106 caused by the first fluid in the tank cavity 118 or the second fluid in the heat exchange cavity 108, so that the corresponding tube sheet 105 or end sheet 106 can reduce its thickness. In the present embodiment, the buffer comprises a pair of tube sheet buffers 132 and a pair of end sheet buffers 131. The pair of tube sheet buffers 132 are respectively connected to the pair of tube sheets 105, and the pair of end sheet buffers 131 are respectively connected to the pair of end sheets 106. And in the present embodiment, the tube sheet buffers 132 and the end sheet buffers 131 are both disposed in the tank cavity 118, and their outer circumferential dimensions are both smaller than the inner circumferential dimension of the tank shell 111. In other embodiments, the tube sheet buffers 132 can also be disposed in the heat exchange cavity 108, and the outer circumferential dimension of the tube sheet buffers 132 can be set to be smaller than the inner circumferential dimension of the tank shell 111. And in other embodiments, the buffer can comprise other number of tube sheet buffers or end sheet buffers, and the buffer can also comprise only one of the tube sheet buffers or the end sheet buffers.

[0036] In the present embodiment, the tube plate buffer portion 132 and the end plate buffer portion 131 have substantially the same structure. Each buffer portion includes at least one corrugated plate 135, an inner sealing plate 136 arranged corresponding to the corrugated plate 135, and a surrounding plate 137. The inner sealing plate 136 is arranged on one side of the corresponding corrugated plate 135 and is arranged opposite and spaced apart from the tube plate 105 or the end plate 106. The surrounding plate 137 is arranged around the corrugated plate 135 and is connected between the tube plate 105 or the end plate 106 and the inner sealing plate 136 farthest from the tube plate 105 or the end plate 106. In the present embodiment, each tube plate buffer portion 132 and end plate buffer portion 131 includes one corrugated plate 135, one inner sealing plate 136, and one surrounding plate 137. The inner sealing plate 136 is arranged spaced apart substantially parallel to the tube plate 105 or the end plate 106. The corrugated plate 135 is connected between the inner sealing plate 136 and the tube plate 105 or the end plate 106. The surrounding plate 137 is connected between the inner sealing plate 136 and the tube plate 105 or the end plate 106 around the outer edge of the corrugated plate 135. In other embodiments, the buffer portion can include two or more corrugated plates 135, corresponding inner sealing plates 136, and one surrounding plate 137. Each corrugated plate 135 is connected between adjacent inner sealing plates 136 or between the inner sealing plate 136 and the tube plate 105 or the end plate 106. The surrounding plate 137 is connected between the tube plate 105 or the end plate 106 and the inner sealing plate 136 farthest from the tube plate 105 or the end plate 106 around the corrugated plates 135. In some embodiments, each corrugated plate 135 is connected to the inner sealing plate 136 and the tube plate or end plate 106 by a welding process to make the connection structure of the buffer portion more stable. The surrounding plate 137 is welded to the corrugated plate 135, the inner sealing plate 136, the tube plate or end plate 106, and the corresponding box shell 111 by a welding process.

[0037] Thus, the tube plate buffer portion 132 and the end plate buffer portion 131 can buffer the fluid pressure formed by the fluid in the length direction L through the corrugated structure including the corrugated plate 135, the inner sealing plate 136, and the surrounding plate 137, so that the tube plate 105 and the end plate 106 can meet the strength requirement of the tube plate and the end plate without the need to increase the thickness of the tube plate and the end plate. Therefore, the tube plate 105 and the end plate 106 can each be arranged to have a smaller thickness.

[0038] Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B show perspective structural diagrams of the tank 110 and the tube sheet 105 at two angles, for illustrating the connection structure of the tank shell 111 with the tube sheet 105 and the end plate 106. As shown in Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B, in the heat exchanger 100 of the present embodiment, the tank shell 111 further comprises a tank flange 121 and a tank flange 122 arranged at the two ends in the length direction of the tank shell 111. The tank flange 121 and the tank flange 122 are in the shape of a circular ring protruding outward from the outer peripheral surface of the tank shell 111. The outer peripheral dimension of the tank flange 122 is substantially the same as the outer peripheral dimension of the end plate 106, for contacting and connecting with the outer edge of the end plate 106. The outer peripheral dimension of the tank flange 121 is substantially corresponding to the outer peripheral dimension of the tube sheet 105, for contacting and connecting with the outer edge of the tube sheet 105. In the present embodiment, the tube sheet 105 is fastened and connected with the tank flange 121 through a plurality of bolts 114, so as to connect the tube sheet 105 to the tank shell 111. And the end plate 106 is fastened and connected with the tank flange 122 through a plurality of bolts 113, so as to connect the end plate 106 to the tank shell 111. In the present embodiment, at least one hinge 112 is further arranged between the end plate 106 and the tank flange 122, for example, two hinges 112 arranged at the same side, so that the end plate 106 can be pivotally connected to the tank shell 111 through the hinges 112, so as to enable the end plate 106 to be opened or closed relative to the tank shell 111.

[0039] In the present embodiment, the heat exchanger 100 is provided with the tube sheet buffer portion 132, so that the tube sheet 105 can be arranged with a smaller thickness to meet the pressure requirement. Therefore, the heat exchange tube 123 only needs to pass through the tube sheet 105 with a smaller thickness, so that the end portion of the heat exchange tube 123 which cannot participate in heat exchange has a smaller size, and the utilization rate of the heat exchange tube 123 is improved.

[0040] And in the present embodiment, the heat exchanger 100 is provided with the end plate buffer portion 131, so that the end plate 106 can also be arranged with a smaller thickness to meet the pressure requirement, and the corresponding end plate 106 also has a lighter weight. Therefore, in the case that the thickness of the tank flange 122 is unchanged, the bolt 113 can also be arranged with a smaller length. And due to the reduced load bearing of the hinge 112, the strength requirement of the hinge 112 is reduced, and the cost is saved.

[0041] In some specific examples, the thickness of the end plate is designed to be 30 mm, the corrugated board thickness of the end plate buffer portion is 3 mm, and the inner sealing plate thickness is 20 mm, so that the heat exchanger can reach the pressure bearing capacity of the end plate with a thickness of 106 mm.

[0042] Figures 3A and 3B show the detailed structure of one embodiment of the end plate 106 and the end plate buffer 331. Figure 3A is a perspective view of the end plate 106 and the end plate buffer 331, and Figure 3B is an exploded view of the end plate 106 and the end plate buffer 331. As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the end plate buffer 331 includes a layer of corrugated plate 335, an inner sealing plate 336, and a surrounding plate 337. The corrugated plate 335 is a circular plate that is bent in a wave shape, and is bent in the length direction L and extends in a direction perpendicular to the length direction L. The surrounding plate 337 is a circular ring shape, and is arranged around the corrugated plate 335 and welded to the outer edge of the corrugated plate 335. The inner sealing plate 336 is arranged substantially parallel to the end plate 106, and is a circular plate shape with a smaller diameter than the end plate 106. The corrugated plate 335 is welded to the inner sealing plate 336 and the end plate 106 at the peaks and valleys of the wave shape, respectively. Thus, the end plate buffer 331 can be fixedly connected to the end plate 106.

[0043] Figures 4A and 4B show the detailed structure of one embodiment of the tube plate 105 and the tube plate buffer 432. Figure 4A is a perspective view of the tube plate 105 and the tube plate buffer 432, and Figure 4B is an exploded view of the tube plate 105 and the tube plate buffer 432. As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the tube plate buffer 432 has a structure similar to that of the end plate buffer 331, and also includes a layer of corrugated plate 435, an inner sealing plate 436, and a surrounding plate 437. The corrugated plate 435 is a circular plate that is bent in a wave shape, and is bent in the length direction L and extends in a direction perpendicular to the length direction L. The surrounding plate 437 is a circular ring shape, and is arranged around the corrugated plate 435 and welded to the outer edge of the corrugated plate 435. The inner sealing plate 436 is arranged substantially parallel to the tube plate 105, and is a plate shape with a smaller side length than the tube plate. The corrugated plate 435 is welded to the inner sealing plate 436 and the tube plate 105 at the peaks and valleys of the wave shape, respectively. Thus, the tube plate buffer 432 can be fixedly connected to the tube plate 105.

[0044] And in the tube plate buffer portion 432, a plurality of tube holes 452 are provided on the corrugated plate 435, and a plurality of tube holes 451 are provided on the inner sealing plate 436. When the tube plate buffer portion 432 is arranged in the tank cavity 118 of the tank 110, the heat exchange tube 123 only penetrates the tube plate 105 but does not penetrate the tube plate buffer portion 432, and the tube holes 452 and the tube holes 451 can enable the tube plate buffer portion 432 not to block the first fluid from entering the inside of the heat exchange tube 123 from the tank cavity 118. In some embodiments, the number and position of the tube holes 452 and the tube holes 451 correspond to the position of the tube holes 125 on the tube plate 105, which facilitates the installation or disassembly of the heat exchange tube 123 in the assembly process of the heat exchanger 100. When the tube plate buffer portion 432 is arranged in the heat exchange cavity 108 of the heat exchange shell 101, the end portion of the heat exchange tube 123 can penetrate the tube plate buffer portion 432 through the tube holes 452 and the tube holes 451, and penetrate the tube plate 105 through the tube holes 125.

[0045] FIG. 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the end plate buffer portion 531, for showing different bending shapes of the corrugated plate. In the angle shown in FIG. 5, the length direction L is the height direction in the figure, and FIG. 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the end plate buffer portion 531 after being cut along a plane perpendicular to the length direction L. As shown in FIG. 5, the end plate buffer portion 531 includes a corrugated plate 535 connected to the end plate 106 and an inner sealing plate 536 connected to the corrugated plate 535. Although not shown in the figure, the end plate buffer portion 531 also includes a surrounding plate arranged around the corrugated plate 535, which is connected between the end plate 106 and the inner sealing plate 536. The corrugated plate 535 is wavy-shaped and bent in the length direction L to form a plurality of peak portions 564 and a plurality of valley portions 565, which are alternately connected. In this embodiment, each peak portion 564 is connected to the inner sealing plate 536, and each valley portion is connected to the end plate 106. The top of the peak portion 564 and the top of the valley portion 565 can be circular arc-shaped or planar, and the shape of the top of each peak portion 564 and the top of each valley portion 565 can be the same or different.

[0046] As an example, the wave peaks 564 include a first wave peak 561, a second wave peak 562, and a third wave peak 563. The top of the first wave peak 561 and the top of the second wave peak 562 are in a circular arc shape, and the top of the third wave peak 563 is in a planar shape. The planar top of the third wave peak 563 can have a larger welding area, and thus can be more firmly connected with the inner sealing plate 536. The circular arc-shaped top of the first wave peak 561 and the top of the second wave peak 562 can avoid stress concentration and facilitate the bending processing of the corrugated plate 535. The width D2 of the second wave peak 562 and the width D3 of the third wave peak 563 are substantially the same, and are both greater than the width D1 of the first wave peak 561. The greater the width of each wave peak, the smaller the number of wave peaks 564, and the smaller the weight of the corrugated plate 535. The smaller the width of each wave peak, the more dense the wave peaks 564, and the better the buffering effect of the end plate buffer portion 531. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that, similarly, the higher the height of the wave peak (i.e., the greater the thickness of the corrugated plate), the better the buffering effect, but the greater the weight of the corrugated plate. Those skilled in the art can use wave peaks of suitable shapes according to specific needs, or use a combination of multiple wave peaks. The shape of the wave valleys 565 is the same as that of the wave peaks 564, and will not be described here again.

[0047] FIG. 6 shows a partial cross-sectional view of still another embodiment of the end plate buffer portion 631, for showing the structure of the multi-layer corrugated plate. In the angle shown in FIG. 6, the length direction L is the height direction in the figure, and FIG. 6 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the end plate buffer portion 631 after being cut along a plane perpendicular to the length direction L. As shown in FIG. 6, the end plate buffer portion 631 includes three layers of corrugated plates 635a, 635b, and 635c, and correspondingly includes three inner sealing plates 636a, 636b, and 636c. Although not shown in the figure, the end plate buffer portion 631 also includes a surrounding plate arranged around the corrugated plates 635a, 635b, and 635c, and the surrounding plate is connected between the end plate 106 and the inner sealing plate 636c farthest from the end plate 106. Among them, the corrugated plate 635a is connected between the end plate 106 and the inner sealing plate 636a, the corrugated plate 635b is connected between the inner sealing plate 636a and the inner sealing plate 636b, and the corrugated plate 635c is connected between the inner sealing plate 636b and the inner sealing plate 636c.

[0048] The shape of each layer of corrugated plate can be the same or different. In this embodiment, the shapes of the corrugated plates 635a, 635b, and 635c are different, but are all bent in the length direction L and extend in a direction perpendicular to the length direction L. The end plate buffer portion 631 including multiple layers of corrugated plates can have better buffering performance, but the thickness (i.e., the thickness in the length direction L) and the weight will increase accordingly. Those skilled in the art can use a suitable number of corrugated plates according to specific needs.

[0049] FIG. 7 shows an exploded view of another embodiment of the end plate buffer 731, for showing the structure of two layers of corrugated plates extending in different directions. As shown in FIG. 7, the end plate buffer 731 includes two layers of corrugated plates 735a and 735b, and correspondingly two inner cover plates 736a and 736b, and a surrounding plate 737. Similar to the end plate buffer 631, the corrugated plate 735a is connected between the end plate 106 and the inner cover plate 736a, and the corrugated plate 735b is connected between the inner cover plate 736a and the inner cover plate 736b. The surrounding plate 737 is disposed around the corrugated plates 735a and 735b, and is connected between the end plate 106 and the inner cover plate 736b farthest from the end plate 106.

[0050] Unlike the end plate buffer 631, in this embodiment, the corrugated plates 735a and 735b have the same bending shape but extend in different directions. The corrugated plates 735a and 735b extending in different directions can be suitable for buffering the cases where the bending stress directions of the tube plate are different due to structural reasons. For example, for the tube plate 105, although subjected to the pressure in the length direction L, due to the different tube arrangement of the heat exchange tubes, sometimes the bending stress in the horizontal direction can be greater than that in the vertical direction, and sometimes vice versa.

[0051] FIG. 8 shows a partial axial sectional view of another embodiment of a heat exchanger 800, for showing the embodiment where a tube plate buffer 832 is disposed in the heat exchange cavity 108 of the heat exchanger housing 101. In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 8, the structure of the heat exchanger 800 is substantially the same as that of the heat exchanger 100 shown in FIG. IB. The heat exchanger 800 also includes a tube plate 105 and an end plate 106, and the end plate buffer 131 is disposed in the tank cavity 118 on the left side of the end plate 106 to buffer the fluid pressure of the first fluid in the tank cavity 118. The tube plate buffer 832 includes a corrugated plate 835, a corresponding inner cover plate 836, and a surrounding plate 837 surrounding the corrugated plate 835.

[0052] Different from the heat exchanger 100, in the heat exchanger 800, the tube plate buffer part 832 connected to the tube plate 105 is no longer arranged in the tank cavity 118, but is arranged in the heat exchange cavity 108. The corrugated plate 835 is connected between the tube plate 105 and the inner sealing plate 836, and the surrounding plate 837 is connected to the tube plate 105 and the inner sealing plate 836 around the corrugated plate 835. And in this embodiment, the surrounding plate 837 is also connected to the heat exchange shell 101, for connecting the tube plate buffer part 832 with the heat exchange shell 101. The heat exchange tube 123 is supported and connected to the tube plate 105 after sequentially passing through the inner sealing plate 836 and the corrugated plate 835 of the tube plate buffer part 832, so that the inside of the heat exchange tube 123 can be in fluid communication with the tank cavity 118 on the right side of the tube plate 105. The tube plate buffer part 832 is no longer used to buffer the fluid pressure of the first fluid in the tank cavity 118, but is used to buffer the fluid pressure of the second fluid in the heat exchange cavity 108. In this embodiment, since the tube plate buffer part 832 can reduce the fluid pressure of the fluid on the tube plate 105, the thickness of the tube plate 105 can also be reduced. And the tube plate buffer part 832 can also seal the connection between the heat exchange shell 101 and the tube plate 105, so that additional sealing and connecting parts are not needed. In addition, in this embodiment, the tube plate buffer part 832 can be hidden in the heat exchange cavity 108, facilitating the assembly and disassembly of the heat exchange tube.

[0053] It can be understood by those skilled in the art that in some embodiments, the tube plate buffer part can also be arranged on both sides of the tube plate 105.

[0054] It should be noted that in various embodiments of the present application, the corrugated plate, the inner sealing plate and the surrounding plate in the buffer part of the present application are all made of ordinary steel plate material. The tube plate and the end plate are made of special steel plate material required by the heat exchanger, so as to ensure that the tube plate and the end plate can meet the standard requirements of the heat exchanger, such as the heat exchanger standard requirements of TSG 21-2016, GB / T 150 and GB / T 151.

[0055] FIG. 9 shows a schematic block diagram of a refrigeration system 990 including the heat exchanger of the present application. As shown in FIG. 9, the refrigeration system 990 includes a compressor 993, a condenser 994, a throttling device 992 and an evaporator 991, which are connected by pipes into a closed system and are filled with refrigerant in the system. The refrigerant flows through the compressor 993, the condenser 994, the throttling device 992 and the evaporator 991 in sequence, so that the refrigeration system 990 can cool the outside through the evaporator 991. Specifically, the high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 993 flows into the condenser 994, releases heat and is condensed into high-pressure liquid refrigerant in the condenser 994, then flows into the throttling device 992, is throttled into low-pressure two-phase refrigerant and flows into the evaporator 991, absorbs heat and is evaporated into low-pressure gas refrigerant in the evaporator 991, and finally flows out of the evaporator 991 and reflows into the compressor 993, completing the circulation of the refrigerant. As an example, at least one of the evaporator 991 and the condenser 994 includes the heat exchanger 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. The first fluid is water, which flows in the tubes of the heat exchange tubes 123 and in the tank cavity 118 of the tank 110, and the second fluid is refrigerant, which flows in the heat exchange cavity 108 outside the tubes of the heat exchange tubes 123.

[0056] In the heat exchanger of various embodiments of the present application, the buffer portions provided on the tube sheet and the end plate can reduce the thickness of the tube sheet and the end plate while ensuring the pressure-bearing capacity of the tube sheet and the end plate. For the end plate including the end plate buffer portion, reducing the thickness of the end plate can not only reduce the cost of the end plate, but also reduce the cost of the bolts and hinges used to connect the end plate to the tank shell. For the tube sheet including the tube sheet buffer portion, reducing the thickness of the tube sheet can also reduce the weight and cost of the tube sheet. Moreover, when the tube sheet buffer portion is provided in the tank cavity, reducing the thickness of the tube sheet can also reduce the length of the portion of the heat exchange tube passing through the tube sheet, thus improving the utilization rate of the heat exchange tube.

[0057] Although the present disclosure has been described in connection with the examples of the embodiments outlined above, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and / or substantial equivalents, whether known or not, can be used to practice the present disclosure. Accordingly, the examples of the embodiments of the present disclosure, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is intended to embrace all known or later-developed alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and / or substantial equivalents. The technical effects and technical problems in the specification are exemplary and not limiting. It should be noted that the embodiments described in the specification can have other technical effects and can solve other technical problems.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger, characterized in that... include: A heat exchange housing that defines a heat exchange cavity, the heat exchange housing having a length direction; A pair of tube sheets connected to both ends of the heat exchange shell along its length to close the heat exchange cavity along its length. Several heat exchange tubes are arranged in the heat exchange cavity and extend along the length direction, wherein both ends of each heat exchange tube are connected to the pair of tube sheets. A pair of housings are respectively connected to the outer side of a pair of tube sheets in the length direction. Each housing includes a housing shell and an end plate. The housing shell defines a housing cavity, which is in fluid communication with the interior of the heat exchange tube. The end plate and the corresponding tube sheet are connected to both ends of the housing shell in the length direction to close the housing cavity in the length direction. as well as At least one buffer section is provided, the buffer section being connected to at least one of the tube sheet and the end plate, to buffer the pressure exerted by the fluid in the housing cavity or the heat exchange cavity on at least one of the tube sheet and the end plate in the longitudinal direction.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the buffer sections includes at least one corrugated sheet that is bent in the length direction and extends in a direction perpendicular to the length direction.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each of the buffer sections further includes a surrounding plate and at least one inner sealing plate, the at least one inner sealing plate being disposed corresponding to the at least one layer of corrugated sheet, the surrounding plate surrounding the at least one layer of corrugated sheet and connecting at least one of the tube sheet or the end plate to the inner sealing plate furthest from the corresponding tube sheet or end plate; Each of the inner sealing plates is positioned opposite and spaced apart from the tube sheet or the end plate, and each corrugated plate is connected between two adjacent inner sealing plates, or between the inner sealing plate and at least one of the adjacent tube sheet or the end plate.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each of the corrugated sheets is connected to two adjacent inner sealing sheets or to the inner sealing sheet and at least one of the adjacent tube sheet or end sheet by a welding process.

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 3, characterized in that: The at least one buffer section includes a tube sheet buffer section, which is connected to the tube sheet and has an outer circumferential dimension set such that the tube sheet buffer section is disposed in a box cavity within the box housing or in a heat exchange cavity within the heat exchange housing.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 5, characterized in that: The tube sheet buffer section is disposed in the cavity of the housing, and the heat exchange tubes therethrough pass through the tube sheet but not through the tube sheet buffer section.

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 6, characterized in that: The corrugated plate and the inner sealing plate of the tube sheet buffer section are provided with several tube holes, which are corresponding to the several heat exchange tubes to connect the interior of the box cavity and the interior of the heat exchange tubes.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 3, characterized in that: The end of the housing includes an outwardly protruding housing flange. The end plate is pivotally connected to the housing flange by at least one hinge, and the end plate is fastened to the housing flange by several bolts to connect to the housing. The at least one of the buffer portions includes an end plate buffer portion, which is connected to the inner side of the end plate and has an outer peripheral dimension smaller than that of the end plate, such that the end plate buffer portion is disposed in a housing cavity within the housing shell.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, characterized in that: The corrugated sheet is bent to form a corrugated shape, and the corrugated sheet is formed by alternating connections of several crests and several troughs, wherein the top of the crest and the top of the trough are arc-shaped or planar.

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each of the buffer sections comprises several layers of corrugated sheets that extend in different directions.

11. A refrigeration system, characterized in that: This includes the compressor, evaporator, throttling device, and condenser located in the refrigerant circuit; At least one of the evaporator or the condenser comprises the heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1-10.

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