Multi-Metal Heat Exchanger Structure With Lower Thermal Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat exchangers face issues with thermal resistance due to joining layers, voids in brazing, increased weight with materials like copper or stainless steel, complex manufacturing due to precise temperature control, and difficulty in joining different metals such as copper and aluminum.
Innovation Solution
The heat exchanger features refrigerant passages with inner wall surfaces of different metals, where the first refrigerant passages are formed with penetrating holes instead of header pipes, and second refrigerant passages are made of metal different from the heat transfer block, allowing for easier manufacturing and improved corrosion resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If header pipes are used to connect refrigerant passages, then structural integrity is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases and thermal resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the header pipe function with the heat transfer block by forming refrigerant passage communicating holes directly in the heat transfer block. This integration eliminates the need for separate header pipes and their associated joining processes, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining structural integrity through the unified block structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the header pipe component from the system by forming communicating holes directly in the heat transfer block. This removal of the separate header pipe component eliminates the joining layer and associated thermal resistance, while the communicating holes provide the necessary refrigerant flow paths.
2Strength
If brazing is used to join heat transfer tubes, then connection strength is improved, but thermal resistance increases due to joining layer and voids
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the separate heat transfer tubes and their brazing joints from the system. Instead, refrigerant passages are formed directly in the heat transfer block with inner wall surfaces, eliminating the joining layer and associated thermal resistance while maintaining connection integrity through the integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the heat transfer tube function with the heat transfer block by forming passages directly in the block. This integration eliminates the interface between separate components, removing the thermal resistance caused by joining layers and voids, while the inner wall surfaces of the passages provide the necessary heat transfer interface.
3Reliability
If copper or stainless steel is used for heat transfer tubes, then corrosion resistance is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different materials to different parts of the heat exchanger based on local requirements. The heat transfer block can be made from lighter materials while specific regions with inner wall surfaces provide corrosion resistance where needed, optimizing the weight-strength-corrosion resistance balance through localized material properties.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances heat exchange performance by reducing thermal resistance, simplifies manufacturing, and addresses corrosion issues, while enabling the use of metals with improved thermal conductivity and reduced weight.
Implementation Method 1
a heat transfer block (1), in which a plurality of first-refrigerant passages (2), through which a first refrigerant passes, are formed so as to penetrate the heat transfer block (1)
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(c)
Figure 2(a)~2(d)
Figure 3(a)~3(c)
AI summary
To obtain a heat exchanger in which inner wall surfaces of refrigerant passed through which a first refrigerant and a second refrigerant flow are constituted by a different metal and in which a heat exchange performance is improved. Second-refrigerant heat-transfer tubes (3a) that are formed with a metal different from a heat transfer block (1) are each passed through a corresponding second-refrigerant heat-transfer-tube insertion hole (3b), the second-refrigerant heat-transfer tubes (3a) are formed with a metal with a different material from that of the heat transfer block (1).