Staggered Heat Exchanger Tubes for Reduced Pressure Drop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat exchangers suffer from poor heat exchange performance, high energy consumption, and frost issues due to the channel structure causing pressure drops in air-side circulation passages, which are exacerbated by the concentrated arrangement of heat exchange tubes.
Innovation Solution
The heat exchanger design features staggered arrangement of heat exchange tubes and a smaller connection area dimension compared to the main heat exchange area, reducing fluid pressure drops and thermal resistance, and enhancing airflow uniformity and heat transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If heat exchange tubes are arranged in multiple rows with concentrated positioning, then the heat exchange area is increased, but the pressure drop in air-side circulation passage increases and heat exchange performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by arranging heat exchange tubes in a staggered pattern rather than symmetric alignment. Specifically, heat exchange tubes in adjacent rows are positioned offset from each other, creating an asymmetric distribution that prevents concentrated tube positioning at any single location in the air-side flow passage. This reduces sudden flow channel expansions and contractions, thereby decreasing pressure drop while maintaining heat exchange area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a one-dimensional linear arrangement of heat exchange tubes to a two-dimensional staggered grid pattern. By distributing tubes across multiple rows with offset positioning in the vertical dimension, the design spreads tube locations more uniformly throughout the air-side circulation passage, preventing concentration effects and reducing pressure drop.
2Productivity
If heat exchange tubes are arranged in a staggered manner, then pressure drop is reduced and heat exchange performance improves, but the structural complexity of the heat exchange assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the heat exchange assembly into multiple discrete rows, with each row containing heat exchange tubes at specific staggered positions. This segmentation allows the complex staggered arrangement to be constructed from simpler modular units, making manufacturing and assembly more manageable while achieving the performance benefits of staggered tube positioning.
3Loss of energy
If the connection area dimension is reduced, then the collecting pipe size and thermal resistance are reduced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a connection area with different dimensional characteristics than the main heat exchange area. Specifically, the connection area at the end of the heat exchange assembly has a reduced width dimension to match the collecting pipe size, while the main body maintains larger dimensions for optimal heat exchange. This localized dimensional variation reduces thermal resistance at the connection interface while concentrating manufacturing precision requirements to specific connection regions rather than the entire assembly.
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 design improves heat exchange performance by reducing energy consumption, delaying frost formation, and increasing the heat transfer coefficient, resulting in a more efficient and effective heat exchange process.
Implementation Method 1
heat exchange performance
Implementation Method 2
air-side circulation passage
Implementation Method 3
reduce the influence of the sudden expansion and contraction of the flow channel structure on the fluid pressure drop
Implementation Method 4
reduce the thermal resistance effect caused by the wall thickness of the collecting pipe
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The present disclosure discloses a heat exchanger including a group of collecting pipes and a number of heat exchange assemblies. The heat exchange assemblies are arranged along a length of the collecting pipe. Each heat exchange assembly includes a fin plate and at least one heat exchange tube. The heat exchange assembly includes a main heat exchange area. The heat exchange tube is connected with the fin plate. The heat exchange tube is connected between the two collecting pipes in the length direction. An inner flow channel of the heat exchange tube communicates with inner cavities of the two collecting pipes. The heat exchange tube at least partially protrudes from at least one side of the fin plate. In addition, in the main heat exchange area corresponding to two adjacent heat exchange assemblies, at least two adjacent heat exchange tubes are staggered along an array direction of the heat exchange assemblies. The two heat exchange tubes respectively belong to the two adjacent heat exchange assemblies. The present disclosure is beneficial to improve the performance of the heat exchanger.