Heat exchanger

Abstract

An evaporator 30 has a header tank 31 comprising a header forming plate, a tube connecting plate 37 and an intermediate plate 38. The header forming plate is provided with outward bulging portions. A plurality of tube insertion holes are formed in the tube connecting plate 37. Communication holes 44 are formed in the intermediate plate 38 for causing the tube insertion holes to communicate with the interior of the corresponding outward bulging portion therethrough. At least one of the outward bulging portions serves as a refrigerant passing outward bulging portion for a refrigerant to flow therethrough longitudinally of the bulging portion. All the communication holes 44 in communication with the refrigerant passing bulging portion are held in communication by communication portions 46A to 46C for the communication holes 44 and the communication portions 46A to 46C to provide a refrigerant passageway 1. The refrigerant passageway 1 is altered in cross sectional area along the longitudinal direction thereof by adjusting the width of the communication portions 46A to 46C. The evaporator 30 is reduced in the number of components, can be fabricated by efficient work and exhibits improved heat exchange performance.

Description

[0001] Cross References to Related Applications [0002] This application is an application filed under 35 U.S.C. §111(a) and requested under 35 U.S.C. §119(e)(1) of Provisional Application No. 60 filed April 16, 2004 under 35 U.S.C. §111(b) / 562,532 filing date benefits. technical field [0003] The present invention relates to heat exchangers and in particular to heat exchangers suitable for use as gas coolers or evaporators in supercritical refrigeration cycles in which a supercritical refrigerant such as CO is used 2 (carbon dioxide) refrigerant. [0004] Herein and in the appended claims, the term "aluminum" includes aluminum alloys in addition to pure aluminium. Background technique [0005] A heat exchanger used in a supercritical refrigeration cycle is known, and the heat exchanger includes: a pair of header tanks arranged at a certain distance from each other; heat exchange tubes joined to each header tank; and fins disposed in each airflow gap between each pair ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0006] However, the header tank included in the heat exchanger of this publication requires a cover for closing the opening at the opposite end, and thus has the problem that the number of elements necessarily increases, and since the cover is to be joined to the header piece, tube Connecting boards and intermediate boards reduces work efficiency

Additionally, the cover must be made as a separate element and is difficult to manufacture

[0007] In order to improve the heat exchange performance of the heat exchanger disclosed in the gazette, it is desired to change the flow route of the refrigerant, for example, by partitioning the inside of at least one header tank with a partition, but this brings about the problem that the partition The setup of the

[0008] The heat exchanger disclosed in this gazette also has a problem that the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through all the heat exchange tubes joined to the header tank may become non-uniform, thus deteriorating the heat exchange performance.

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