Heat Exchanger

Abstract

A heat-exchanger header tank of a gas cooler includes a tank formation member, a tube-connecting plate joined to the tank formation member outer surface, and a partition disposed within and joined to the tank formation member to divide the tank formation member interior into plural refrigerant channels extending in the longitudinal direction of the tank formation member and arranged in the front-rear direction. Tube insertion holes are formed in a wall of the tank formation member and in the tube-connecting plate at mutually aligned positions. Tube-end fit cutouts partially receiving corresponding end portions of heat exchange tubes are formed on the partition to align with corresponding tube insertion holes. The cross-sectional profile of the header tank can be appropriately selected for an installation space for the gas cooler, and the cross-sectional shape and area of a refrigerant channel can be readily changed.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising a pair of header tanks disposed apart from each other, and a plurality of heat exchange tubes disposed in parallel between the two header tanks and each having opposite end portions connected to the respective header tanks, 
 the two header tanks each comprising a hollow tank formation member, and a partition member disposed within and joined to the tank formation member and adapted to divide the interior of the tank formation member into a plurality of refrigerant channels extending in the longitudinal direction of the tank formation member and arranged in the front-rear direction.    
   
   
       2 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of tube insertion holes are formed in the tank formation members; a plurality of tube-end fit cutouts for partially receiving corresponding end portions of heat exchange tubes are formed on the partition members in such a manner as to align with the corresponding tube insertion holes; and the heat exchange tubes are connected to the two header tanks such that end portions thereof are inserted through the corresponding tube insertion holes of the tank formation members and are fitted into the corresponding tube-end fit cutouts of the partition members.  
   
   
       3 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising tube-connecting plates joined to corresponding outer surfaces of the tank formation members, wherein a plurality of tube insertion holes are formed in the tube-connecting plates in such a manner as to align with the corresponding tube insertion holes of the tank formation members, and the heat exchange tubes are connected to the two header tanks such that end portions thereof are inserted through the tube insertion holes of the tube-connecting plates.  
   
   
       4 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the partition members assume the form of an elongated plate and are disposed such that the width direction thereof coincides with the height direction of hollow portions of the tank formation members.  
   
   
       5 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the partition members have a cross section resembling the letter U, and the partition members are disposed such that the width direction of a pair of opposed walls of each partition member coincides with the height direction of the hollow portions of the tank formation members and such that ends of the opposed walls face the tube insertion holes.  
   
   
       6 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the partition members assume the form of a corrugated plate comprising a plurality of flat portions in parallel with one another and a plurality of connection portions each connecting adjacent flat portions, and the width direction of the flat portions coincides with the height direction of the hollow portions of the tank formation members.  
   
   
       7 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein a first header tank of the paired header tanks comprises a plurality of tank formation members aligned with one another in a longitudinal direction thereof; a second header tank of the paired header tanks comprises tank formation members numbering one fewer than the tank formation members of the first header tank and is disposed so as to oppose two adjacent tank formation members of the first header tank; and a refrigerant entering one tank formation member of the first header tank flows through all the heat exchange tubes and the tank formation members of the second header tank and enters another tank formation member of the first header tank.  
   
   
       8 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 7 , wherein the number of tank formation members of the first header tank is two; the two tank formation members are joined together via a separation plate so as to avoid communication between hollow portions thereof; and the number of tank formation members of the second header tank is one.  
   
   
       9 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first header tank of the paired header tanks comprises two tank formation members aligned with each other in the longitudinal direction thereof; the second header tank of the paired header tanks is disposed so as to oppose the two tank formation members of the first header tank; 
 the tank formation members of the two header tanks each have a plurality of hole groups provided in a plurality of rows separated from one another in the front-rear direction, each hole group comprising a plurality of tube insertion holes formed therein apart from one another in the longitudinal direction thereof; a partition member assuming the form of a corrugated plate comprising a plurality of flat portions in parallel with one another and a plurality of connection portions each connecting adjacent flat portions is disposed within each of the tank formation members of the two header tanks such that the width direction of the flat portions coincides with the height direction of a hollow portion of each of the tank formation members and such that at least one flat portion is located between tube insertion holes adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction of the tank formation member; a plurality of tube-end fit cutouts for partially receiving corresponding end portions of heat exchange tubes are formed on the partition members in such a manner as to align with the corresponding tube insertion holes; the heat exchange tubes are connected to the two header tanks such that end portions thereof are inserted through the corresponding tube insertion holes of the tank formation members and are fitted into the corresponding tube-end fit cutouts of the partition members; no tube-end fit cutouts are formed on the flat portion located between tube insertion holes adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction; and    refrigerant passage holes are formed in the flat portions of the partition member disposed within one of the two tank formation members of the first header tank.    
   
   
       10 . A supercritical refrigeration cycle which comprises a compressor, a gas cooler, an evaporator, a pressure-reducing device, and an intermediate heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between a refrigerant from the gas cooler and a refrigerant from the evaporator and in which a supercritical refrigerant is used, the gas cooler comprising a heat exchanger according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       11 . A supercritical refrigeration cycle which comprises a compressor, a gas cooler, an evaporator, a pressure-reducing device, and an intermediate heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between a refrigerant from the gas cooler and a refrigerant from the evaporator and in which a supercritical refrigerant is used, the evaporator comprising a heat exchanger according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       12 . A vehicle having installed therein a supercritical refrigeration cycle according to  claim 10  as a vehicular air conditioner.  
   
   
       13 . A vehicle having installed therein a supercritical refrigeration cycle according to  claim 11  as a vehicular air conditioner.