Cooling heat exchanger

Abstract

A cooling heat exchanger has first and second heat transfer plates joined to each other. Each of the first and second heat transfer plates has protrusions protruding from a base portion thereof for defining internal fluid passages, a fin portion projecting from the base portion in the same direction as the protrusions and defining a fin inner space, and an aperture on the base portion at a position corresponding to the fin portion. The fin portion includes an offset wall that is offset from the base portion and connected to the base portion at two positions. The aperture of the first heat transfer plate is displaced from the aperture of the second heat transfer plate with respect to a longitudinal direction of the protrusions so that a communication channel that allows communication between the fin inner spaces of the first and second heat transfer plates is provided for draining condensation.

1 . A heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between air flowing outside thereof and an internal fluid flowing inside thereof, thereby cooling the air, comprising:
 a first heat transfer plate; and   a second heat transfer plate, wherein   each of the first and second heat transfer plates includes a base portion defining a plane in a flow direction of the air and a plurality of protrusions protruding from the base portion and extending in a direction that intersects with the flow direction of the air, the protrusions defining internal fluid passages therein for allowing the internal fluid to flow,   the first and second heat transfer plates are joined to each other such that the base portions are in contact with each other, the protrusions of the first heat transfer plate protrude in one direction and the protrusions of the second heat transfer plate protrude in an opposite direction,   each of the first and second heat transfer plates further includes a fin portion projecting from the base portion in the same direction as the protrusions thereof and an aperture on the base portion at a position corresponding to the fin portion,   the fin portion includes an offset wall that is offset from the base portion and defines a fin inner space therein,   the offset wall is connected to the base portion at two locations that are spaced in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the protrusions, and   the aperture of the first heat transfer plate is displaced from the aperture of the second heat transfer plate with respect to the longitudinal direction of the protrusions, and the fin inner space of the first heat transfer plate is in communication with the fin inner space of the second heat transfer plate through the apertures, such that a communication channel for draining condensation is provided between the first and second heat transfer plates.   
   
   
       2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the fin portion has a fin height in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the base portion, the fin height being equal to or greater than 0.35 mm.   
   
   
       3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the first and second heat transfer plates has a plurality of fin portions including the fin portion, the plurality of fin portions is disposed in the flow direction of the air such that a plurality of communication channels including the communication channel is disposed in the flow direction of the air.   
   
   
       4 . A heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between air flowing outside thereof and an internal fluid flowing inside thereof, thereby cooling the air, the heat exchanger comprising:
 a first heat transfer plate including a base portion that defines a plane in a flow direction of the air, a plurality of protrusions that protrudes from the base portion and extends in a direction intersecting with the flow direction of the air, a fin portion that projects from the base portion in a same direction as the protrusions and defines a fin inner space therein, and a first aperture on the base wall at a position corresponding to the fin portion, the fin portion including an offset wall that is offset from the base portion, the offset wall connected to the base portion at two locations that are separated in a longitudinal direction of the protrusions; and   a second heat transfer plate including a base portion that defines a plane in the flow direction of the air, a plurality of protrusions that protrudes from the base portion and extends in a direction intersecting with the flow direction of the air, and a second aperture, wherein   the first heat transfer plate and the second heat transfer plate are joined to each other such that the base portions thereof are in contact with each other, the protrusions of the first heat transfer plate protrude in one direction and the protrusions of the second heat transfer plate protrude in an opposite direction, the protrusions of the first and second heat transfer plates define internal fluid passages therein for allowing the internal fluid to flow, and   the first aperture and the second aperture overlap at least at a part.   
   
   
       5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the first heat transfer plate includes a plurality of fin portions including the fin portion and a plurality of first apertures including the first aperture, the plurality of fin portions being disposed in the longitudinal direction of the protrusions, the plurality of first apertures being disposed in the longitudinal direction of the protrusions, and   the second heat transfer plate includes a plurality of second apertures including the second aperture, the plurality of second apertures being disposed in the longitudinal direction of the protrusions.   
   
   
       6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein a dimension of the second aperture in the longitudinal direction of the protrusions is equal to or greater than a width of the fin portion in the flow direction of the air. 
   
   
       7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein a dimension of the second aperture in the flow direction of the air is equal to or greater than a width of the fin portion in the flow direction of the air. 
   
   
       8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein the second aperture is disposed such that a lower end thereof is located lower than a lower end of the first aperture. 
   
   
       9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the first heat transfer plate includes a plurality of fin portions including the fin portion and a plurality of first apertures including the first aperture, the plurality of fin portions being disposed in the flow direction of the air, the plurality of first apertures being disposed in the flow direction of the air,   the second heat transfer plate includes a plurality of second apertures including the second aperture, the plurality of second apertures being disposed in the flow direction of the air, and   each of the plurality of first apertures overlaps with a corresponding one of the plurality of second apertures, at least, at a part.   
   
   
       10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of fin portions is spaced in the flow direction of the air, and a distance between adjacent two fin portions is equal to or greater than 0.4 mm. 
   
   
       11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein a dimension of each aperture in the longitudinal direction of the protrusions is equal to or greater than 5 mm. 
   
   
       12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the offset wall is parallel to the plane of the base portion. 
   
   
       13 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the offset wall is inclined relative to the plane of the base portion such that a distance between the offset wall and the plane of the base portion reduces toward a lower position. 
   
   
       14 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the protrusions includes a curved outer surface,   the fin portion is disposed downstream of one of the protrusions with respect to the flow direction of the air,   the offset wall is inclined relative to the plane of the base portion such that a distance between the offset wall and the plane of the base portion reduces toward a downstream position with respect to the flow direction of the air.   
   
   
       15 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the protrusions includes a curved outer surface,   the fin portion is disposed between two of the protrusions that are disposed in the flow direction of the air, and   the offset wall is curved toward the plane of the base portion such that a distance between the offset wall and the plane of the base portion reduces toward a middle position with respect to the flow direction of the air.   
   
   
       16 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the fin portion includes a first connecting wall that connects an upper end of the offset wall to the base portion and a second connecting wall that connects a lower end of the offset wall to the base portion.   
   
   
       17 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the first connecting wall and the second connecting wall are respectively inclined relative to the plane of the base portion, and an angle of inclination of each of the first connecting wall and the second connecting wall is at least 30 degrees and at most 60 degrees.   
   
   
       18 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the upper end of the offset wall and the first connecting wall form a rounded corner therebetween, and   the lower end of the offset wall and the second connecting wall form a rounded corner therebetween.   
   
   
       19 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the offset wall has a semi-circular shape in a cross-section defined in the longitudinal direction of the protrusions, and   ends of the offset wall connect to the base portion.   
   
   
       20 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the fin portion has a width equal to or greater than 0.2 mm with respect to the flow direction of the air.   
   
   
       21 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the base portion includes side sections on opposite sides of the fin portion with respect to the flow direction of the air, and a width of each of the side sections with respect to the air flow direction is equal to or greater than 0.15 mm.   
   
   
       22 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the protrusions of the first heat transfer plate and the protrusions of the second heat transfer plate are disposed at the same positions with respect to the flow direction of the air such that each of the internal fluid passages is provided by one of the protrusions of the first heat transfer plate and one of the protrusions of the second heat transfer plate.   
   
   
       23 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of first heat transfer plates including the first heat transfer plate; and   a plurality of second heat transfer plates including the second heat transfer plate, wherein   the plurality of first heat transfer plates and the plurality of second heat transfer plates are disposed in pairs, and   the pairs of the first and second heat transfer plates are stacked in a direction perpendicular to the planes of the base portions such that clearances for allowing the air to flow are provided between the adjacent pairs of the first and second heat transfer plates.   
   
   
       24 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein
 a dimension of each clearance at a position between the offset wall of one heat transfer plate and a surface of another heat transfer plate that is opposed to the one heat transfer plate across the clearance is equal to or greater than 0.15 mm.   
   
   
       25 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the fin portion is disposed upstream of an end protrusion with respect to the flow direction of the air, the end protrusion being one of the plurality of protrusions and located at a downstream-most position in the plurality of protrusions with respect to the flow direction of the air.