Heat exchanger arrangement and method for the operation of same

Abstract

A heat exchanger arrangement is presented having at least one heat exchanger module ( 2 ), which includes a plurality of microchannel heat transfer elements ( 6.1, 6.2 ) and a plurality of heat exchange ribs ( 7.1, 7.2 ) which are connected to the microchannel heat transfer elements in a thermally conductive manner and which form air channels, and having a ventilation apparatus to generate an airflow ( 12 ′) in the air channels. The heat exchanger arrangement additionally includes a wetting apparatus to wet the microchannel transfer elements and/or the heat exchange ribs with liquid ( 10 ′). The heat exchanger arrangement is furthermore characterized in that the heat exchanger module or modules is/are arranged at an angle (α) with respect to the vertical.

1 . A heat exchanger arrangement ( 1 ) having at least one heat exchanger module ( 2 . 1 ,  2 . 2 ), which includes a plurality of microchannel heat transfer elements ( 6 . 1 ,  6 . 2 ) and a plurality of heat exchange ribs ( 7 ,  7 ′,  7 ″,  7 . 1 ,  7 . 2 ) which are connected to the microchannel heat transfer elements in a thermally conductive manner and which form air channels, and having at least one ventilation apparatus ( 4 ) to generate an airflow ( 12 ,  12 ′,  12 ″) in the air channels, characterized in that the heat exchanger arrangement additionally includes a wetting apparatus ( 5 ) to wet the microchannel heat transfer elements and/or the heat exchange ribs with liquid ( 10 ,  10 ′,  10 ″); and in that the heat exchanger module or modules ( 2 ,  2 . 1 ,  2 . 2 ) is/are arranged at an angle (α) with respect to the vertical. 
     
     
         2 . A heat exchanger arrangement in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the angle (α) is determined in that the gravity and/or the inertia forces which act on drops of the liquid ( 10 ,  10 ′,  10 ″) on or in a heat exchanger module ( 2 ,  2 . 1 ,  2 . 2 ) in operation are in balance with the buoyancy forces of the airflow ( 12 ,  12 ′,  12 ″). 
     
     
         3 . A heat exchanger arrangement in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the angle (α) with respect to the vertical is between 10° and 40°, in particular between 15° and 30°. 
     
     
         4 . A heat exchanger arrangement in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger module or modules ( 2 ,  2 . 1 ,  2 . 2 ) is/are each arranged horizontally. 
     
     
         5 . A heat exchanger arrangement in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the microchannel heat transfer elements ( 6 . 1 ,  6 . 2 ) have a longitudinal direction and are each arranged at an angle to the vertical in the longitudinal direction; and wherein the microchannel heat transfer elements ( 6 . 1 ,  6 . 2 ) are in particular arranged at the same angle (α) to the vertical as the respective heat exchanger module ( 2 ,  2 . 1 ,  2 . 2 ) in which they are included. 
     
     
         6 . A heat exchanger arrangement in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the microchannel heat transfer elements ( 6 . 1 ,  6 . 2 ) have a longitudinal direction and are arranged horizontally in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         7 . A heat exchanger arrangement in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger modules ( 2 ,  2 . 1 ,  2 . 2 ) have a lower side and an upper side; and wherein the ventilation apparatus ( 4 ) is configured to generate an airflow ( 12 ,  12 ′,  12 ) from the lower side to the upper side in the air channels; and the wetting apparatus ( 5 ) is configured to wet the microchannel heat transfer elements ( 6 . 2 ,  6 . 2 ) and/or the heat exchange ribs ( 7 ,  7 ′,  7 ″,  7 . 1 ,  7 . 2 ) from the upper side or from the lower side. 
     
     
         8 . A heat exchanger arrangement in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the wetting apparatus is configured to wet the microchannel heat transfer elements ( 6 . 1 ,  6 . 2 ) and/or the heat exchange ribs ( 7 ,  7 ′,  7 ″,  7 . 1 ,  7 . 2 ) both from the lower side and from the upper side. 
     
     
         9 . A heat exchanger arrangement in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger modules ( 2 ,  2 . 1 ,  2 . 2 ) have a lower side and an upper side; and wherein the ventilation apparatus ( 4 ) is configured to generate an airflow ( 12 ,  12 ′,  12 ) from the lower side to the upper side in the air channels; and the wetting apparatus ( 5 ) is configured to wet the microchannel heat transfer elements ( 6 . 2 ,  6 . 2 ) and/or the heat exchange ribs ( 7 ,  7 ′,  7 ″,  7 . 1 ,  7 . 2 ) from the upper side. 
     
     
         10 . A heat exchanger arrangement in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein openings and/or louvers ( 11 . 1 ,  11 . 2 ) are formed in the heat exchange ribs ( 7 ,  7 ′,  7 ″,  7 . 1 ,  7 . 2 ). 
     
     
         11 . A heat exchanger arrangement in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the angle (α) is adapted for a maximum cooling capacity with a given installation area of the heat exchanger arrangement ( 1 ) and/or with a given total area of the heat exchanger modules ( 2 . 1 ,  2 . 2 ). 
     
     
         12 . A heat exchanger arrangement in accordance with  claim 1  additionally including a wetting device arranged at the inlet side in the airflow for the cooling of the air and/or including a drop catcher arranged at the outlet side in the airflow. 
     
     
         13 . A method for operation of a heat exchanger arrangement in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that the quantity of the liquid ( 10 ,  10 ′,  10 ″) which is supplied for the purpose of wetting the microchannel heat transfer elements ( 6 . 1 ,  6 . 2 ) and/or the heat exchange ribs ( 7 ,  7 ′,  7 ″,  7 . 1 ,  7 . 2 ) and the speed of the airflow ( 12 ,  12 ′,  12 ″) are regulated such that no drops or at most a fixed quantity of drops of the liquid present on or in a heat exchanger module ( 2 ,  2 . 1 ,  2 . 2 ) is/are taken along by the airflow. 
     
     
         14 . A method in accordance with  claim 13 , characterized in that the quantity of the liquid ( 10 ,  10 ′,  10 ″) supplied for the purpose of wetting the microchannel heat transfer elements ( 6 . 1 ,  6 . 2 ) and/or the heat exchange ribs ( 7 ,  7 ′,  7 ″,  7 . 1 ,  7 . 2 ) and the speed of the airflow ( 12 ,  12 ′,  12 ″) are regulated such that the gravity and/or the inertia forces which act on drops of the liquid on or in a heat exchanger module ( 2 ,  2 . 1 ,  2 . 2 ) are in balance with the buoyancy forces of the airflow.