Outdoor heat exchanger and heat pump having the same

Abstract

A heat pump is provided. The heat pump may include an outdoor heat exchanger that performs a heat exchange operation between refrigerant and outdoor air. The outdoor heat exchanger may include a refrigerant tube that guides refrigerant therethrough, and one or more fins coupled to the refrigerant tube. One face of each of the fins may be coated with a water repellent coating material and another face thereof may be coated with a hydrophilic coating material. An area coated with the water repellent coating material may be greater than an area coated with the hydrophilic coating material.

1 . A heat pump, comprising:
 a compressor;   an outdoor heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between refrigerant and outdoor air;   an indoor heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between refrigerant and indoor air; and   an expander installed between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger, wherein the outdoor heat exchanger comprises:
 a refrigerant tube that guides refrigerant therethrough; 
 one or more fins coupled to the refrigerant tube; 
 a water repellent coating material applied to a first surface of each of the one or more fins; and 
 a hydrophilic coating material applied to a second surface of each of the one or more fins, wherein an area coated with the water repellent coating material is greater than an area coated with the hydrophilic coating material. 
   
     
     
         2 . The heat pump of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more fins comprises:
 a substantially cylindrical collar having an inner circumferential surface thereof in contact with the refrigerant tube and an outer circumferential surface thereof exposed to air flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger, wherein the outer circumferential surface of the collar is coated with the water repellent coating material; and   a plate body that extends outward from the collar, the plate body being exposed to the air flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger.   
     
     
         3 . The heat pump of  claim 2 , wherein the inner circumferential surface of the collar is coated with the hydrophilic coating material. 
     
     
         4 . The heat pump of  claim 2 , wherein a first surface of the plate body that extends outward from and is perpendicular to the outer circumferential surface of the collar is coated with the water repellent coating material, and a second surface of the plate body that extends outward from and is perpendicular to the inner circumferential surface of the collar is coated with the hydrophilic coating material. 
     
     
         5 . The heat pump of  claim 1 , wherein an area of each of the one or more fins coated with the water repellent coating material is greater than 0.5 times and less than 0.6 times a total area thereof that is exposed to the air flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         6 . The heat pump of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more fins comprises a plurality of fins arranged at predetermined intervals along the refrigerant tube, and wherein the hydrophilic coating material coated on any one of the plurality of fins faces the water repellent coating material coated on an adjacent fin of the plurality of fins. 
     
     
         7 . The heat pump of  claim 6 , wherein the water repellent coating material and the hydrophilic coating material are alternately positioned in a direction perpendicular to an air flow direction in the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         8 . The heat pump of  claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of fins is made of an aluminum material. 
     
     
         9 . The heat pump of  claim 6 , wherein a contact angle of condensation water generated on a surface of the water repellent coating material is greater than 90° and less than 150°. 
     
     
         10 . The heat pump of  claim 6 , wherein a contact angle of condensation water generated on a surface of the hydrophilic coating material is greater than 0° and less than 30°. 
     
     
         11 . A heat exchanger for a heat pump, comprising:
 a refrigerant tube that guides refrigerant through the heat exchanger; and   a plurality of fins coupled to the refrigerant tube, each of the plurality of fins being made of an aluminum material, wherein each of the plurality of fins comprises:
 a substantially cylindrical having an inner circumferential surface thereof fitted around the refrigerant tube and an outer circumferential surface thereof exposed to air flowing through the heat exchanger; 
 a plate body that extends outward from the collar and having first and second surfaces exposed to air flowing through the heat exchanger; 
 a water repellant material coated on one of the inner or outer circumferential surface of the collar and one of the first or second surface of the plate body extending respectively therefrom; and 
 a hydrophilic material coated on the other of the inner or outer surface of the collar and the other of the first or second surface of the plate body extending respectively therefrom. 
   
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 11 , wherein the inner circumferential surface of the collar and the second surface of the plate body, which extends outward from and is perpendicular to the inner circumferential surface of the collar, of each of the plurality of fins are coated with the hydrophilic coating material. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 12 , wherein the outer circumferential surface of the collar and the first surface of the plate body, which extends outward from and is perpendicular to the outer circumferential surface of the collar, of each of the plurality of fins are coated with the water repellant material. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 11 , wherein an area of each of the plurality of fins that is coated with the water repellent coating material is greater than 0.5 times and less than 0.6 times an area of each of the plurality of fins that is exposed to air flowing through the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger of  claim 14 , wherein the water repellent coating material and the hydrophilic coating material are alternately positioned in a direction perpendicular to an air flow direction in the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger of  claim 14 , wherein a contact angle of condensation water generated on a surface of the water repellent coating material is greater than 90° and less than 150°, and a contact angle of condensation water generated on a surface of the hydrophilic coating material is greater than 0° and less than 30°. 
     
     
         17 . A heat pump comprising the heat exchanger of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         18 . An outdoor heat exchanger, comprising:
 a refrigerant tube that guides refrigerant therethrough and a plurality of fins coupled to the refrigerant tube, wherein each of the plurality of fins comprises:   a cylindrical fitted around the refrigerant tube; and   a plate body extending outward from and perpendicular to the collar, wherein a first surface of the collar and a first surface of the plate body extending directly outward from the first surface of the collar are coated with a water repellent coating material, and a second surface of the collar and a second surface of the plate body extending directly outward from the second surface of the collar are coated with a hydrophilic coating material.   
     
     
         19 . The outdoor heat exchanger of  claim 18 , wherein the second surface of the collar is an inner circumferential surface of the collar that is positioned against the refrigerant tube, and the second surface of the plate body extends directly outward from a corresponding edge of the collar, perpendicular to the inner circumferential surface of the collar. 
     
     
         20 . The outdoor heat exchanger of  claim 19 , wherein the first surface of the collar is an outer circumferential surface of the collar opposite the inner circumferential surface thereof, and wherein the first surface of the plate body extends outward from the outer circumferential surface of the collar, perpendicular to the outer circumferential surface of the collar. 
     
     
         21 . The outdoor heat exchanger of  claim 19 , wherein an area of each of the plurality of fins that is coated with the water repellent coating material is greater than 0.5 times and less than 0.6 times an area of each of the plurality of fins exposed to outdoor air flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         22 . The outdoor heat exchanger of  claim 21 , wherein a contact angle of condensation water generated on a surface of the water repellent coating material is greater than 90° and less than 150°, and a contact angle of condensation water generated on a surface of the hydrophilic coating material is greater than 0° and less than 30°.