Multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger and heat exchange apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger and a heat exchange apparatus. The heat exchanger includes a flat pipe, a fin set and a divider assembly. The flat pipe has bending sections and connecting sections. The flat pipe is filled with a working fluid and has channels. The fin set is connected between the connecting sections to increase heat-exchange area of the flat pipe. The divider assembly is connected to the flat pipe to divide the flat pipe into a heat-absorbing region and a heat-releasing region. The working fluid in the heat-absorbing region absorbs heat to evaporate and then flows into the heat-releasing region along the channels. The evaporated working fluid condenses in the heat-releasing region to flow back to the heat-absorbing region along the channels by means of gravity. Therefore, the present invention has a reduced production cost and an increased heat-exchange efficiency.

1 . A multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger ( 1 ), including:
 a flat pipe ( 10 ) configured to have a plurality of bending sections ( 11 ) and a plurality of connecting sections ( 12 ) each connecting adjacent two bending sections ( 11 ), an interior of the flat pipe ( 10 ) being filled with a working fluid (W), the flat pipe ( 10 ) being provided with a plurality of channels ( 13 ) separated from each other for allowing the working fluid (W) to flow through;   a fin set ( 20 ) connected between the connecting sections ( 12 ) to increase heat-exchange area of the flat pipe ( 10 ); and   a divider assembly ( 30 ) connected to the flat pipe ( 10 ) to divide the flat pipe ( 10 ) into a heat-absorbing region (S 1 ) located in a lower portion of the flat pipe ( 10 ) and a heat-releasing region (S 2 ) located in an upper portion of the flat pipe ( 10 ), the divider assembly ( 30 ) being disposed between the heat-absorbing region (S 1 ) and the heat-releasing region (S 2 );   wherein a portion of the working fluid (W) in the heat-absorbing region ( 51 ) absorbs heat to evaporate, the evaporated working fluid (W) flows into the heat-releasing region (S 2 ) along the channels ( 13 ), the evaporated working fluid (W) condenses in the heat-releasing region (S 2 ) to flow back to the heat-absorbing region ( 51 ) along the channels ( 13 ) by means of gravity.   
     
     
         2 . The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the flat pipe ( 10 ) is made of heat-conducting metals, the interior of the flat pipe ( 10 ) is integrally formed with a plurality of partitioning portions ( 14 ), the channels ( 13 ) are formed between inner walls of the flat pipe ( 10 ) and the partitioning portions ( 14 ) as well as between adjacent two partitioning portions ( 14 ). 
     
     
         3 . The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger ( 1 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the divider assembly ( 30 ) is constituted of two divider plates ( 31 ), each of the divider plates ( 31 ) has a plurality of notches ( 311 ) to form a comb-shaped structure, the width of each notch ( 311 ) is equal to the thickness of the flat pipe ( 10 ), so that the flat pipe ( 10 ) can be inserted into the notches ( 311 ), the flat pipe ( 10 ) is sandwiched between the opposite notches ( 311 ) of the two divider plates ( 31 ) overlapped with each other. 
     
     
         4 . The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger ( 1 ) according to  claim 3 , wherein at least one end of the flat pipe ( 10 ) is formed with a storage tank ( 15 ), the storage tank ( 15 ) is configured to communicate the individual channels ( 13 ) and balance a pressure in each channel ( 13 ), the storage tank ( 15 ) is provided with a filling stud ( 151 ) through which the working fluid (W) is to be filled in the storage tank ( 15 ). 
     
     
         5 . The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the flat pipe ( 10 ) is made of thin-walled plastic, the interior of the flat pipe ( 10 ) is integrally formed with a plurality of partitioning portions ( 14 ), the channels ( 13 ) are formed between inner walls of the flat pipe ( 10 ) and the partitioning portions ( 14 ) as well as between adjacent two partitioning portions ( 14 ). 
     
     
         6 . The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger ( 1 ) according to  claim 5 , wherein the divider assembly ( 30 ) is constituted of two divider plates ( 31 ), each of the divider plates ( 31 ) has a plurality of notches ( 311 ) to form a comb-shaped structure, the width of each notch ( 311 ) is equal to the thickness of the flat pipe ( 10 ), so that the flat pipe ( 10 ) can be inserted into the notches ( 311 ), the flat pipe ( 10 ) is sandwiched between the opposite notches ( 311 ) of the two divider plates ( 31 ) overlapped with each other. 
     
     
         7 . The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger ( 1 ) according to  claim 6 , wherein at least one end of the flat pipe ( 10 ) is formed with a storage tank ( 15 ), the storage tank ( 15 ) is configured to communicate the individual channels ( 13 ) and balance a pressure in each channel ( 13 ), the storage tank ( 15 ) is provided with a filling stud ( 151 ) through which the working fluid (W) is to be filled in the storage tank ( 15 ). 
     
     
         8 . A heat exchange apparatus ( 100 ), configured to perform heat exchange to an operating space, the heat exchange apparatus ( 100 ) including:
 a housing ( 110 ) having a first intake port ( 1111 ), a first exhaust port ( 1112 ), a second intake port ( 1121 ) and a second exhaust port ( 1122 ); and   a multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger ( 1 ) mounted in the housing ( 110 ) and including:   a flat pipe ( 10 ) configured to have a plurality of bending sections ( 11 ) and a plurality of connecting sections ( 12 ) each connecting adjacent two bending sections ( 11 ), an interior of the flat pipe ( 10 ) being filled with a working fluid (W), the flat pipe ( 10 ) being provided with a plurality of channels ( 13 ) separated from each other for allowing the working fluid (W) to flow through;   a fin set ( 20 ) connected between the connecting sections ( 12 ) to increase heat-exchange area of the flat pipe ( 10 ); and   a divider assembly ( 30 ) connected to the flat pipe ( 10 ) to divide the flat pipe ( 10 ) into a heat-absorbing region (S 1 ) located in a lower portion of the flat pipe ( 10 ) and a heat-releasing region (S 2 ) located in an upper portion of the flat pipe ( 10 ), the divider assembly ( 30 ) being disposed between the heat-absorbing region (S 1 ) and the heat-releasing region (S 2 );   wherein a portion of the working fluid (W) in the heat-absorbing region (S 1 ) absorbs heat of a hot air coming from an interior of the operating space into the first intake port ( 1111 ) to evaporate, whereby the hot air is heat-exchanged to become a cool air to be exhausted via the first exhaust port ( 1112 ), the evaporated working fluid (W) flows into the heat-releasing region (S 2 ) along the channels ( 13 ), the evaporated working fluid (W) condenses in the heat-releasing region (S 2 ) to flow back to the heat-absorbing region (S 1 ) along the channels ( 13 ) by means of gravity, whereby a cold air coming from an exterior of the operating space into the second intake port ( 1121 ) is heat-exchanged to become a warm air to be exhausted via the second exhaust port ( 1122 ).   
     
     
         9 . The heat exchange apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 8 , wherein the housing ( 110 ) includes a cover plate ( 111 ) and a base ( 112 ), the first intake port ( 1111 ) and the first exhaust port ( 1112 ) are provided on the cover plate ( 111 ), the second intake port ( 1121 ) and the second exhaust port ( 1122 ) are provided on the base ( 112 ). 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchange apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 9 , further including a first fan ( 120 ) and a second fan ( 130 ), the first fan ( 120 ) being mounted in the base ( 112 ) to correspond to the first exhaust port ( 1112 ), the second fan ( 130 ) being mounted in the base ( 112 ) to correspond to the second intake port ( 1121 ). 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchange apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 10 , further including two mounting plates ( 140 ), each of the mounting plates ( 140 ) having an insertion slot ( 141 ) for allowing the divider assembly ( 30 ) to be inserted therein, the two mounting plates ( 140 ) being fixed to two inner walls of the housing ( 110 ) respectively, the multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger ( 1 ) being mounted between the two mounting plates ( 140 ) with the divider assembly ( 30 ) being inserted into the insertion slots ( 141 ). 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchange apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein the operating space is an electronic enclosure ( 200 ), the heat exchange apparatus ( 100 ) is mounted outside the electronic enclosure ( 200 ), the electronic enclosure ( 200 ) has a hot air outlet ( 210 ) and a cold air inlet ( 220 ), a hot air inside the electronic enclosure ( 200 ) is guided from the hot air outlet ( 210 ) into the first intake port ( 1111 ) of the heat exchange apparatus ( 100 ) and then heat-exchanged to become a cool air, the cool air flows back into the electronic enclosure ( 200 ) through the first exhaust port ( 1112 ). 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchange apparatus ( 100 ′) according to  claim 11 , wherein the operating space is a building ( 200 ′), the heat exchange apparatus ( 100 ′) is mounted inside the building ( 200 ′), the first intake port ( 111 ′) is provided with a first intake fan ( 120 ′), the first exhaust port ( 112 ′) is connected with an exhaust pipe ( 130 ′) leading to an outside of the building ( 200 ′), one end of the exhaust pipe ( 130 ′) adjacent to the outside of the building ( 200 ′) is provided with a first exhaust fan ( 131 ′), the second intake port ( 113 ′) is connected with an intake pipe ( 140 ′) leading to the outside of the building ( 200 ′), one end of the intake pipe ( 140 ′) adjacent to the outside of the building ( 200 ′) is provided with a second intake fan ( 141 ′), the second exhaust port ( 114 ′) is provided with a second exhaust fan ( 150 ′), a hot air inside the building ( 200 ′) is absorbed into the heat exchange apparatus ( 100 ′) from the first intake port ( 111 ′) and heat-exchanged to become a cool air, the cool air is exhausted to the outside of the building ( 200 ′) via the first exhaust port ( 112 ′), a cold air outside the building ( 200 ′) is introduced into the heat exchange apparatus ( 100 ′) from the second intake port ( 113 ′) and heat-exchanged to become a warm air, the warm arm is fed into the building ( 200 ′) via the second exhaust port ( 114 ′).