Heat exchanger and heat exchanging unit

Abstract

A heat exchanger has a plurality of heat exchanger tubes. Each heat exchanger tube has an internal flow path through which a first fluid flows. These heat exchanger tubes are arranged so that an external flow path, through which a second fluid that exchanges heat with the first fluid flows, is formed between each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes. Each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes are bonded together at the inlets and outlets of the internal flow paths in the two heat exchanger tubes. One of each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes is offset with respect to the other heat exchanger tube in a direction perpendicular to an arrangement direction in which these heat exchanger tubes are arranged.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of heat exchanger tubes, each of which includes a first plate member and a second plate member, a part of the first plate member and a part of the second plate member being bonded together, the first plate member and the second plate member constituting an internal flow path through which a first fluid flows, wherein   an external flow path is located between each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes,   a second fluid that flows through the external flow path, and that exchanges heat with the first fluid,   each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes of the plurality of heat exchanger tubes are bonded together at inlets and outlets in the internal flow paths in the two heat exchanger tubes,   one of each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes is offset with respect to the other of each two adjacent heat exchanger tube in a direction perpendicular to an arrangement direction in which the plurality of heat exchanger tubes are arranged,   the first plate member has a first inlet bonding portion positioned on a first main plane, which is an external surface of the first plate member, and a first outlet bonding portion positioned on the first main plane, as portions at which the two adjacent heat exchanger tubes are bonded together,   the second plate member has a second inlet bonding portion positioned on a second main plane, which is an external surface of the second plate member, and a second outlet bonding portion positioned on the second main plane, as portions at which the two adjacent heat exchanger tubes are bonded together, and   the first inlet bonding portion and first outlet bonding portion are located at positions relatively close to an edge of each of the plurality of the heat exchanger tubes, and the second inlet bonding portion and second outlet bonding portion are located at positions relatively distant from the edge of each of the plurality of the heat exchanger tubes.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of heat exchanger tubes include a plurality of first heat exchanger tubes and a plurality of second heat exchanger tubes;   a structure of the first heat exchanger tube differs from a structure of the second heat exchanger tube; and   the first heat exchanger tube and second heat exchanger tube are adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction.   
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first heat exchanger tube has a first plate member and a second plate member, which are bonded together;   the first plate member has a first inlet bonding portion positioned on a first main plane, which is an external surface of the first plate member, and a first outlet bonding portion positioned on the first main plane, as portions at which the heat exchanger tube and an adjacent heat exchanger tube are bonded together;   the second plate member has a second inlet bonding portion positioned on a second main plane, which is an external surface of the second plate member, and a second outlet bonding portion positioned on the second main plane, as portions at which the heat exchanger tube and an adjacent heat exchanger tube are bonded together;   the first inlet bonding portion and first outlet bonding portion are located at positions relatively close to an edge of the first heat exchanger tubes, and the second inlet bonding portion and second outlet bonding portion are located at positions relatively distant from the edge of the first heat exchanger tubes;   the second heat exchanger tube has a third plate member and a fourth plate member, which are bonded together;   the third plate member has a third inlet bonding portion positioned on a third main plane, which is an external surface of the third plate member, and a third outlet bonding portion positioned on the third main plane, as portions at which the heat exchanger tube and an adjacent heat exchanger tube are bonded together;   the fourth plate member has a fourth inlet bonding portion positioned on a fourth main plane, which is an external surface of the fourth plate member, and a fourth outlet bonding portion positioned on the fourth main plane, as portions at which the heat exchanger tube and an adjacent heat exchanger tube are bonded together; and   in a plane perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the plurality of heat exchanger tubes, a position of the third inlet bonding portion matches a position of the fourth inlet bonding portion and a position of the third outlet bonding portion matches a position of the fourth outlet bonding portion.   
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein the third plate member has the same shape as the fourth plate member. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein at least one of the third plate member and fourth plate member has the same shape as the first plate member or second plate member. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the internal flow path includes a plurality of segments extending in a particular row direction of the heat exchanger tube;   the heat exchanger tube further includes a plurality of flow path portions, each of which protrudes toward both ends of the heat exchanger tube in a thickness direction of the heat exchanger tube and determines one segment in the internal flow path, and also includes thin portions, each of which is positioned between two flow path portions adjacent in a width direction perpendicular to the row direction and separates two adjacent segments along the internal flow path;   on a cross section perpendicular to the row direction, the flow path portion in one of each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes faces the thin portion of the other of each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes with the external flow path intervening between the flow path portion and the thin portion, and the flow path portion in the other of each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes faces the thin portion of the one of the each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes with the external flow path intervening between the flow path portion and the thin portion; and   the plurality of flow path portions in the one of the two heat exchanger tubes and the plurality of flow path portions in the another of the two heat exchanger tubes are placed in a staggered arrangement in the width direction.   
     
     
         7 . A heat exchanging unit comprising:
 a blower that has a rotational axis and an impeller secured to the rotational axis, the blower delivering a second fluid in the circumferential direction of the rotational axis due to rotation of the impeller; and   the heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , the heat exchanger being disposed around the blower in a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis; wherein   each of the plurality of external flow paths is disposed so that a downstream end of the external flow path is at a more forward position in the rotational direction of the rotational axis than an upstream end of the external flow path when viewed from the rotational axis.   
     
     
         8 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of heat exchanger tubes, each of which includes a first plate member and a second plate member, a part of the first plate member and a part of the second plate member being bonded together, the first plate member and the second plate member constituting an internal flow path through which a first fluid flows, wherein   an external flow path is located between each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes,   a second fluid that flows through the external flow path, and that exchanges heat with the first fluid,   each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes of the plurality of heat exchanger tubes are bonded together at inlets and outlets in the internal flow paths in the two heat exchanger tubes,   one of each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes is offset with respect to the other of each two adjacent heat exchanger tube in a direction perpendicular to an arrangement direction in which the plurality of heat exchanger tubes are arranged;   the first plate member has a first bonding portion provided on a first main plane, which is an external surface of the first plate member, as a portion at which the two adjacent heat exchanger tubes are bonded together;   the second plate member has a second bonding portion positioned on a second main plane, which is an external surface of the second plate member, as a portion at which the two adjacent heat exchanger tubes are bonded together;   a bonding plane on which the first bonding portion and second bonding portion are bonded together is inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the plurality of heat exchanger tubes; and   an axis of the first bonding portion and an axis of the second bonding portion are inclined with respect to the arrangement direction of the plurality of heat exchanger tubes.   
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the internal flow path includes a plurality of segments extending in a particular row direction of the heat exchanger tube;   the heat exchanger tube further includes a plurality of flow path portions, each of which protrudes toward both ends of the heat exchanger tube in a thickness direction of the heat exchanger tube and determines one segment in the internal flow path, and also includes thin portions, each of which is positioned between two flow path portions adjacent in a width direction perpendicular to the row direction and separates two adjacent segments along the internal flow path;   on a cross section perpendicular to the row direction, the flow path portion in one of each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes faces the thin portion of the other of the each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes with the external flow path intervening between the flow path portion and the thin portion, and the flow path portion in the other of each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes faces the thin portion of the one of each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes with the external flow path intervening between the flow path portion and the thin portion; and   the plurality of flow path portions in the one of the two heat exchanger tubes and the plurality of flow path portions in the another of the two heat exchanger tubes are placed in a staggered arrangement in the width direction.   
     
     
         10 . A heat exchanging unit comprising:
 a blower that has a rotational axis and an impeller secured to the rotational axis, the blower delivering a second fluid in the circumferential direction of the rotational axis due to rotation of the impeller; and   the heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , the heat exchanger being disposed around the blower in a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis; wherein   each of the plurality of external flow paths is disposed so that a downstream end of the external flow path is at a more forward position in the rotational direction of the rotational axis than an upstream end of the external flow path when viewed from the rotational axis.   
     
     
         11 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of heat exchanger tubes, each of which includes a first plate member and a second plate member, a part of the first plate member and a part of the second plate member being bonded together, the first plate member and the second plate member constituting an internal flow path through which a first fluid flows, wherein   an external flow path is located between each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes,   a second fluid that flows through the external flow path, and that exchanges heat with the first fluid,   each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes of the plurality of heat exchanger tubes are bonded together at inlets and outlets in the internal flow paths in the two heat exchanger tubes,   one of each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes is offset with respect to the other of each two adjacent heat exchanger tube in a direction perpendicular to an arrangement direction in which the plurality of heat exchanger tubes are arranged,   the plurality of heat exchanger tubes are arranged in a fan shape, and   the external flow paths extend radially.   
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the heat exchanger tube includes one set of plate members that are bonded together;   the inlet and outlet of the internal flow path are open in their main planes;   to mutually bond each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes at the inlets or outlets of the internal flow paths, the heat exchanger further includes a linking member disposed between the inlets of the internal flow paths of each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes or between the outlets of the internal flow paths of each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes;   the linking member is a flat ring-shaped member; and   a thickness of the linking member is continuously increased from an upstream side of the external flow path toward a downstream side of the external flow path.   
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 12 , wherein the linking member has a wedge-shaped cross section. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 12 , wherein if a linking plane between the linking member and one of each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes between which the linking member is placed is defined as a first linking plane and a linking plane between the linking member and the other of the each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes is defined as a second linking plane, the first linking plane is inclined with respect to the second linking plane. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 12 , wherein the linking member has a plate-like protrusion that protrudes toward the downstream side of the external flow path. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 12 , wherein a laminated body formed with a plurality of linking members is placed between each two adjacent heat exchanger tubes. 
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 12 , wherein if the linking member is defined as a first linking member, the heat exchanger further includes a second linking member that has a different shape from the first linking member. 
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the internal flow path includes a plurality of segments extending in a particular row direction of the heat exchanger tube and is a meandering flow path in which a flow direction of the first fluid is reversed at an intermediate point between the inlet and the outlet. 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 18 , wherein the heat exchanger tube further has a hindering structure, disposed between each two adjacent segments, that hinders heat transfer between the two adjacent segments. 
     
     
         20 . A heat exchanging unit comprising:
 a blower that has a rotational axis and an impeller secured to the rotational axis, the blower delivering a second fluid in the circumferential direction of the rotational axis due to rotation of the impeller; and   the heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , the heat exchanger being disposed around the blower in a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis; wherein   each of the plurality of external flow paths is disposed so that a downstream end of the external flow path is at a more forward position in the rotational direction of the rotational axis than an upstream end of the external flow path when viewed from the rotational axis.