Stacked heat exchanger

Abstract

A stacked heat exchanger includes a first heat-exchanging portion in which heat is exchanged between a refrigerant and a coolant. The first heat-exchanging portion has multiple first plate members stacked and bonded to one another, and multiple first refrigerant channels and multiple coolant channels provided among the multiple first plate members. The multiple first refrigerant channels and the multiple coolant channels are arranged in a staking direction of the multiple first plate members. The stacked heat exchanger further includes a second ceiling board bonded to a first ceiling board which is one of the multiple first plate members located on an outermost side in the stacking direction, and a vapor-liquid separation portion having a space between the first ceiling board and the second ceiling board, separating the refrigerant flowed in into a vapor and a liquid, and storing an excess refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A stacked heat exchanger, comprising:
 a first heat-exchanging portion performing heat exchange between a refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle and a first heat carrier, wherein the first heat-exchanging portion includes:
 a plurality of first plate members stacked and bonded to one another; 
 a plurality of first refrigerant channels through which the refrigerant flows, the plurality of first refrigerant channels being provided among the plurality of first plate members and arranged in a stacking direction of the plurality of first plate members to let the refrigerant flow; and 
 a plurality of first heat carrier channels through which the first heat carrier flows, the plurality of first heat carrier channels being provided among the plurality of first plate members and arranged in the stacking direction of the plurality of first plate members; 
   a second end plate arranged such that a space is provided between the second end plate and a first end plate which is one of the plurality of first plate members located on an outermost side in the stacking direction;   a vapor-liquid separation portion having the space provided between the first end plate and the second end plate, separating the refrigerant flowed therein into a vapor and a liquid, and storing an excess refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle; and   a second heat-exchanging portion performing heat exchange between the refrigerant and a second heat carrier, wherein:   the second heat-exchanging portion includes:
 a plurality of second plate members stacked and bonded to one another; 
 a plurality of second refrigerant channels through which the refrigerant flows, the plurality of second refrigerant channels being provided among the plurality of second plate members; and 
 a plurality of second heat carrier channels through which the second heat carrier flows, the plurality of second refrigerant channels being provided among the plurality of second plate members, wherein 
   a length of the plurality of second plate members in a flow direction of the refrigerant is shorter than a length of the plurality of first plate members in the flow direction of the refrigerant,   the second heat-exchanging portion is bonded to the second end plate, and   the second refrigerant channels communicate with the vapor-liquid separation portion.   
     
     
         2 . The stacked heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a lower portion of the first end plate in a direction of gravity has a refrigerant inflow portion through which the refrigerant flows into the vapor-liquid separation portion; and   a lower portion of the second end plate in a direction of gravity has a refrigerant outflow portion through which the refrigerant in a liquid phase flow out from the vapor-liquid separation portion.   
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The stacked heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the first heat carrier and the second heat carrier is a coolant, and   the stacked heat exchanger further comprising an inner coolant passage provided inside the vapor-liquid separation portion, wherein the coolant flows through the inner coolant passage, and the first heat carrier channels and the second heat carrier channels communicate with each other through the inner coolant passage.   
     
     
         5 . The stacked heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the second heat carrier is a low-pressure refrigerant that is lower in pressure than the refrigerant flowing into the first heat-exchanging portion.   
     
     
         6 . The stacked heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the vapor-liquid separation portion includes therein a refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant flowed in from the first heat-exchanging portion flows out to an outside, and a refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant flowed in from the first heat-exchanging portion flows out to the second heat-exchanging portion.   
     
     
         7 . The stacked heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the vapor-liquid separation portion includes
 a plurality of third plate members disposed in the space between the first end plate and the second end plate and stacked and bonded to one another, and 
 a plurality of vapor-liquid separation passages being provided among the plurality of third plate members, separating the refrigerant into a vapor and a liquid and storing an excess refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle is stored; and 
   the vapor-liquid separation passages adjacent to each other communicate with each other.   
     
     
         8 . The stacked heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the second end plate has an insertion opening for insertion of a drying agent into the vapor-liquid separation portion in an area other than where the second heat-exchanging portion is bonded.