Heat exchanger

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger, and more particularly, to a condenser integrated with a receiver dryer and used for an air conditioning system of an electric vehicle. An object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger in which the condenser and the receiver dryer are assembled, and an effective volume of the receiver dryer is configured at an upper end of a supercooling region, such that a dead volume of the receiver dryer is minimized.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a pair of header tanks each configured by coupling a header and a tank, configured to define a fluid flow space therein, spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance, and formed in parallel;   a plurality of tubes each having two opposite ends fixed to the header tanks, the plurality of tubes being configured to define flow paths for a heat exchange medium; and   a receiver dryer connected to one of the header tanks and configured to remove moisture from the heat exchange medium,   wherein when a region defined by the tubes is a core region, a part of the core region before the heat exchange medium is introduced into the receiver dryer is a condensing region, and the remaining part of the core region after the heat exchange medium is discharged from the receiver dryer is a supercooling region, the supercooling region is formed to have an area within a range of 30 to 50% of the core region.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the header tanks comprise:
 a first header tank having an inlet port and a discharge port for the heat exchange medium; and   a second header tank connected to the receiver dryer, and   wherein the flow of the heat exchange medium is formed such that the heat exchange medium is introduced into the receiver dryer sequentially through the inlet port, a part of the first header tank, the condensing region, and a part of the second header tank, discharged from the receiver dryer, and discharged sequentially through the remaining part of the second header tank, the supercooling region, the remaining part of the second header tank, and the discharge port.   
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein when an extension direction of the header tank is a height direction and an extension direction of the tube is a width direction, a lower end of the receiver dryer is disposed within a height range of the supercooling region. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3 , wherein a cap is assembled to an upper or lower end of the receiver dryer. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein when the cap assembled to the lower end of the receiver dryer is a bottom cap and a portion to which the bottom cap is assembled is a bottom cap assembling part, the bottom cap assembling part of the receiver dryer is disposed within the height range of the supercooling region. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3 , wherein an upper end of the receiver dryer protrudes to the outside of the height range of the core region. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 6 , wherein when a length by which the upper end of the receiver dryer protrudes to the outside of the height range of the core region is a protruding length and a length from the lower end of the receiver dryer to a lowermost end of the supercooling region is a dead space length, the protruding length and the dead space length are formed at levels identical to each other or similar to each other within a range of 90 to 110%. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 6 , wherein a blind connector is provided to fix and couple the receiver dryer and one of the header tanks connected to the receiver dryer. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein the blind connector has an external shape identical to a communication flow path between the receiver dryer and one of the header tanks connected to the receiver dryer, and the blind connector is formed in a shape in which a communication hole is closed. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 6 , wherein a separate bracket is provided to fix and couple the receiver dryer and one of the header tanks connected to the receiver dryer. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein a pair of communication flow paths is formed between the receiver dryer and one of the header tanks connected to the receiver dryer, and
 wherein the pair of communication flow paths is formed as a pair of independent connectors or formed as a single integrated connector having two flow paths.   
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein an inlet port and a discharge port for the heat exchange medium are provided in one header tank selected from the header tanks, and
 wherein the inlet port and the discharge port are connected to a pair of independent flanges or connected to a single integrated flange having two flow paths.   
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger serves as a condenser in a cooling mode and serves as an evaporator in a heating mode in a heat pump system.