Heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a heat exchange portion in which at least tubes of refrigerant tubes or coolant tubes are stacked and at least one of refrigerant or coolant exchanges heat with air. An air passage is formed in a space formed between tubes of the refrigerant tubes and the coolant tubes which are adjacent to each other. An upstream heat exchange portion located on an upstream side in a flow direction of air and a downstream heat exchange portion located downstream of the upstream heat exchange portion in the flow direction of air are provided as the heat exchange portion. A ratio of the number of the refrigerant tubes to the total number of tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion is different from a ratio of the number of the refrigerant tubes to the total number of tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 first tubes through which a first fluid flows;   second tubes through which a second fluid flows; and   a heat exchange portion in which tubes including at least the first tubes or the second tubes are stacked, wherein   at least one of the first fluid and the second fluid exchanges heat with a third fluid in the heat exchange portion,   spaces between tubes, which are selected from among the first tubes and the second tubes and are adjacent to each other, form third fluid passages through which the third fluid flows,   the heat exchange portion includes an upstream heat exchange portion positioned on an upstream side in a flow direction of the third fluid, and a downstream heat exchange portion positioned downstream of the upstream heat exchange portion in the flow direction of the third fluid, and   a stacking arrangement state of the tubes in the upstream heat exchange portion is different from a stacking arrangement state of the tubes in the downstream heat exchange portion.   
     
     
         2 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 first tubes through which a first fluid flows;   second tubes through which a second fluid flows; and   a heat exchange portion in which tubes including at least the first tubes or the second tubes are stacked, wherein   at least one of the first fluid and the second fluid exchanges heat with a third fluid in the heat exchange portion,   spaces between tubes, which are selected from among the first tubes and the second tubes and are adjacent to each other, form third fluid passages through which the third fluid flows,   the heat exchange portion includes an upstream heat exchange portion positioned on an upstream side in a flow direction of the third fluid, and a downstream heat exchange portion positioned downstream of the upstream heat exchange portion in the flow direction of the third fluid, and   the first tubes and the second tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion and the first tubes and the second tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion include a first portion in which the same type of two tubes are overlapped with each other in the flow direction of the third fluid, and a second portion in which different types of two tubes are overlapped with each other in the flow direction of the third fluid.   
     
     
         3 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 first tubes through which a first fluid flows;   second tubes through which a second fluid flows; and   a heat exchange portion in which tubes including at least the first tubes or the second tubes are stacked, wherein   at least one of the first fluid and the second fluid exchanges heat with a third fluid in the heat exchange portion,   spaces between tubes, which are selected from among the first tubes and the second tubes and are adjacent to each other, form third fluid passages through which the third fluid flows,   the heat exchange portion includes an upstream heat exchange portion positioned on an upstream side in a flow direction of the third fluid, and a downstream heat exchange portion positioned downstream of the upstream heat exchange portion in the flow direction of the third fluid, and   a ratio of the number of the first tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion to the total number of the first tubes and the second tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion is different from a ratio of the number of the first tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion to the total number of the first tubes and the second tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion.   
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the number of the second tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion to the total number of the first tubes and the second tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion is higher than a ratio of the number of the second tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion to the total number of the first tubes and the second tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion consist of both the first tubes and the second tubes, and   the tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion consist of the first tubes.   
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising an outer fin located in the third fluid passage, wherein
 the outer fin promotes heat exchange between the first fluid and the third fluid and heat exchange between the second fluid and the third fluid, and   the outer fin is capable of conveying heat between the first fluid flowing through the first tube and the second fluid flowing through the second tube.   
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion consist of both the first tubes and the second tubes, and   the tubes the downstream heat exchange portion consist of the first tubes,   the heat exchanger further comprising:   an upstream tank portion extending in a stacking direction of the first tubes and the second tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion, the upstream tank portion having an upstream second fluid space which collects or distributes the second fluid that flows through the second tubes;   a downstream tank portion extending in a stacking direction of the first tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion, the downstream tank portion having a downstream first fluid space which collects or distributes the first fluid that flows through the first tubes; and   a communication passage through which the first tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion communicate with the downstream first fluid space.   
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion consist of both the first tubes and the second tubes, and   the tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion consist of the first tubes,   the heat exchanger further comprising:   an upstream tank portion extending in a stacking direction of the first tubes and the second tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion, the upstream tank portion having an upstream first fluid space which collects or distributes the first fluid that flows through the first tubes;   a downstream tank portion extending in a stacking direction of the first tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion, the downstream tank portion having a downstream second fluid space which collects or distributes the second fluid that flows through the second tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion;   a first communication passage through which the first tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion communicate with the upstream first fluid space; and   a second communication passage through which the second tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion communicate with the downstream second fluid space.   
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion consist of both the first tubes and the second tubes, and   the tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion consist of the first tubes,   the heat exchanger further comprising:   an upstream tank portion extending in a stacking direction of the first tubes and the second tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion, the upstream tank portion having an upstream first fluid space which collects or distributes the first fluid that flows through the first tubes, and a downstream second fluid space which collects or distributes the second fluid that flows through the second tubes;   a downstream tank portion extending in a stacking direction of the first tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion, the downstream tank portion having a downstream first fluid space which collects or distributes the first fluid that flows through the first tubes; and   a communication passage through which the upstream first fluid space communicates with the downstream first fluid space.   
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 7 , wherein the communication passage is integrated with the upstream tank portion and the downstream tank portion. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 7 , wherein the communication passage is separated from the upstream tank portion and the downstream tank portion. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the communication passage is separated from the upstream tank portion and the downstream tank portion, and   the communication passage is located at a position nearer to the heat exchange portion than positions of the upstream tank portion and the downstream tank portion.   
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 7 , wherein the communication passage extends in a direction to connect an end portion of a first tube of the upstream heat exchange portion and an end portion of a first tube of the downstream heat exchange portion which are overlapped with each other in the flow direction of the third fluid. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 13 , wherein the communication passage communicates with another first tube that is adjacent in the stacking direction of the first tubes to the two first tubes which are overlapped with each other in the flow direction of the third fluid. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 7 , wherein
 a flow direction of the first fluid is the same as a flow direction of the second fluid in a pair of the first tube and the second tube overlapped with each other in the flow direction of the third fluid, and   a flow direction of the first fluid is opposite from a flow direction of the second fluid in another pair of the first tube and the second tube overlapped with each other in the flow direction of the third fluid.   
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion consist of both the first tubes and the second tubes,   the tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion consist of the first tubes, and   all of the first fluid inflowing from an exterior of the heat exchanger passes through the upstream heat exchange portion without branching to the downstream heat exchange portion.   
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion consist of both the first tubes and the second tubes,   the tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion consist of the first tubes,   the first fluid inflowing from an exterior of the heat exchanger branches to the upstream heat exchange portion and to the downstream heat exchange portion before flowing into the first tubes,   all of the first fluid branched to the upstream heat exchange portion before flowing into the first tubes passes through the upstream heat exchange portion without further branching to the downstream heat exchange portion, and   all of the first fluid branched to the downstream heat exchange portion before flowing into the first tubes passes through the downstream heat exchange portion without further branching to the upstream heat exchange portion.   
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 16 , wherein a flow direction of the first fluid flowing through the first tubes immediately after the inflow of the first fluid from the exterior is the same as a flow direction of the second fluid flowing through the second tubes immediately after inflow of the second fluid from the exterior. 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 16 , wherein a flow direction of the first fluid flowing through the first tubes immediately before outflow of the first fluid to the exterior is the same as a flow direction of the second fluid flowing through the second tubes immediately before outflow of the second fluid to the exterior. 
     
     
         20 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising outer fins located in the third fluid passages, wherein
 the outer fins promote heat exchange between the first fluid and the third fluid and heat exchange between the second fluid and the third fluid,   the outer fins are capable of conveying heat between the first fluid flowing through the first tubes and the second fluid flowing through the second tubes,   each of the outer fins has louvers formed by cutting and raising parts of the surface of the outer fin, and   the louvers of the outer fin located between two adjacent tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion are different in shape from the louvers of the outer fin located between two adjacent tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion.   
     
     
         21 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion consist of both the first tubes and the second tubes, and   the tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion consist of the first tubes,   the heat exchanger further comprising:   an upstream tank portion extending in a stacking direction of the first tubes and the second tubes of the upstream heat exchange portion, the upstream tank portion having an upstream first fluid space which collects or distributes the first fluid that flows through the first tubes and an upstream second fluid space which collects or distributes the second fluid that flows through the second tubes;   a downstream tank portion extending in a stacking direction of the first tubes of the downstream heat exchange portion, the downstream tank portion having a downstream first fluid space which collects or distributes the first fluid that flows through the first tubes; and   a connector portion including a single piping connection port connected to a first fluid pipe through which the first fluid flows, an upstream heat exchange portion connection port that is connected to the upstream tank portion and communicates with the upstream first fluid space, and a downstream heat exchange portion connection port that is connected to the downstream tank portion and communicates with the downstream first fluid space.   
     
     
         22 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 21 , wherein a distance from the piping connection port to the upstream heat exchange portion connection port is different from a distance from the piping connection port to the downstream heat exchange portion connection port in the connector portion. 
     
     
         23 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 21 , wherein an opening area of the upstream heat exchange portion connection port is different from an opening area of the downstream heat exchange portion connection port in the connector portion. 
     
     
         24 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator of a vapor-compression refrigeration cycle to evaporate refrigerant,   the first fluid is refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle,   the second fluid is a heat medium that has absorbed heat of an exterior heat source, and   the third fluid is air.   
     
     
         25 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat exchanger is used as a radiator of a vapor-compression refrigeration cycle to radiate heat of refrigerant discharged from a compressor,   the first fluid is refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle,   the second fluid is a heat medium that has absorbed heat of an exterior heat source, and   the third fluid is air.