Heat exchange device, refrigeration system, and heat exchange method

Abstract

Since improving heat exchange between a gas-phase refrigerant and a liquid-phase refrigerant in a refrigeration system could instead result in a reduction in the efficiency of the whole refrigeration system, a heat exchange device ( 201 ) of the present invention includes: a refrigerant supply means ( 210 ) for supplying a first-temperature liquid-phase refrigerant (R 11 ) and a second-temperature gas-phase refrigerant (R 12 ) in one circulation system; a plurality of heat exchange means ( 220 A, 220 B) which are each configured so as to perform heat exchange between the liquid-phase refrigerant and the gas-phase refrigerant; and refrigerant circulation means ( 231, 232, 242 ) for circulating the gas-phase refrigerant (R 12 ) in such a manner that the gas-phase refrigerant (R 12 ) flows in parallel in the plurality of heat exchange means, and circulating the liquid-phase refrigerant (R 11 ) in such a manner that the liquid-phase refrigerant (R 11 ) flows in series in the plurality of heat exchange means.

1 . A heat exchange device, comprising:
 a refrigerant supply device that supplies a first-temperature liquid-phase refrigerant and a second-temperature gas-phase refrigerant in one circulation system;   a plurality of heat exchangers which are each configured so as to perform heat exchange between the liquid-phase refrigerant and the gas-phase refrigerant; and
 a refrigerant circulator that circulates the gas-phase refrigerant in such a manner that the gas-phase refrigerant flows in parallel in the plurality of heat exchangers, and circulates the liquid-phase refrigerant in such a manner that the liquid-phase refrigerant flows in series in the plurality of heat exchangers. 
   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchange device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat exchanger comprises:
 a heat conducting tube in which the liquid-phase refrigerant flows; and
 a heat conducting plate that is connected to an outer surface of the heat conducting tube and in contact with the gas-phase refrigerant. 
 
   
     
     
         3 . The heat exchange device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat exchanger comprises:
 a gas-phase refrigerant inflow part into which the gas-phase refrigerant flows; 
 a gas-phase refrigerant outlet from which the gas-phase refrigerant flows; 
 a liquid-phase refrigerant inflow part into which the liquid-phase refrigerant flows; and 
 a liquid-phase refrigerant outlet from which the liquid-phase refrigerant flows, and 
   the refrigerant circulator comprises:
 a first gas-phase tube which connects the refrigerant supply device with a plurality of the gas-phase refrigerant inflow parts which the plurality of heat exchangers each include; 
 a second gas-phase tube which connects the refrigerant supply device with a plurality of the gas-phase refrigerant outlets which the plurality of heat exchangers each include; 
 a liquid-phase tube which connects the liquid-phase refrigerant inflow part which is installed in one heat exchanger of the plurality of heat exchangers with the liquid-phase refrigerant outlet which is installed in another heat exchanger which is adjacent to the one heat exchanger; and
 a liquid-phase connection tube which connects the refrigerant supply device with the liquid-phase refrigerant inflow part which is installed in a heat exchanger which is located at one end of the plurality of heat exchangers and connects the refrigerant supply device with the liquid-phase refrigerant outlet which is installed in a heat exchanger which is located at another end of the plurality of heat exchangers. 
 
   
     
     
         4 . The heat exchange device of  claim 3 , wherein
 the plurality of heat exchangers are connected to the first gas-phase tube and the second gas-phase tube in such a way that order in which the plurality of heat exchangers are connected to the first gas-phase tube is same as order in which the plurality of heat exchangers are connected to the second gas-phase tube as seen from a side to which the refrigerant supply device is connected.   
     
     
         5 . The heat exchange device of  claim 3 , wherein
 the plurality of heat exchangers are connected to the first gas-phase tube and the second gas-phase tube in such a way that order in which the plurality of heat exchangers are connected to the first gas-phase tube is opposite to order in which the plurality of heat exchangers are connected to the second gas-phase tube as seen from a side to which the refrigerant supply device is connected.   
     
     
         6 . The heat exchange device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat exchanger comprises:
 a gas-phase refrigerant passing face that the gas-phase refrigerant passes through; 
 a liquid-phase refrigerant inflow part into which the liquid-phase refrigerant flows; and 
 a liquid-phase refrigerant outlet from which the liquid-phase refrigerant flows, and 
   the refrigerant circulator comprises:
 a gas-phase tube in which the gas-phase refrigerant flows, the gas-phase tube containing the plurality of heat exchangers; 
 a plurality of partitions which are each located on a side into which the gas-phase refrigerant flows of the gas-phase refrigerant passing face which the plurality of heat exchangers each include; 
 a liquid-phase tube that connects the liquid-phase refrigerant inflow part that is installed in one heat exchanger of the plurality of heat exchangers with the liquid-phase refrigerant outlet that is installed in another heat exchanger that is adjacent to the one heat exchanger; and
 a liquid-phase connection tube that connects the refrigerant supply device with the liquid-phase refrigerant inflow part that is installed in a heat exchanger that is located at one end of the plurality of heat exchangers, and connects the refrigerant supply device with the liquid-phase refrigerant outlet that is installed in a heat exchanger that is located at another end of the plurality of heat exchangers. 
 
   
     
     
         7 . The heat exchange device of  claim 6 , wherein
 a normal line of the gas-phase refrigerant passing face is approximately parallel to a flowing direction of the gas-phase refrigerant in the gas-phase tube.   
     
     
         8 . The heat exchange device of  claim 6 , wherein
 an angle made by a normal line of the gas-phase refrigerant passing face and a flowing direction of the gas-phase refrigerant in the gas-phase tube is more than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees, and an angle made by the normal line of the gas-phase refrigerant passing face and a normal line of the partition is approximately a right angle.   
     
     
         9 . The heat exchange device of  claim 8 , wherein,
 of the plurality of partitions, a normal line of the partition that is located on a side of the heat exchange device into which the gas-phase refrigerant flows and at an end part of the side into which the gas-phase refrigerant flows is approximately parallel to the flowing direction of the gas-phase refrigerant in the gas-phase tube.   
     
     
         10 . The heat exchange device of  claim 6 , wherein
 an angle made by a normal line of the gas-phase refrigerant passing face and a flowing direction of the gas-phase refrigerant in the gas-phase tube is approximately a right angle, and an angle made by a normal line of the partition and the flowing direction of the gas-phase refrigerant in the gas-phase tube is approximately a right angle.   
     
     
         11 . A refrigeration system, comprising:
 the heat exchange device described in  claim 1 ;
 a heat receiver that produces a gas-phase refrigerant by vaporizing a liquid refrigerant by heat reception; 
 a compressor that produces a high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant by compressing the gas-phase refrigerant; 
 a heat radiator that produces the liquid-phase refrigerant by condensing the high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant by heat radiation; and
 an expander that produces the liquid refrigerant whose pressure is lowered by expanding the liquid-phase refrigerant. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . A heat exchange method, comprising:
 supplying a first-temperature liquid-phase refrigerant and a second-temperature gas-phase refrigerant in one circulation system;   circulating the gas-phase refrigerant in such a manner that the gas-phase refrigerant flows in parallel;   circulating the liquid-phase refrigerant in such a manner that the liquid-phase flows in series; and
 causing heat exchange between parallelized gas-phase refrigerant and the liquid-phase refrigerant. 
   
     
     
         13 . The heat exchange method of  claim 12 , wherein
 order of the parallelized gas-phase refrigerant that performs the heat exchange with the liquid-phase refrigerant is same as order of the parallelized gas-phase refrigerant that is circulated after the heat exchange.   
     
     
         14 . The heat exchange method of  claim 12 , wherein
 order of the parallelized gas-phase refrigerant that performs the heat exchange with the liquid-phase refrigerant is opposite to order of the parallelized gas-phase refrigerant of circulation after the heat exchange.