Heat exchanger and refrigerant cycle apparatus

Abstract

In a heat exchanger, a fluid flows in a first direction between a first opening and a second opening. The heat exchanger includes a member forming N flow path regions arranged adjacent to each other along the first direction between the first opening and the second opening. N is an integer of 2 or more. Each of the N flow path regions includes a flow path through which the fluid flows. A first flow path region and an N-th flow path region are different from each other in number and cross-sectional area of the flow paths. The first flow path region is one of the N flow path regions located to be closest to the first opening in the first direction. The N-th flow path region is one of the N flow path regions located to be N-th closest to the first opening in the first direction.

1 . A heat exchanger in which a fluid flows in a first direction between a first opening and a second opening, the heat exchanger comprising:
 a member forming N flow path regions arranged adjacent to each other along the first direction between the first opening and the second opening, N being an integer of 2 or more,   each of the N flow path regions including a flow path through which the fluid flows,   a first flow path region and an N-th flow path region being different from each other in number and cross-sectional area of the flow paths,   the first flow path region being one of the N flow path regions located to be closest to the first opening in the first direction, and   the N-th flow path region being one of the N flow path regions located to be N-th closest to the first opening in the first direction.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the number of the flow paths in an i-th flow path region is smaller than the number of the flow paths in a j-th flow path region,   the cross-sectional area of the flow paths in the i-th flow path region is larger than the cross-sectional area of the flow path in the j-th flow path region,   the i-th flow path region being one of the N flow path regions located to be i-th closest to the first opening in the first direction,   the j-th flow path region being one of the N flow path regions located to be j-th closest to the first opening in the first direction, and   i and j being integers satisfying 1≤i<j≤N.   
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the number of the flow paths in the first flow path region is one.   
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein
 a distance L 1  and a distance L 0  satisfy a relational expression 0.2×L 0 ≤L 1 ≤0.8×L 0 ,   the distance L 1  being a distance in the first direction between the first opening and a boundary between a second flow path region and the first flow path region,   the distance L 0  being a distance in the first direction between the first opening and the second opening, and   the second flow path region being one of the N flow path regions located to be second closest to the first opening in the first direction.   
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein
 a distance L 2  and the distance L 0  satisfy a relational expression 0.2×L 0 ≤L 2 ≤0.8×L 0 ,   the distance L 2  being a distance in the first direction between the first opening and a boundary between two flow path regions adjacent to each other in the first direction among the N flow path regions, and   the distance L 0  being a distance in the first direction between the first opening and the second opening.   
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the flow paths branch at a boundary between a k-th flow path region and a (k+1)-th flow path region,   the number of the flow paths in the (k+1)-th flow path region is doubled to quadrupled the number of the flow paths in the k-th flow path region,   the k-th flow path region is one of the N flow path regions located to be k-th closest to the first opening in the first direction,   k is an integer satisfying 1≤k≤N−1, and   the (k+1)-th flow path region is one of the N flow path regions located to be (k+1)-th closest to the first opening in the first direction.   
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a length in the first direction of each of the N flow path regions is 10% to 50% of a distance in the first direction between the first opening and the second opening.   
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of the members stacked in a second direction intersecting the first direction,   the N flow path regions being formed between the members adjacent to each other in the second direction.   
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the N flow path regions with the flow paths through which a first medium as the fluid flows and the N flow path regions with the flow paths through which a second medium as the fluid flows are alternately stacked in the second direction,   the first medium flows through the flow paths from the first opening toward the second opening, and   the second medium flows through the flow paths from the second opening toward the first opening.   
     
     
         10 . A refrigerant cycle apparatus including the heat exchanger according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the number of the flow paths in the first flow path region is one.   
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the flow paths branch at a boundary between a k-th flow path region and a (k+1)-th flow path region,   the number of the flow paths in the (k+1)-th flow path region is doubled to quadrupled the number of the flow paths in the k-th flow path region,   the k-th flow path region is one of the N flow path regions located to be k-th closest to the first opening in the first direction,   k is an integer satisfying 1≤k≤N−1, and   the (k+1)-th flow path region is one of the N flow path regions located to be (k+1)-th closest to the first opening in the first direction.   
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein
 a length in the first direction of each of the N flow path regions is 10% to 50% of a distance in the first direction between the first opening and the second opening.   
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a plurality of the members stacked in a second direction intersecting the first direction,   the N flow path regions being formed between the members adjacent to each other in the second direction.   
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the flow paths branch at a boundary between a k-th flow path region and a (k+1)-th flow path region,   the number of the flow paths in the (k+1)-th flow path region is doubled to quadrupled the number of the flow paths in the k-th flow path region,   the k-th flow path region is one of the N flow path regions located to be k-th closest to the first opening in the first direction,   k is an integer satisfying 1≤k≤N−1, and   the (k+1)-th flow path region is one of the N flow path regions located to be (k+1)-th closest to the first opening in the first direction.   
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein
 a length in the first direction of each of the N flow path regions is 10% to 50% of a distance in the first direction between the first opening and the second opening.   
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a plurality of the members stacked in a second direction intersecting the first direction,   the N flow path regions being formed between the members adjacent to each other in the second direction.   
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 6 , wherein
 a length in the first direction of each of the N flow path regions is 10% to 50% of a distance in the first direction between the first opening and the second opening.   
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a plurality of the members stacked in a second direction intersecting the first direction,   the N flow path regions being formed between the members adjacent to each other in the second direction.   
     
     
         20 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a plurality of the members stacked in a second direction intersecting the first direction,   the N flow path regions being formed between the members adjacent to each other in the second direction.