JP7552103B2 - Evaporative heat exchanger - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an evaporative heat exchanger, and in particular to an evaporative heat exchanger that includes a plurality of flat tubes and a water-retaining member that retains water.

Conventionally, evaporative heat exchangers have been known that include multiple cooling fins and a holding member that holds water (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses an evaporative heat exchanger including a plurality of cooling fins including a refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant flows, and a holding member provided on each of the plurality of cooling fins to hold water. In the evaporative heat exchanger described in Patent Document 1, the cross-sectional shape of each of the plurality of cooling fins is rectangular having a pair of opposing long sides and a pair of short sides connecting the pair of long sides. A holding member is provided on the outer surface of the pair of long sides in the cross-sectional shape of each of the plurality of cooling fins. In the evaporative heat exchanger described in Patent Document 1, the plurality of cooling fins are arranged spaced apart from each other in a direction parallel to the outer surface on which the holding member is provided. In the evaporative heat exchanger described in Patent Document 1, the water held by the holding member provided on the outer surface of each of the plurality of cooling fins is evaporated, thereby removing heat from the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path of the plurality of cooling fins, and the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path of the plurality of cooling fins is cooled.

JP 2020-56553 A

Although not disclosed in the above Patent Document 1, in a conventional evaporative heat exchanger as described in the above Patent Document 1, when a retaining member is provided on each of the outer surfaces of multiple cooling fins, fibers that will become the retaining member are scattered from one side in a direction parallel to the outer surface on which the retaining member is provided, and electrostatic flocking is performed, so that the retaining member is provided on both outer surfaces of a pair of opposing long sides. However, when fibers that will become the retaining member are scattered from one side in a direction parallel to the outer surface on which the retaining member is provided, and electrostatic flocking is performed, as the outer surface on which the retaining members of multiple cooling fins are provided moves away from the direction in which the fibers are scattered, it becomes more difficult for the scattered fibers to reach the outer surface of the cooling fin, making it more difficult to provide the retaining member on the outer surface of the cooling fin.

Therefore, when multiple cooling fins are arranged at a distance from each other in a direction (long side direction) parallel to the outer surface on which the retaining member is provided, as in the evaporative heat exchanger described in the above Patent Document 1, it is not easy to provide a retaining member on the outer surface of the cooling fin that is arranged at a position away from the direction in which the fibers that become the retaining member are scattered. Therefore, in order to reliably provide a retaining member on each outer surface of multiple cooling fins that are arranged at a distance from each other in a direction parallel to the outer surface on which the retaining member is provided, it is necessary to scatter the fibers that become the retaining member from one side and the other side of the direction parallel to the outer surface on which the retaining member of the cooling fin is provided for the multiple cooling fins and perform electrostatic flocking, or to perform electrostatic flocking for each cooling fin before assembly (before arrangement). As a result, in the evaporative heat exchanger described in the above Patent Document 1, the number of electrostatic flocking processes increases, and the number of steps for providing the retaining member (water-retaining member) that retains water increases. Therefore, it is desired to suppress the increase in the number of steps for providing the water-retaining member that retains water and simplify the manufacturing process for providing the water-retaining member.

This invention was made to solve the above problems, and one object of the invention is to provide an evaporative heat exchanger that can simplify the manufacturing process for providing a water-retaining member by suppressing an increase in the number of steps required to provide the water-retaining member.

In order to achieve the above object, an evaporative heat exchanger according to one aspect of the present invention includes a refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant flows, and includes a plurality of flat tubes having a rectangular cross-sectional shape having a pair of opposing first long sides and a pair of first short sides connecting the pair of first long sides, and a first water retention member that retains water and is provided on a first long side surface that is the outer surface of the pair of first long sides in the cross section of each of the plurality of flat tubes, the plurality of flat tubes are arranged so as to face each other at a distance from each other in an opposing direction along a direction perpendicular to the first long side surface, a first air wet flow path is formed between the first water retention members that face each other among the first water retention members provided on the first long side surface in the cross section of each of the plurality of flat tubes, and the first air wet flow path and the refrigerant flow paths of the flat tubes are arranged alternately in the opposing direction, and the plurality of flat tubes include a plurality of first flat tubes connected to each other and a plurality of second flat tubes connected to each other and each arranged between adjacent first flat tubes among the plurality of first flat tubes in the opposing direction .

In the evaporative heat exchanger according to the above aspect, as described above, the flat tubes have a rectangular cross-sectional shape having a pair of opposing first long sides and a pair of first short sides connecting the pair of first long sides, and a first water-retaining member is provided on the first long side surface, which is the outer surface of the pair of first long sides in the cross section of each of the flat tubes. The flat tubes are arranged to face each other at a distance in an opposing direction along a direction perpendicular to the first long side surface. As a result, the flat tubes are arranged at a distance from each other in the opposing direction, so that the fibers that will become the water-retaining member are scattered from the direction along the first long side surface to the first long side surface in the cross section of each of the flat tubes, and electrostatic flocking is performed, thereby allowing the water-retaining member to reach the first long side surface of each of the flat tubes. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of electrostatic flocking processes for providing the water-retaining members, and therefore it is possible to provide an evaporative heat exchanger that can suppress an increase in the number of processes for providing the water-retaining members that retain water and simplify the manufacturing process for providing the water-retaining members. In addition, among the first water-retaining members provided on the first long side surface in the cross section of each of the multiple flat tubes, a first air wet flow path is formed between the first water-retaining members that face each other, and the first air wet flow path and the refrigerant flow path of the flat tube are alternately arranged in the above-mentioned facing direction. As a result, the first air wet flow path is formed between the first water-retaining members that face each other, so that the first air wet flow path can be formed by performing a process for providing the water-retaining members on the multiple flat tubes. As a result, the first air wet flow path can be easily formed.

In the aforementioned evaporative heat exchanger according to the first aspect, the first water retention member preferably includes fibers bonded by electrostatic flocking .

In this case, preferably , the refrigerant flow path has a first refrigerant flow path included in the plurality of first flat tubes and a second refrigerant flow path included in the plurality of second flat tubes, and when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the flat tubes, the first refrigerant flow path included in the first flat tube and the second refrigerant flow path included in the second flat tube are arranged to sandwich the first air wet flow path. With this configuration, after providing a water retention member to each of the plurality of first flat tubes and the plurality of second flat tubes, a plurality of second flat tubes are arranged between adjacent first flat tubes in the facing direction, so that the interval between the plurality of flat tubes can be made smaller than the minimum interval (manufacturable pitch) at which a water retention member can be provided by electrostatic flocking. As a result, the interval between the first flat tube and the second flat tube in the facing direction can be made smaller, so that the reduction in the heat exchange area of the refrigerant can be further suppressed while suppressing the increase in size of the device.

In the configuration in which the plurality of flat tubes includes a plurality of first flat tubes and a plurality of second flat tubes, preferably, the tube section further includes a pipe section through which the refrigerant flows and which is connected to the refrigerant flow path of the plurality of flat tubes, and the pipe section includes a first pipe section connected to the first refrigerant flow path of the plurality of first flat tubes and a second pipe section connected to the second refrigerant flow path of the plurality of second flat tubes. With this configuration, the plurality of first flat tubes and the plurality of second flat tubes are connected to the first pipe section and the second pipe section, respectively, so that electrostatic planting can be performed with the plurality of first flat tubes and the plurality of second flat tubes connected to the first pipe section and the second pipe section, respectively. As a result, electrostatic planting can be performed on the plurality of first flat tubes and the plurality of second flat tubes at the same time, so that the number of times of electrostatic planting to form a water retention member for each of the plurality of first flat tubes and the plurality of second flat tubes can be reduced.

In this case, preferably, the first pipe portion is arranged on one side of the first long side direction, and has a comb-tooth shape including a first main pipe portion extending in the opposing direction at the end side in the longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of first flat tubes, and a plurality of first sub-pipe portions branching from the first main pipe portion and extending toward the other side in the first long side direction in which the second pipe portion is arranged, and connected to the first refrigerant flow path of the first flat tube; the second pipe portion is arranged on the other side of the first long side direction, and has a comb-tooth shape including a second main pipe portion extending in the opposing direction at the end side in the longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of second flat tubes, and a plurality of second sub-pipe portions branching from the second main pipe portion and extending to one side in the first long side direction in which the first pipe portion is arranged, and connected to the second refrigerant flow path of the second flat tube; and the first sub-pipe portions of the comb-tooth shaped first pipe portion and the second sub-pipe portions of the comb-tooth shaped second pipe portion are arranged alternately in the opposing direction. With this configuration, after providing the water-retaining member to each of the first flat tube connected to the first sub-pipe section and the second flat tube connected to the second sub-pipe section, the first sub-pipe section of the comb-tooth-shaped first pipe section and the second sub-pipe section of the comb-tooth-shaped second pipe section are alternately arranged in the opposing direction, so that the interval between the first flat tube and the second flat tube adjacent to each other in the opposing direction can be made smaller than the minimum interval (manufacturable pitch) at which the water-retaining member can be provided by electrostatic flocking. As a result, the interval between the first flat tube and the second flat tube in the opposing direction can be made smaller, so that the reduction in the heat exchange area of the refrigerant can be suppressed while suppressing the increase in size of the device. In addition, since the multiple first flat tubes and the multiple second flat tubes are connected to the first sub-pipe section of the first pipe section and the second sub-pipe section of the second pipe section, respectively, electrostatic flocking can be performed in a state in which the multiple first flat tubes and the multiple second flat tubes are connected to the first pipe section and the second pipe section, respectively. As a result, electrostatic flocking can be performed on multiple first flat tubes and multiple second flat tubes at the same time, reducing the number of times electrostatic flocking is performed to form a water retention member for each of the multiple first flat tubes and multiple second flat tubes.

In the evaporative heat exchanger according to the above aspect, the first flat tube and the second flat tube are preferably arranged at approximately equal intervals in the opposing direction. This configuration makes it possible to make the width of the first air wet flow path sandwiched between the first refrigerant flow path included in the first flat tube and the second refrigerant flow path included in the second flat tube approximately equal in the opposing direction, unlike the case where the first flat tube and the second flat tube are arranged at different intervals in the opposing direction. As a result, the flow rate of air flowing through the multiple first air wet flow paths formed between the first refrigerant flow paths included in the multiple first flat tubes and the second refrigerant flow paths included in the multiple second flat tubes can be made approximately equal, so that the heat exchange of the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant flow path and the second refrigerant flow path can be efficiently performed.

In the evaporative heat exchanger according to the above aspect, preferably, the evaporative heat exchanger further includes a plurality of dry flow path members having a rectangular cross-sectional shape including a pair of opposing second long sides and a pair of second short sides connecting the pair of second long sides, the plurality of dry flow path members being arranged so as to be adjacent to the plurality of flat tubes in the horizontal direction, and the first long side direction of the plurality of flat tubes being arranged so as to intersect with the second long side direction which is the direction in which the pair of second long sides in the cross section of the plurality of dry flow path members extend. With this configuration, the evaporative heat exchanger includes, in addition to the refrigerant flow path through which the refrigerant flows and the first air wet flow path, an air dry flow path through which air flows, and therefore it is possible to provide an evaporative heat exchanger having a three-flow path configuration that can simplify the manufacturing process for providing the water-retaining member by suppressing an increase in the number of steps for providing the water-retaining member. In addition, since the first long side direction of the flat tubes is arranged to intersect with the second long side direction of the dry flow path members, unlike the case where the first long side direction of the flat tubes is arranged along the second long side direction of the dry flow path members, when the number of flat tubes arranged in the opposing direction along a direction perpendicular to the first long side surface is increased, the evaporative heat exchanger can be prevented from becoming larger in size in the direction intersecting with the second long side direction.

In this case, preferably, the dry flow path members are arranged adjacent to the flat tubes in the first long side direction of the flat tubes, and the first long side direction of the flat tubes is arranged to be approximately perpendicular to the second long side direction of the dry flow path members. With this configuration, the dry flow path members are arranged adjacent to the flat tubes in the first long side direction with the first long side direction of the flat tubes arranged to be approximately perpendicular to the second long side direction of the dry flow path members. Therefore, unlike the case where the first long side direction of the flat tubes is arranged along the second long side direction of the dry flow path members, when the number of flat tubes arranged in the opposing direction along the direction perpendicular to the first long side surface is increased, the evaporative heat exchanger can be prevented from becoming larger in size in the direction approximately perpendicular to the second long side direction.

In the configuration in which the first long side direction of the plurality of flat tubes is arranged to be approximately perpendicular to the second long side direction of the plurality of dry flow path members, preferably, a second water retention member that retains water is provided on the second long side surface, which is the outer surface of a pair of second long sides in the cross section of each of the plurality of dry flow path members, and the plurality of dry flow path members are arranged to face each other at a distance from each other in the first long side direction of the plurality of flat tubes, and a second air wet flow path is formed between the second water retention members that face each other among the second water retention members provided on the second long side surface in the cross section of each of the plurality of dry flow path members, and the air that flows into the air dry flow path is cooled by the second water retention member and is then configured to flow inside each of the first air wet flow path and the second air wet flow path. With this configuration, the air flowing into the air dry flow path is cooled by the second water retention member provided on the second long side surface in the cross section of each of the multiple dry flow path members, and then while flowing inside the first air wet flow path, it can remove heat from the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path of the multiple flat tubes through the water held by the flat tubes and the second water retention member. As a result, the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path of the multiple flat tubes can be efficiently cooled. In addition, the air flowing into the air dry flow path is cooled by the second water retention member provided on the second long side surface in the cross section of each of the multiple dry flow path members, and then while flowing inside the second air wet flow path formed between the opposing second water retention members, it can remove heat from the air flowing into the air dry flow path through the water held by the dry flow path member and the second water retention member. As a result, the air flowing into the air dry flow path can be efficiently cooled.

According to the present invention, as described above, it is possible to provide an evaporative heat exchanger that can simplify the manufacturing process for providing a water-retaining member by suppressing an increase in the number of steps required to provide the water-retaining member.

1 is a schematic perspective view showing an evaporative heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an evaporative heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention with a housing removed; 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an evaporative heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an air dry flow path in the evaporative heat exchanger according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of air in the evaporative heat exchanger according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a dry flow path member block according to the present embodiment. 110 is a cross-sectional view of the dry flow path member taken along line 110-110 in FIG. FIG. 2 is a top view showing a wet air flow path and a dry air flow path in the dry flow path member block of the embodiment. 4 is a front view showing the air wet flow path in the dry flow path member block of the embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a flat tube block according to the present embodiment. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the flat tube taken along line 120-120 in FIG. 10. 2 is a top view showing the flat tubes and the tube portion in the flat tube block of the present embodiment. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the flat tube block taken along line 130-130 in FIG. 12.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

(Overall configuration of evaporative heat exchanger)
The configuration of an evaporative heat exchanger 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13. FIG.

The evaporative heat exchanger 100 according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is configured as a cooling and heating device for freezing and refrigerating fresh foods and the like. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the evaporative heat exchanger 100 includes a housing 1, a dry flow path member block 2, a flat tube block 3, a water supply member 4, and a blower fan F. As will be described later, the dry flow path member block 2 includes a plurality of dry flow path members 20, and the flat tube block 3 includes a plurality of flat tubes 30.

The housing 1 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 1 includes a first case portion 11 that houses a dry flow path member block 2, a plurality (two) of flat tube blocks 3, a plurality of water supply members 4, and a plurality of blower fans F inside (internal space 11a), a second case portion 12 that is attached to the Y2 direction side (rear side) of the first case portion 11, and a third case portion 13 that is attached to the Z1 direction side (upward side) of the first case portion 11.

Here, the direction in which the dry flow path member block 2 and the flat tube block 3 are adjacent in the horizontal direction is the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction in the horizontal direction is the Y direction. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction is the Z direction (up-down direction).

The X direction is an example of the "first long side direction" in the claims. The Y direction is an example of the "opposing direction" and "second long side direction" in the claims. The Z direction is an example of the "longitudinal direction of the flat tube" in the claims.

As shown in FIG. 2, the dry flow path member block 2 (multiple dry flow path members 20) is arranged adjacent to the flat tube block 3 (multiple flat tubes 30) in the horizontal direction (X direction). The multiple dry flow path members 20 of the dry flow path member block 2 are arranged adjacent to the multiple flat tubes 30 of the flat tube block 3 in the long side 30b direction (X direction) of the multiple flat tubes 30 described later. In addition, multiple (two) flat tube blocks 3 are provided, and the dry flow path member block 2 is arranged between the multiple (two) flat tube blocks 3 arranged adjacent to each other in the X direction.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first case part 11 has openings 11b, 11c, and 11d at the end on the Y1 direction side (front side), the end on the Z1 direction side (upward side), and the end on the Z2 direction side (downward side). The internal space 11a of the first case part 11 communicates with the internal space 13a of the third case part 13 through the opening 11c at the end on the Z1 direction side (upward side). The internal space 11a of the first case part 11 communicates with the external space through the opening 11d at the end on the Z2 direction side (downward side).

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a plurality of openings 11b are provided corresponding to a plurality of blower fans F. The plurality of openings 11b and the plurality of blower fans F are arranged in a line in the Z direction.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the second case portion 12 has an internal space 12a and an opening 12b at the end on the Y1 direction side (front side) that is connected to the internal space 12a. As shown in Figure 4, the internal space 12a of the second case portion 12 is connected to the external space via the air dry flow path D.

3 and 4, the third case portion 13 has an internal space 13a, an opening 13b on the Y2 direction side (rear side), and an opening 13c on the Z2 direction side (lower side). The internal space 13a of the third case portion 13 communicates with the internal space 12a of the second case portion 12 via the opening 13b on the Y2 direction side (rear side). The internal space 13a of the third case portion 13 communicates with the internal space 11a of the first case portion 11 via the opening 13c on the Z2 direction side (lower side). The internal space 13a of the third case portion 13 also communicates with each of the air wet flow path W1 of the flat tube block 3 (described later) and the air wet flow path W2 of the dry flow path member block 2 (described later).

In this way, in the evaporative heat exchanger 100, the second case portion 12 and the third case portion 13 form a duct connecting the air dry flow path D to the air wet flow path W1 and the air wet flow path W2.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the air (outside air) flowing into the air dry flow path D of the evaporative heat exchanger 100 (dry flow path member block 2) is cooled by the water held by the water retention member 5 removing heat as described below, and becomes cooled air, which then branches off and flows into the inside of the air wet flow path W1 of the flat tube block 3, which will be described later, and the inside of the air wet flow path W2 of the dry flow path member block 2, which will be described later.

The air wet flow path W1 and the air wet flow path W2 are examples of the "first air wet flow path" and the "second air wet flow path" in the claims, respectively.

(Configuration of dry flow path member block)
As shown in Fig. 6, the dry flow path member block 2 of the evaporative heat exchanger 100 includes a plurality of dry flow path members 20 and a plurality of spacer members 21. The dry flow path member block 2 is configured by stacking (arranging) the dry flow path members 20 and the spacer members 21 alternately arranged in the X direction. The dry flow path member 20 has a flat plate shape. The dry flow path member 20 includes a resin such as polypropylene. The dry flow path member 20 may include a metal member.

The dry flow path members 20 include an air dry flow path D (see Figures 7 and 8) through which air flows. Specifically, the dry flow path members 20 have a plurality of through holes 20a as shown in Figure 6. Each of the through holes 20a has a rectangular shape (see Figure 6) when viewed from the Y direction. The through holes 20a are arranged in the Z direction at approximately equal intervals. The through holes 20a are formed to penetrate the dry flow path member 20 in the Y direction as shown in Figure 7, and an air dry flow path D (see Figures 7 and 8) through which air (outside air) flows is formed inside the through holes 20a.

As shown in FIG. 7, the dry flow path members 20 are configured to have a rectangular cross-sectional shape having a pair of opposing long sides 20b and a pair of short sides 20c connecting the pair of long sides 20b. The long sides 20b and the short sides 20c are examples of the "second long side" and "second short side" in the claims, respectively.

The dry flow path members 20 are provided with water-retaining members 5. The water-retaining members 5 are an example of the "second water-retaining member" in the claims. The water-retaining members 5 are provided on the surface Su1, which is the outer surface of a pair of long sides 20b in the cross section of each of the dry flow path members 20, and are configured to retain water. The surface Su1 is an example of the "second long side surface" in the claims. The water-retaining members 5 are arranged over the entire surfaces (surface Su1) on the X1 direction side and the X2 direction side of the dry flow path members 20. In the evaporative heat exchanger 100, the water supplied from the water supply member 4 is retained (water-retained) on the surface Su1 of the dry flow path member 20 by the capillary phenomenon occurring in the gaps formed by the water-retaining members 5. In this way, a wet layer 50 is formed on the surface Su1 of the dry flow path member 20.

The water retention member 5 includes, for example, a nonwoven fabric attached to the surface Su1 of the dry flow path member 20 by an adhesive. The water retention member 5 also includes, for example, resin fibers formed from a resin material (resin such as rayon, nylon, or acrylic). The resin fibers are preferably bonded to the nonwoven fabric attached to the surface Su1 of the dry flow path member 20 by, for example, electrostatic flocking. The water retention member 5 may also be formed by spraying the resin fibers onto the surface Su1 of the dry flow path member 20 together with an adhesive and bonding them.

As shown in FIG. 8, the blower fan F is configured to blow air from the Y1 direction toward the Y2 direction through a plurality of through holes 20a provided in each of the dry flow path members 20 arranged in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 8, an air dry flow path D is formed in the plurality of through holes 20a.

The dry flow path member 20 is configured to cool air (outside air) by removing the heat of vaporization from the air flowing through the through-hole 20a (air dry flow path D) of the dry flow path member 20 using water (wet layer 50) held on the surface Su1 of the dry flow path member 20.

The dry flow path members 20 are arranged to face each other at a distance in the X direction. In this embodiment, the X direction is the direction of the long sides 30b of the flat tubes 30 described later. Spacer members 21 are arranged between each of the dry flow path members 20. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the spacer members 21 are arranged between the wet layers 50 formed by the water retention members 5 facing each other, and have a zigzag shape when viewed from the Z direction. The spacer members 21 contain a resin such as polypropylene.

The air wet flow path W2 is formed between the water retention members 5 that are provided on the surface Su1 of the long side 20b in the cross section of each of the multiple dry flow path members 20 and that face each other. Specifically, a plurality of air wet flow paths W2 are formed between the wetting layer 50 formed by the water retention members 5 and the spacer member 21 that faces the wetting layer 50 in the X direction, corresponding to the zigzag shape of the spacer member 21. That is, the air wet flow path W2 is formed by the gap between the wetting layer 50 and the spacer member 21. The spacer member 21 is also provided between the water retention members 5 (wetting layers 50) that face each other so as to prevent the flow of air (outside air) from the Y1 direction side toward the Y2 direction side (air wet flow path W2).

In addition, the air wet flow path W2 is adjacent to the water retention member 5 provided in the dry flow path member 20 over its entire length in the Z direction, as shown in FIG. 9. In other words, the air wet flow path W2 is adjacent to the water retention member 5 in the X direction, and is adjacent to the water retention member 5 from the water retention member 5 provided at the end side in the Z1 direction to the water retention member 5 provided at the end side in the Z2 direction.

The water supply member 4 also has a plurality of holes (not shown) formed on the Z2 direction side. As shown in FIG. 9, the water supply member 4 is disposed on the Z1 direction side (upward side) of the flat tube 30. The water supply member 4 is configured to continuously supply water to the surface Su1 of the dry flow path member 20.

The air wet flow path W2 is a flow path through which air that has passed through the air dry flow path D flows. In this embodiment, the air in the housing 1 of the evaporative heat exchanger 100 flows from the upstream side through the air dry flow path D (through hole 20a), the internal space 12a of the second case part 12, the internal space 13a of the third case part 13, and the air wet flow path W2 in this order. In this way, in the evaporative heat exchanger 100, the second case part 12 and the third case part 13 form a duct connecting the air dry flow path D and the air wet flow path W2. In the air dry flow path D (through hole 20a), air flows from the Y1 direction side to the Y2 direction side (see Figures 7 and 8). In the internal space 12a of the second case part 12, air flows from the Z2 direction side to the Z1 direction side (see Figure 4). In the internal space 13a of the third case part 13, air flows from the Y2 direction side to the Y1 direction side (see Figure 4). In the air wet flow path W2, air flows from the Z1 direction to the Z2 direction (see Figure 9).

(Configuration of flat tube block)
10 , the flat tube block 3 of the evaporative heat exchanger 100 includes a plurality of flat tubes 30 and a tube portion 7. In this embodiment, the plurality of flat tubes 30 includes a plurality of first flat tubes 31 and a plurality of second flat tubes 32 that are disposed between adjacent first flat tubes 31 in the opposing direction (X direction) among the plurality of first flat tubes 31. The first flat tubes 31 and the second flat tubes 32 are substantially the same flat tube.

The flat tubes 30 (first flat tubes 31 and second flat tubes 32) are configured to cool the refrigerant C (see FIG. 11) by removing the heat of vaporization from the refrigerant C flowing inside through the flat tubes 30 using water (wet layer 80) held on the surface Su2 described below. The refrigerant C may be fluorocarbon, water, air, ammonia, carbon dioxide, or the like.

The tube section 7 is configured so that the refrigerant C flows through it and is connected to the refrigerant flow paths R of the flat tubes 30 (see Figures 11 and 13).

The tube section 7 is configured to continuously supply the refrigerant C to each refrigerant flow path R of the flat tubes 30 aligned in the Y direction. Specifically, the tube section 7 is configured to flow the refrigerant C from the Z2 direction side to the Z1 direction side in each refrigerant flow path R of the flat tubes 30 aligned in the Y direction, as shown in FIG. 10. The tube section 7 is connected to the end of the flat tube 30 on the Z2 direction side so as to be able to supply the refrigerant C (high-temperature refrigerant) to each refrigerant flow path R of the flat tubes 30 aligned in the Y direction, as shown in FIG. 10. The tube section 7 is connected to the end of the flat tube 30 on the Z1 direction side so as to be able to discharge the refrigerant C (low-temperature refrigerant) from each refrigerant flow path R of the flat tubes 30 aligned in the Y direction, as shown in FIG. 10.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the tube section 7 includes a first tube section 71 connected to the refrigerant flow path R1 (see FIG. 13) of the first flat tubes 31, and a second tube section 72 connected to the refrigerant flow path R2 (see FIG. 13) of the second flat tubes 32.

As shown in FIG. 10, the first tube 71 is disposed on one side in the X direction (the X2 direction side), and the second tube 72 is disposed on the other side in the X direction (the X1 direction side).

In this embodiment, the first pipe section 71 includes a first main pipe section 71a and a plurality of first sub-pipe sections 71b. The first main pipe section 71a is formed so as to extend in the opposing direction (Y direction) at the end side in the longitudinal direction (Z direction) of each of the plurality of first flat tubes 31. The plurality of first sub-pipe sections 71b are formed so as to branch off from the first main pipe section 71a and extend toward the other side (X1 direction side) of the X direction in which the second pipe section 72 is arranged. The X direction is the direction in which a pair of long sides 30b in the cross section of the plurality of flat tubes 30 described later extends. The first pipe section 71 is formed so that the plurality of first sub-pipe sections 71b are approximately perpendicular to the first main pipe section 71a. The plurality of first sub-pipe sections 71b are arranged at each end of the first flat tube 31 in the Z direction (up and down direction). The first main pipe portion 71a and the multiple first sub-pipe portions 71b are connected by brazing. The multiple first sub-pipe portions 71b and the first flat tube 31 are connected by brazing. The inside of the first main pipe portion 71a is connected to the inside of the multiple first sub-pipe portions 71b, and the inside of the multiple first sub-pipe portions 71b is connected to the refrigerant flow path R1 (through hole 30a of the flat tube 30) inside the first flat tube 31. That is, the inside of the first main pipe portion 71a is connected to the inside of the multiple first sub-pipe portions 71b and the refrigerant flow path R1 inside the first flat tube 31. The first pipe portion 71 (the first main pipe portion 71a and the multiple first sub-pipe portions 71b) is formed of a metal member such as, for example, a stainless steel material, an aluminum material, or a copper material.

The second pipe section 72 includes a second main pipe section 72a and a plurality of second sub-pipe sections 72b. The second main pipe section 72a is formed so as to extend in the opposing direction (Y direction) at the end side in the longitudinal direction (Z direction) of each of the plurality of second flat tubes 32. The plurality of second sub-pipe sections 72b are formed so as to branch off from the second main pipe section 72a and extend to one side (X2 direction side) of the X direction where the first pipe section 71 is arranged. The second pipe section 72 is formed so that the plurality of second sub-pipe sections 72b are approximately perpendicular to the second main pipe section 72a. The plurality of second sub-pipe sections 72b are arranged at each end of the second flat tube 32 in the Z direction (up and down direction). The second main pipe section 72a and the plurality of second sub-pipe sections 72b are connected by brazing. The second sub-pipe portions 72b and the second flat tube 32 are connected by brazing. The inside of the second main pipe portion 72a is connected to the inside of the second sub-pipe portions 72b, and the inside of the second sub-pipe portions 72b is connected to the refrigerant flow path R2 (through hole 30a of the flat tube 30) inside the second flat tube 32. That is, the inside of the second main pipe portion 72a is connected to the inside of the second sub-pipe portions 72b and the refrigerant flow path R2 inside the second flat tube 32. The second pipe portion 72 (the second main pipe portion 72a and the second sub-pipe portions 72b) is formed of a metal member such as stainless steel, aluminum, or copper.

In this embodiment, the flat tube block 3 is constructed by alternately inserting (mutually inserting) a plurality of first flat tubes 31 connected to the first pipe section 71 (a plurality of first sub-pipe sections 71b) and a plurality of second flat tubes 32 connected to the second pipe section 72 (a plurality of second sub-pipe sections 72b).

(Flat tube configuration)
As shown in FIG. 11 , the flat tube 30 (the first flat tube 31 and the second flat tube 32) has a plurality of through holes 30a penetrating in the Z direction. A refrigerant C flows inside the through holes 30a, and a refrigerant flow path R is formed. Each of the plurality of through holes 30a has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the Z1 direction. The plurality of through holes 30a are arranged in the X direction at substantially equal intervals. The through holes 30a may have a circular shape when viewed from the Z1 direction. The plurality of flat tubes 30 are formed from a metal such as aluminum or a resin.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the flat tubes 30 (first flat tubes 31 and second flat tubes 32) each include a refrigerant flow path R through which the refrigerant C flows, and each have a rectangular cross-sectional shape having a pair of opposing long sides 30b and a pair of short sides 30c connecting the pair of long sides 30b. The long sides 30b and the short sides 30c are examples of the "first long side" and "first short side" in the claims, respectively.

The long side 30b direction (X direction) of the flat tubes 30 is arranged to intersect with the long side 20b direction (Y direction), which is the direction in which a pair of long sides 20b in the cross section of the dry flow path members 20 extend. In this embodiment, the long side 30b direction (X direction) of the flat tubes 30 is arranged to be approximately perpendicular to the long side 20b direction (Y direction) of the dry flow path members 20.

The flat tubes 30 are provided with a water retention member 8. The water retention member 8 is provided on the surface Su2, which is the outer surface of a pair of long sides 30b in the cross section of each of the flat tubes 30, and is configured to retain water. The water retention member 8 is an example of a "first water retention member" in the claims, and the surface Su2 is an example of a "first long side surface" in the claims.

The water retention members 8 are arranged over the entire surfaces (surfaces Su2) of the flat tubes 30 on the Y1 and Y2 sides. In the evaporative heat exchanger 100, the water supplied from the water supply member 4 is held (retained) on the surfaces Su2 of the flat tubes 30 by capillary action occurring in the gaps formed by the water retention members 8. In this way, a wet layer 80 is formed on the surfaces Su2 of the flat tubes 30.

The water-retaining member 8 includes fibers that are joined to the surface Su2 in the cross section of each of the flat tubes 30 by electrostatic flocking from the long side 30b direction (X direction), which is the direction in which a pair of long sides 30b in the cross section of each of the flat tubes 30 extend. That is, the water-retaining member 8 is formed on the surface Su2 in the cross section of each of the flat tubes 30 by scattering the fibers from the X direction and performing electrostatic flocking. Specifically, the water-retaining member 8 includes resin fibers formed from a resin material (resin such as rayon, nylon, and acrylic).

In this embodiment, the water retention member 8 is joined to the surface Su2 of the flat tube 30 by electrostatically planting from the X direction. Specifically, the first flat tube 31 is connected to the first tube section 71 (the first main tube section 71a and the multiple first sub-tube sections 71b) by electrostatically planting from the X direction (the X1 direction or the X2 direction) to join the water retention member 8 to the surface Su2 of the first flat tube 31. The second flat tube 32 is connected to the second tube section 72 (the second main tube section 72a and the multiple second sub-tube sections 72b) by electrostatically planting from the X direction to join the water retention member 8 to the surface Su2 of the second flat tube 32. The water retention member 8 may be joined by spraying it onto the surface Su2 of the flat tube 30 together with an adhesive.

As shown in FIG. 12, the first pipe section 71 and the second pipe section 72 have a comb-tooth shape when viewed from the Z direction. In this embodiment, the first sub-pipe section 71b of the comb-tooth shaped first pipe section 71 and the second sub-pipe section 72b of the comb-tooth shaped second pipe section 72 are arranged alternately in the Y direction (opposing direction). In addition, the first pipe section 71 and the second pipe section 72 are formed approximately symmetrically with respect to an axis (Y axis) along the first main pipe section 71a and the second main pipe section 72a when viewed from the Z direction.

The flat tubes 30 (first flat tubes 31 and second flat tubes 32) are arranged to face each other at a distance in the facing direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the surface Su2. In this embodiment, the first flat tubes 31 and the second flat tubes 32 are arranged to face each other at a distance of approximately equal intervals W4 in the facing direction (Y direction). The first flat tubes 31 and the second flat tubes 32 are arranged at a constant interval W4 in the Y direction.

Here, the constant distance W4 in the Y direction between the first flat tube 31 and the second flat tube 32 is a distance that can prevent the water in the wet layer 80 on the surface Su2 of the first flat tube 31 from connecting with the water in the wet layer 80 on the surface Su2 of the second flat tube 32. For example, the constant distance W4 in the Y direction between the first flat tube 31 and the second flat tube 32 is a distance of about 3 mm between the water in the wet layer 80 on the surface Su2 of the first flat tube 31 and the water in the wet layer 80 on the surface Su2 of the second flat tube 32.

In addition, in this embodiment, the spacing W5 between the first flat tubes 31 and the spacing W6 between the second flat tubes 32 are the minimum dimensions (minimum pitch) at which the water-retaining member 8 can be formed by electrostatic flocking. Note that the spacing W5 between the first flat tubes 31 and the spacing W6 between the second flat tubes 32 may be larger than the minimum dimensions at which the water-retaining member 8 can be formed by electrostatic flocking.

In this embodiment, the multiple first sub-pipe sections 71b are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the Y direction (opposing direction). Therefore, the multiple first flat tubes 31 connected to the multiple first sub-pipe sections 71b are arranged at approximately equal intervals (at intervals W5) in the Y direction (opposing direction). Furthermore, the multiple second sub-pipe sections 72b are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the Y direction (opposing direction). Therefore, the multiple second flat tubes 32 connected to the multiple second sub-pipe sections 72b are arranged at approximately equal intervals (at intervals W6) in the Y direction (opposing direction).

As shown in FIG. 13, the water supply member 4 is disposed on the Z1 side (upward side) of the flat tube 30 (first flat tube 31 and second flat tube 32). The water supply member 4 is configured to continuously supply water to the surface Su2 of the flat tube 30 from a plurality of holes (not shown) formed on the Z2 side.

As shown in FIG. 13, an air wet flow path W1 is formed between the water retention members 8 provided on the surface Su2 in the cross section of each of the flat tubes 30, and the air wet flow path W1 and the refrigerant flow path R of the flat tube 30 are alternately arranged in the opposing direction (Y direction). Here, the air wet flow path W1 is formed by alternately inserting the first flat tube 31 and the second flat tube 32 in the X direction in the internal space 11a of the first case portion 11. The air wet flow path W1 is formed by the gap between the water retention member 8 provided on the first flat tube 31 and the water retention member 8 provided on the second flat tube 32.

As shown in FIG. 13, the refrigerant flow path R has a refrigerant flow path R1 included in a plurality of first flat tubes 31 and a refrigerant flow path R2 included in a plurality of second flat tubes 32. In this embodiment, when viewed from the longitudinal direction (Z direction) of the flat tube 30, the refrigerant flow path R1 included in the first flat tube 31 and the refrigerant flow path R2 included in the second flat tube 32 are arranged to sandwich the air wet flow path W1 (see FIG. 12 and FIG. 13). The refrigerant flow path R1 and the refrigerant flow path R2 are examples of the "first refrigerant flow path" and the "second refrigerant flow path" in the claims, respectively. In addition, the evaporative heat exchanger 100 may be provided with a distribution pipe through which the refrigerant C flows at the Y-direction ends (Y2-direction sides) of the first tube section 71 and the second tube section 72 inside the housing 1, and the refrigerant flow path R1 of the first flat tube 31 and the refrigerant flow path R2 of the second flat tube 32 may be connected (communicated) inside the housing 1.

In addition, in the Z direction, the air wet flow path W1 is adjacent to the entire water retention member 8 provided in the flat tube 30 (first flat tube 31 and second flat tube 32) as shown in FIG. 13. In other words, the air wet flow path W1 is adjacent to the water retention member 8 in the Y direction, and is adjacent to the water retention member 8 from the water retention member 8 provided at the end side in the Z1 direction to the water retention member 8 provided at the end side in the Z2 direction.

The air wet flow path W1 is a flow path for air that has passed through the air dry flow path D. In this embodiment, the air in the housing 1 of the evaporative heat exchanger 100 flows from the upstream side through the air dry flow path D (through hole 20a), the internal space 12a of the second case part 12, the internal space 13a of the third case part 13, and the air wet flow path W1 in this order. In this way, in the evaporative heat exchanger 100, the second case part 12 and the third case part 13 form a duct connecting the air dry flow path D and the air wet flow path W1. In the air dry flow path D (through hole 20a), air flows from the Y1 direction side to the Y2 direction side (see Figures 7 and 8). In the internal space 12a of the second case part 12, air flows from the Z2 direction side to the Z1 direction side (see Figure 4). In the internal space 13a of the third case part 13, air flows from the Y2 direction side to the Y1 direction side (see Figure 4). In the air wet flow path W1, air flows from the Z1 direction to the Z2 direction (see Figure 13).

(Heat transfer in evaporative heat exchangers)
Next, a description will be given of heat transfer in the evaporative heat exchanger 100. In this embodiment, the evaporative heat exchanger 100 is configured to allow air pre-cooled in the air dry flow path D to flow into the air wet flow paths W1 and W2, and to exhaust heat in the air wet flow paths W1 and W2. Here, pre-cooling refers to the water in the wet layer 50 cooling the temperature of the air flowing into the air wet flow paths W1 and W2 to a temperature at which the water does not easily take away the heat of vaporization from the air flowing into the air wet flow paths W1 and W2.

Specifically, the evaporative heat exchanger 100 is configured to cool the air flowing into the dry air flow path D by the wet layer 50, and then flow it into the wet air flow paths W1 and W2. Here, the dry air flow path D is configured to discharge the air (outside air) that has flowed in as air (cooled air) at a lower temperature than the air that has flowed in (outside air). In addition, the wet air flow paths W1 and W2 are configured to discharge the air (cooled air) at a lower temperature than the air that has flowed in (outside air) as air (hot and humid air) at a higher temperature than the air (cooled air) and lower than the air that has flowed in (outside air).

(Pre-cooling of air in the air drying channel)
The air dry flow path D is configured to cool the incoming air (air passing through the inside) by the wetting layer 50. In the air dry flow path D, the water in the wetting layer 50 is evaporated by taking heat (heat of vaporization) from the air flowing inside via the dry flow path member 20. This cools the air flowing inside the air dry flow path D. At this time, since the air dry flow path D is not provided with the wetting layer 50, the air in the air dry flow path D is not humidified.

In this embodiment, the amount of water vapor in the air in the air dry flow path D is saturated at a lower temperature than when the air in the air dry flow path D is humidified, so the temperature at which the temperature decrease in the air in the air dry flow path D due to the cooling of the water in the wet layer 50 balances with the temperature increase due to the condensation heat of the water vapor contained in the air in the air dry flow path D is lower than when the air in the air dry flow path D is humidified. In other words, in the air dry flow path D, the temperature at which the temperature increase due to the condensation heat of the water vapor contained in the internal air balances with the internal temperature decrease due to the cooling of the water in the wet layer 50 can be made lower than when the internal air is humidified. In this way, the air dry flow path D is configured to be able to cool the air in the air dry flow path D to the dew point temperature at which the water vapor contained in the air in the air dry flow path D condenses.

In the air dry flow path D, when the air inside reaches the dew point temperature and is further cooled, the water vapor in the air inside condenses, generating heat of condensation, and the air inside is heated by the amount it is cooled, because the absolute humidity inside is saturated humidity. Therefore, in the air dry flow path D, at the dew point temperature, the heat of condensation of the water vapor contained in the air inside is balanced with the cooling of the inside by the water in the moist layer 50. Note that absolute humidity refers to the weight ratio of water vapor to 1 kg of dry air (air without moisture) in the target air.

Cooling of the refrigerant in the air wet flow path
The air wet flow paths W1 and W2 are configured to receive the air (cooled air) that has flowed out of the air dry flow path D. In the evaporative heat exchanger 100, the air (cooled air) that has flowed out of the air dry flow path D flows through the internal space 12a of the second case portion 12 (see FIG. 4) and the internal space 13a of the third case portion 13 (see FIG. 4) in this order, and then flows into the air wet flow paths W1 and W2.

The air wet flow paths W1 and W2 are configured to heat the air passing through them. The air wet flow path W1 is configured so that the air passing through the air wet flow path W1 takes heat from the refrigerant C in the refrigerant flow path R, which has a higher temperature than the air wet flow path W1. In the air wet flow path W1, the air passing through the air wet flow path W1 takes heat from the refrigerant C flowing through the refrigerant flow path R, and the temperature rises, increasing the amount of saturated water vapor. As a result, in the air wet flow path W1, evaporation begins in the wet layer 80, and the air with a raised temperature is cooled and humidified by the evaporation of the wet layer 80, returning to a saturated state. In this way, in the air wet flow path W1, the air passing through the air wet flow path W1 takes heat from the refrigerant C in the refrigerant flow path R, and the water vapor evaporated from the wet layer 50 flows downstream. In the air wet flow path W1, the air passing through the air wet flow path W1 is heated by the refrigerant C in the refrigerant flow path R, and is humidified by the water vapor evaporated from the wet layer 50.

The air wet flow path W2 is configured so that the air passing through the air wet flow path W2 takes heat from the air (outside air) in the air dry flow path D, which has a higher temperature than the air wet flow path W2. In the air wet flow path W2, the air passing through the air wet flow path W2 takes heat from the air (outside air) flowing through the air dry flow path D, and the temperature rises, increasing the amount of saturated water vapor. As a result, in the air wet flow path W2, evaporation begins in the wet layer 50, and the air with a raised temperature is cooled and humidified by the evaporation of the wet layer 50, returning to a saturated state. In this way, in the air wet flow path W2, the air passing through the air wet flow path W2 takes heat from the air in the air dry flow path D, and the water vapor evaporated from the wet layer 50 flows downstream. In addition, in the air wet flow path W2, the air passing through the air wet flow path W1 is heated by the air in the air dry flow path D, and is humidified by the water vapor evaporated from the wet layer 50.

In the air wet flow paths W1 and W2, the heated air (hot and humid air) is discharged to the external space from the opening 11d (see FIG. 4) on the Z2 side of the first case portion 11, thereby discharging heat. In addition, in the air wet flow paths W1 and W2, water that has not evaporated in the wet layer 50 and the wet layer 80 is also discharged to the external space from the opening 11d on the Z2 side of the first case portion 11.

(Effects of this embodiment)
In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

In this embodiment, the surface Su2, which is the outer surface of a pair of long sides 30b in the cross section of each of the flat tubes 30, is provided with a water-retaining member 8. The flat tubes 30 are arranged to face each other at a distance in the opposing direction (Y direction) along the direction perpendicular to the surface Su2. As a result, the flat tubes 30 are arranged at a distance from each other in the Y direction, so that the surface Su2 in the cross section of each of the flat tubes 30 is subjected to a process (electrostatic planting) for providing the water-retaining member 8 by scattering the fibers that will become the water-retaining member 8 from the direction along the surface Su2 (X direction) and performing electrostatic planting, so that the water-retaining member 8 can reach the surface Su2 of each of the flat tubes 30. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of electrostatic planting processes for providing the water-retaining member 8, and therefore it is possible to provide an evaporative heat exchanger 100 that can simplify the manufacturing process for providing the water-retaining member 8 by suppressing an increase in the number of steps for providing the water-retaining member 8 that retains water. In addition, among the water retention members 8 provided on the surface Su2 in the cross section of each of the flat tubes 30, an air wet flow path W1 is formed between the opposing water retention members 8, and the air wet flow path W1 and the refrigerant flow path R of the flat tubes 30 are arranged alternately in the Y direction. As a result, the air wet flow path W1 is formed between the opposing water retention members 8, so that the air wet flow path W1 can be formed by performing a process (electrostatic flocking) to provide the water retention members 8 on the flat tubes 30. As a result, the air wet flow path W1 can be easily formed.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the water retention member 8 includes fibers that are joined to the surface Su2 in the cross section of each of the flat tubes 30 by electrostatic planting from the long side 30b direction (X direction), which is the direction in which a pair of long sides 30b in the cross section of the flat tubes 30 extend. As a result, since the flat tubes 30 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the Y direction, the fibers that become the water retention member 8 can be scattered from the X direction and electrostatic planting can be performed to make the water retention member 8 reach the surface Su2 of each of the flat tubes 30. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of electrostatic planting processes to provide the water retention member 8, and therefore it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of electrostatic planting processes to provide the water retention member 8 that retains water.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, when viewed from the longitudinal direction (Z direction) of the flat tube 30, the refrigerant flow path R1 included in the first flat tube 31 and the refrigerant flow path R2 included in the second flat tube 32 are arranged to sandwich the air wet flow path W1. As a result, after providing the water retention member 8 to each of the multiple first flat tubes 31 and the multiple second flat tubes 32, the multiple second flat tubes 32 are arranged between the adjacent first flat tubes 31 in the opposing direction (Y direction), so that the interval between the multiple flat tubes 30 can be made smaller than the minimum interval (manufacturable pitch) at which the water retention member 8 can be provided by electrostatic flocking. As a result, the interval between the first flat tube 31 and the second flat tube 32 in the Y direction can be made smaller, so that the reduction in the heat exchange area of the refrigerant C can be further suppressed while suppressing the increase in size of the device.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the tube section 7 includes a first tube section 71 connected to the refrigerant flow path R1 of the multiple first flat tubes 31 and a second tube section 72 connected to the refrigerant flow path R2 of the multiple second flat tubes 32. As a result, the multiple first flat tubes 31 and the multiple second flat tubes 32 are connected to the first tube section 71 and the second tube section 72, respectively, so that electrostatic planting can be performed with the multiple first flat tubes 31 and the multiple second flat tubes 32 connected to the first tube section 71 and the second tube section 72, respectively. As a result, electrostatic planting can be performed on the multiple first flat tubes 31 and the multiple second flat tubes 32 collectively, so that the number of electrostatic plantings for forming the water retention member 8 for each of the multiple first flat tubes 31 and the multiple second flat tubes 32 can be reduced.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the first sub-pipe portion 71b of the comb-tooth-shaped first pipe portion 71 connected to the refrigerant flow path R1 of the first flat tube 31 and the second sub-pipe portion 72b of the comb-tooth-shaped second pipe portion 72 connected to the refrigerant flow path R2 of the second flat tube 32 are alternately arranged in the opposing direction (Y direction). As a result, after providing the water retention member 8 to each of the first flat tube 31 connected to the first sub-pipe portion 71b and the second flat tube 32 connected to the second sub-pipe portion 72b, the first sub-pipe portion 71b of the comb-tooth-shaped first pipe portion 71 and the second sub-pipe portion 72b of the comb-tooth-shaped second pipe portion 72 are alternately arranged in the Y direction, so that the interval W4 between the first flat tube 31 and the second flat tube 32 adjacent in the Y direction can be made smaller than the minimum interval (manufacturable pitch) at which the water retention member 8 can be provided by electrostatic flocking. As a result, the distance W4 between the first flat tube 31 and the second flat tube 32 in the Y direction can be made smaller, so that the heat exchange area of the refrigerant C can be suppressed from decreasing while suppressing the increase in size of the device. In addition, since the first flat tubes 31 and the second flat tubes 32 are connected to the first sub-pipe section 71b of the first pipe section 71 and the second sub-pipe section 72b of the second pipe section 72, respectively, the first flat tubes 31 and the second flat tubes 32 can be electrostatically planted in a state in which the first flat tubes 31 and the second flat tubes 32 are connected to the first pipe section 71 and the second pipe section 72, respectively. As a result, the electrostatic planting for the first flat tubes 31 and the second flat tubes 32 can be performed collectively, so that the number of electrostatic plantings for forming the water retention members 8 for each of the first flat tubes 31 and the second flat tubes 32 can be reduced.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the first flat tube 31 and the second flat tube 32 are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the opposing direction (Y direction). This makes it possible to make the width in the Y direction of the air wet flow path W1 sandwiched between the refrigerant flow path R1 included in the first flat tube 31 and the refrigerant flow path R2 included in the second flat tube 32 approximately equal, unlike the case where the first flat tube 31 and the second flat tube 32 are arranged at different intervals in the Y direction. As a result, the flow rate of air flowing through the multiple air wet flow paths W1 formed between the refrigerant flow paths R1 included in the multiple first flat tubes 31 and the refrigerant flow paths R2 included in the multiple second flat tubes 32 can be made approximately equal, so that the heat exchange of the refrigerant C flowing through the refrigerant flow paths R1 and R2 can be efficiently performed.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the dry flow path members 20 are arranged adjacent to the flat tubes 30 in the horizontal direction (X direction), and the long side 30b direction (X direction) of the flat tubes 30 is arranged to be approximately perpendicular to the long side 20b direction (Y direction) in which a pair of long sides 20b in the cross section of the dry flow path members 20 extend. As a result, the evaporative heat exchanger 100 includes the refrigerant flow path R through which the refrigerant C flows and the air wet flow path W1, as well as the air dry flow path D through which air flows, so that it is possible to provide a three-flow path evaporative heat exchanger 100 that can simplify the manufacturing process for providing the water retention member 8 by suppressing an increase in the number of steps for providing the water retention member 8 that retains water. In addition, the multiple dry flow path members 20 are arranged adjacent to the multiple flat tubes 30 in the X direction with the long side 30b direction (X direction) of the multiple flat tubes 30 arranged approximately perpendicular to the long side 20b direction (Y direction) of the multiple dry flow path members 20. Therefore, unlike the case where the long side 30b direction of the multiple flat tubes 30 is arranged along the long side 20b direction of the multiple dry flow path members 20, when the number of multiple flat tubes 30 arranged in the opposing direction (Y direction) along the direction perpendicular to the surface Su2 is increased, the evaporative heat exchanger 100 can be prevented from becoming larger in the X direction approximately perpendicular to the long side 20b direction (Y direction).

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the multiple dry flow path members 20 are arranged to face each other at a distance in the long side 30b direction (X direction) of the multiple flat tubes 30, and among the water retention members 5 provided on the surface Su1 in the cross section of each of the multiple dry flow path members 20, an air wet flow path W2 is formed between the mutually facing water retention members 5, and the air flowing into the air dry flow path D is configured to flow inside the air wet flow path W1 and inside the air wet flow path W2 after being cooled by the water retention member 5. As a result, the air flowing into the air dry flow path D is cooled by the water retention member 5 provided on the surface Su1 in the cross section of each of the multiple dry flow path members 20, and then flows inside the air wet flow path W1 while flowing inside the air wet flow path W1, and can take away the heat of the refrigerant C flowing through the refrigerant flow path R of the multiple flat tubes 30 through the water (wet layer 50) held by the flat tubes 30 and the water retention member 5. As a result, the refrigerant C flowing through the refrigerant flow path R of the multiple flat tubes 30 can be efficiently cooled. In addition, the air flowing into the air dry flow path D is cooled by the water retention member 5 provided on the surface Su1 in the cross section of each of the multiple dry flow path members 20, and then flows inside the air wet flow path W2 formed between the opposing water retention members 5, and can remove heat from the air flowing into the air dry flow path D through the water (wet layer 50) held by the dry flow path member 20 and the water retention member 5. As a result, the air flowing into the air dry flow path D can be efficiently cooled.

[Modification]
The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the description of the above embodiments, and further includes all modifications (alternatives) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

For example, in the above embodiment, the evaporative heat exchanger 100 is an evaporative heat exchanger having a three-path configuration in which the dry air path D, the refrigerant path R, and the wet air paths W1 and W2 (the first wet air path and the second wet air path) are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, of the first wet air path and the second wet air path, only the first wet air path may be formed. The present invention may also be applied to an evaporative heat exchanger having a refrigerant path and a first wet air path without providing a dry air path.

In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the fibers are electrostatically planted from the X direction (first long side direction), which is the direction in which a pair of long sides 30b (first long sides) in the cross sections of the flat tubes 30 extend, to be joined to the surface Su2 (first long side surface) in each cross section of the flat tubes 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, electrostatic planting may be performed in a direction other than the first long side direction (X direction), for example, from the longitudinal direction (Z direction) of the flat tube. In addition, in the present invention, a porous water-retaining member may be provided by performing a surface treatment on the outer surface of the flat tube without electrostatic planting, so that the outer surface of the flat tube retains water.

In the above embodiment, the pipe section 7 includes a first pipe section 71 arranged on the X2 direction side (one side of the first long side direction) and connected to the refrigerant flow path R1 (first refrigerant flow path) of the first flat tubes 31, and a second pipe section 72 arranged on the X1 direction side (the other side of the first long side direction) and connected to the refrigerant flow path R2 (second refrigerant flow path) of the second flat tubes 32, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the pipe section includes only the pipe section arranged on either side of the first long side direction of the flat tubes, and all the refrigerant flow paths of the flat tubes (the first flat tubes and the second flat tubes) may be connected to the pipe section arranged on either side of the first long side direction of the flat tubes.

In the above example, the first tube 71 is arranged on the X2 direction side (one side in the first long side direction) and the second tube 72 is arranged on the X1 direction side (the other side in the first long side direction), but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the first tube and the second tube may be arranged on the same side in the first long side direction. That is, both the first tube and the second tube may be arranged on one side in the first long side direction of the multiple flat tubes, or both the first tube and the second tube may be arranged on the other side in the first long side direction of the multiple flat tubes.

In the above embodiment, the first pipe section 71 has a comb-tooth shape in which the multiple first sub-pipe sections 71b are substantially perpendicular to the first main pipe section 71a, and the second pipe section 72 has a comb-tooth shape in which the multiple second sub-pipe sections 72b are substantially perpendicular to the first main pipe section 71a. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the first pipe section may have a comb-tooth shape in which the multiple first sub-pipe sections intersect with the first main pipe section at an angle other than perpendicular and parallel, and the second pipe section may have a comb-tooth shape in which the multiple second sub-pipe sections intersect with the second main pipe section at an angle other than perpendicular and parallel.

In the above embodiment, the first flat tube 31 and the second flat tube 32 are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the opposing direction (Y direction), but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the first flat tube and the second flat tube may be arranged at different intervals in the opposing direction.

In the above embodiment, the dry flow path members 20 are arranged adjacent to the flat tubes 30 in the X direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the dry flow path members may be arranged adjacent to the flat tubes in the Y direction.

In the above embodiment, the long side 30b direction (first long side direction) of the multiple flat tubes 30 is arranged to be approximately perpendicular to the long side 20b direction (second long side direction) of the multiple dry flow path members 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the first long side direction of the multiple flat tubes may be approximately parallel to the second long side direction of the multiple dry flow path members.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the multiple dry flow path members 20 are arranged to face each other at a distance in the X direction, which is the direction of the long sides 30b (first long side direction) of the multiple flat tubes 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the multiple dry flow path members may be arranged to face each other at a distance in the short side direction, which is the direction in which a pair of first short sides in the cross sections of the multiple flat tubes extend, for example, in the Y direction in the above embodiment.

In the above embodiment, a plurality (two) of flat tube blocks 3 made of a plurality of flat tubes 30 are provided, and an example is shown in which a dry flow path member block 2 made of a plurality of dry flow path members 20 is sandwiched between the plurality (two) of flat tube blocks 3 arranged adjacent to each other in the X direction. That is, an example is shown in which the dry flow path member 20 is sandwiched between the plurality of flat tubes 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the dry flow path member may be provided only on one side of the plurality of flat tubes in the horizontal direction, for example, the X1 direction side, the X2 direction side, the Y1 direction side, or the Y2 direction side.

In the above embodiment, the Z direction (the longitudinal direction of the flat tubes 30) perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction is the vertical direction of the evaporative heat exchanger 100, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the first long side direction, which is the direction in which a pair of first long sides in the cross section of the multiple flat tubes extends, may be the vertical direction of the evaporative heat exchanger, or the opposing direction perpendicular to the first long side surfaces of the multiple flat tubes may be the vertical direction of the evaporative heat exchanger.

5 Water retention member (second water retention member)
7 Pipe portion 8 Water retention member (first water retention member)
20 Dry flow path member 20b Long side (second long side)
20c Short side (second short side)
30 Flat tube 30b Long side (first long side)
30c Short side (first short side)
31 First flat tube 32 Second flat tube 71 First pipe section 71a First main pipe section 71b First secondary pipe section 72 Second pipe section 72a Second main pipe section 72b Second secondary pipe section 100 Evaporative heat exchanger C Refrigerant D Air dry flow path R Refrigerant flow path R1 Refrigerant flow path (first refrigerant flow path)
R2 Coolant flow path (second coolant flow path)
Su1 surface (second main surface)
Su2 surface (first main surface)
W1 air wet flow path (first air wet flow path)
W2 air wet flow path (second air wet flow path)

Claims (9)

A plurality of flat tubes each having a rectangular cross-sectional shape including a refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant flows and a pair of opposing first long sides and a pair of first short sides connecting the pair of first long sides;
a first water retention member provided on a first long side surface that is an outer surface of the pair of first long sides in a cross section of each of the plurality of flat tubes, the first water retention member retaining water;
the plurality of flat tubes are arranged to face each other at a distance from each other in an opposing direction along a direction perpendicular to the first long side surface,
A first air wet flow path is formed between the first water retention members that are provided on the first long side surface in the cross section of each of the plurality of flat tubes and that face each other,
The first air wet flow passage and the refrigerant flow passage of the flat tube are alternately arranged in the opposing direction,
An evaporative heat exchanger, wherein the plurality of flat tubes include a plurality of first flat tubes connected to each other, and a plurality of second flat tubes connected to each other and positioned between adjacent first flat tubes in the opposing direction among the plurality of first flat tubes . The evaporative heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the first water retention member includes fibers bonded by electrostatic flocking. the refrigerant flow path includes a first refrigerant flow path included in the plurality of first flat tubes and a second refrigerant flow path included in the plurality of second flat tubes,
3. The evaporative heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein, when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the flat tubes, the first refrigerant flow path included in the first flat tube and the second refrigerant flow path included in the second flat tube are arranged to sandwich the first air wet flow path. A pipe portion through which the refrigerant flows and which is connected to the refrigerant flow paths of the plurality of flat tubes,
4. The evaporative heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein the tube portion includes a first tube portion connected to the first refrigerant flow path of the plurality of first flat tubes, and a second tube portion connected to the second refrigerant flow path of the plurality of second flat tubes. The first pipe portion is arranged on one side in the first long side direction, and has a comb shape including a first main pipe portion extending in the opposing direction at an end side in the longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of first flat tubes, and a plurality of first sub-pipe portions branching off from the first main pipe portion, extending toward the other side in the first long side direction where the second pipe portion is arranged, and connected to the first refrigerant flow path of the first flat tube,
The second pipe portion is arranged on the other side of the first long side direction, and has a comb shape including a second main pipe portion extending in the opposing direction at an end side in the longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of second flat tubes, and a plurality of second sub-pipe portions branching off from the second main pipe portion, extending to one side in the first long side direction in which the first pipe portion is arranged, and connected to the second refrigerant flow path of the second flat tube,
5. The evaporative heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein the first sub-pipe portions of the first pipe portion having a comb-tooth shape and the second sub-pipe portions of the second pipe portion having a comb-tooth shape are alternately arranged in the opposing direction. The evaporative heat exchanger according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the first flat tube and the second flat tube are spaced apart from each other at substantially equal intervals in the opposing direction. The dry flow path member includes an air dry flow path through which air flows, and has a rectangular cross-sectional shape having a pair of opposing second long sides and a pair of second short sides connecting the pair of second long sides.
The dry flow path members are arranged adjacent to the flat tubes in a horizontal direction,
An evaporative heat exchanger as described in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the first long side direction of the multiple flat tubes is arranged to intersect with the second long side direction, which is the direction in which the pair of second long sides in the cross-section of the multiple dry flow path members extend. The dry flow path members are arranged adjacent to the flat tubes in a first long side direction of the flat tubes,
The evaporative heat exchanger according to claim 7 , wherein the first long side direction of the plurality of flat tubes is arranged to be substantially perpendicular to the second long side direction of the plurality of dry flow path members. a second water retention member provided on a second long side surface that is an outer surface of the pair of second long sides in a cross section of each of the plurality of dry flow path members and configured to retain water;
The dry flow path members are arranged to face each other at a distance from each other in the first long side direction of the flat tubes,
a second air wet flow path is formed between the second water retention members that face each other among the second water retention members that are provided on the second long side surface in the cross section of each of the plurality of dry flow path members,
9. The evaporative heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein the air flowing into the dry air flow path is cooled by the second water retention member and then flows through each of the first wet air flow path and the second wet air flow path.

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