Patent Application
20240302112
The present invention relates to an anti-freezing pipe having a built-in tube, which includes a heat transfer pipe made of metal and configured to allow a fluid to move therethrough and a hollow tube located and supported in the heat transfer pipe, wherein the tube has a sealed space defined therein by sealants fitted into both end portions thereof and is provided on an outer diameter surface thereof with a wing formed in a spiral shape and the heat transfer pipe is provided at an end portion thereof with a stopper to prevent escape of the tube therefrom due to the flow of fluid, thereby preventing freezing thereof due to the fluid flowing therethrough.
In addition, the present invention relates to a high-efficiency anti-freezing heat exchanger including a frame, a flow pipe constituted by a plurality of heat transfer pipes mounted inside the frame, the above-described tube mounted in each of the heat transfer pipes, and cooling fins connected to the heat transfer pipes.
In general, an air conditioner includes a heat exchanger configured to perform cooling or heating using water or refrigerant such as Freon as a heat-exchange medium, a fan coil unit, a water-cooled condenser, a heat-exchange coil, an evaporative cooling tower, etc. Such an air conditioner is used in various ways in refrigeration and freezing equipment, industrial facilities, and the like.
In particular, in the case of a water-cooled condenser, a heat-exchange coil, and an evaporative cooling tower, pipes thereof are likely to freeze and burst due to exposure to sub-zero ambient temperatures or improper maintenance.
Such a freezing accident causes not only loss of water resources but also damage to a building due to water leakage. Further, the freezing accident causes enormous economic loss such as cost for repair of the facility in which the freezing accident occurs. Therefore, attempts and measures to prevent a freezing accident are demanded.
Water in a closed pipe does not freeze in a flowing state. However, when temperature decreases to a freezing point in a state in which the flow of water is stopped, the water freezes and increases in volume due to change in phase from liquid to solid. If a pipe or a device does not withstand increase in pressure attributable to increase in volume of the water, a freezing accident occurs.
Typical attempts to prevent such a freezing accident employ a method of installing a thermal insulator, a hot-wire facility, or a heating device, a method of mixing an antifreeze solution with a fluid, or a method of keeping water flowing by continuously discharging water from a pipe. However, these methods have problems in that an additional heating device and heating energy are required and water loss occurs.
In order to solve these problems, Korean Patent No. 587818 discloses technology of a freezing-prevention device. As shown in
In addition, a plurality of liquid flow holes 23 is formed in the absorbent body 21 in order to allow a liquid to freely flow in a beverage container or a pipe. That is, the liquid flow holes 23 serve to facilitate the flow of liquid in a beverage container or a pipe.
However, in the freezing-prevention device 20 described above, the flow of liquid is impeded by the longitudinal cushioning members 22 protruding horizontally at a right angle from the outer peripheral surface of the absorbent body 21 in order to support the absorbent body 21.
In addition, since the absorbent body 21 and the cushioning members 22 should be integrally formed with each other, it is impossible to mass-produce the freezing-prevention device 20, and thus production cost thereof increases.
Meanwhile, in relation to air-conditioning devices, Korean Patent No. 2158252 discloses technology of an anti-freezing heat exchanger. As shown in
In addition, support pieces 86 are integrally formed in a spiral shape on the outer circumferential surface of the air tube 80. Alternatively, support pieces 86 are detachably mounted on the outer circumferential surface of the air tube 80. A U-pipe 70 is connected to end portions of neighboring refrigerant flow pipes 60.
However, in the anti-freezing heat exchanger 50 described above, since an end portion of the refrigerant flow pipe 60 is formed to have a constant diameter, one end of the air tube 80 is exposed to the outside of the refrigerant flow pipe 60 when refrigerant flows, thereby impeding the flow of refrigerant.
In addition, a connection portion between the U-pipe 70 and the refrigerant flow pipe 60 is prone to freezing due to fatigue caused by welding applied thereto. In the event of freezing, there is no separate extra space for repair, for example, cutting the frozen portion and re-connecting the U-pipe to the refrigerant flow pipe, thus making repair difficult.
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an anti-freezing pipe having a built-in tube and a high-efficiency heat exchanger using the same, which are capable of absorbing expansion energy generated by freezing of a fluid flowing therethrough, thereby preventing damage to the pipe due to the expansion energy, capable of easily placing the tube at a desired proper position, capable of ensuring smooth flow of refrigerant, and capable of improving the efficiency of the heat exchanger.
In addition, it is another object of the present invention to provide an anti-freezing pipe having a built-in tube and a high-efficiency heat exchanger using the same, which are capable of facilitating a mounting process thereof, preventing damage thereto due to clogging, improving the sealing effect of the tube, and preventing collection of foreign substances on the outer side of the tube.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of an anti-freezing pipe having a built-in tube, which includes a heat transfer pipe configured to allow a fluid to move therethrough and a hollow tube located and supported in the heat transfer pipe. The tube has a sealed space defined therein by sealants sprayed into both end portions thereof at high pressure and is provided on an outer diameter surface thereof with a wing formed in a spiral shape, and the heat transfer pipe is provided at an end portion thereof with a stopper to prevent escape of the tube therefrom due to the flow of fluid.
In addition, the wing or the tube may be provided with a coating layer integrally formed on an outer surface thereof so as to minimize friction, and the coating layer may be implemented as a Teflon coating layer or a chrome plating layer.
In addition, the sealants defining the sealed space in the tube may be made of the same material as the tube, the tube and the wing may be made of different materials, and the wing may be made of metal or thermally conductive plastic and may be mounted such that at least a portion thereof is in surface contact with an inner diameter surface of the heat transfer pipe.
In addition, the heat transfer pipe may be made of metal, and the stopper may be implemented as one selected from among a sleeve provided on an inner diameter surface of the heat transfer pipe, a diameter-contracted portion, a vortex fan unit, and an extension portion.
In addition, the heat transfer pipe may be connected to a separate linear connection pipe or a separate U-pipe via a weld joint portion or may be connected to an external structure, and the heat transfer pipe may be further provided with a reinforcing member implemented as one selected from among a sleeve mounted on an inner diameter surface or an outer diameter surface of a portion of the heat transfer pipe adjacent to the weld joint portion and an extension portion overlapping an inner diameter surface of the heat transfer pipe.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a high-efficiency anti-freezing heat exchanger including a frame, a flow pipe constituted by a plurality of heat transfer pipes mounted inside the frame, cooling fins connected to the plurality of heat transfer pipes, a U-pipe interconnecting end portions of neighboring ones of the plurality of heat transfer pipes of the flow pipe, a supply header pipe and a discharge header pipe connected to the flow pipe to simultaneously supply or discharge refrigerant to or from the flow pipe, a hollow tube inserted into each of the plurality of heat transfer pipes, and a connection pipe connected to at least one of the plurality of heat transfer pipes. The tube has a sealed space defined therein by sealants sprayed into both end portions thereof through a nozzle at high pressure and is provided on an outer diameter surface thereof with a wing, the wing or the tube is provided with a coating layer integrally formed on an outer surface thereof so as to minimize friction, and the connection pipe has a diameter-contracted end portion.
In addition, the diameter-contracted end portion of the connection pipe may be provided with a spiral guide groove formed therein.
In addition, each of the plurality of heat transfer pipes may include a flared enlarged portion formed at an end portion thereof exposed to the outside of the frame, and a connection portion formed by performing welding on the enlarged portion may be mounted to form an extra space to allow one or more connection portions to be formed when one side of the connection portion is cut.
In addition, the supply header pipe and the discharge header pipe may be connected to each other via a bypass pipe provided therein with a check valve configured to operate at a predetermined pressure or higher.
In addition, the tube and the sealants may be made of the same material, and the tube and the wing may be made of different materials. The wing may be made of metal and may be mounted such that at least a portion thereof is in surface contact with an inner diameter surface of each of the plurality of heat transfer pipes. The wing or the tube may be provided with a Teflon coating layer formed on an outer surface thereof so as to minimize friction.
In addition, the tube and the flow pipe may be formed in a circular or elliptical shape.
The above and other objects, features, and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in
In detail, the hollow tube 200 mounted in the heat transfer pipe 100 has a sealed space defined therein.
In particular, when the heat transfer pipe 100 according to the present invention is applied to a heat exchanger H, a linear connection pipe 180 or a U-pipe 190 is connected to the heat transfer pipe 100. End portions of neighboring heat transfer pipes 100 are connected to each other via the U-pipe 190 so as to form a constant flow of refrigerant. The heat transfer pipe 100 is connected to a supply header pipe 510 or a discharge header pipe 530 via the connection pipe 180.
In addition, when the heat transfer pipe 100 is provided in plural, a plurality of supply header pipes 510 or a plurality of discharge header pipes 530 is respectively connected to the plurality of heat transfer pipes 100 so as to simultaneously supply or discharge refrigerant to or from the plurality of heat transfer pipes 100.
Sealants 710 are sprayed at high pressure through a high-pressure nozzle 700 so as to be fitted into both end portions of the tube 200, whereby a sealed space 230 is defined in the tube 200. A wing 270 is integrally formed on the outer circumferential surface of the tube 200.
In this case, one or more wings 270 protrude in a spiral shape from the outer circumferential surface of the tube 200.
In addition, a coating layer 290 for minimizing friction may be integrally formed on the outer surface of the wings or the tube.
The sealants 710 are made of the same material as the tube 200.
Further, the tube 200 and the wings 270 are made of different materials. In this case, the tube 200 and the wings 270 may be integrally formed with each other through double-injection molding.
The wings 270 may be made of metal or thermally conductive plastic and may include support plates 271 that are formed in a plate shape for surface contact at portions thereof connected to the tube or portions thereof contacting the inner diameter surface of the heat transfer pipe, as shown in
The coating layer is implemented as a Teflon coating layer or a chrome plating layer in order to minimize friction between the outer side of the wings or the tube and a fluid.
In addition, as shown in
In this case, the stopper 370 is implemented as any one selected from among a sleeve 371 provided on the inner diameter surface of the heat transfer pipe as shown in
Further, as shown in
In addition, as shown in
When welding is performed on the weld joint portion 400 in order to connect the connection pipe 180 or the U-pipe 190 to the heat transfer pipe 100, thermal fatigue occurs at the heat transfer pipe 100. In order to cope with the thermal fatigue, as shown in
The extension portion 380 may be formed by extending an end portion of the connection pipe 180 or the U-pipe 190 or connecting a separate pipe to an end portion of the connection pipe 180 or the U-pipe 190 through welding.
The heat transfer pipe 100 may be formed as a single piece. Alternatively, as shown in
Hereinafter, the operation of the present invention configured as described above will be described.
As shown in
In addition, neighboring ones of the heat transfer pipes 100 are connected to each other via the connection pipe 180 and the U-pipe 190 to form a refrigerant path along which the refrigerant supplied thereto flows a predetermined distance for a predetermined period of time while performing heat exchange.
In addition, when the supply header pipe 510 is mounted to simultaneously supply refrigerant for heat exchange to the heat transfer pipes 100, the discharge header pipe 530 is connected to the other ends of the heat transfer pipes 100 in order to simultaneously discharge the refrigerant that has performed heat exchange from the heat transfer pipes 100.
In addition, since the hollow tube 200 is mounted in the heat transfer pipe 100, it is possible to solve a problem that the heat transfer pipe 100 is damaged when the refrigerant freezes and increases in volume in winter.
That is, the contact surface area between the heat transfer pipe 100 and the refrigerant supplied thereto is increased by the tube 200. Therefore, when the refrigerant freezes, the increased volume thereof is absorbed by the sealed space, with a result that the heat transfer pipe 100 is prevented from freezing and bursting, and heat transfer efficiency is improved.
Further, the sealants 710, which are made of the same material as the tube 200 and are formed in a sol or gel state, are sprayed at high pressure so as to be forcibly fitted into both end portions of the tube 200 through the high-pressure nozzle 700, thereby defining the vacuum sealed space 230 in the tube 200. Therefore, when the refrigerant around the tube 200 presses the surface of the tube 200, the pressure is absorbed by the vacuum sealed space 230.
In this case, since the sealed space 230 is formed in a vacuum state, the tube 200 is prevented from being damaged by external pressure applied thereto.
In addition, since the one or more wings 270 protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the tube 200 are disposed in a spiral shape on the periphery of the tube 200, the refrigerant moves easily along the wings 270.
In addition, since the coating layer 290, which is implemented as a Teflon coating layer or a chrome plating layer, is integrally formed on the outer surface of the wings 270 or the tube 200 in order to minimize friction between the wings 270 or the tube 200 and the refrigerant, it is possible to prevent reduction in flow rate of the refrigerant, thus ensuring smooth flow of the refrigerant.
Further, when the tube 200 and the wings 270 are made of different materials, for example, when the tube 200 is made of silicon and the wings 270 are made of metal or thermally conductive plastic, the heat of the refrigerant is easily transferred to the heat transfer pipe 100 made of metal.
In this case, when the wings 270 are made of metal and the support plates 271 are formed at ends of the wings so as to be in surface contact with the inner diameter surface of the heat transfer pipe 100, it is possible to achieve tight coupling between the tube and the heat transfer pipe and more rapid heat transfer.
Meanwhile, the heat transfer pipe 100 may be directly connected to the header pipe or may be connected to the header pipe via a separate connection pipe 180.
In this case, since the wings 270 connected to the outer diameter surface of the tube 200 are caught by the stopper 370, which is implemented as the diameter-contracted portion 373 formed such that an end portion of the heat transfer pipe 100 or the connection pipe 180 is contracted in inner diameter (refer to
In addition, the connection pipe 180 or the heat transfer pipe 100 includes spiral guide grooves 575 formed in an end portion of the diameter-contracted portion 373 in order to allow the refrigerant discharged therefrom to smoothly flow while forming a vortex.
In this case, as shown in
In addition, as shown in
Other than the diameter-contracted portion 373 described above with reference to
In this case, the vortex fan unit 375 is configured to form a vortex while being rotated by flow of the refrigerant without using power, thereby allowing the refrigerant to rapidly flow through the heat transfer pipe 100.
Further, the heat transfer pipe 100 is connected to the separate linear connection pipe 180 or the U-pipe 190 via the weld joint portion 400 or is connected to the header pipe, which is an external structure.
When external force is applied to the heat transfer pipe 100, the heat transfer pipe 100 may be easily damaged due to thermal fatigue caused by welding performed along the joint portion 400. In order to prevent this problem, as shown in
In addition, as shown in
Hereinafter, a heat exchanger according to the present invention to which the above-described heat transfer pipe is applicable will be described with reference to
According to the present invention, a flow pipe 300 including a plurality of heat transfer pipes 100, each of which is configured to allow cooling fins 110 to be connected to the outer side thereof and has a hollow tube 200 mounted therein, is mounted inside the frame 1000.
A linear connection pipe 180 or a curved U-pipe 190 is connected to the heat transfer pipe 100 of the flow pipe 300. End portions of neighboring heat transfer pipes 100 of the flow pipe 300 are connected to each other via the U-pipe 190 so as to form a constant flow of refrigerant.
In this case, the heat transfer pipe 100 may be connected to a header pipe via the connection pipe 180 or may be directly connected to a header pipe without the connection pipe 180.
In addition, the plurality of heat transfer pipes 100 of the flow pipe 300 are connected to a supply header pipe 510 or a discharge header pipe 530 so that refrigerant is simultaneously supplied to or discharged from the plurality of heat transfer pipes 100.
Meanwhile, as shown in
In this case, the inner diameter of the diameter-contracted end portion of the connection pipe 180 is smaller than the outer diameter defined by the wings 270 connected to the outer diameter surface of the tube 200 in order to prevent escape of the wings 270 from the connection pipe 180.
In addition, the diameter-contracted end portion performs the same function as the stopper 370 shown in
In addition, when the heat transfer pipe 100 is connected to the header pipe via the connection pipe 180, the connection pipe 180 includes spiral guide grooves 575 formed in the periphery of the diameter-contracted end portion thereof, as shown in
In this case, the diameter-contracted end portion and the guide grooves 575 of the connection pipe 180 are integrally formed using a pressing punch 577 that has an inner diameter surface shaped corresponding to the diameter-contracted end portion of the connection pipe 180 and protrusions 576 formed on the inner diameter surface thereof so as to be shaped corresponding to the guide grooves 575.
Further, the stopper 370 may be selected from among the above-described diameter-contracted end portion, the sleeve 371 provided so as to tightly contact the inner diameter surface of an end portion of the heat transfer pipe 100 or the connection pipe 180 as shown in
As shown in
The extension portion 380 may be formed to have a length corresponding to a portion of the heat transfer pipe 100 at which thermal fatigue occurs due to welding performed along the flared joint portion 400. Therefore, the extension portion 380 may serve as the reinforcing member for reinforcing the fatigue portion of the heat transfer pipe 100.
In addition, as shown in
In this case, the enlarged portion 600 is formed using a pipe-enlarging hammer 650 having a conical shape.
In addition, as shown in
In addition, as shown in
Further, the tube and the heat transfer pipe constituting the flow pipe may be formed in a circular or elliptical shape.
In addition, as shown in
Meanwhile, according to the present invention, as shown in
In addition, as shown in
In addition, the extension portion 380 shown in
Hereinafter, the operation of the heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described.
As shown in
In addition, since the hollow tube 200 is mounted in the heat transfer pipe 100, it is possible to solve a problem that the heat transfer pipe 100 is damaged when the refrigerant freezes and increases in volume in winter.
That is, the contact surface area between the heat transfer pipe 100 and the refrigerant supplied thereto is increased by the tube 200. Therefore, when the refrigerant freezes, the increased volume thereof is absorbed by the sealed space, with a result that the heat transfer pipe 100 is prevented from freezing and bursting, and heat transfer efficiency is improved.
In addition, when the header pipe and the heat transfer pipe 100 are connected to each other via the connection pipe 180 having a diameter-contracted end portion, the wings 270 connected to the outer diameter surface of the tube 200 are caught by the diameter-contracted end portion of the connection pipe 180, whereby it is possible to prevent escape of the tube 200 from the heat transfer pipe 100 when the refrigerant flows, thereby preventing reduction in flow rate of the refrigerant.
Further, the stopper 370 for preventing escape of the tube 200 from the heat transfer pipe 100 is selected from among the above-described diameter-contracted end portion, the sleeve 371 shown in
In addition, when the header pipe and the heat transfer pipe 100 are connected to each other via the connection pipe 180 having a diameter-contracted end portion, spiral guide grooves 575 are formed in the diameter-contracted end portion of the connection pipe 180, thereby allowing the discharged refrigerant to smoothly flow while forming a vortex.
In addition, the heat transfer pipe 100 includes a flared enlarged portion 600 formed at an end portion thereof that is exposed to the outside of the frame 1000 so as to be connected to the header pipe. When the U-pipe or the connection pipe is welded to the heat transfer pipe 100, welding is performed along the enlarged portion 600. Accordingly, welding is accurately performed.
In this case, the enlarged portion 600 is easily formed using a pipe-enlarging hammer 650 having a conical shape.
In addition, as shown in
In addition, as shown in
Further, the tube and the flow pipe may be formed in a circular or elliptical shape.
In addition, as shown in
Meanwhile, according to the present invention, as shown in
In addition, as shown in
In addition, as shown in
As is apparent from the above description, the present invention has an effect of absorbing expansion energy generated by freezing of a fluid flowing through a pipe, thereby preventing damage to the pipe due to the expansion energy.
In addition, the present invention has an effect of easily placing a tube at a desired proper position.
In addition, the present invention has an effect of ensuring smooth flow of refrigerant and improving the efficiency of a heat exchanger.
In addition, the present invention has an effect of improving the sealing effect of the tube and preventing collection of foreign substances on the outer side of the tube.
Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions, and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2023-0031119 | Mar 2023 | KR | national |
| 10-2023-0031120 | Mar 2023 | KR | national |
