MULTI-CHANNEL FLAT-TUBE SERPENTINE HEAT EXCHANGER AND HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger and a heat exchange apparatus, and in particular to a multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger and heat exchange apparatus.

2. Description of Prior Art

The conventional air-to-air heat exchanger is manufactured by the following steps of: (1) providing a plurality of copper pipes and a fin set constituted of fins; (2) drilling through holes on each fin for allowing the respective copper pipes to pass through; (3) disposing the copper pipes through the through holes to connect the fins together; (4) soldering the gaps between the copper pipes and the through holes to fix the copper pipes to the fin set; and (5) soldering two adjacent copper pipes penetrating the fin set by a copper curved pipe, thereby forming a continuous zigzag heat exchanger.

However, the conventional heat exchanger has the following problems. The gaps between the copper pipes and the through holes have to be soldered, and the adjacent two copper pipes penetrating the fin set have to be soldered with a copper curved pipe. Thus, it can be understood that there are so many soldering parts (even up to hundreds of soldering parts) in the conventional heat exchanger, which inevitably increases the working hours and cost for soldering and assembly. Further, since the gaps may exist between the copper pipes and the through holes if they are not soldered tightly, the water-proof and dust-proof effect of the conventional heat exchanger will be deteriorated greatly.

According to the above, since there are so many soldering parts in the conventional heat exchanger, the working fluid filled in the heat exchanger may escape and the performance of the heat exchanger will deteriorate if any one of the soldering parts cracks. Thus, a repairman has to carefully find out the cracks and solder the cracks tightly in order to repair the heat exchanger. Therefore, the conventional heat exchanger has a low yield rate and poor reliability.

On the other hand, the thermal contact surfaces between the copper pipes and the fins are curved surfaces rather than planar surface, and the working fluid in the copper pipes can be only heat-exchanged with the inner curved surfaces of the copper pipes. Thus, the thermal contact area inside and outside the conventional heat exchanger is not large enough, which restricts the heat-exchange efficiency thereof.

Therefore, it is an important issue for the present Inventor to solve the above-mentioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is to provide a multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger, which is easy to assemble and has a reduced production cost as well as an increased yield rate and reliability.

The present invention is to provide a multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger, wherein its interior and exterior have a larger heat exchange area to thereby generate a greater heat-exchange efficiency.

The present invention provides a multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger, including:

a flat pipe configured to have a plurality of bending sections and a plurality of connecting sections each connecting adjacent two bending sections, an interior of the flat pipe being filled with a working fluid, the flat pipe being provided with a plurality of channels separated from each other for allowing the working fluid to flow through;

a fin set connected between the connecting sections to increase heat-exchange area of the flat pipe; and

a divider assembly connected to the flat pipe to divide the flat pipe into a heat-absorbing region located in a lower portion of the flat pipe and a heat-releasing region located in an upper portion of the flat pipe, the divider assembly being disposed between the heat-absorbing region and the heat-releasing region;

wherein a portion of the working fluid in the heat-absorbing region absorbs heat to evaporate, the evaporated working fluid flows into the heat-releasing region along the channels, the evaporated working fluid condenses in the heat-releasing region to flow back to the heat-absorbing region along the channels by means of gravity.

The present invention is to provide a heat exchange apparatus, which is easy to assemble and has a reduced production cost as well as an increased yield rate and reliability. Further, the present invention has a larger heat exchange area and an improved heat-exchange efficiency.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a heat exchange apparatus, which is configured to perform heat exchange to an operating space and including:

a housing having a first intake port, a first exhaust port, a second intake port, and a second exhaust port; and

a multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger mounted in the housing and including: a flat pipe configured to have a plurality of bending sections and a plurality of connecting sections each connecting adjacent two bending sections, an interior of the flat pipe being filled with a working fluid, the flat pipe being provided with a plurality of channels separated from each other for allowing the working fluid to flow through;

a fin set connected between the connecting sections to increase heat-exchange area of the flat pipe; and

wherein a portion of the working fluid in the heat-absorbing region absorbs heat of a hot air coming from an interior of the operating space into the first intake port to evaporate, whereby the hot air is heat-exchanged to become a cool air to be exhausted via the first exhaust port, the evaporated working fluid flows into the heat-releasing region along the channels, the evaporated working fluid condenses in the heat-releasing region to flow back to the heat-absorbing region along the channels by means of gravity, whereby a cold air coming from an exterior of the operating space into the second intake port is heat-exchanged to become a warm air to be exhausted via the second exhaust port.

In comparison with prior art, the present invention has the following advantageous features.

According to the present invention, a flat pipe is configured to have a plurality of bending sections and a plurality of connecting sections each connecting adjacent two bending sections, and the fin set is connected between the two connecting sections. Thus, unlike the prior art in which the gaps between the copper pipes and the though holes of the fins as well as the parts between the copper curved pipe and adjacent two copper pips have to be soldered respectively, the present invention greatly reduces the working hours for soldering and assembly, and in turn reduces the number of parts and the production cost. On the other hand, since the number of soldering parts is much less than that in prior art, the working fluid in the heat exchanger of the present invention may not escape easily, so that the present invention has an increased yield rate, durability and reliability.

According to the present invention, since the flat pipe is connected to the fin set, and the contact surfaces between the flat pipe and the fin set are planar surfaces, the present invention has a larger external contact area. Further, the interior of the flat pipe is provided with a plurality of channels separated from each other. These separated channels can further increase the internal heat-exchange area between the working fluid and the inner walls of the flat pipe, thereby increasing the heat-exchange efficiency of the whole heat exchanger.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the heat exchanger of the present invention;

FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing the flat pipe of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view showing the heat exchanger of the present invention, in which a fin set is not assembled;

FIG. 3 is a partially cross-sectional view showing the heat exchanger of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective view showing the heat exchanger of the present invention, in which the fin set is not assembled;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the heat exchange apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an assembled perspective view showing the heat exchange apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an assembled cross-sectional view showing the heat exchange apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the operation of the heat exchange apparatus of according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing the operation of the heat exchange apparatus of according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The detailed description and technical contents of the present invention will become apparent with the following detailed description accompanied with related drawings. It is noteworthy to point out that the drawings is provided for the illustration purpose only, but not intended for limiting the scope of the present invention.

Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 4. The present invention relates to a multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger 1, which includes a flat pipe 10, a fin set 20 and a divider assembly 30.

As shown in FIG. 1, the flat pipe 10 is configured to have a plurality of bending sections 11 and a plurality of connecting sections 12 each connecting adjacent two bending sections 11. As shown in FIG. 1A, the interior of the flat pipe 10 is filled with a working fluid W and provided with a plurality of channels 13 separated from each other for allowing the working fluid W to flow through. More specifically, the flat pipe 10 is made of metallic material of high heat conductivity, such as copper or aluminum. However, the material of the flat pipe 10 is not limited thereto, and it may be made of thin-walled plastic or other suitable materials. The interior of the flat pipe 10 is integrally formed with a plurality of partitioning portions 14. The channels 13 are formed between the inner walls of the flat pipe 10 and the partitioning portions 14 as well as between adjacent two partitioning portions 14. Thus, the formation of the partitioning portions 14 greatly increases the internal thermal contact area between the working fluid W and the flat pipe 10, thereby increasing the heat-exchange efficiency. Although the partitioning portions 14 shown in FIG. 1A have planar surfaces and most of the channels 13 have a rectangular cross section, the partitioning portions 14 and the channels 13 may have different profiles and cross sections. For example, two opposite surfaces of the partitioning portions 14 are shaped as a concave surface respectively, so that the channels 14 will have a circular cross section.

As shown in FIG. 4, the fin set 20 is connected between the connecting sections 12 to increase the heat-exchange area of the flat pipe 10. More specifically, unlike prior art in which each fin is drilled with a plurality of through holes in advance, and then the copper pipes pass through the through holes for soldering, the present invention utilizes the fact that each fin 21 is bent and compressed to be sandwiched between the adjacent two connecting sections 12. In this way, the working hours for assembling the fins 21 and the flat pipe 10 can be saved, thereby reducing the time for assembling the whole heat exchanger 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the divider assembly 30 is connected to the flat pipe 10 to divide the flat pipe 10 into a heat-absorbing region S1 located in a lower portion of the flat pipe 10 and a heat-releasing region S2 located in an upper portion of the flat pipe 10. In other words, the divider assembly 30 is disposed between the heat-absorbing region S1 and the heat-releasing region S2. More specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the divider assembly 30 is constituted of two divider plates 31. Each of the divider plates 31 has a plurality of notches 311 to form a comb-shaped structure. The width of each notch 311 is equal to the thickness of the flat pipe 10, so that the flat pipe 10 can be inserted into the notches 311. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the flat pipe 10 is sandwiched between the opposite notches 311 of the two divider plates 31 overlapped with each other.

Further, at least one end (both ends in the present embodiment) of the flat pipe 10 is formed with a storage tank 15. The storage tank 15 serves to communicate the channels 13 with each other and balance the pressure in the respective channels 13, whereby the working fluid W in each channel 13 can generate a liquid-vapor phase change under substantially equal pressure and speed. Further, the storage tank 15 helps to seal the distal end of the flat pipe 10. The internal space of the storage tank 15 provides a flexible space for the working fluid W inside the flat pipe 10 because there is a volume difference between the vapor phase and the liquid phase of the working fluid W. The storage tank(s) 15 is(are) provided with at least one filling stud 151 in communication with its interior. Thus, each of the heat exchangers 1 has at least one filling stud 151. The working fluid W is filled in the storage tank 15 through the filling stud 151. Of course, the profile of the storage tank 15 is not limited to a cylindrical shape. For example, the storage tank 15 may be shaped as a hollow rectangular body, and it can still balance the pressure of the respective channel.

Please refer to FIG. 4. When a hot air flows through the heat-absorbing region Si in the lower portion of heat exchanger 1, the lower portion of the flat pipe 10 and the fin set 20 in the heat-absorbing region Si will absorb the heat of the hot air. Then, a portion of the working fluid W in the heat-absorbing region Si absorbs heat to evaporate. The evaporated working fluid W flows into the heat-releasing region S2 along the channels 13, which is called as the thermo-siphon principle. The evaporated working fluid W condenses in the heat-releasing region S2 to flow back to the heat-absorbing region Si along the channels 13 by means of gravity. In this way, the liquid and vapor phases of the working fluid W can circulate in the flat pipe 10. Since the heat is released in the heat-releasing region S2, the air flowing through the heat-releasing region S2 will absorbs the released heat to raise its temperature. Thus, the air in the heat-absorbing region S1 can be heat-exchanged with the air in the heat-releasing region S2.

Next, the structure and operation of an exemplary heat exchange apparatus 100 having the heat exchanger 1 of the present invention will be described in detail.

Please refer to FIGS. 5 to 8. The heat exchange apparatus 100 of the present invention is configured to perform heat exchange to an operating space, and it includes a housing 10 and a multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger 1.

The housing 110 is constituted of a cover plate 111 and a base 112. The cover plate 111 is provided with a first intake port 1111 and a first exhaust port 1112. The base 112 is provided with a second intake port 1121 and a second exhaust port 1122. The multi-channel flat-tube heat exchanger 1 is mounted inside the housing 10 and includes the above-mentioned flat pipe 10, the fin set 20 and the divider assembly 30.

In order to enhance the air convection, the heat exchange apparatus 100 of the present invention further comprises a first fan 120 and a second fan 130. The first fan 120 is mounted in the base 112 to correspond to the first exhaust port 1112 for exhausting a cool air via the first exhaust port 1112. The second fan 130 is mounted in the base 112 to correspond to the second intake port 1121 for drawing external cold air into the housing 110.

In order to facilitate the mounting of the heat exchanger 1 in the housing 10, two mounting plates 140 are provided. Each of the mounting plates 140 has an insertion slot 141 for allowing the divider assembly 30 to be inserted therein. When the two mounting plates 140 are fixed to two inner walls of the housing 110 respectively, the heat exchanger 1 is mounted between the two mounting plates 140 with the divider assembly 30 being inserted into the insertion slots 141.

Then, the mounting plates 140 are fixed to the inner walls of the housing 110 by screws, and such a mounting process is simple and easy.

It can be seen from FIG. 7 that, after the heat exchanger 1 is mounted in the housing 110, the divider assembly 30 divides the interior of the housing 110 into two zones. That is, a first zone Z1 in the lower portion of the housing 110 and a second zone Z2 in the upper portion of the housing 110. The first intake port 1111, the first exhaust port 1112 and the first fan 120 are located in the first zone Z1. The second intake port 1121, the second exhaust port 1122 and the second fan 130 are located in the second zone Z2.

Please refer to FIG. 8, the operation of the heat exchange apparatus 100 of the present invention will be described as follows. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the operating space is an electronic enclosure 200. Thus, the heat exchange apparatus 100 is used to perform heat exchange to the electronic enclosure 200.

First, the housing 110 of the heat exchange apparatus 100 is mounted outside the electronic enclosure 200. The electronic enclosure 200 has a hot air outlet 210 and a cold air inlet 220. When the first fan 120 rotates, the airflow generated by the first fan 120 guides a hot air inside the electronic enclosure 200 from the hot air outlet 210 into the first intake port 1111 of the heat exchange apparatus 100 and then heat-exchanged with the lower portion (i.e., the heat-absorbing region S1) of the heat exchanger 1 to become a cool air. Thus, after the hot air inside the electronic enclosure 200 flows through the heat exchanger 1, a portion of the flat pipe 10 and the fin set 20 in the heat-absorbing region S1 absorb the heat of the hot air, so that the hot air is heat-exchanged to become a cool air. By means of the first fan 120, the cool air flows into the cold air inlet 220 of the electronic enclosure 200, thereby reducing the temperature of air inside the electronic enclosure 200 and the working temperature of electronic components inside the electronic enclosure 200.

After a portion of the heat exchanger 1 (i.e., the heat-absorbing region S1) in the first zone Z1 absorbs the heat of the hot air inside the electronic enclosure 200, the heat is conducted to the other portion of the heat exchanger 1 (i.e., the heat-releasing region S2) in the second zone Z2. At this time, the second fan 130 guides the external cold air from the second intake port 1121 into the housing 110. The external cold air is heat-exchanged with the other portion of the heat exchanger 1 (i.e., the heat-releasing region S2) in the second zone Z2 to become a warm air. The warm air is exhausted from the second exhaust port 1122 out of the housing 110.

It can be seen from FIG. 8 that, after the hot air inside the electronic enclosure 200 is cooled as a cool air in the first zone Z1, the cool air is then introduced back into the electronic enclosure 200. The external cold air flows through the second zone Z2 to take away the heat released by the heat-releasing region S2 of the heat exchanger 1 and then is exhausted from the second exhaust port 1122 out of the housing 110. Thus, the air in the first zone Z1 and the air in the second zone Z2 are separated from each other by the divider assembly 30 without mixing, thereby preventing the dust and moisture in the external air from entering the electronic enclosure 200. Therefore, the present invention can provide a dust-proof and moisture-proof effect, thereby extending the lifetime of the electronic device and wiring circuitry inside the electronic enclosure 200.

Please refer to FIG. 9. The present invention can be applied to the air-to-air heat exchange between the interior and the exterior of a building. That is to say, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the operating space is a building 200′. Thus, the heat exchange apparatus 100′ of the present invention is used to perform heat exchange with the building 200′. Similarly, the heat exchange apparatus 100′ of the present invention has a housing 110′. The housing 110′ has a first intake port 111′, a first exhaust port 112′, a second intake port 113′ and a second exhaust port 114′. The heat exchanger 1 is provided in the housing 110′. The divider assembly 30 is configured to divide the internal space of the housing 110′ into a first zone Z1 in the lower portion and a second zone Z2 in the upper portion.

A first intake fan 120′ is mounted in the first intake port 111′. The first exhaust port 112′ is connected to an exhaust pipe 130′ in communication with the outside of the building 200′. One end of the exhaust pipe 130′ adjacent to the outside of the building 200′ is provided with a first exhaust fan 131′. The second intake port 113′ is connected with an intake pipe 140′ in communication with the outside of the building 200′. One end of the intake pipe 140′ adjacent to the outside of the building 200′ is provided with a second intake fan 141′. The second exhaust port 114′ is provided with a second exhaust fan 150′.

The dirty hot air inside the building 200′ tends to float upwardly because the density of the air becomes smaller when its temperature increases. The dirty hot air is drawn by the first intake fan 120′ to enter the first zone Z1 of the housing 110′ from the first intake port 111′. After the dirty hot air inside the building 200′ is heat-exchanged with the heat exchanger 1, the temperature of the dirty hot air is lowered to become a dirty cool air. The dirty cool air is drawn by the first exhaust fan 131′ to exit the building 200′ via the first exhaust port 112′ and the exhaust pipe 130′.

The working fluid in the heat-absorbing region 51 of the heat exchanger 1 absorbs the heat of the indoor dirty hot air to evaporate. The evaporated working fluid flows along the channels 13 inside the flat pipe 10 toward the heat-releasing region S2 where the working fluid releases its latent heat. At this time, the fresh cold air outside the building 200′ is drawn by the second intake fan 141′ to enter the second intake port 113′ via the intake pipe 140′. The outdoor fresh cold air absorbs the heat released by working fluid in the heat-releasing region S2 to become a fresh warm air, and the fresh warm air is introduced into the building 200′ via the second exhaust port 114′. In other words, the heat exchange apparatus 100′ of the present invention can completely exchange and recycle the heat between the indoor dirty hot air and the outdoor fresh cold air. That is, during the air change between the interior and exterior of the building 200′, the heat of the indoor dirty hot air is transferred to the fresh cold air introduced from the outdoor. Thus, the outdoor fresh air can be continuously introduced into the building to change air. In addition, the heat of the indoor hot dirty air can be completely utilized and recycled. Therefore, the heat exchange apparatus 100′ of the present invention can be widely applied to various buildings such as houses, school classrooms and hospitals.

In comparison with prior art, the present invention has the following advantageous features.

According to the present invention, a flat pipe 10 is configured to have a plurality of bending sections 11 and a plurality of connecting sections 12 each connecting adjacent two bending sections 11 without soldering straight pipe portions and curved pipe portions. Thus, the present invention greatly reduces the working hours for assembly and production, and in turn reduces the number of parts and the production cost. On the other hand, since the number of soldering parts is much less than that in prior art, the working fluid inside the heat exchanger of the present invention may not escape easily, so that the present invention has an increased yield rate, durability and reliability.

According to the present invention, since the flat pipe 10 is connected to the fin set 20, and the contact surfaces between the flat pipe 10 and the fin set 20 are planar surfaces, the present invention has a larger external contact area. Further, the interior of the flat pipe 10 is provided with a plurality of channels 13 separated from each other. These separated channels 13 can further increase the internal heat-exchange area between the working fluid W and the inner walls of the flat pipe 10, thereby increasing the heat-exchange efficiency of the whole heat exchanger 1.

According to the present invention, the heat exchanger 1 has two divider plates 31. Each of the divider plates 31 has a plurality of notches 311 to form a comb-shaped structure. The flat pipe 10 is sandwiched between the opposite notches 311 of the two divider plates 31 overlapped with each other. Finally, the overlapped portions of the two divider plates 31 are soldered together for fixing the flat pipe 10. Thus, such a mounting process is simpler and easier than that of the prior art in which through holes have to be drilled on a divider plate, copper pipes are disposed through the through holes, and the gaps between the copper pipes and the through holes are soldered tightly. Therefore, the divider assembly 30 of the present invention makes the assembly of the heat exchanger 1 to become faster and easier. On the other hand, since it is unnecessary to drill through holes on the divider assembly 30 of the present invention for allowing copper pipes to pass through, the problem of insufficient sealing of the gaps between the copper pipes and the through holes is eliminated. Therefore, the divider assembly 30 of the present invention can block the outside moisture and dust, thereby generating a better water-proof and dust-proof effect.

On the other hand, the flat pipe 10 is sandwiched between the opposite notches 311 of the two divider plates 31 overlapped with each other. The overlapped portions between the two divider plates 31 can be adjusted based on the outer diameter of the flat pipe 10. Thus, the degree of freedom in assembling the present invention is larger, which allows mass production and reduction in cost.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various equivalent variations and modifications can still occur to those skilled in this art in view of the teachings of the present invention. Thus, all such variations and equivalent modifications are also embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1), including: a flat pipe (10) configured to have a plurality of bending sections (11) and a plurality of connecting sections (12) each connecting adjacent two bending sections (11), an interior of the flat pipe (10) being filled with a working fluid (W), the flat pipe (10) being provided with a plurality of channels (13) separated from each other for allowing the working fluid (W) to flow through;a fin set (20) connected between the connecting sections (12) to increase heat-exchange area of the flat pipe (10); anda divider assembly (30) connected to the flat pipe (10) to divide the flat pipe (10) into a heat-absorbing region (S1) located in a lower portion of the flat pipe (10) and a heat-releasing region (S2) located in an upper portion of the flat pipe (10), the divider assembly (30) being disposed between the heat-absorbing region (S1) and the heat-releasing region (S2);wherein a portion of the working fluid (W) in the heat-absorbing region (51) absorbs heat to evaporate, the evaporated working fluid (W) flows into the heat-releasing region (S2) along the channels (13), the evaporated working fluid (W) condenses in the heat-releasing region (S2) to flow back to the heat-absorbing region (51) along the channels (13) by means of gravity.
2. The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) according to claim 1, wherein the flat pipe (10) is made of heat-conducting metals, the interior of the flat pipe (10) is integrally formed with a plurality of partitioning portions (14), the channels (13) are formed between inner walls of the flat pipe (10) and the partitioning portions (14) as well as between adjacent two partitioning portions (14).
3. The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) according to claim 2, wherein the divider assembly (30) is constituted of two divider plates (31), each of the divider plates (31) has a plurality of notches (311) to form a comb-shaped structure, the width of each notch (311) is equal to the thickness of the flat pipe (10), so that the flat pipe (10) can be inserted into the notches (311), the flat pipe (10) is sandwiched between the opposite notches (311) of the two divider plates (31) overlapped with each other.
4. The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) according to claim 3, wherein at least one end of the flat pipe (10) is formed with a storage tank (15), the storage tank (15) is configured to communicate the individual channels (13) and balance a pressure in each channel (13), the storage tank (15) is provided with a filling stud (151) through which the working fluid (W) is to be filled in the storage tank (15).
5. The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) according to claim 1, wherein the flat pipe (10) is made of thin-walled plastic, the interior of the flat pipe (10) is integrally formed with a plurality of partitioning portions (14), the channels (13) are formed between inner walls of the flat pipe (10) and the partitioning portions (14) as well as between adjacent two partitioning portions (14).
6. The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) according to claim 5, wherein the divider assembly (30) is constituted of two divider plates (31), each of the divider plates (31) has a plurality of notches (311) to form a comb-shaped structure, the width of each notch (311) is equal to the thickness of the flat pipe (10), so that the flat pipe (10) can be inserted into the notches (311), the flat pipe (10) is sandwiched between the opposite notches (311) of the two divider plates (31) overlapped with each other.
7. The multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) according to claim 6, wherein at least one end of the flat pipe (10) is formed with a storage tank (15), the storage tank (15) is configured to communicate the individual channels (13) and balance a pressure in each channel (13), the storage tank (15) is provided with a filling stud (151) through which the working fluid (W) is to be filled in the storage tank (15).
8. A heat exchange apparatus (100), configured to perform heat exchange to an operating space, the heat exchange apparatus (100) including: a housing (110) having a first intake port (1111), a first exhaust port (1112), a second intake port (1121) and a second exhaust port (1122); anda multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) mounted in the housing (110) and including:a flat pipe (10) configured to have a plurality of bending sections (11) and a plurality of connecting sections (12) each connecting adjacent two bending sections (11), an interior of the flat pipe (10) being filled with a working fluid (W), the flat pipe (10) being provided with a plurality of channels (13) separated from each other for allowing the working fluid (W) to flow through;a fin set (20) connected between the connecting sections (12) to increase heat-exchange area of the flat pipe (10); anda divider assembly (30) connected to the flat pipe (10) to divide the flat pipe (10) into a heat-absorbing region (S1) located in a lower portion of the flat pipe (10) and a heat-releasing region (S2) located in an upper portion of the flat pipe (10), the divider assembly (30) being disposed between the heat-absorbing region (S1) and the heat-releasing region (S2);wherein a portion of the working fluid (W) in the heat-absorbing region (S1) absorbs heat of a hot air coming from an interior of the operating space into the first intake port (1111) to evaporate, whereby the hot air is heat-exchanged to become a cool air to be exhausted via the first exhaust port (1112), the evaporated working fluid (W) flows into the heat-releasing region (S2) along the channels (13), the evaporated working fluid (W) condenses in the heat-releasing region (S2) to flow back to the heat-absorbing region (S1) along the channels (13) by means of gravity, whereby a cold air coming from an exterior of the operating space into the second intake port (1121) is heat-exchanged to become a warm air to be exhausted via the second exhaust port (1122).
9. The heat exchange apparatus (100) according to claim 8, wherein the housing (110) includes a cover plate (111) and a base (112), the first intake port (1111) and the first exhaust port (1112) are provided on the cover plate (111), the second intake port (1121) and the second exhaust port (1122) are provided on the base (112).
10. The heat exchange apparatus (100) according to claim 9, further including a first fan (120) and a second fan (130), the first fan (120) being mounted in the base (112) to correspond to the first exhaust port (1112), the second fan (130) being mounted in the base (112) to correspond to the second intake port (1121).
11. The heat exchange apparatus (100) according to claim 10, further including two mounting plates (140), each of the mounting plates (140) having an insertion slot (141) for allowing the divider assembly (30) to be inserted therein, the two mounting plates (140) being fixed to two inner walls of the housing (110) respectively, the multi-channel flat-tube serpentine heat exchanger (1) being mounted between the two mounting plates (140) with the divider assembly (30) being inserted into the insertion slots (141).
12. The heat exchange apparatus (100) according to claim 11, wherein the operating space is an electronic enclosure (200), the heat exchange apparatus (100) is mounted outside the electronic enclosure (200), the electronic enclosure (200) has a hot air outlet (210) and a cold air inlet (220), a hot air inside the electronic enclosure (200) is guided from the hot air outlet (210) into the first intake port (1111) of the heat exchange apparatus (100) and then heat-exchanged to become a cool air, the cool air flows back into the electronic enclosure (200) through the first exhaust port (1112).
13. The heat exchange apparatus (100′) according to claim 11, wherein the operating space is a building (200′), the heat exchange apparatus (100′) is mounted inside the building (200′), the first intake port (111′) is provided with a first intake fan (120′), the first exhaust port (112′) is connected with an exhaust pipe (130′) leading to an outside of the building (200′), one end of the exhaust pipe (130′) adjacent to the outside of the building (200′) is provided with a first exhaust fan (131′), the second intake port (113′) is connected with an intake pipe (140′) leading to the outside of the building (200′), one end of the intake pipe (140′) adjacent to the outside of the building (200′) is provided with a second intake fan (141′), the second exhaust port (114′) is provided with a second exhaust fan (150′), a hot air inside the building (200′) is absorbed into the heat exchange apparatus (100′) from the first intake port (111′) and heat-exchanged to become a cool air, the cool air is exhausted to the outside of the building (200′) via the first exhaust port (112′), a cold air outside the building (200′) is introduced into the heat exchange apparatus (100′) from the second intake port (113′) and heat-exchanged to become a warm air, the warm arm is fed into the building (200′) via the second exhaust port (114′).

MULTI-CHANNEL FLAT-TUBE SERPENTINE HEAT EXCHANGER AND HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS

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