Abstract:
The invention relates to a heat exchanger arrangement including an air heat exchanger arranged in a thermally insulated housing chamber; a defrosting device; and a fan, wherein the housing chamber itself forms an air flow cavity and is segmented by the air heat exchanger into an inflow cavity and an outflow cavity, and wherein the air heat exchanger includes adjustable flaps which are configured on an air inlet side and on an air outlet side of the heat exchanger to regulate or block an airflow path.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of PCT/EP2011/050172, filed on Jan. 7, 2011, claiming priority from German Patent Application DE 10 2010 000 956.3, filed on Jan. 15, 2010. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a heat exchanger arrangement, in particular for air conditioning arrangements or arrangements for producing cold air for cooling processes. 
         [0003]    In arrangements of this type, air is thermally treated and a basic function of these arrangements is to cool air in order to use the air as cold air for air conditioning purposes or other cooling purposes. 
         [0004]    An air heat exchanger is an important component of arrangements of this type, wherein air is cooled in the air heat exchanger. Thus, a refrigerant or cooling brine can be used as a heat absorbing fluid. Depending on the sizing of the air conditioning arrangement which is a function of the required cooling volume flows, the air heat exchanger components are sometimes configured as tall as a man and substantial technical complexity is involved in integrating these heat exchangers efficiently into air conditioning arrangements and to integrate the air conditioning arrangements into buildings. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In the art heat exchangers are integrated into air conditioning arrangements through heavy air deflection hoods. The fans for feeding the air to be cooled or the cooled air are thus arranged at a slant angle and therefore there are no optimum operating, maintenance and repair conditions for these components. 
         [0006]    The air heat exchangers for cooling air are mostly operated below the dew point of the air to be cooled, so that water condensates at the heat exchangers, which accumulates as ice at the heat exchanger for heat exchanger temperatures below freezing. Thus, it is required that these air heat exchangers are defrosted in constant intervals for maintaining the efficiency of the heat transfer and the condensate thus released has to be removed. For this purpose, typically additional heating energy is required in order to provide the defrosting of the heat exchanger in a time efficient manner. 
         [0007]    It is a disadvantage of the known arrangements of this type that the defrosting devices integrated into the air heat exchanger through additional heating cartridges does not operate in an energy efficient manner because a portion of the heat energy that is introduced escapes without making the frozen condensate melt. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Thus it is an object of the invention to provide a heat exchanger arrangement which does not require an excessive amount of material, which is energy efficient and which is furthermore configured in a maintenance friendly manner. 
         [0009]    The object is achieved according to the invention through a heat exchanger arrangement according to patent claim  1 . Further embodiments of the invention are provided in the dependent claims. 
         [0010]    According to the invention, the object is achieved in particular through a heat exchanger arrangement which includes an air heat exchanger which is arranged in a thermally insulated housing chamber. The air heat exchanger furthermore includes a defrosting device and furthermore a fan for feeding air is provided in the housing chamber. The housing chamber forms a portion of the air flow cavity and is segmented through the air heat exchanger into an inflow cavity and an outflow cavity with respect to the heat transfer. 
         [0011]    It is a particularity of the air heat exchanger according to the invention that the air heat exchanger has adjustable flaps which are arranged on an air inlet side and on an air outlet side so that the airflow path through the air heat exchanger is configured so that it can be regulated and cut off. 
         [0012]    According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flaps of the air heat exchanger are configured thermally insulated. It is appreciated that the flaps have a double function since they are used on the one hand side for air deflection during cooling operation of the heat exchanger arrangement and on the other hand side for thermal insulation of the air heat exchanger during defrosting operation in order to provide efficient defrosting. Thus, the overall energy efficiency of the air conditioning component is increased. 
         [0013]    The housing chamber according to an advantageous embodiment includes a walk on base plate which is configured air permeable in the portion of the inflow cavity in order to provide an intake portion for the housing chamber. 
         [0014]    The fan is preferably arranged in the outflow cavity of the housing chamber, so that the air flow moves through the intake portion in the walkable base plate into the inflow cavity of the housing. Air is ducted through the air heat exchanger into the outflow cavity of the housing to the intake portion of the fan. Thus, the fan is arranged on the base plate according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention and can be directly connected with an air duct on the pressure side. 
         [0015]    In order to be able to inspect, maintain and repair the heat exchanger arrangement, an inspection door is provided in the housing chamber. Furthermore, a defrosting device with a condensate drain is advantageously provided at the air heat exchanger. One of the options to heat the defrosting device is to integrate the heating rods into the air heat exchanger. The defrosting device with the condensate drain can be reached through the inspection door. 
         [0016]    It is a particularity of the configuration that the housing chamber is configured from a base frame at which insulating material elements are arranged. 
         [0017]    According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, supports configured as hanging rods are attached at the base frame so that the housing chamber can be mounted hanging off a ceiling in a building. Certainly the heat exchanger arrangement can also stand on a suitable base depending on the configuration of the building. 
         [0018]    The airflow direction when entering into the housing and exiting from the housing chamber is advantageously configured parallel and vertical. On the other hand side, the air flow direction through the air heat exchanger is horizontal, wherein the two flaps of the air heat exchanger can be positioned so that they cause the air routing, the air deflection and the air volume dosing during air entry and air exit. Thus, it is advantageous to configure the flaps so that they are driven by suitable motors and movable. 
         [0019]    Thus, the flap position can be tied into the control and regulation concept of the arrangement during operations of the air conditioning arrangement and an optimum air distribution and optimum defrosting properties are achieved. 
         [0020]    The flaps are thus configured so that they can be positioned in an advantageous manner so that they thermally insulate the air heat exchanger towards the outside so that the air inlet side and the air outlet side of the air heat exchanger are completely covered. This facilitates that the heat exchanger is insulated towards the outside during defrosting so that the heating energy which is introduced into the air heat exchanger through the defrosting device for defrosting can be used for the defrosting process almost in its entirety. 
         [0021]    The advantages of the heat exchanger arrangement according to the invention include the simple configuration and integration of the air heat exchanger and the heat exchanger arrangement into the air conditioning arrangement, wherein good maintainability and reparability can be obtained. It is appreciated in particular that the heating energy for defrosting the heat exchanger is used with much higher efficiency compared to known configurations and thus the energy consumption for defrosting is significantly reduced. Another advantage of using plates that define the air path is that no humidity can leave the heat exchanger as vapor during defrosting and thus the moisture leaves the heat exchanger arrangement completely as a liquid over the drain of the defrosting device. Thus, the condensate that is accumulated in the heat exchanger is effectively removed from the air cycle and does not impact the subsequent fan and the adjacent ventilation cavities during defrosting as a vapor or as moisture. 
         [0022]    Furthermore, less material is required for the heat exchanger arrangement, the component and thus the entire arrangement can be implemented lighter and with less material consumption which impacts the statics of the entire arrangement and the integration of an air conditioning arrangement in a building in a positive manner. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]    Further details features and advantages of the invention can be derived from the subsequent description of advantageous embodiments with reference to the associated drawing figure, wherein: 
           [0024]      FIG. 1  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a heat exchanger arrangement according to the invention; and 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  illustrates a three-dimensional view of the heat exchanger arrangement according to the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]      FIG. 1  illustrates a heat exchanger arrangement  1  in a sectional view. The heat exchanger arrangement  1  substantially includes a housing  3  in which the air heat exchanger  2  can be arranged. The housing  3  itself is closed in downward direction through a base plate  8 . The housing  3  is configured thermally insulated on a side and in upward direction. It is a particularity of the configuration that the housing  3  due to the size of the air heat exchanger  2  as a walkable cell is configured as a component of the air conditioning arrangement. For this purpose, an inspection door  9  that is illustrated in  FIG. 2  is provided in the housing. 
         [0027]    The configuration of the housing chamber  3  in the illustrated embodiment includes a base frame and insulation elements arranged at the base frame. Furthermore, supports  7  configured as hanging rods are provided at the base frame, which facilitates arranging the entire heat exchanger arrangement  1  in a hanging manner at a building. This way volumes of the building can be used which are otherwise difficult to use. 
         [0028]    The air heat exchanger  2  segments the housing chamber  3  into an inflow cavity  11  and an outflow cavity  12  for the air to be conditioned, wherein the flow direction  6  is schematically illustrated with arrows. 
         [0029]    Through the segmentation of the housing chamber  3  into the two flow cavities  11 ,  12 , the housing chamber  3  itself becomes an element of the flow control device of the air conditioning arrangement. The air heat exchanger  2  includes motor adjustable flaps  4  extending over portions of the air entry opening and the air exit opening. Through the flaps  4 , the air flow path of the air heat exchanger  2  can be completely closed so that a flow through of the heat exchanger  2  with air can be substantially reduced or excluded. This is particularly significant for a defrosting process for the air heat exchanger  2 . In this operating condition, the flaps  4  are closed and the air flow path through the heat exchanger  2  is completely blocked. This prevents that the air heat exchanger  2  is flowed through by air during the defrosting process and thus heat and moisture are transported out of the heat exchanger with the air. This also substantially assures that the heating energy that is introduced into the heat exchanger  2  through the defrosting device  10  during the defrosting process is mostly usable for defrosting the frozen condensate which substantially improves the energy efficiency of the arrangement. 
         [0030]    For further improvement of the energy efficiency, the flaps  4  are thermally insulated or configured as insulation elements themselves. The defrosting device  10  includes a heating device, in the illustrated embodiment these are the heating elements which are integrated in the air heat exchanger  2  and a condensate drain pan through which the melting condensate is removed in a controlled manner during the defrosting process. 
         [0031]    The base plate  8  of the housing  3  supports the air heat exchanger  2  and the fan  5 . Thus, the fan  5  is horizontally arranged on the base plate  8  and feeds air through a recess in the base plate  8  into the air duct  13  that is indicated in  FIG. 1 , wherein the cooled air is used or distributed further in the air conditioning arrangement through the air duct  13 . 
         [0032]    The fan  5  is placed in the outflow cavity  12  in the illustrated embodiment of the heat exchanger arrangement  1 . The base plate  8  includes openings in the portion of the inflow cavity  11  which openings are configured as a hatched intake portion for the housing  3 , wherein air can flow through the intake portion from below into the housing chamber  3 . The air flow direction  6  indicates the air flow in  FIG. 1  through the arrows. The air to be cooled thus enters the housing chamber  3  in the inflow cavity  11  through the grid openings in the base plate  8 , the air is deflected through the flap  4  in the inflow cavity  11  and is deflected again through the heat exchanger  2  by the flap  4  arranged and positioned in the outflow cavity  12 , is sucked in by the fan  5 , compressed and fed in downward direction through the base plate  8  into the air duct  13 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 2  illustrates the perspective view of the heat exchanger arrangement  1 . It is illustrated that, depending on the size of the air heat exchanger  2  in longitudinal direction, also plural fans  5  can be arranged. In the illustrated embodiment, two fans  5  are provided. 
         [0034]    It is a particular advantage of the heat exchanger arrangement  1  that the air heat exchanger  2  segments the flow cavity for the air within the chamber so that a mixing of air from the inflow cavity  11  and the outflow cavity  12  is substantially prevented. Thus, an efficient operation of the heat exchanger arrangement  1  is facilitated and inefficient mixing of cooled and non-cooled air is not provided. 
         [0035]    Other advantages are that the fans  5  are arranged so that they are disposed at an optimum angle relative to the air inlet and outlet and a separation between negative pressure side and positive pressure side in the cell is provided. 
         [0036]    It is furthermore particularly advantageous that no fan heaters are required and the position of the fans can be configured so that a direct forwarding of the cooled air can be provided without additional deflection and thus with minimum flow losses towards the air duct of the building or into the subsequent air channels. 
         [0037]    The dimensions of the housing chamber and of the inspection door  9  substantially facilitate inspections or repairs of the heat exchanger arrangement  1 . 
         [0038]    This also means that the heating device that is required for the defrosting of the heat exchanger  2  within the defrosting device in a packet and the condensate drain pan are reachable in an uncomplicated manner in this arrangement through the inspection door  9 . 
         [0039]    Through the proposed configuration, it is possible overall to reduce the weight of the heat exchanger arrangement  1  that is configured as a component of an air conditioning arrangement by approximately 15% over known configurations. 
       REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS 
       [0000]    
       
         
           
               1  Heat exchanger arrangement 
               2  Air heat exchanger 
               3  Housing 
               4  Flap 
               5  Fan 
               6  Air flow direction 
               7  Support 
               8  Base plate of the housing 
               9  Inspection door 
               10  Defrosting device 
               11  Inflow cavity 
               12  Outflow cavity 
               13  Air duct