Heat exchanger unit
A heat exchanger unit according to the present invention includes a sensible heat exchanger including a sensible heat exchange pipe disposed in a sensible heat exchange area for heating water used for heating by receiving sensible heat generated by a combustion reaction, wherein the sensible heat exchange pipe receives the water used for heating and flows same through the interior, and a sensible heat fin disposed in the sensible heat exchange area. The sensible heat fin is formed in a plate shape across the sensible heat exchange pipe and penetrated by the sensible heat exchange pipe; and a latent heat exchanger positioned downstream from the sensible heat exchange area on the basis of a reference direction, which is a flow direction of combustion gas generated during the combustion reaction, the latent heat exchanger including a latent heat exchange pipe disposed in a latent heat exchange area.
1. A heat exchanger unit comprising:
a sensible heat exchanger including a sensible heat exchange pipe disposed in a sensible heat exchange area and configured to receive water and allow the water to flow through the sensible heat exchange pipe and a sensible heat fin disposed in the sensible heat exchange area and formed in a plate shape across the sensible heat exchange pipe such that the sensible heat exchange pipe passes through the sensible heat fin, the sensible heat exchange area being configured to receive sensible heat generated by a combustion reaction and heat the water; and
a latent heat exchanger including a latent heat exchange pipe disposed in a latent heat exchange area and configured to receive the water and allow the water to flow through the latent heat exchange pipe, wherein the latent heat exchange area is located downstream of the sensible heat exchange area with respect to a reference direction that is a flow direction of combustion gas generated during the combustion reaction, the latent heat exchange area being configured to receive latent heat generated during a phase change of the combustion gas and heat the water, and a latent heat fin disposed in the latent heat exchange area and formed in a plate shape across the latent heat exchange pipe such that the latent heat exchange pipe passes through the latent heat fin; and
a housing configured to surround the heat exchange areas to define the heat exchange areas therein,
wherein when a cross-sectional area of the heat exchange area defined on a plane perpendicular to the reference direction is referred to as a reference cross-sectional area and the most upstream side and the most downstream side of the sensible heat exchanger or the latent heat exchanger with respect to the reference direction are referred to as an inlet end and an outlet end, a section in which the reference cross-sectional area is reduced along the reference direction is formed between an inlet end of the sensible heat fin and an outlet end of the sensible heat fin.
2. The heat exchanger unit of claim 1 , wherein the housing is provided such that at a predetermined point on the latent heat exchange area spaced apart from the outlet end of the latent heat exchange pipe in a direction opposite to the reference direction, the combustion gas flows at a speed increased by the section, in which the reference cross-sectional area is reduced, compared to a speed at the inlet end of the sensible heat exchange pipe.
3. The heat exchanger unit of claim 1 , wherein the housing is provided such that a reference cross-sectional area at the most downstream side is smaller than a reference cross-sectional area at the most upstream side with respect to the reference direction.
4. The heat exchanger unit of claim 1 , wherein the housing is provided such that a first section in which the reference cross-sectional area is reduced from the outlet end of the sensible heat exchange pipe toward the inlet end of the latent heat exchange pipe and a second section in which the reference cross-sectional area is maintained between the inlet end of the latent heat exchange pipe and the outlet end of the latent heat exchange pipe are formed.
5. The heat exchanger unit of claim 1 , wherein the sensible heat fin includes a plurality of sensible heat fins, and the latent heat fin includes a plurality of latent heat fins, and
wherein a distance by which two latent heat fins adjacent to each other among the plurality of latent heat fins are spaced apart from each other is longer than a distance by which two sensible heat fins adjacent to each other among the plurality of sensible heat fins are spaced apart from each other.
6. The heat exchanger unit of claim 1 , wherein the latent heat fin includes a plurality of upstream fins located at an upstream side with respect to the reference direction and a plurality of downstream fins located at a downstream side, and
wherein a distance by which two downstream fins adjacent to each other among the plurality of downstream fins are spaced apart from each other is longer than a distance by which two upstream fins adjacent to each other among the plurality of upstream fins are spaced apart from each other.
7. The heat exchanger unit of claim 1 , wherein the sensible heat fin includes a plurality of sensible heat fins and the latent heat fin includes a plurality of latent heat fins,
wherein the plurality of latent heat fins form at least one layer in which latent heat fins located in the same position with respect to the reference direction are disposed, and
wherein the total number of latent heat fins disposed in a layer at the most downstream side with respect to the reference direction is smaller than the total number of sensible heat fins.
8. The heat exchanger unit of claim 1 , wherein the latent heat fin includes, on an end portion at the most downstream side of the latent heat fin with respect to the reference direction, a pointed portion in which a width in a direction perpendicular to the reference direction decreases along the reference direction to collect condensate formed by the phase change of the combustion gas.
9. The heat exchanger unit of claim 1 , wherein the sensible heat exchange pipe includes a plurality of sensible heat straight portions extending along a predetermined direction, the plurality of sensible heat straight portions being arranged to be spaced apart from each other along an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction and configured to form a sensible heat flow passage through which the water flows, and
wherein the latent heat exchange pipe includes a plurality of latent heat straight portions extending along the predetermined direction, the plurality of latent heat straight portions being arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the orthogonal direction and configured to form a latent heat flow passage through which the water flows and that is fluidly connected to the sensible heat flow passage.
10. The heat exchanger unit of claim 9 , wherein the sensible heat flow passage includes a series flow passage in at least a partial section, and
wherein the latent heat flow passage includes a parallel flow passage in at least a partial section.
11. The heat exchanger unit of claim 9 , wherein based on a cross-section depending on a plane perpendicular to the predetermined direction, a cross-sectional area of an interior space of the sensible heat straight portion is larger than a cross-sectional area of an interior space of the latent heat straight portion.
12. The heat exchanger unit of claim 9 , wherein the latent heat straight portion includes an upstream straight portion located at an upstream side with respect to the reference direction and a downstream straight portion located at a downstream side, and
wherein the section in which the reference cross-sectional area is reduced along the reference direction is additionally formed between an outlet end of the upstream straight portion and an inlet end of the downstream straight portion.
13. The heat exchanger unit of claim 12 , wherein based on a cross-section depending on a plane perpendicular to the predetermined direction, a cross-sectional area of an interior space of the downstream straight portion is larger than or equal to a cross-sectional area of an interior space of the upstream straight portion.
14. The heat exchanger unit of claim 9 , wherein based on a cross-section depending on a plane perpendicular to the predetermined direction, an interior space of the sensible heat straight portion and an interior space of the latent heat straight portion have a shape of a long hole extending along the reference direction.
15. The heat exchanger unit of claim 14 , wherein the long hole is formed such that a value obtained by dividing a length in the reference direction by a width in a direction perpendicular to the reference direction equals 2 or more.
16. The heat exchanger unit of claim 9 , wherein an outlet of the sensible heat flow passage and an inlet of the latent heat flow passage are formed in one of side plates configured to form the housing.
17. The heat exchanger unit of claim 9 , further comprising:
a flow passage cap plate including, between the flow passage cap plate and one side plate among side plates configured to form the housing, a flow passage cap having a connection space surrounding an outlet of the latent heat flow passage and an inlet of the sensible heat flow passage to fluidly connect the outlet of the latent heat flow passage exposed outside the one side plate and the inlet of the sensible heat flow passage exposed outside the one side plate.
18. The heat exchanger unit of claim 9 , wherein the number of sensible heat straight portions is smaller than the number of latent heat straight portions.
19. The heat exchanger unit of claim 1 , wherein the sensible heat exchange pipe includes a plurality of sensible heat straight portions extending along a predetermined direction, the plurality of sensible heat straight portions being arranged to be spaced apart from each other along an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction and configured to form a sensible heat flow passage through which the water flows, and wherein based on a cross-section depending on a plane perpendicular to the predetermined direction, an interior space of the sensible heat straight portion has a shape of a long hole extending along the reference direction.