TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] Embodiments of this application relate to heat exchanger technologies, and in particular,
to a heat exchange plate and a heat exchanger including the heat exchange plate.
BACKGROUND
[0003] With the development of artificial intelligence technologies and the advent of the
big data era, data centers need to process a surge of data, and devices used for data
processing release more heat energy. How to reduce heat of a data center becomes a
problem that urgently needs to be resolved.
[0004] In a conventional technology, a plate heat exchanger is usually used to implement
exchange between a hot air flow released by a device in a data center and an external
cold air flow. In the plate heat exchanger, surface characteristics (for example,
a surface pattern and pattern arrangement) of a heat exchange plate affect heat exchange
efficiency of air passages on two sides of the heat exchanger.
[0005] In a related technology, convex hull structures are usually formed on a surface of
the heat exchange plate to increase a heat transfer coefficient of the heat exchange
plate. The convex hull structures usually include vertical-bar-shaped convex hulls
or circular convex hulls arranged in an array. The convex hull structures are usually
arranged in a sparse or dense manner. When the convex hull structures are arranged
in a sparse arrangement manner, air flow distribution is usually uneven, and a utilization
rate of the heat exchange plate is reduced. When the convex hull structures are arranged
in the dense manner, flow resistance of air flows is increased, and consequently,
a flow speed of the air flows is reduced. Further, flow efficiency is reduced. In
conclusion, how to improve heat exchange efficiency of a heat exchanger for air flows
becomes a problem.
SUMMARY
[0006] According to a heat exchange plate provided in this application, heat exchange efficiency
of the heat exchange plate for air flows can be improved by disposing first flow guiders
or a combination of the first flow guiders and second flow guiders.
[0007] To resolve the foregoing technical problems, the following technical solutions are
used in this application.
[0008] According to a first aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a heat exchange
plate, including: a base board, where the base board includes a first edge along a
first direction and a second edge along a second direction, and the first direction
and the second direction are different directions; first flow guiders, where the first
flow guiders are disposed on the base board, and are configured to guide flowing of
air flows, where a plurality of the first flow guiders are arranged along the first
direction at intervals into one column, and a plurality of columns of the first flow
guiders are arranged along the second direction at intervals; and supporting structures,
where the supporting structures are disposed on the base board, the supporting structures
extend along the first direction, and the supporting structures and each column of
the first flow guiders are arranged alternately along the second direction at intervals.
[0009] According to the heat exchange plate provided in this application, by forming the
first flow guiders and the supporting structures on a surface of the base board, air
passing through a heat exchanger can be guided, so that air flows flow along a flow
guide direction. In addition, the heat exchange plate can be further evenly separated
into a plurality of cavities, so that the air flows can be evenly limited in the cavities,
to avoid uneven distribution of the air flows on the heat exchange plate, and improve
a utilization rate of the heat exchange plate, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency.
[0010] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the heat exchange
plate further includes second flow guiders disposed on the base board; and the first
flow guiders and the second flow guiders are arranged along the first direction at
intervals into one column, to form a plurality of columns of flow guider groups arranged
along the second direction, where location arrangements of the first flow guiders
and the second flow guiders in each column of the flow guider groups are the same.
[0011] According to the heat exchange plate shown in this application, the flow guider groups
including the first flow guiders and the second flow guiders are disposed, so that
the air flows can form vortexes at some positions of the heat exchange plate, thereby
increasing a contact area between the air flows and the heat exchange plate. In this
way, heat exchange between the air flows and the heat exchange plate can be performed
sufficiently, thereby improving an air flow exchange effect.
[0012] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, along the second
direction, the flow guider groups are axis-symmetrically arranged in pairs; and in
the flow guider groups in pairs, first flow guiders and second flow guiders in one
column of the flow guider groups extend along a third direction, and first flow guiders
and second flow guiders in the other column of the flow guider groups extend along
a fourth direction, and the first direction, the second direction, the third direction,
and the fourth direction are different directions.
[0013] In this application, the flow guider groups are axis-symmetrically arranged in pairs,
so that the air flows can flow along a same direction, to avoid uneven distribution
of the air flows in flow passages and between third convex hulls caused by the air
flows flowing along a plurality of directions, thereby improving evenness of air flow
distribution, and further improving a heat exchange effect.
[0014] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the flow guider
groups in pairs and the supporting structures are arranged alternately along the second
direction at intervals.
[0015] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the heat exchange
plate further includes third flow guiders disposed on the base board; and the first
flow guiders and the third flow guiders are arranged along the first direction at
intervals into one column, to form a plurality of columns of flow guider groups arranged
along the second direction, where location arrangements of the first flow guiders
and the second flow guiders in adjacent columns of the flow guider groups are different.
[0016] According to the heat exchange plate shown in this application, the flow guider groups
including the first flow guiders and the third flow guiders are disposed, so that
the air flows can form vortexes when flowing through gaps between the convex hulls,
to increase the contact area between the air flows and the heat exchange plate, thereby
improving the heat exchange efficiency.
[0017] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the first flow
guiders extend along the first direction, the third flow guiders extend along a third
direction, and the first direction and the third direction are different directions.
[0018] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the first flow
guiders and the supporting structures separately protrude toward different surfaces
of the base board.
[0019] In this application, the first flow guiders and the supporting structures separately
protrude toward different surfaces of the base board, so that the air flows can exchange
heat on two surfaces of the heat exchange plate, thereby reducing a quantity of heat
exchange plates required in the heat exchanger, and reducing manufacturing costs of
the heat exchanger.
[0020] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, a reinforcing structure
is connected between every two of the first flow guiders arranged at intervals.
[0021] The reinforcing structure is disposed between every two flow guiders, so that the
first flow guiders are more stable. This helps improve stability of the heat exchange
plate, and further helps improve heat exchange performance of the heat exchange plate.
[0022] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, positioning bosses
are further disposed on the base board.
[0023] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the heat exchange
plate further includes a plurality of positioning bosses configured to assemble the
heat exchange plate with an adjacent heat exchange plate, and the plurality of positioning
bosses are disposed on the base board.
[0024] In this application, the positioning bosses are disposed on the base board, so that
assembly between the heat exchange plates can be facilitated, thereby further improving
stability between the heat exchange plates, and making the heat exchanger more secure.
[0025] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, a pattern formed
by an orthographic projection of the first flow guider onto the base board includes
at least one of the following: a circle, an oval, a water drop, a strip, and a triangle.
[0026] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the base board,
the first flow guiders, and the supporting structures are integrally formed; and a
material forming the heat exchange plate includes at least one of the following: a
metal material and a non-metal material.
[0027] According to a second aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a heat exchanger,
including a plurality of heat exchange plates according to the first aspect.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0028] To describe the technical solutions in embodiments of this application more clearly,
the following briefly describes the accompanying drawings for describing embodiments
of this application. It is clear that the accompanying drawings in the following description
show merely some embodiments of this application, and a person of ordinary skill in
the art may derive other drawings from these accompanying drawings without creative
efforts.
FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b are schematic diagrams of structures of two heat exchange plates
in a conventional technology;
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a surface structure of a heat exchange plate according
to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the heat exchange plate shown in FIG. 2 according
to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 4 is another cross-sectional view of the heat exchange plate shown in FIG. 2
according to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 5 is another schematic diagram of a surface structure of a heat exchange plate
according to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a pattern formed by an orthographic projection of
a convex hull onto a base board according to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an oval convex hull according to an
embodiment of this application;
FIG. 8 is another schematic diagram of a surface structure of a heat exchange plate
according to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 9a is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of a third convex hull according to
an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 9b is a schematic sectional structural view of a third convex hull according
to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 10 is another schematic diagram of a surface structure of a heat exchange plate
according to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 11 is another schematic diagram of a surface structure of a heat exchange plate
according to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 12 is another schematic diagram of a surface structure of a heat exchange plate
according to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 13 is another schematic diagram of a surface structure of a heat exchange plate
according to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 14 is another schematic diagram of a surface structure of a heat exchange plate
according to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a heat exchanger according to an
embodiment of this application;
FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a relative position between heat exchange plates
in a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 17(a) is a cross-sectional view of a heat exchange plate 161 shown in FIG. 16
along a position bb' according to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 17(b) is a cross-sectional view of a heat exchange plate 162 shown in FIG. 16
along a position cc' according to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 17(c) is a schematic diagram of assembly between two heat exchange plates according
to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 17(d) is a schematic diagram of assembly between four heat exchange plates according
to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 18(a) is another cross-sectional view of the heat exchange plate 161 shown in
FIG. 16 along a position bb' according to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 18(b) is another cross-sectional view of the heat exchange plate 162 shown in
FIG. 16 along a position cc' according to an embodiment of this application;
FIG. 18(c) is a schematic diagram of assembly between two heat exchange plates according
to an embodiment of this application; and
FIG. 18(d) is a schematic diagram of assembly between four heat exchange plates according
to an embodiment of this application.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0029] The following clearly and completely describes the technical solutions in embodiments
of this application with reference to the accompanying drawings in embodiments of
this application. It is clear that the described embodiments are some but not all
of embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by a person of
ordinary skill in the art based on embodiments of this application without creative
efforts shall fall within the protection scope of this application.
[0030] "First", "second", or the like mentioned in this specification does not indicate
any order, quantity, or importance, but is used only for distinguishing between different
components. Likewise, "a/an", "one", or the like does not indicate a quantity limitation
either, but is intended to indicate that at least one exists. "Connection", "link",
or the like is not limited to a physical or mechanical connection, but may include
an electrical connection, whether directly or indirectly.
[0031] "Unit" mentioned herein is usually a functional structure that is divided based on
logic, and the "unit" may be implemented only by hardware, or implemented by a combination
of hardware and software.
[0032] In embodiments of this application, the term "and/or" describes an association relationship
between associated objects, and represents that three relationships may exist. For
example, A and/or B may represent the following three cases: only A exists, both A
and B exist, and only B exists.
[0033] In addition, in embodiments of this application, the word "example" or "for example"
is used to represent giving an example, an illustration, or a description. Any embodiment
or design scheme described as an "example" or "for example" in embodiments of this
application should not be explained as being more preferred or having more advantageous
than another embodiment or design scheme. Exactly, use of the word such as "example"
or "for example" is intended to present a related concept in a specific manner.
[0034] In the description of embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a
plurality of' means two or more than two. For example, a plurality of processing units
are two or more processing units. A plurality of systems are two or more systems.
[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer,
the following clearly and completely describes the technical solutions in this application
with reference to the accompanying drawings in this application. It is clear that
the described embodiments are merely a part rather than all of embodiments of this
application. All other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art
based on embodiments of this application without creative efforts shall fall within
the protection scope of this application.
[0036] FIG. 1a is a schematic diagram of a surface structure of a heat exchange plate in
a conventional technology. As shown in FIG. 1a, the heat exchange plate in the conventional
technology includes elongated convex hulls 101 and convex hulls 102 that are arranged
in a crisscross manner. The convex hulls 101 form protrusions on a first surface S1
shown in FIG. 1a, and form recesses in a second surface opposite to the first surface
S1. The convex hulls 102 form recesses in the first surface S1 shown in FIG. 1a, and
form protrusions on the second surface opposite to the first surface S1. It can be
learned from FIG. 1a that, the elongated convex hulls 101 and 102 are arranged densely.
The densely arranged convex hulls can enable heat exchange to be performed sufficiently
between air flows and the heat exchange plate, to increase a heat transfer coefficient
of the heat exchange plate. However, because the convex hulls are arranged densely,
flow resistance of the air flows greatly increases, further limiting a fluid flow
speed. Consequently, an air flow heat exchange speed of a data center is reduced.
[0037] FIG. 1b is a schematic diagram of a surface structure of another heat exchange plate
in the conventional technology. As shown in FIG. 1b, a surface of the heat exchange
plate includes a plurality of circular convex hulls arranged in an array. It can be
learned from FIG. 1b that, there are large intervals between rows or columns of the
convex hulls. The surface of the heat exchange plate is usually designed with convex
hulls of this shape, so that the fluid flow speed can be increased. However, sparse
convex hulls reduce a heat transfer coefficient of the surface of the heat exchange
plate. Consequently, heat exchange efficiency between cold air flows and hot air flows
is reduced.
[0038] Based on problems of the surface structures of the foregoing existing heat exchange
plates, this application provides a heat exchange plate and a heat exchanger including
the heat exchange plate. Air flows are guided by disposed first flow guiders and supporting
structures, to improve heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger, and reduce
air flow resistance.
[0039] It should be noted first that, the flow guider in this application may include one
convex hull (for example, a convex hull 2011 shown in FIG. 2 or a convex hull 20131
shown in FIG. 8), or may further include a plurality of convex hulls (for example,
a flow guider 201 shown in FIG. 2) along a second direction in embodiments shown in
FIG. 2, FIG. 5, and FIG. 14, or may include a pair of convex hulls (for example, a
third convex hull 2013 shown in FIG. 8) along a first direction in embodiments shown
in FIG. 8, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, and FIG. 12, or may include a plurality of convex hull
pairs (for example, a flow guider 201 shown in FIG. 8) along a second direction in
embodiments shown in FIG. 8, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, and FIG. 12.
[0040] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a surface structure of a heat exchange plate according
to an embodiment of this application. In FIG. 2, the heat exchange plate 20 includes
a base board 21 and flow guiders 201 and supporting structures 202 that are formed
on the base board 21.
[0041] The base board 21 includes a first edge B1 and a second edge B2 that are along a
first direction x and a third edge B3 and a fourth edge B4 that are along a second
direction y. The first direction x is a horizontal direction, and the second direction
y is a vertical direction. The base board 21 further includes a first surface S1 and
a second surface opposite to the first surface S1. The second surface is not shown
in FIG. 2.
[0042] The flow guider 201 includes a plurality of convex hulls 2011 arranged along the
second direction y at intervals. Specifically, a pattern formed by an orthographic
projection of the convex hull 2011 onto the base board 21 may include but not limited
to an oval, a water drop, a strip, and a triangle. The plurality of convex hulls 2011
may have same or different shapes, or may have same or different sizes. FIG. 2 schematically
shows a case in which the pattern formed by the orthographic projection of the convex
hull 2011 onto the base board 21 is an oval.
[0043] The supporting structure 202 extends along the second direction y. Herein, the supporting
structures may alternatively be referred to as supporting convex hulls because the
supporting structures protrude outwards relative to the base board 21. It can be learned
from FIG. 2 that, the supporting structure extends from a side on which the first
edge B1 is located to a side on which the second edge B2 is located. By setting the
supporting structure 202 into a shape shown in FIG. 2, structural strength of a heat
exchanger formed by stacking and assembling a plurality of heat exchange plates 20
can be increased.
[0044] It should be noted herein that, along the second direction y, the supporting structure
may alternatively be a plurality of elongated convex hulls arranged at intervals,
and an arrangement manner of the plurality of elongated convex hulls included in the
supporting structure may be the same as an arrangement manner of the convex hulls
in the flow guider 201. In other words, the supporting structure 202 shown in FIG.
2 is divided into three to five sections, and a gap is disposed between every two
of the sections. The supporting structure in this case is not shown again in the figure.
[0045] In the heat exchange plate 20 shown in FIG. 2, the flow guiders 201 including a plurality
of convex hulls 2011 arranged at intervals and the supporting structures 202 including
supporting convex hulls are disposed alternately along the first direction x at intervals.
Intervals between the flow guiders along the first direction x may be equal. In this
way, the heat exchange plate is evenly separated into a plurality of cavities. Usually,
the side on which the second edge B2 of the heat exchange plate 20 is located is an
air inlet, and external air flows flow from the side of B2 to the side of B1. By disposing
the supporting structures 202, the air flows can be evenly limited in the cavities,
to avoid uneven distribution of the air flows on the heat exchange plate, and improve
a utilization rate of the heat exchange plate, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency.
[0046] In the heat exchange plate 20 shown in FIG. 2, the flow guiders 201 and the supporting
structures 202 may be formed on a same surface, for example, on the first surface
S1. In other words, the convex hulls of the flow guiders 201 and the convex hulls
of the supporting structures 202 protrude toward a same direction. FIG. 3 shows a
cross-sectional view of the heat exchange plate 20 along AA'.
[0047] In a possible implementation, the flow guiders 201 and the supporting structures
202 may be formed on different surfaces. For example, the flow guiders 201 are formed
on a second surface S2, and the supporting structures 202 are formed on the first
surface S1. FIG. 4 schematically shows another cross-sectional view of the heat exchange
plate 20 along AA'.
[0048] In this embodiment, the base board 21, the flow guiders 201, and the supporting structures
202 may be integrally formed. In other words, the base board 21, the flow guiders
201, and the supporting structures 202 are made of a same material. Herein, the material
that forms the heat exchange plate 20 may be a metal material, or may be a non-metal
material. The metal material includes but is not limited to: aluminum, copper, and
an alloy material (for example, an aluminum alloy) obtained by mixing various metal
materials based on a specific proportion. The non-metal material includes but is not
limited to PP (Polypropylene, polypropylene), PVC (Polyvinylchlorid, polyvinylchlorid),
PS (Polystyrene, polystyrene), PC (Polycarbonate, polycarbonate), and a material obtained
by mixing various non-metal materials based on a proportion.
[0049] Because the metal material has high hardness, a height of outward protrusion of the
formed convex hulls is limited. Usually, in a process of assembling heat exchange
plates made of a metal material into a heat exchanger, a large interval is usually
provided between every two heat exchange plates, the interval is usually greater than
the height of outward protrusion of the convex hulls, and is usually twice the height
of outward protrusion of the convex hulls. Therefore, preferably, when the heat exchange
plate is made of a metal material, a structure in the cross-sectional view shown in
FIG. 4, namely, the structure in which the flow guiders 201 are disposed on the second
surface S2 and the supporting structures 202 are disposed on the first surface S1,
may be preferentially selected. In this way, the structure shown in FIG. 4 may enable
the interval between every two heat exchange plates to be approximately twice the
height of outward protrusion of the convex hulls. In addition, because both the two
surfaces of the heat exchange plate have flow guide structures, outdoor fresh air
and indoor hot air can exchange heat alternately on the two surfaces of the heat exchange
plate, so that a quantity of heat exchange plates required in the heat exchanger is
reduced, and manufacturing costs of the heat exchanger are reduced.
[0050] The non-metal materials PP, PVC, PS, PC, and the like are all polymer materials,
and have characteristics of low hardness and high flexibility compared with metal
materials. Therefore, convex hulls formed by using the non-metal materials may have
a large thickness of protrusion. Therefore, preferably, when the heat exchange plate
is made of a non-metal material, the structure in the cross-sectional view shown in
FIG. 3 may be used. To be specific, the flow guiders 201 and the supporting structures
202 are disposed on the first surface S1 shown in FIG. 3. The structure shown in FIG.
3 may enable the interval between every two heat exchange plates to be approximately
the height of outward protrusion of the convex hulls. In this way, the flow guiders
201 and the supporting structures 202 of the heat exchange plate 20 are more stable.
[0051] In some optional implementations, when the heat exchange plate is manufactured by
using a non-metal material, to further improve stability of the heat exchange plate
20, reinforcing structures for connecting the convex hulls 2011 of the flow guiders
201 may be disposed between the convex hulls 2011, where the reinforcing structures
are convex hulls 2012. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a surface structure of another
heat exchange plate 20 according to an embodiment of this application. A projection
of the convex hull 2012 onto a base board 21 is elongated. Herein, the convex hulls
2012 have a supporting function for the convex hulls 2011. By disposing the convex
hulls 2012, the convex hulls 2011 are more stable. This helps improve stability of
the heat exchange plate 20, and further helps improve heat exchange performance of
the heat exchange plate. Herein, to minimize fluid resistance of the heat exchange
plate 20, a width of the convex hull 2012 along a first direction x may be less than
or equal to a width of the convex hull 2011 along the first direction x, as shown
in FIG. 5. Herein, a ratio of the width of the convex hull 2012 along the first direction
x to the width of the convex hull 2011 along the first direction x may be within a
range of [0.2, 1].
[0052] In some optional implementations, when the heat exchange plate with the cross-sectional
structure shown in FIG. 3 is manufactured by using a non-metal material, flow guiders
are formed only on one surface of the heat exchange plate 20, namely, single-surface
convection heat exchange is performed on the heat exchange plate 20. Therefore, to
improve a heat exchange effect of a heat exchanger, several more heat exchange plates
are usually added
[0053] (for example, a quantity of heat exchange plates is doubled) compared with a structure
in which flow guiders are formed on two surfaces. In this case, to further improve
stability between the heat exchange plates and make the heat exchange plates more
secure, bosses 203 may be disposed on the heat exchange plate 20, as shown in FIG.
5. The bosses 203 are disposed on the base board 21. In FIG. 5, the bosses 203 may
be disposed at positions shown in FIG. 5. It should be noted that a quantity of the
bosses 203 is not fixed, and is set based on a requirement of an application scenario.
For example, in some embodiments, the heat exchange plate may include four bosses,
and the four bosses may be bosses at four positions: an upper left corner, a lower
left corner, an upper right corner, and a lower right corner, as shown in FIG. 5.
[0054] Optionally, the bosses 203 may be disposed on the supporting structures 202.
[0055] The bosses 203 on the heat exchange plate 20 are usually configured to position and
assemble the heat exchange plate 20 with an adjacent heat exchange plate 20. On the
other surface on which no boss 203 is disposed and that is of the heat exchange plate
20, grooves are further provided at positions the same as the positions of the bosses
203. In a process of assembling the heat exchange plates 20, bosses 203 of a first
heat exchange plate are embedded into grooves of a second heat exchange plate adjacent
to the first heat exchange plate. Usually, a depth of the groove may be one third
to one half of a thickness of the base board, so that the bosses 203 of the first
heat exchange plate and bosses 203 of the second heat exchange plate press against
each other. A height of unembedded parts of the bosses 203 is the same as a height
of outward protrusion of the convex hulls 2011. Therefore, preferably, a height of
outward protrusion of the bosses 203 may be a sum of the height of outward protrusion
of the convex hulls 2011 and the depth of the grooves.
[0056] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, a thickness of the convex hull
2011 gradually increases from an edge to the middle. In this optional implementation,
an orthographic projection of the convex hull 2011 onto the base board 21 is in shapes
shown in FIG. 6. It can be learned from FIG. 6 that, the pattern formed by the orthographic
projection of the convex hull 2011 onto the base board 21 is nesting of two same shapes.
[0057] A structure of the convex hull 2011 in a projection shape shown in FIG. 6 is specifically
described with reference to FIG. 7 by using an oval convex hull as an example. FIG.
7 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an oval convex hull. The oval convex hull
includes a first surface a1 and a second surface a2, where the first surface a1 is
attached to a first surface S1 of the base board 21, and the second surface a2 is
a convex surface. Boundaries of the first surface a1 and the second surface a2 are
both ovals having different sizes and same or similar shapes. In other words, the
first surface and the second surface have a same shape. It can be learned from FIG.
6 and FIG. 7 that, the oval convex hull gradually protrudes from a bottom part to
a top part, so that a cross-sectional view of the oval convex hull is in a shape of
a trapezium. In other words, orthographic projections of the surface a1 and the surface
a2 onto the base board 21 are similar ovals, and the two ovals have a same axis center,
and a long axis of the oval of the surface a1 is greater than a long axis of the oval
of the surface a2. By setting the convex hull into this shape, flow resistance of
air flows can be reduced and a fluid heat exchange speed can be increased.
[0058] Structures of an elongated convex hull and a water-drop-shaped convex hull are similar
to the structure of the oval convex hull, except that shapes of boundaries surrounding
the first surface and the second surface are different. Details are not described
herein again.
[0059] Continue to refer to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a surface structure
of another heat exchange plate according to an embodiment of this application.
[0060] In FIG. 8, the heat exchange plate 20 includes a base board 21 and flow guiders 201
formed on the base board 21.
[0061] The base board 21 includes a first edge B1 and a second edge B2 that are along a
first direction x and a third edge B3 and a fourth edge B4 that are along a second
direction y. The first direction x is a horizontal direction, and the second direction
y is a vertical direction. The base board 20 further includes a first surface and
a second surface opposite to the first surface.
[0062] The flow guider 201 includes third convex hulls 2013. FIG. 8 schematically shows
that the flow guider 201 includes a column of third convex hulls 2013 along the second
direction y. The third convex hull 2013 includes a convex hull 20131 and a convex
hull 20132. The two convex hulls are separated from each other, as shown in FIG. 9a.
FIG. 9a is an enlarged schematic diagram of the third convex hull 2013. The convex
hull 20131 extends along a third direction m, and the convex hull 20132 extends along
a fourth direction 1. Any two of an extending line along the third direction m, an
extending line along the fourth direction 1, and an extending line along the first
direction x intersect with each other. In this case, a column of convex hulls 20131
arranged along the second direction y may form a flow guider group, and a column of
convex hulls 20132 arranged along the second direction y may form a flow guider group.
[0063] The convex hull 20131 and the convex hull 20132 may have same or different shapes.
Preferably, orthographic projections of the convex hull 20131 and the convex hull
20132 onto the base board 21 may be in an elongated shape shown in FIG. 9a. The convex
hull 20131 and the convex hull 20132 each include two ends, where one end is close
to the first edge B1 of the base board 21 and the other end is close to the second
edge B2 of the base board 21. It can be learned from FIG. 8 and FIG. 9a that, a splay
shape is formed between the convex hull 20131 and the convex hull 20132. To be specific,
on a side close to the first edge B1 of the base board 21, two ends of the convex
hull 20131 and the convex hull 20132 are close to each other, and on a side close
to the second edge B2 of the base board 21, two ends of the convex hull 20131 and
the convex hull 20132 are far away from each other.
[0064] In this embodiment, air flows flow from the second edge B2 of the heat exchange plate
20 to the first edge B1 of the heat exchange plate 20. When the air flows pass through
the third convex hull 2013, because two ends of the convex hull 20131 and the convex
hull 20132 are separated from each other at a position close to the second edge B2
(namely, bottom ends of two convex hulls shown in FIG. 8), the air flows can flow
from the bottom ends more easily. Two ends of the convex hull 20131 and the convex
hull 20132 are close to each other at a position close to the first edge B1 (namely,
top ends of two convex hulls shown in FIG. 8). In this case, when the air flows pass
through the position, because an opening is small, the air flows form vortexes at
this position. To be specific, a contact area between the air flows and the heat exchange
plate is increased. In this way, heat exchange between the air flows and the heat
exchange plate can be performed sufficiently, thereby improving an air flow exchange
effect.
[0065] In some possible implementations, thicknesses of the convex hulls 20131 and the convex
hulls 20132 gradually increase from the position close to the second edge B2 shown
in FIG. 8 to the position far from the second edge B2. To be specific, a cross-sectional
view of the convex hulls 20131 along the direction m and/or a cross-sectional view
of the convex hulls 20132 along the direction 1 present a shape shown in FIG. 9b.
In FIG. 9b, f is the position at which the convex hulls 20131 and the convex hulls
20132 are close to the second edge B2, and f is the position at which the convex hulls
20131 and the convex hulls 20132 are far away from the second edge B2. By setting
different thicknesses for the convex hulls, flow resistance of the air flows in the
convex hulls 20131 and the convex hulls 20132 shown in FIG. 8 can be reduced, thereby
increasing a fluid flow speed.
[0066] In this embodiment, the heat exchange plate 21 includes a plurality of third convex
hulls 2013 arranged along the first direction x and the second direction y at intervals.
In other words, the plurality of third convex hulls 2013 form a third convex hull
array on the base board 21.
[0067] It should be noted herein that, for the third convex hulls 2013 in a same column,
the convex hulls 20131 and the convex hulls 20132 are symmetrical about a same symmetry
axis. For example, for the third convex hulls 2013 in the first column from the left
in FIG. 8, the convex hulls 20131 and the convex hulls 20132 are symmetrically distributed
on two sides of a symmetry axis L shown in FIG. 8. In this way, the air flows can
flow along a same direction, to avoid uneven distribution of the air flows in flow
passages and between the third convex hulls 2013 caused by the air flows flowing along
a plurality of directions, thereby improving evenness of air flow distribution, and
further improving a heat exchange effect.
[0068] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the convex hull 20131 and the
convex hull 20132 included in the third convex hull 2013 may alternatively be in a
shape shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a surface structure of another
heat exchange plate according to an embodiment of this application. In FIG. 10, flow
guiders 201 are arranged along a first direction x at intervals, and the flow guider
201 includes a plurality of third convex hulls 2013 arranged along a second direction
y at intervals. Different from the heat exchange plate shown in FIG. 8, a pattern
formed by a projection of the convex hull 20131 and the convex hull 20132 of the heat
exchange plate 20 shown in FIG. 10 onto the base board 21 may be an oval, a water
drop, or the like. FIG. 10 schematically shows a case in which the pattern is an oval.
In some implementations, the convex hull 20131 and the convex hull 20132 gradually
protrude from edges to the middle, namely, are in shapes of convex hulls shown in
FIG. 6 and FIG. 7.
[0069] By setting the third convex hulls into the shapes shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 10, fluid
resistance can be reduced and a fluid flow speed can be increased when heat exchange
efficiency is ensured.
[0070] In this embodiment, the heat exchange plate 20 may be integrally formed by using
a metal material, or may be integrally formed by using a non-metal material.
[0071] It can be learned from the heat exchange plates 20 shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 10 that,
the convex hull 20131 shown in FIG. 8 is elongated, and compared with the convex hull
20131 shown in FIG. 10, a length of the convex hull 20131 shown in FIG. 8 along the
third direction m is greater than a length of the convex hull 20131 shown in FIG.
10 along the third direction m. Therefore, compared with the shape of the convex hulls
in the heat exchange plate 20 shown in FIG. 10, the convex hulls in the heat exchange
plate 20 shown in FIG. 8 are arranged more densely and securely, and have stronger
bearing force. Therefore, in some implementations, when the heat exchange plate 20
is made of a metal material, because the metal material has high hardness, in this
case, the heat exchange plate may be formed by using the convex hull structures shown
in FIG. 10. In the heat exchange plate shown in FIG. 10, the flow guiders 201 may
be formed on a same surface, for example, on a first surface S1, or may be formed
on different surfaces. In this case, the flow guiders 201 are formed on different
surfaces at intervals. Specifically, in a left-to-right direction shown in FIG. 10,
the third convex hulls 2013 in the first column are formed on the first surface, the
third convex hulls 2013 in the second column are formed on the second surface, the
third convex hulls 2013 in the third column are formed on the first surface, ...,
and so on. Therefore, a quantity of heat exchange plates in a heat exchanger can be
reduced, to reduce costs.
[0072] In some implementations, when the heat exchange plate 20 is made of a non-metal material,
because a polymer material forming the non-metal material has low hardness, in this
case, the heat exchange plate may be formed by using the convex hull structures shown
in FIG. 8. In this case, the flow guiders 201 may be formed on a same surface, to
improve bearing force of the heat exchange plate.
[0073] In some possible implementations, the flow guider 201 may include a combination of
the third convex hulls 2013 shown in FIG. 8 and the third convex hulls 2013 shown
in FIG. 10, as shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is another schematic diagram of a surface
structure of a heat exchange plate according to an embodiment of this application.
In a flow guider 201 shown in FIG. 11, third convex hulls 2013 in the shape shown
in FIG. 8 and third convex hulls 2013 in the shape shown in FIG. 10 are alternately
arranged. In this case, the convex hulls 20131 shown in FIG. 8 and the convex hulls
20131 shown in FIG. 10 form flow guider groups along a second direction y, and the
convex hulls 20132 shown in FIG. 8 and the convex hulls 20132 shown in FIG. 10 form
flow guider groups along the second direction y. It can be learned from FIG. 11 that,
the flow guider groups may be axis-symmetrically arranged in pairs. When the heat
exchange plate is manufactured by using this structure, both heat exchange efficiency
and supporting force of the heat exchange plate can be ensured. The heat exchange
plate of this structure is not only suitable to be manufactured by using a metal material,
but also suitable to be manufactured by using a non-metal material. This may be selected
based on a requirement of an application scenario. For example, this structure may
be used when an air flux is small but to-be-exchanged energy is high.
[0074] In some possible implementations, the heat exchange plate 20 includes a combination
of the flow guiders 201 shown in any one of FIG. 8, FIG. 10, and FIG. 11 and supporting
structures 202. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a surface structure of a heat exchange
plate including a combination of the flow guiders 201 shown in FIG. 11 and the supporting
structures 202. The supporting structure 202 may have a same structure as the supporting
structure 202 shown in FIG. 2. Details are not described herein again. In this way,
air flows may be further limited in a cavity including two supporting structures 202,
so that the air flows are distributed more evenly. In addition, by disposing the supporting
structures 202, the heat exchange plate 20 may further be more stable.
[0075] In some possible implementations, convex hulls 2021 may alternatively be disposed
on the supporting structures 202 shown in FIG. 12, as shown in FIG. 13. A shape of
the convex hull 2021 may be any one shown in FIG. 6. Heat exchange efficiency can
be further improved by disposing the convex hulls 2021 on the supporting structures
202.
[0076] Continue to refer to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a surface structure
of another heat exchange plate according to an embodiment of this application.
[0077] In FIG. 14, the heat exchange plate 20 includes a base board 21 and a plurality of
flow guiders formed on the base board 21.
[0078] The base board 21 includes a first edge B1 and a second edge B2 that are along a
first direction x and a third edge B3 and a fourth edge B4 that are along a second
direction y. The first direction x is a horizontal direction, and the second direction
y is a vertical direction. The base board 20 further includes a first surface S1 and
a second surface opposite to the first surface S1.
[0079] The plurality of flow guiders include flow guiders 201. The flow guider 201 includes
fourth convex hulls 2014 and fifth convex hulls 2015. The fourth convex hull 2014
extends along the second direction y, and the fifth convex hull 2015 extends along
a third direction z. Herein, an extending line of the third direction z intersects
an extending line of the second direction y. Specifically, a range of an included
angle between the third direction z and the second direction y is [-15°, -75°]. A
pattern formed by an orthographic projection of each of the fourth convex hull 2014
and the fifth convex hull 2015 onto the base board 21 may be an oval, a water drop,
a strip, or the like.
[0080] In some implementations, the pattern formed by the orthographic projection of each
of the fourth convex hull 2014 and the fifth convex hull 2015 onto the base board
21 may alternatively be shown in FIG. 6. For a specific structure, refer to related
description corresponding to FIG. 6. Details are not described herein again.
[0081] Still referring to FIG. 14, in FIG. 14, two adjacent convex hulls have different
extending directions along the first direction x. The first row of convex hulls in
FIG. 14 are used as an example. From left to right, the first row of convex hulls
are a fourth convex hull 2014, a fifth convex hull 2015, a fourth convex hull 2014,
..., respectively. In other words, an extending direction of one convex hull is different
from extending directions of both convex hulls adjacent to the convex hull. In this
way, air flows form vortexes when flowing through gaps between convex hulls, to increase
a contact area between the air flows and the heat exchange plate, thereby improving
heat exchange efficiency.
[0082] Further, starting with the 1st flow guider 201 on the left, every two flow guiders
are used as one group, and there is a large distance interval between this group of
flow guiders and an adjacent group of flow guiders, to form an air flow passage. That
is, in FIG. 15, a flow passage is formed between the second first flow guider and
the third first flow guider. In this way, flow resistance of air flows in flow passages
of the heat exchange plate can be reduced, and a flow speed of the air flows can be
increased.
[0083] Based on the heat exchange plates shown in the foregoing embodiments, an embodiment
of this application further provides a heat exchanger. Specifically, FIG. 15 is a
schematic diagram of a structure of a heat exchanger 1500. The heat exchanger 1500
includes supporting members 1502 configured to structurally support the heat exchanger,
barriers 1501 configured to protect heat exchange plates, and a plurality of stacked
heat exchange plates 1503. It can be learned from FIG. 15 that there are a total of
four supporting members 1502 distributed on a periphery of the heat exchanger 1500,
to support the heat exchanger 1500 and form a space for accommodating the heat exchange
plates 1503. The barriers 1501 are disposed opposite to each other on two opposite
surfaces of the heat exchanger 1500. The heat exchange plates can be supported and
protected by disposing the supporting members 1502 and the barriers 1501.
[0084] The plurality of heat exchange plates 1503 shown in FIG. 15 may be the heat exchange
plates shown in any one of the foregoing embodiments.
[0085] The heat exchange plate shown in FIG. 5 is used as an example below, and a manner
of assembling heat exchange plates is described in detail with reference to FIG. 16,
FIG. 17(a) to FIG. 17(c), and FIG. 18(a) to FIG. 18(c). To describe more clearly the
manner of assembling heat exchange plates shown in this application, FIG. 16 schematically
shows two adjacent heat exchange plates. It may be understood that, a quantity of
heat exchange plates included in the heat exchanger is not limited in this application,
and is set based on a requirement of an application scenario.
[0086] As shown in FIG. 16, a schematic diagram of a surface structure of a heat exchange
plate 161 is the same as the schematic diagram of the surface structure of the heat
exchange plate 20 shown in FIG. 5, and a schematic diagram of a surface structure
of a heat exchange plate 162 is rotated to the right by 90 degrees compared with the
schematic diagram of the surface structure of the heat exchange plate 161. In a specific
mounting process of the heat exchanger, positioning bosses 1611, 1612, 1613, 1614,
1615, and 1616 of the heat exchange plate 161 are correspondingly mounted in one-to-one
correspondence with positioning bosses 1621, 1622, 1623, 1624, 1625, and 1626 of the
heat exchange plate 162. In FIG. 16, a first flow guider in the heat exchange plate
161 includes a plurality of convex hulls 1618, and a second flow guider in the heat
exchange plate 161 includes a supporting convex hull 1617; and a first flow guider
in the heat exchange plate 162 includes a plurality of convex hulls 1628, and a second
flow guider in the heat exchange plate 162 includes supporting convex hulls 1627.
[0087] When first flow guiders and second flow guiders in the heat exchange plates are located
on a same surface and protrude toward a same direction, cross-sectional views of the
heat exchange plate 161 and the heat exchange plate 162 are shown in FIG. 17(a) and
FIG. 17(b), respectively. Specifically, FIG. 17(a) is a cross-sectional view of the
heat exchange plate 161 shown in FIG. 16 along a position bb', and FIG. 17(b) is a
cross-sectional view of the heat exchange plate 162 shown in FIG. 16 along a position
cc'. In FIG. 17(a), bosses 1614, 1615, and 1616 are disposed on a first surface S1
of the heat exchange plate 161, and grooves 1619 are provided in a second surface
S2 of the heat exchange plate 161 at positions the same as positions of the bosses
1614, 1615, and 1616. In FIG. 17(b), bosses 1624, 1625, and 1626 are disposed on a
first surface S3 of the heat exchange plate 162, and grooves 1629 are provided in
a second surface S4 of the heat exchange plate 162 at positions the same as positions
of the bosses 1624, 1625, and 1626, where a depth of each of the groove 1619 and the
groove 1629 is less than a thickness of the base board. Optionally, the depth of the
groove may be one third to one half of the thickness of the base board. In a process
of assembling the heat exchange plates, the bosses 1614, 1615, and 1616 disposed on
the first surface S1 of the heat exchange plate 161 are respectively embedded into
the grooves 1629 in the second surface S4 of the heat exchange plate 162. FIG. 17(c)
is a schematic diagram of assembly between two heat exchange plates according to an
embodiment of this application. A height of outward protrusion of the foregoing bosses
is usually a sum of the depth of the grooves and a height of outward protrusion of
the convex hulls 1618. Herein, the convex hulls 1618 and the supporting convex hulls
1617 may have a same height, so that when the bosses 1614, 1615, and 1616 are respectively
embedded into the grooves 1629, convex surfaces of the convex hulls 1618 and the supporting
convex hulls 1617 in the heat exchange plate 161 exactly press against a back surface
of the heat exchange plate 162, to form a plurality of air flow passages, and evenly
limit air flows into the flow passages, so that the air flows are distributed in the
flow passages more evenly. In addition, the heat exchange plates may be further enabled
to support each other, to improve stability and firmness of the heat exchange plates.
It should be noted herein that, other bosses in the heat exchange plate 161 are all
embedded into the grooves in the second surface S4 of the heat exchange plate 162
in the foregoing embedding manner. It may be understood that every two adjacent heat
exchange plates in the heat exchanger 1500 shown in FIG. 15 may be assembled in the
assembly manner shown in FIG. 17(c).
[0088] When the first flow guiders and the second flow guiders in the heat exchange plates
are located on different surfaces, the cross-sectional views of the heat exchange
plate 161 and the heat exchange plate 162 are shown in FIG. 18(a) and FIG. 18(b),
respectively. Specifically, FIG. 18(a) is a cross-sectional view of the heat exchange
plate 161 shown in FIG. 16 along the position bb', and FIG. 18(b) is a cross-sectional
view of the heat exchange plate 162 shown in FIG. 16 along the position cc'. The convex
hulls 1618 are located on the first surface S1 of the heat exchange plate 161, and
the supporting convex hulls 1617 are located on the second surface S2 of the heat
exchange plate 161. The convex hulls 1628 are located on the first surface S3 of the
heat exchange plate 162, and the supporting convex hulls 1627 are located on the second
surface S4 of the heat exchange plate 162. When the cross-sectional views of the heat
exchange plate 161 and the heat exchange plate 162 are shown in FIG. 18(a) and FIG.
18(b), respectively, an assembly manner between the heat exchange plate 161 and the
heat exchange plate 162 is the same as an assembly manner between the cross-sectional
views shown in FIG. 17(a) and FIG. 17(b). For specific description, refer to the related
description of FIG. 17(a) and FIG. 17(b). Details are not described herein again.
A cross-sectional view obtained after the heat exchange plate 161 and the heat exchange
plate 162 are stacked and assembled is shown in FIG. 18(c). It should be noted herein
that the height of outward protrusion of the foregoing bosses is usually a sum of
the depth of the grooves, the height of outward protrusion of the supporting convex
hulls 1617 (or 1627), and the height of outward protrusion of the convex hulls 1618
(or 1628). In this way, after the bosses 1614, 1615, and 1616 are respectively embedded
into the grooves 1629, convex surfaces of the convex hulls 1618 located on the first
surface S1 of the heat exchange plate 161 exactly press against convex surfaces of
the supporting convex hulls 1627 located on the second surface S4 of the heat exchange
plate 162, to form a plurality of air flow passages, and evenly limit air flows into
the flow passages, so that the air flows are distributed in the flow passages more
evenly. In addition, the heat exchange plates may be further enabled to support each
other, to improve stability and firmness of the heat exchange plates. It may be understood
that every two adjacent heat exchange plates in the heat exchanger 1500 shown in FIG.
15 may be assembled in the assembly manner shown in FIG. 18(c).
[0089] It should be noted herein that, when no boss is disposed on the heat exchange plates,
mutually pressing force between the convex hulls in the heat exchange plates may be
used for assembly. This method is a common manner of assembling existing heat exchange
plates. Details are not described herein.
[0090] In FIG. 15, the heat exchanger 1500 includes a first surface T1, a second surface
T2 opposite to the first surface T1, a third surface T3, and a fourth surface T4 opposite
to the third surface that are formed by stacking a plurality of heat exchange plates
1503. The second surface T2 and the fourth surface T4 are not shown. A side on which
the first surface T1 is located is a cold air inlet, a side on which the second surface
T2 is located is an air outlet of hot air obtained after heat exchange of cold air,
a side on which the third surface T3 is located is a hot air inlet, and a side on
which the fourth surface T4 is located is an air outlet of air obtained after heat
exchange and cooling of hot air. An edge B1 of the heat exchange plate 161 shown in
FIG. 16 and an edge B1 of the heat exchange plate 162 shown in FIG. 16 are located
on the side of the first surface T1. An edge B2 of the heat exchange plate 162 and
an edge B2 of the heat exchange plate 162 are located on the side of the second surface
T2. An edge B3 of the heat exchange plate 161 and an edge B3 of the heat exchange
plate 162 are located on the side of the third surface T3. An edge B4 of the heat
exchange plate 161 and an edge B4 of the heat exchange plate 162 are located on the
side of the fourth surface T4.
[0091] When the heat exchanger 1500 shown in FIG. 15 is formed in the assembly manner between
two heat exchange plates that is shown in FIG. 17(c), a heat exchange principle of
the heat exchanger 1500 is described with reference to FIG. 15, FIG. 16, and FIG.
17(a) to FIG. 17(d). FIG. 17(d) is a schematic diagram of a structure of stacking
four heat exchange plates. A structure and an assembly direction of heat exchange
plates d1 and d3 may be the same as a structure and an assembly direction of the heat
exchange plate 162 in FIG. 16, FIG. 17(b), and FIG. 17(c). A structure and an assembly
direction of heat exchange plates d2 and d4 may be the same as a structure and an
assembly direction of the heat exchange plate 161 in FIG. 16, FIG. 17(a), and FIG.
17(c).
[0092] External cold air enters the heat exchanger 1500 from the first surface T1, to be
specific, enters the heat exchanger 1500 from an air flow passage n formed between
the heat exchange plates d1 and d2 shown in FIG. 17(d), and from an air flow passage
n formed between the heat exchange plates d3 and d4 shown in FIG. 17(d). In the heat
exchanger 1500, the external cold air exchanges heat with the heat exchange plates
d1, d2, d3, and d4 in a contact manner, and after performing air flow heat exchange
with air in the air flow passages, the external cold air is converted into hot air,
and the hot air is output from the second surface T2 of the heat exchanger 1500. Hot
air generated by devices in a data center enters the heat exchanger 1500 from the
third surface T3, to be specific, enters the heat exchanger 1500 from an air flow
passage formed between the heat exchange plate d1 shown in FIG. 17(d) and a heat exchange
plate (not shown in the figure) at an upper layer of the heat exchange plate d1, and
from an air flow passage formed between the heat exchange plate d2 and the heat exchange
plate d3 shown in FIG. 17(d) (because the air flow passage is blocked by supporting
convex hulls in FIG. 17(d), the air flow passage is not shown in the figure). In the
heat exchanger 1500, the hot air exchanges heat with the heat exchange plates d1,
d2, and d3 in a contact manner, and after performing air flow heat exchange with air
in the air flow passages, the hot air is converted into cooled air, namely, fresh
air required by the data center, and the fresh air is output from the fourth surface
T4 of the heat exchanger 1500. Therefore, the heat exchanger 1500 implements exchange
between the hot air and the cold air, and reduces an air temperature of the data center.
In other words, air flow passages of the external cold air and the hot air that is
generated by the devices of the data center are separately disposed in different layers,
and the external cold air and the hot air that is generated by the devices of the
data center enter the heat exchanger 1500 by using the air flow passages in the different
layers, and flow out after exchanging heat with the heat exchange plates and the air
in the air flow passages.
[0093] When the heat exchanger 1500 shown in FIG. 15 is formed in the assembly manner between
two heat exchange plates that is shown in FIG. 18(c), a heat exchange principle of
the heat exchanger 1500 is described with reference to FIG. 15, FIG. 16, and FIG.
18(a) to FIG. 18(d). FIG. 18(d) is a schematic diagram of a structure of stacking
four heat exchange plates. A structure and an assembly direction of heat exchange
plates d1 and d3 may be the same as a structure and an assembly direction of the heat
exchange plate 162 in FIG. 16, FIG. 18(b), and FIG. 18(c). A structure and an assembly
direction of heat exchange plates d2 and d4 may be the same as a structure and an
assembly direction of the heat exchange plate 161 in FIG. 16, FIG. 18(a), and FIG.
18(c).
[0094] External cold air enters the heat exchanger 1500 from the first surface T1, to be
specific, enters the heat exchanger 1500 from an air flow passage n formed between
the heat exchange plates d1 and d2 shown in FIG. 18(d), from an air flow passage n
formed between the heat exchange plates d2 and d3 shown in FIG. 18(d), and from an
air flow passage n formed between the heat exchange plates d3 and d4 shown in FIG.
18(d). In the heat exchanger 1500, the external cold air exchanges heat with the heat
exchange plates d1, d2, d3, and d4 in a contact manner, and after performing air flow
heat exchange with air in the air flow passages, the external cold air is converted
into hot air, and the hot air is output from the second surface T2 of the heat exchanger
1500. The hot air generated by the devices in the data center enters the heat exchanger
1500 from the third surface T3, to be specific, enters the heat exchanger 1500 from
the air flow passage formed between the heat exchange plates d1 and d2 shown in FIG.
18(d), from the air flow passage formed between the heat exchange plates d2 and d3
shown in FIG. 18(d), and from the air flow passage formed between the heat exchange
plates d3 and d4 shown in FIG. 18(d) (the air flow passages of the hot air are not
shown in FIG. 18(d)). In the heat exchanger 1500, the hot air exchanges heat with
the heat exchange plates d1, d2, d3, and d4 in a contact manner, and after performing
air flow heat exchange with air in the air flow passages, the hot air is converted
into cooled air, namely, fresh air required by the data center, and the fresh air
is output from the fourth surface T4 of the heat exchanger 1500. Therefore, the heat
exchanger 1500 implements exchange between the hot air and the cold air, and reduces
an air temperature of the data center. In other words, air flow passages of the external
cold air and the hot air that is generated by the devices of the data center may be
disposed in a same layer, and the external cold air and the hot air that is generated
by the devices of the data center may enter the heat exchanger 1500 by using the air
flow passages in the same layer, and flow out after exchanging heat with the heat
exchange plates and the air in the air flow passages.
[0095] The foregoing describes embodiments of this application with reference to the accompanying
drawings. However, this application is not limited to the foregoing specific implementations.
The foregoing specific implementations are merely examples, and are not limitative.
Inspired by this application, a person of ordinary skill in the art may further make
many modifications without departing from the purposes of this application and the
protection scope of the claims, and all the modifications shall fall within the protection
scope of this application.