초록 ▼

A heat exchanger comprises a substantially pillar sheathed heater, a substantially cylindrical case, and a spiral spring. The sheathed heater is accommodated in the case. The spring is provided so as to be wound around an outer peripheral surface of the sheathed heater. Thus, a spiral flow path is f

A heat exchanger comprises a substantially pillar sheathed heater, a substantially cylindrical case, and a spiral spring. The sheathed heater is accommodated in the case. The spring is provided so as to be wound around an outer peripheral surface of the sheathed heater. Thus, a spiral flow path is formed among an outer peripheral surface of the sheathed heater, an inner peripheral surface of the case, and the spring. The spring functions as a flow velocity conversion mechanism, a turbulent flow generation mechanism, a flow direction conversion mechanism, and an impurity removal mechanism. A water inlet and a water outlet are respectively arranged at positions eccentric from a central axis of the case on a side surface of the case.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A heat exchanger comprising: a case; anda substantially pillar heating element,said heating element being accommodated in said case such that a cylindrical space is formed between an outer peripheral surface of said heating element and an inner peripheral surface of said case, wherein said cylind

1. A heat exchanger comprising: a case; anda substantially pillar heating element,said heating element being accommodated in said case such that a cylindrical space is formed between an outer peripheral surface of said heating element and an inner peripheral surface of said case, wherein said cylindrical space is closed at one end and another end,said case having a fluid inlet through which a fluid flows into a vicinity of said one end of said cylindrical space and a fluid outlet through which a fluid flows out of a vicinity of said other end of said cylindrical space,said heat exchanger further comprising a flow velocity converter that changes a flow velocity of the fluid within said cylindrical space,said flow velocity converter comprising a spiral member for forming a spiral flow path within said cylindrical space, wherein said spiral member is configured such that a clearance is formed between the inner peripheral surface of said case and at least part of an outer periphery of said spiral member and/or between the outer peripheral surface of said heating element and an inner periphery of said spiral member, and that the fluid flowing into said cylindrical space from said fluid inlet flows out of said fluid outlet through said spiral flow path and said clearance. 2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said flow velocity converter changes the flow velocity of the fluid so as to increase the flow velocity within said flow path. 3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said flow velocity converter is configured so as to narrow at least a part of said flow path. 4. The heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein said flow velocity converter is configured so as to narrow the downstream side of said flow path. 5. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said flow velocity converter is configured such that a flow path cross section continuously narrows toward the downstream side of said flow path. 6. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said flow velocity converter is configured such that a flow path cross section gradually narrows toward the downstream side of said flow path. 7. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein said case has a plurality of fluid inlets provided from the upstream side to the downstream side of said flow path, andsaid flow velocity converter is composed of said plurality of fluid inlets. 8. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein said flow velocity converter comprises an other fluid introducer that introduces an other fluid into said flow path, in order to increase the flow velocity of the fluid within said flow path. 9. The heat exchanger according to claim 8, wherein the other fluid includes gas. 10. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said flow velocity converter comprises a turbulent flow generator that generates turbulent flow in at least a part of said flow path. 11. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said flow velocity converter is provided on an inner wall of said case. 12. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said flow velocity converter is provided on a surface of said heating element. 13. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said flow velocity converter is formed of a member separate from said heating element and said case. 14. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said flow velocity converter comprises a flow velocity conversion member provided so as to form a clearance between the flow velocity converter and said heating element. 15. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said flow velocity converter comprises a flow velocity conversion member provided so as to form a clearance between the flow velocity converter and the inner wall of said case. 16. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said flow velocity converter comprises a flow direction converter that converts the flow direction of the fluid within said flow path. 17. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said flow velocity converter is provided in at least a part of the upstream or the downstream of said flow path. 18. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said flow velocity converter is intermittently provided within said flow path. 19. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said flow velocity converter is provided in a region where the surface temperature of said heating element is not less than a predetermined temperature. 20. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said flow velocity converter is provided in a region where the surface temperature of said heating element is not less than a predetermined temperature and a region in the vicinity and on the upstream side thereof. 21. The heat exchanger according to claim 16, wherein said flow direction converter converts the flow direction of the fluid supplied to said flow path into the swirling direction. 22. The heat exchanger according to claim 16, wherein said flow direction converter comprises a guide provided in at least a part of said flow path. 23. The heat exchanger according to claim 16, wherein said flow direction converter comprises a spiral member for converting the flow direction of the fluid within said flow path into the swirling direction. 24. The heat exchanger according to claim 23, wherein the spiral member has a non-uniform pitch. 25. A heat exchanger comprising: a case; anda substantially pillar heating element,said heating element being accommodated in said case such that a cylindrical space is formed between an outer peripheral surface of said heating element and an inner peripheral surface of said case, wherein said cylindrical space is closed at one end and another end,said case having a fluid inlet through which a fluid flows into a vicinity of said one end of said cylindrical space and a fluid outlet through which a fluid flows out of a vicinity of said other end of said cylindrical space,said heat exchanger further comprising a fluid reducing material for lowering an oxidation/reduction potential of the fluid within said cylindrical space; and a spiral member for forming a spiral flow path within said cylindrical space, whereinsaid spiral member is configured such that a clearance is formed between the inner peripheral surface of said case and at least part of an outer periphery of said spiral member and/or between the outer peripheral surface of said heating element and an inner periphery of said spiral member, and that the fluid flowing into said cylindrical space from said fluid inlet flows out of said fluid outlet through said spiral flow path and said clearance. 26. The heat exchanger according to claim 25, wherein said fluid reducing material includes magnesium or a magnesium alloy for lowering the oxidation/reduction potential of the fluid by reaction with the fluid. 27. The heat exchanger according to claim 25, further comprising a flow velocity converter that changes the flow velocity in at least a part of said flow path,said flow velocity converter being formed of said fluid reducing material. 28. A heat exchanger comprising: a case; anda substantially pillar heating element,said heating element being accommodated in said case such that a cylindrical space is formed between an outer peripheral surface of said heating element and an inner peripheral surface of said case, wherein said cylindrical space is closed at one end and another end,said case having a fluid inlet through which a fluid flows into a vicinity of said one end of said cylindrical space and a fluid outlet through which a fluid flows out of a vicinity of said other end of said cylindrical space,said heat exchanger further comprising an impurity remover that physically removes impurities within said cylindrical space, said impurity remover comprising a spiral member for forming a spiral flow path within said cylindrical space, wherein said spiral member is configured such that a clearance is formed between the inner peripheral surface of said case and at least part of an outer periphery of said spiral member and/or between the outer peripheral surface of said heating element and an inner periphery of said spiral member, and that the fluid flowing into said cylindrical space from said fluid inlet flows out of said fluid outlet through said spiral flow path and said clearance. 29. The heat exchanger according to claim 28, wherein said impurity remover removes the impurities utilizing the flow of the fluid within said flow path. 30. The heat exchanger according to claim 28, wherein said impurity remover is so configured as to change the flow of the fluid within said flow path into turbulent flow. 31. The heat exchanger according to claim 30, wherein said impurity remover comprises a spiral spring. 32. The heat exchanger according to claim 31, wherein the spiral spring has at least one free end. 33. The heat exchanger according to claim 28, wherein said impurity remover comprisesa fluid supplier that supplies a fluid to said flow path at a pulsating pressure to remove impurities at said pulsating pressure. 34. The heat exchanger according to claim 33, wherein said fluid supplier supplies the fluid to said flow path at the pulsating pressure after said heating element is increased to not less than a predetermined temperature.