# US 11,079,182 B2 · Heat exchanger > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,182 B2 - Document ID: US11079182B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/354,707 - Filed: 2019-03-15 - Published: 2019-10-03 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-30 - Assignees: NGK Insulators, Ltd. - Applicants: Ngk Insulators, Ltd. - Inventors: Tatsuo Kawaguchi; Takeshi Sakuma; Daisuke Kimura; Hiroshi Mizuno; Makoto Yoshihara; Takafumi Hamada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079182B2 ## CPC - F28D 7/0025: {the conduits for one medium or the conduits for both media being flat tubes or arrays of tubes} - F28D 7/10: the conduits being arranged one within the other, e.g. concentrically {(multiple wall tubes for leak detection F28F1/003)} - F28F 7/02: Blocks traversed by passages for heat-exchange media {(F28D7/0008 takes precedence)} - F28F 9/0219: {Arrangements for sealing end plates into casing or header box; Header box sub-elements (F28F9/0236 takes precedence)} - F28F 9/0246: {Arrangements for connecting header boxes with flow lines} - F28F 13/12: by creating turbulence, e.g. by stirring, by increasing the force of circulation (F28F13/08 takes precedence) - F28D 2021/008: {for vehicles} - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) ## Abstract A heat exchanger according to the present invention includes: a pillar shaped honeycomb structure having a plurality of cells, the cells providing first flow paths through which a first fluid is passed; an inner cylinder attached to an outer periphery of the honeycomb structure; and an outer cylinder disposed on an outer periphery of the inner cylinder, the outer cylinder providing a second flow path through which a second fluid is passed, the second flow path being arranged between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder. The second flow path includes: an intermediate flow path extending in an axial direction of the honeycomb structure so as to include an outer peripheral position of the honeycomb structure; and side flow paths located on both sides of the intermediate flow path in the axial direction. The intermediate flow path has a height lower than that of each of the side flow paths. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heat exchanger comprising: a honeycomb structure having a plurality of cells, the cells providing first flow paths through which a first fluid is passed; an inner cylinder attached to an outer periphery of the honeycomb structure; and an outer cylinder disposed on an outer periphery of the inner cylinder, the outer cylinder providing a second flow path through which a second fluid is passed, the second flow path being arranged between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder, wherein the second flow path comprises: an intermediate flow path extending in an axial direction of the honeycomb structure so as to include an outer peripheral position of the honeycomb structure; and side flow paths located on both sides of the intermediate flow path in the axial direction, and wherein the intermediate flow path has a height lower than that of each of the side flow paths. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the second fluid flows in parallel to the first fluid. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the side flow paths comprise: a supply-side side flow path connected to a supply pipe that supplies the second fluid to the second flow path; and a discharge-side side flow path connected to a discharge pipe that discharges the second fluid from the second flow path, and wherein the supply-side side flow path is disposed on a downstream side of the discharge-side side flow path in a flow direction of the first fluid. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein each of the side flow paths comprises: a supply-side side flow path connected to a supply pipe that supplies the second fluid to the second flow path; and a discharge-side side flow path connected to a discharge pipe that discharges the second fluid from the second flow path, and wherein the supply-side side flow path is disposed on an upstream side of the discharge-side side flow path in a flow direction of the first fluid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate flow path has a height of 0.2 mm or more and 33 mm or less. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein a height of each side flow path is 1.1 times or more that of the intermediate flow path. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising an intermediate cylinder disposed between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder on an outer periphery of the honeycomb structure, wherein the intermediate flow path comprises: a main flow path arranged between the outer cylinder and the intermediate cylinder; and a sub flow path arranged between the intermediate cylinder and the inner cylinder, wherein the main flow path has a height of 0.15 mm or more and 30 mm or less, wherein the sub flow path has a height of 0.05 mm or more and 3 mm or less, and wherein a ratio of the height of the main flow path to the height of the sub flow path is 1.6 or more and 10 or less. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein at least one opening that is in communication with the sub flow path is provided between at least one end portion of the intermediate cylinder and the inner cylinder. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The heat exchanger according to claim 8, wherein an area of the at least one opening to the entire area between the at least one end portion of the intermediate cylinder and the inner cylinder in a plane orthogonal to the axial direction is 1% or more and 50% or less. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The heat exchanger according to claim 7, further comprising at least one spacer provided between the intermediate cylinder and the inner cylinder, wherein the at least one spacer is disposed outside at least one end face of the honeycomb structure in the axial direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The heat exchanger according to claim 10, wherein the at least one spacer is disposed at a position that is separated by a distance of more than 0 mm and not more than 10 mm from the end face of the honeycomb structure in the axial direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The heat exchanger according to claim 7, further comprising a spacer provided between the intermediate cylinder and the inner cylinder, wherein the spacer comprises first and second spacers disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the axial direction, and wherein one of the first and second spacers is fixed to both of the intermediate cylinder and the inner cylinder, and the other of the first and second spacers is fixed to the inner cylinder and is not fixed to the intermediate cylinder. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The heat exchanger according to claim 10, wherein the spacer has a three-dimensional structure that allows passage of the second fluid in a liquid phase and inhibits passage of bubbles of the second fluid. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein the intermediate cylinder comprises at least one turbulent flow generating portion for generating a turbulent flow in the second fluid passing through the second flow path. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the inner cylinder and/or the outer cylinder comprises at least one turbulent flow generating portion for generating a turbulent flow in the second fluid passing through the second flow path. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising: a frame provided integrally with the outer cylinder; and at least one purifier disposed on at least one of an upstream side and a downstream side of the honeycomb structure in a flow direction of the first fluid. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The heat exchanger according to claim 16, wherein the frame integrates a plurality of heat exchange members each comprising the honeycomb structure, the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder with the at least one purifier. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the honeycomb structure has a plurality of first partition walls and a plurality of second partition walls which form the plurality of cells, wherein the plurality of first partition walls are spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the honeycomb structure and extend in a radial direction of the honeycomb structure, and wherein the plurality of second partition walls are spaced apart from each other in the radial direction of the honeycomb structure and extend in the circumferential direction of the honeycomb structure, and wherein, in a cross section of the honeycomb structure in a plane orthogonal to the first flow path, a number of the first partition walls on a radially inner side of the honeycomb structure is less than a number of the first partition walls on a radially outer side of the honeycomb structure.