EP1666827A2 - Heat exchanger, more particularly for automotive vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The heat exchanger has the flat tubes (2) and on its other end (22) section (25) in its wall is present which is locked by a locking piece (10). A common locking piece for all or multiple flat tube ends is provided. The section is arranged in both flat walls of one of any flat pipes or only in one of the flat sides of one of any flat pipe.

Description

The invention relates to a heat exchanger, in particular for motor vehicles, having the features of the preamble of claim 1 and of claim 5.

In DE 34 40 489 C2, a radiator for the cooling system of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle is shown and described, which has the features of the preamble. The known cooler has an advantageous embodiment of a divided by a partition in two parts collection box in which a series of flat tubes opens with its one end, the flat tubes are divided by a longitudinal separating web in opposite directions through channels. The longitudinal divider ends in front of the closed other end of the flat tubes. Thereby, the flow connection between the channels is made in the flat tubes, since the fluid can get there in the adjacent channel and flow back with the opposite flow direction in the other part of the header box. This design allows for advantageous developments of the heat exchanger, which are not present in the document. The longitudinal divider is there formed as an inserted rod or as a bead in the wall of the flat tubes, which was leveled at the other end of the flat tubes a piece. Both the rod to be inserted and the piece of the bead to be leveled pose an obstacle to a cost-effective production process.

The object of the invention is, based on the cited prior art, to achieve manufacturing advantages and / or the applicability of such heat exchanger widening advantages.

The solution according to the invention results from both the characterizing features of independent claim 1 and by the characterizing features of independent claim 5. The claim 1 provides primarily manufacturing advantages, because the closure of the ends of the flat tubes can be made easier. Producing the cutouts is easier than the leveling of the bead, which is done in the prior art. This is especially true when the flat tubes are extremely flat, as provided for example in coolant coolers of the motor vehicle engine. (clear width 1 mm or less) The production of the cutouts can, for. B. simultaneously with the cutting or cutting of endless flat tubes.

The claim 5 adds these advantages nor the extension of the usability of the heat exchanger. However, the mentioned in claim 5 closure of the other end of the flat tubes can also be prepared simply by the fact that the ends are folded, squeezed wide and later sealed. The claim 7 provides that the flat tubes should have different lengths. This means that heat exchangers are made available by very simple means, the front surface has a deviating from the usual rectangle or square design. Thus, such a design of the front surface can be realized, which is adapted exactly to the example round or arcuate shape of the opening in a fan cover. This proposal makes it possible, more generally speaking, to provide heat exchangers which are also better suited, ie. H. easier to be adapted to the space, for example in the vehicle. The heat exchanger has at least two rows of flat tubes, one row being connected to one side or compartment of the header tank and a second row being connected to another side or compartment of the header tank. All flat tubes of all rows are flowed through in countercurrent.

The flat tubes may be extruded multi-chamber tubes.

However, the flat tubes can also be manufactured as an endless metal strip, d. H. formed and soldered or welded, flat tubes may be formed with a Längstrennsteg. The longitudinal separating web is preferably formed in that the longitudinal edges of the sheet metal strip form the longitudinal separating web. Both longitudinal edges touch approximately in the middle of the flat tube and form there the longitudinal separating web.

The heat exchanger according to the invention also promises a very good heat exchange efficiency, because the heat exchange is provided by the so-called cross-countercurrent principle. For example, the cooling liquid flows back within the flat tubes in a channel and in a parallel channel of the flat tubes in countercurrent and cooling air flows transversely to the flat tubes between them and through heat exchange body (corrugated fins) therethrough.

There is at least one collecting box, which has at least one partition which divides this collecting box into an inlet part and an outlet part. Because the heat exchanger according to the invention has "at least one" collecting box, it should include, for example, two directly adjacent or associated collecting boxes, wherein an inlet box and an outlet box are present. The same applies to the at least one partition wall in the collecting box, which expresses the fact that more than one dividing wall can also be present. The same applies to the flat tubes, in which several channels per flow direction or more longitudinal partitions may be present.

Further features are contained in the patent claims.

The invention will be described below in embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description and drawings contain other features that produce beneficial effects that may later prove to be particularly significant.

Fig. 1

Perspektivischer Blick auf einen Wärmeübertrager mit einer Reihe von Flachrohren;

Fig. 2

Perspektivischer Blick auf einen Wärmeübertrager mit zwei Reihen von Flachrohren;

Fig. 3

Eine gegenüber Fig. 2 abgewandelte Ausführung;

Fig. 4

Perspektivischer Blick auf einige Flachrohrenden mit Verschlussstück;

Fig. 5 - 8

Verschiedene Ausbildungen der Flachrohre und Flachrohrenden mit Verschluss;

The figures show the following:

Fig. 1

Perspective view of a heat exchanger with a series of flat tubes;

Fig. 2

Perspective view of a heat exchanger with two rows of flat tubes;

Fig. 3

A comparison with Figure 2 modified embodiment.

Fig. 4

Perspective view of some flat tube ends with plug;

Fig. 5-8

Various embodiments of the flat tubes and flat tube ends with closure;

The figures refer to different versions of air-cooled cooling liquid coolers, which are made entirely of aluminum, without thereby limiting the applicability of the heat exchanger to the stated purpose. 1, the cooling liquid flows through the flat tubes 2 and the cooling air flows transversely through it through heat exchanger body 3 (corrugated ribs), which are arranged between the flat tubes 2 and connected therewith in a heat-conducting manner. The corrugated fins 3 were not shown in FIG. 1 , they have been indicated for this purpose in FIG. 4. The heat exchanger according to FIG. 1 has a collecting box 1, in which there is a partition wall 11 , which can be seen by a dashed line. The partition wall 11 separates the collecting tank 1 into an inlet side 12 and an outlet side 13. Accordingly, an inlet 31 is located on the inlet side 11 , and consequently an outlet 32 is arranged on the outlet side 1 were. It has been provided in Fig. 1, a single row of flat tubes 2 with corrugated fins 3 . The flat tubes 2 are connected at one end 21 fixed and tight with the collection box 1 such that the cooling liquid can flow as described. All flat tubes 2 have a longitudinal separating web 23 which divides the flat tubes 2 into two channels 24 and 25 through which they flow in opposite directions. In FIG. 1, dashed lines were only drawn in the first flat tube 2 for this purpose. The position of the partition wall 11 in the collecting box 1 is matched to the position of the longitudinal separating web 23 such that adjusts the opposite direction of flow. For this purpose, the other ends 22 of the flat tubes 2 are formed accordingly. The formation of the ends 22 can be done, for example, as shown in Figs. 4-8. Characteristic and the various representations in common is that a cutout 30 in the wall 26 of the flat tubes 2 is present, which has been sealed by means of a closure piece 10 . Through the cutout 30 , the longitudinal separating web 23 in the region of the cutout 30 has been removed so that the cooling liquid can pass from the one channel 24 into the other channel 25 . In FIG. 4 , the cutout 30 with a semi-circular shape has been made in both wide walls 26, 27 of the flat tubes 2 . Further, there was a single locking piece 10 is provided for every flat tube ends 22nd The closure piece 10 was there, roughly speaking, formed as a single deformed metal strip whose width corresponds to that of the flat tubes 2 . The sheet metal strip has a corresponding plurality of folds that correspond in dimension to the distances of the individual flat tubes 2 and the depth of the cutouts 30 . The metal strip thus has a meandering shape. It may additionally be provided with impressions directed towards the flat tube ends 22 , each impression fitting into the end 22 of a flat tube in order there to improve the tightness of the connection. (Not shown)

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, only one broad side 26 of the flat tube ends 22 has always been provided with a cutout 30 . The flat tubes 2 are arranged so that there are always opposite two cutouts 30 , which can then be closed with an approximately U-shaped closure piece 10 ', which is in each case to be inserted into the distance between two flat tube ends 22 . The cutouts 30 are designed there so that in the broad side 26, which has the cutout 30 , at the end 22 of the flat tubes 2 still a web is obtained.

In FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, both broad sides 26 of each flat tube 2 have been cut out and each flat tube end 22 has been allocated its own closure piece 10 ' , which is correspondingly shaped.

Fig. 8 shows the end 22 of a multi-chamber flat tube. Such flat tubes 2 are preferably produced by extrusion processes. In Fig. 8, the cutout 30 is approximately triangular. There, too, a jetty was left at the end of 22 .

In FIGS. 2 and 3, two heat exchangers have now been shown, the flat tubes 2 and flat tube ends 22 are formed as described. With regard to the design of the flat tube ends 22 , however, another embodiment could also be provided. 2 and 3 show two heat exchangers that agree that there are two rows of flat tubes 2 , which are connected at opposite sides 1.1 and 1.2 of the header tank 1 with its one ends 21 , in such a way that the drawn and already flow through the heat exchanger described sets, because a partition wall is also located in the collection box 1 to 11. the pipe lengths L up in two rows on continuously, in such a way that the longest flat tubes 2 are provided in two diagonally opposite corner regions of the heat exchanger once and the other in the two corner regions the shortest flat tubes 2 are present, as both figures show.

However, it should be pointed out that these are merely exemplary embodiments, which are intended to show that different shapes of the heat exchanger by the simple measure of providing different lengths of pipe L are possible. Not shown embodiments therefore have a shape of the heat exchanger, which differs significantly from the figures 2 and 3 respectively. It does not depend on the continuous growth or shortening of the tube lengths, which should be said that some tubes in a row can be longer and shorten in the same row again, the degree of growth or shortening from tube to tube not - As shown in Fig. 2 and 3 - must be identical.

The difference between FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 consists in the fact that in FIG. 2 a collection box 1 with approximately triangular cross-section was used, so that the two rows of flat tubes 2 and heat exchanger bodies 3 are at a corresponding angle to one another. This also leads to a better utilization of space under the hood of a motor vehicle. In FIG. 3, in contrast, both rows are in a common plane.

Claims (9)

Heat exchanger, in particular for use in motor vehicles, for example as Kühlflüssigkeitkühler, with at least one collecting box (1), in which at least one row of flat tubes (2) with their one ends (21) open, wherein the flat tubes (2) by at least one Längstrennsteg (23) are split in countercurrent channels (24, 25), wherein the longitudinal separating web (23) in front of the closed other ends (22) of the flat tubes (2) ends or is interrupted, whereby the flow connection between the channels (24, 25) is manufactured, and with at least one partition wall (11) in the collecting box (1) to separate the inlet side (12) from the outlet side (13), and between the flat tubes (2) arranged heat exchanger bodies (3) from an outside the flat tubes (2) flowing through the means are flowed through,
characterized in that at the other end (22) of the flat tubes (2) at least one cutout (25) in the wall (26) of the flat tubes (2) is present, which is closed with a closure piece (10, 10 '). Heat exchanger, according to claim 1, characterized in that a common closure piece (10) for all or for a plurality of flat tube ends (22) is provided. Heat exchanger, according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of closure pieces (10 ') are provided, for example, for each flat tube end (22) a closure piece or for two flat tube ends (22) a common closure piece (10'). Heat exchanger, according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cutout (25) in both wide walls (27, 28) of each flat tube (2) or only in one of the broad sides (27 or 28) of each flat tube (2) is arranged , Heat exchanger, in particular for use in motor vehicles, for example as Kühlflüssigkeitkühler, with at least one collecting box (1) in which at least one row of flat tubes (2) opens with its one end (21), wherein the flat tubes (2) by at least one Längstrennsteg (23) in channels (24, 25) flowed through in opposite directions, wherein the longitudinal separating web (23) ends or is interrupted before the closed other end (22) of the flat tubes (2), whereby the flow connection between the channels (24, 25) is made, and with at least one partition wall (11) in the collecting box (1) in order to separate the inlet side (12) from the outlet side (13), and with heat exchanger bodies (3) arranged between the flat tubes (2) and separated from a flat tube (2 ) flowing through the medium,
characterized in that a first row of flat tubes (2) with one end (21) on one side (1.1) of the collecting tank (1) is connected and at least one second row of flat tubes (2) with their one ends (21) another side (1.2) of the collecting tank (1) is connected. Heat exchanger, according to claim 5, characterized in that the first and second series of flat tubes (2) lie in a common plane or are arranged at an angle to each other. Heat exchanger, according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flat tubes (2) have different tube lengths (L). Heat exchanger, according to one of claims 5 - 7, characterized in that the tube lengths (L) in both rows are the same or different. Heat exchanger, according to any one of claims 5-8, characterized in that in all rows of flat tubes, a flow through the flat tubes takes place in the opposite direction.

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