FR2766559A1 - Condenser for air conditioning circuit mounted in motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The manifolds linking together the two ends of the tubes are subdivided creating contra-flow in tube sections and forming additional reservoirs. The condenser consists of first and second collector boxes (7) which are linked together by a network of tubes (13). The second box is divided into first (9) and second (10) parts. The first part of this second box, and the first box are each divided into three independent chambers, such that the fluid passes to and fro along selected tubes. The second part of the second box forms an integral additional reservoir.

Description

Integrated double tank condenser, especially for a motor vehicle air conditioning circuit
The invention relates to the field of air conditioning circuits, of the type used in particular in air conditioning systems for motor vehicles.

It relates more particularly to the condensers used in such installations, traversed by a refrigerant, and comprising a bundle of tubes mounted between two substantially vertical manifolds, one of the boxes being divided by a substantially vertical partition into two parts, one of which forming a reservoir.

More specifically, the first manifold and the first part of the second box generally comprise each at least one substantially horizontal partition separating in leaktight manner from the first and second superimposed chambers, the second chamber from the first part and the second part from second box communicating through a first port. The fluid circulates from the first chamber of the first box to the second part of the second box via the first chamber of the second box, the second chamber of the first box, and the second chamber of the second box.

Such condensers, called "with integrated reservoir, are intended to cool the refrigerant, coming from an upstream part of the air conditioning circuit, so that it reaches at least a condensation temperature TC before being evacuated in a downstream part of the air conditioning circuit.

The reservoir of these condensers has a volume limited both by the space available (size problem) and by the technical constraints linked to the method of securing the elements making up the boxes (problem of solderability).

This limitation is further reinforced due to the
current security constraints.

As a result, the volume of the tank may be
insufficient for certain types of vehicles.

An object of the invention is therefore to provide a condenser with
integrated tank which does not have the aforementioned drawback.

To this end, the invention proposes a condenser of the defined type.
in the introduction, in which the first box and the first
part of the second box each include a third 4! room, these third rooms communicating with each other by
at least one conduit, and the second part (forming a reservoir
main integrated) and third bedroom of the first part
of the second box (forming with the other third chamber
and leads an additional integrated tank) communicating
through a second opening.

In this way, it is possible to increase appreciably, and
as required, the total volume of the integrated tank, without
that it is necessary to increase the dimensions (and in particular
the diameter) of the main integrated tank (second
part of the second box).

The third rooms can communicate with each other by
several conduits, which will then preferably be
tubes of the type of those forming the bundle.

Depending on the chosen configurations, the third bedrooms
are placed either above the first chambers or
below these.

In order to allow a "sub-cooling" of the fluid
refrigerant by the condenser, this can include in
its first box and first part of second box one
fourth chamber, these fourth chambers communicating between
them by tubes, and the second and fourth parts
chamber of the first part of the second box communicated by a third orifice, so that the fluid is discharged from the second part of the second box to the fourth chamber of the first box via the fourth chamber of the second box, in order to gain the downstream part of the refrigeration circuit.

These fourth chambers can be placed either directly below the second chambers and separated from them by a substantially horizontal partition, when the third chambers are above the first chambers, or below the third chambers and separated from them by a substantially horizontal partition, when the third chambers are above the second chambers, ie still below the second chambers and above the third chambers, and respectively separated from the latter by substantially horizontal partitions.

In the description which follows, given by way of example, reference is made to the appended drawings, in which - FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a condenser according to the invention, in a first embodiment; and - Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a condenser according to the invention, in a second embodiment.

Reference is first made to FIG. 1 to describe a first embodiment of a condenser with an integrated reservoir according to the invention. In this exemplary embodiment, it will be considered that the condenser is part of an air conditioning circuit of an air conditioning installation, for example of a motor vehicle.

This condenser comprises a first longitudinal manifold 1 (or vertical) subdivided into three independent chambers and separated from each other by a transverse partition 2 (or horizontal). A first chamber 3 is placed in an intermediate position and comprises an inlet pipe 4 connected to an upstream part of the air conditioning circuit (not shown). A second chamber 5 is placed below the first chamber 3. A third chamber 6 is placed above the first chamber 3.

The condenser also comprises a second longitudinal (or vertical) manifold 7, subdivided by means of a longitudinal (or vertical) partition 8 into a first longitudinal part 9 and a second longitudinal part 10, the latter forming an integrated tank and comprising a manifold of outlet 11 connected to the downstream part of the air conditioning circuit (not shown).

The first part 9 of this second manifold 7 is also subdivided into three independent chambers by means of transverse (or horizontal) partitions 2. A first chamber 12 is placed in a substantially intermediate position and communicates by means of tubes 13 with the first 3 and second 5 chambers of the first manifold 1. A second chamber 14 is placed below the first chamber 12 and communicates, on the one hand, with the second chamber 5 of the first manifold via of tubes 13, and on the other hand, with the lower part 15 of the second part 10 of the second manifold 7 via an opening 16 formed in the longitudinal partition 8. A third chamber 17 is placed above of the first chamber 12 and communicates, in this example, on the one hand, with the third chamber 6 of the first manifold 1 via a conduit 1 8, and on the other hand with the second part 10 of the second manifold 7 via another opening 19 formed in the upper part 20 of the longitudinal partition 8.

The tubes 13 which connect the first and second chambers of the first and second manifold form a bundle in which a refrigerant can flow from the upstream part of the air conditioning circuit and intended to be cooled to a condensation temperature TC.

Preferably, the section of the conduit 18 is at least two
times larger than that of tubes 13.

The bundle tubes are separated from each other by
tabs 21.

The refrigerant to condense and cool which arrives by
the tubing 4 in the first chamber 3 of the first box
manifold 1 circulates in the tubes 13, opens into the
first chamber 12 of the second manifold 7,
borrows other tubes from the bundle to lead into the
second chamber 5 of the collecting bowl 1, then borrows still other tubes in order to lead into the second
chamber 14 of the second manifold 7. It can then
lead under a subcooling temperature TC
in the main integrated tank formed by the second
part 10 of the second manifold 7, crossing
opening 16. It can then be evacuated through the tubing
11 formed in the second part 10 of the second
manifold 7 in order to reach the downstream part of the
air conditioning system.

Because the third chamber 17 of the second box
collector 7 communicates with the second part 10 of this
same second manifold 7 through opening 19, and that
on the other hand this third bedroom 17 communicates with the
third chamber 6 of the first manifold 1 thanks
at conduit 18, these two third chambers 17 and 6 as well as
the conduit 18 form an additional integrated tank which
complements the refrigerant storage capacity
of the second part 10 of the second manifold 7,
which forms the main reservoir of the condenser.

It is thus possible to significantly increase the volume
total condenser tank, and therefore increased
ter the volume of refrigerant circulating in the
air conditioning system.

The dimensions of the conduit 18 can be adapted according to the volume required for the integrated tank.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2 to describe a second embodiment of a condenser with an integrated reservoir according to the invention.

This second embodiment is in fact a variant of the first embodiment in which is added a sub-cooling part of the refrigerant. In fact, the purpose of this sub-cooling part is to lower the condensation temperature TC of the refrigerant which reaches the second chamber 14 of the second manifold 7 by approximately 10 C.

I
To do this, there is provided, in this example, on the one hand in the first manifold 1 a fourth chamber 22 placed below the second chamber 5, and on the other hand, in the first part 9 of the second manifold 7, a fourth chamber 23 placed below the second chamber 16.

These two chambers 22 and 23 of the first 1 and second 7 manifolds communicate via tubes 13 identical to those forming the bundle and also separated by spacers 21.

The fourth chamber 23 of the second manifold 7 communicates with the second part 10 of this second manifold 7 via an opening 24 also formed in the longitudinal partition 8.

In order to allow the circulation of the refrigerant from the fourth chamber 23 of the second manifold 7 to the fourth chamber 22 of the first manifold 1, the outlet pipe 11 is now placed in the fourth chamber 22 of the first manifold 1 , and no longer in the second part 10 of the second manifold 7. Thus, the refrigerant which reaches the second chamber 16 of the second manifold 7 under a condensation temperature TC, enters through the opening 16 in the second part 10 of the second manifold 7, then enters the fourth chamber 23 of the second manifold 7 through the opening 24, then flows through the tubes 13 of the bundle and opens into the fourth chamber 22 of the first manifold 1. Arrived in this fourth chamber 22 of the first manifold 1, the refrigerant is then under a temperature TS lower by about 10 C at the condensing temperature TC and can be evacuated in the downstream part of the air conditioning circuit via the outlet pipe
Furthermore, in this second embodiment, the conduit referenced 18 in the first embodiment has been replaced by several conduits of smaller dimensions.

In fact, in this example, these conduits are tubes identical to the tubes of the bundle. They can optionally also be separated from each other by spacers 21.

 It is clear that in the first embodiment, a multiplicity of tubes identical to those of the bundle could also be used to replace the conduit 18, just as in the second embodiment.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, only by way of example, but it extends to other variants that may be developed by those skilled in the art within the scope of the claims below.

Thus, according to the configuration of the condenser (or in other words according to the direction of circulation of the fluid, ascending or descending) the positions of the third chambers 6 and 17 and of the duct (s) 18 (or 13) which ensure (s) their communication, which form the additional integrated tank, can be placed in the lower part of the condenser, ie below the second chambers 9 and 5 when the
condenser does not include a sub-cooling part,
either below the fourth chambers 23 and 22 when the
condenser includes a sub-cooling part in
its lower part.

Similarly, the sub-cooling part can be placed
in the upper part of the condenser, for example at
above the first chambers 12 and 3 when traffic
of fluid in the condenser is ascending.

Finally, the condenser according to the invention could also
include filtration means comprising means for lll filtration of impurities and / or desiccation means.

Claims (9)

Claims 1. Condenser for a refrigeration circuit traversed by a refrigerant, of the type comprising a bundle of tubes (13) mounted between first (1) and second (7) manifolds extending in a substantially vertical direction, the second box (7) being divided by a substantially vertical partition (8) into first (9) and second (10) parts, the first manifold (1) and the first part (9) each comprising at least one partition (2) horizontal sealingly separating first (3.12) and second (5.14) chambers, the second chamber (14) of the first part (9) and the second part (10) of the second box (7) communicating by a first orifice (16), the fluid flowing from the first chamber (3) of the first box (7) to the second part (10) of the second box (7) via the first chamber (12) of the second box ( 7), the second chamber (5) of the first box (1), and the second chamber (14) of the second box (7),  characterized in that the first box (1) and the first part (9) of the second box (7) each comprise a third chamber (6,17), said third chambers communicating with each other by at least one conduit (18; 13 ), and said second part (10) and third chamber (17) of the first part (9) of the second box (7) communicating through a second orifice (19). 2. Condenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the third chambers (6,17) communicate with each other by several conduits. 3. Condenser according to claim 2, characterized in that the conduits are tubes (13). 4. Condenser according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the third chambers (6,17) are placed above the first chambers (3,12). 5. Condenser according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the third chambers (6,17) are placed below the second chambers (5,12). 6. Condenser according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the first box (1) and the first part (9) of the second box (7) each comprise a fourth chamber (22,23), said fourth chambers communicating with each other by tubes (13), and said second part (10) and fourth chamber (23) of the first part (9) of the second box (7) communicating through a third orifice (24), so that the fluid is removed from said second part (10) of the second box (7) to the fourth chamber (22) of the first box (1) via the fourth chamber (23) of the second box (7). 7. Condenser according to claim 4 combined with claim 6, characterized in that the fourth chambers (22,23) are placed below the second chambers (5,12) and separated from them by a substantially horizontal partition (2 ). 8. Condenser according to claim 5 combined with claim 6, characterized in that the fourth chambers are placed below the third chambers and separated from the latter by a substantially horizontal partition. 9. Condenser according to claim 5 combined with claim 6, characterized in that the fourth chambers are placed below the second chambers and above the third chambers and respectively separated from the latter by substantially horizontal partitions.