DE102016208334A1 - Heat exchanger with dummy tubes - Google Patents

Abstract

A heat exchanger having a pair of collectors (10, 20) and a plurality of parallel and coplanar tubes (30, 30 ') connecting the collectors (10, 20), each collector comprising a header plate (11, 21) comprising a plurality of Slits (50, 50 '), in each of which one end of a respective tube (30, 30') is inserted, and wherein the heat exchanger is configured so that it, the flow of fluid in at least one tube (30 '), in The following dummy tube, which is located at a boundary (B) between functionally different sections of the heat exchanger, prevents. The slot (50 ') of the header plate (11, 21) receiving the end of the respective dummy tube (30') is formed as a blind groove on the header plate (11, 21).

Description

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger having a pair of headers and a plurality of parallel and coplanar tubes connecting the headers, each header comprising a header plate having a plurality of slots in each of which one end of a respective tube is inserted, and wherein the heat exchanger is configured to inhibit the flow of fluid in at least one pipe, hereinafter called a dummy pipe, located at a boundary between functionally distinct portions of the heat exchanger.

The invention particularly relates to the field of heat exchangers for systems for cooling motor vehicle engines.

Known is the use of cooling for the thermal treatment of the cooling liquid of the engine to keep the engine at the optimum operating temperature.

In particular, coolers are known which are divided into two or more functionally different sections in order to improve the cooling performance. In this regard, for example, radiators characterized by a U-shaped flow of the cooling liquid are known, wherein a first portion of the radiator (which covers part of the pipes) is intended for the flow and a second portion (which covers the remaining part of the pipes) intended for the return of the cooling liquid. As a second example, so-called composite coolers consisting of individual radiator bodies connected to separate high temperature and low temperature circuits are known, wherein a first portion of the radiator (covering part of the tubes) is connected to the high temperature circuit and a second portion of the radiator (which covers the remaining part of the tubes) is connected to the low-temperature circuit.

In the abovementioned cases, different coolant flows with different temperatures with the same or opposite directions of flow occur in the individual sections of the cooler. The sections of the heat exchanger thus have different temperatures; however, since they are in contact with each other in the same heat exchanger, they can mutually thermally influence each other.

In view of this disadvantage, solutions have been proposed to improve the efficiency of a heat exchanger by suppressing the thermal influence between adjacent or successive sections. For this purpose, solutions have been proposed in which the heat exchanger is configured to inhibit the flow of fluid in at least one pipe, generally called a dummy pipe, located at a boundary between functionally different sections of the heat exchanger.

Out JP 2008-175508 A and JP 2002-115991 A For example, solutions for composite heat exchangers are known in which blind pipes are created by dividing into the interior of the collector partitions that prevent the coolant can reach these tubes.

Out JP 2012-241600 For example, a solution is known which further provides that a shut-off block is placed in a composite cooler to prevent the blind tubes from being effectively lapped by a flow of cooling air.

In the known solutions, the creation of dummy pipes in any case requires the setting of partitions inside the collector. This is a complication in the manufacturing process of the exchanger. In addition, the solution involving the use of partitions can not be used to create blind tubes in a U-shaped heat exchanger because of the presence of a partition inside a circulation collector an interruption would be formed which would hinder the flow of the fluid.

In order to remedy the use of partitions inside the collectors, it has been proposed to use blind tubes which are shorter in length than the other tubes so as not to pierce the header plates at the ends of these dummy tubes. However, this solution has proved unsatisfactory because of the difficulty of processing differently long tubes in automatic assembly machines.

An object of this invention is therefore to provide a simple and inexpensive solution for the execution of dummy tubes in a heat exchanger.

Another object of the invention is to provide a solution that can be used in exchangers having different flow configurations, particularly in U-shaped flow exchangers.

These objects are achieved according to the invention with a heat exchanger of the type mentioned, in which the slot of the collector plate, which receives the end of the respective dummy tube is formed on the collector plate as a blind well, so that the end of the blind tube of a one-piece section of the header plate can be completed.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims, which are to be construed as an integral part of this description.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying, purely exemplary and non-exhaustive drawings. In these show:

1 a schematic front view of a heat exchanger according to the invention;

2 a sectional view on an enlarged scale of the exchanger 1 and

3 a schematic front view of another heat exchanger according to the invention.

With reference to 1 is shown a heat exchanger, which as a whole with 1 referred to as. In the example shown, the heat exchanger 1 a liquid / air heat exchanger, which is generally known in the automotive field as a cooler.

The heat exchanger 1 includes a pair of collectors 10 . 20 and a plurality of parallel and coplanar tubes 30 . 30 ' that the collectors 10 . 20 connect. Between adjacent pipes 30 . 30 ' there are lamellae 40 ,

With reference to 1 includes every collector 10 . 20 a collector's plate 11 . 21 made of metal and a collector tank 12 . 22 attached to the respective collector plate 11 . 21 is attached in a conventional manner, for example by welding or riveting the edges of the plate to the edges of the respective tank.

In every collector's plate 11 . 21 is a plurality of slots 50 . 50 ' formed, in each case one end of a respective tube 30 . 30 ' is plugged in. Each pipe end is materially connected to one or the other plate, for example by welding to the respective slot.

In the example shown, the heat exchanger 1 an exchanger having a U-shaped flow of the heat exchange fluid. One of the collectors, 10 in 1 , is therefore a fluid inlet and outlet manifold and is in an inlet section 12a and an outlet section 12b subdivided by one inside the collector 10 arranged partition 15 are separated from each other. With 16a and 16b are designated a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, respectively, at the inlet section 12a and at the outlet portion of the first collector 10 are arranged to connect the heat exchanger with an external system. The other collector, 20 in 1 , is a circulation collector; the pipes 30 connected to the inlet section 12a of the first collector 10 Therefore, the heat exchange fluid conduct between the first collector 10 and the second collector 20 while the pipes 30 connected to the outlet section 12b of the first collector 10 are connected, the heat exchange fluid from the second collector 20 to the first collector 10 traced.

In the heat exchanger 1 Therefore, two functionally different sections are to be recognized, a flow section and a return section for the heat exchange fluid. The dashed line B in the 1 and 2 Graphically represents the boundary between these two sections.

According to another embodiment of the invention (in 3 shown), the heat exchanger is a so-called composite heat exchanger. In this case, everyone is the collector 10 . 20 divided into sections (two in the example in 3 ) separated by partitions 15 and 25 are separated, inside the first collector 10 or the second collector 20 are arranged. In particular, the first collector includes 10 a first inlet portion and a second inlet portion, each having a respective fluid inlet 16a and 16a ' and the second header includes a first outlet portion and a second outlet portion, each having a respective fluid outlet 26b . 26b ' having; In the interior of the same heat exchanger, therefore, a plurality of functionally different sections are defined, for example a section for conveying the high-temperature fluid and another section for conveying the low-temperature fluid.

The dashed line B in 3 Graphically represents the boundary between these two sections.

The heat exchanger 1 is configured to restrict the flow of fluid in at least one tube as shown in the figures 30 ' is designated and at the boundary B between functionally different sections of the heat exchanger 1 is arranged, prevents. The tubes, in which the flow of the heat exchange fluid is suppressed, are known in the industry as dummy tubes and make it possible to keep the thermal areas of the heat exchanger separated by preventing any mutual thermal influence and thereby improving the performance of the heat exchanger.

In the above-described heat exchanger, the dummy tubes are 30 ' completely identical to the other tubes 30 that form the majority of the parallel and coplanar tubes of the heat exchanger. The flow of the heat exchange fluid to the dummy tubes 30 ' is thereby prevented that in the collector plates 11 . 21 everyone with 50 ' designated slot, which is the end of the respective dummy tube 30 ' picks up, in contrast to the other, designated by 50 slots, which are formed as through holes, as a blind recess in the collector plate 11 . 21 is trained. The end of the blind pipe 30 ' is thus completed by a one-piece portion of the collector plate, in other words by a portion, in particular a deformed portion which belongs to the same piece of the plate.

The configuration described above can be carried out extremely easily and cheaply industrially.

For execution of the collector plates 11 . 21 In this case, a plate in a conventional manner subjected to a shaping operation, in particular a deep drawing operation to form a plurality of deformed areas on the plate, each of which forms a blind well.

Thereafter, the plate is subjected to a material removing operation, particularly a cutting operation to form through holes at the deformed portions of the plate, wherein the formed portions having the through holes are the slits 50 form, which are intended to the ends of the respective tubes 30 of the heat exchanger.

To carry out the blind tube configuration described above, it is sufficient to perform the material removal operation on one or more of the reshaped areas including the slots 50 ' form, which are intended to the ends of the respective dummy tubes 30 ' to take up, to refrain from.

For this purpose, it is sufficient to change or program the machine used for the material removal process (cutting) so that it is capable of removing material from the formed areas containing the slots 50 ' should form with blind well, to refrain. The same machine can thus be easily adapted to different collector plate configurations.

Consequently, no special molds are needed to carry out the internal partitions in the collector, which are required in the known solutions and which are usually suitable, inter alia, only for a few specific types of collectors.

Moreover, as can be seen in the illustrated example, blind pipes can also be made in heat exchangers with U-shaped flow, which would not be possible if partitions were arranged in the interior of the circulation collector.

As will be further appreciated, this invention does not require the use of shorter tubes for the execution of the dummy tubes and thus allows the use of tubes all of the same length. This aspect is particularly desirable in view of the automatic installation of the heat exchanger.

Heat exchanger with a pair of collectors ( 10 . 20 ) and a plurality of parallel and coplanar tubes ( 30 . 30 ' ), which collectors ( 10 . 20 ), each collector having a collector plate ( 11 . 21 ) comprising a plurality of slots ( 50 . 50 ' ), in each of which one end of a respective tube ( 30 . 30 ' ), and wherein the heat exchanger is configured to restrict the flow of fluid in at least one tube (Fig. 30 ' ), hereinafter referred to as dummy tube, which is arranged at a boundary (B) between functionally different sections of the heat exchanger, prevented. The slot ( 50 ' ) of the collector plate ( 11 . 21 ), the end of the respective dummy tube ( 30 ' ) is, as a blind depression on the collector plate ( 11 . 21 ) educated.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• JP 2008-175508 A [0007]
• JP 2002-115991 A [0007]
• JP 2012-241600 [0008]

Claims (4)

Heat exchanger with a pair of collectors ( 10 . 20 ) and a plurality of parallel and coplanar tubes ( 30 . 30 ' ), which collectors ( 10 . 20 ), each collector having a collector plate ( 11 . 21 ) comprising a plurality of slots ( 50 . 50 ' ), in each of which one end of a respective tube ( 30 . 30 ' ), and wherein the heat exchanger is configured to restrict the flow of fluid in at least one tube (Fig. 30 ' ), hereinafter referred to as blind tube, which is arranged at a boundary (B) between functionally different sections of the heat exchanger, is prevented, characterized in that the slot ( 50 ' ) of the collector plate ( 11 . 21 ), the end of the respective dummy tube ( 30 ' ), as a blind depression on the collector plate ( 11 . 21 ) is formed, so that the end of the respective dummy tube ( 30 ' ) by an integral portion of the collector plate ( 11 . 12 ) is completed. Method for carrying out a collector plate ( 11 . 21 ) for a heat exchanger according to claim 1, comprising the following phases: a plate is subjected to a forming operation to form a plurality of deformed areas on the plate, each of which forms a blind cavity, and the plate is subjected to a material removing operation to be applied to the plate Formed portions of the plate through holes, wherein the through-holes having formed portions of the slots ( 50 ), which are intended to be the ends of the respective tubes ( 30 ) of the heat exchanger, this method being characterized in that the material removal operation is carried out on one or more of the deformed regions containing the slots ( 50 ' ), which are intended, the ends of the respective dummy tubes ( 30 ' ), refrain from doing so. The method of claim 2, wherein the forming operation comprises a deep drawing operation. The method of claim 2 or 3, wherein the material removal operation comprises a cutting operation.

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