EP3062055A1 - Heat exchanger, in particular for a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a heat exchanger (1), - With a plurality of channel devices (2) which are stacked along a stacking direction (S), - Each channel device (2) has a pair of plates (3) with a first and a second plate (3a, 3b) which define in the stacking direction (S) a first fluid channel (4a), - wherein two in the stacking direction (S) adjacent channel means (2) are arranged at a distance to each other, so that by a between the two adjacent channel means (2) formed intermediate space (5) fluidly from the first fluid channel (4a) separated second fluid channel (4b) is - Wherein in the first fluid channel (4a) at least one channel means (2), preferably all channel means (2), a plurality of channel elements (6) is provided which are connected to both the first and the second plate (3a, 3b) in that the two intermediate spaces (5) of the channel device (2) adjacent to the stacking direction (S) are fluidically connected to one another by means of the channel elements (6).

Description

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger, in particular for a motor vehicle.

As a heat exchanger or heat exchanger is commonly referred to a device that transfers heat from one stream to another stream. Heat exchangers are used, for example, in motor vehicles to cool the fresh air charged by means of an exhaust-gas turbocharger in a fresh-air system interacting with the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle. For this purpose, the fresh air to be cooled is introduced into the heat exchanger, where it interacts thermally with a likewise introduced into the heat exchanger coolant and emits heat in this way to the coolant.

Such a heat exchanger may be configured, for example, as a plate heat exchanger and having a plurality of plate assemblies each having a pair of plates stacked in a stacking direction, wherein between the plates of a pair of plates a fresh air path is formed through which the fresh air to be cooled is passed. Between two plate arrangements, that is, in a gap formed between two adjacent plate pairs, the aforementioned coolant can be fluidically separated from the fresh air to be cooled, which can be set in thermal interaction with the fresh air to be cooled by the plates of the plate arrangement , To improve the heat exchange, rib structures may be provided between adjacent plate assemblies which increase the interaction area of the plates available for thermal interaction. Such constructions are known to those skilled in the art by the term "fin-tube heat exchanger".

It is an object of the present invention, in the development of heat exchangers, especially for motor vehicles to show new ways.

This object is achieved by a heat exchanger according to independent claim 1. Preferred embodiments are subject of the dependent claims.

A heat exchanger according to the invention comprises a plurality of channel devices for flowing through with a first fluid, which are arranged adjacent to one another along a stacking direction. In this case, each channel device has a pair of plates with a first and a second plate, which define in the stacking direction a first fluid channel for flowing through the first fluid. The term "plate" is to be used herein in a comprehensive sense and in particular includes any kind of substantially flat-shaped components. Also plates with on this, in particular sections, trained three-dimensional structures and pot-shaped plates are expressly included in the term "plate" used here.

Two adjacent channel devices in the stacking direction are arranged at a distance from one another, so that a second fluid channel for flowing through a second fluid, which is fluidically separated from the first fluid channel, is formed by the intermediate space formed between the two channel devices. In the first fluid channel of at least one channel device, preferably all channel devices, a plurality of channel elements is provided, which are each connected to both the first and the second plate. The heat exchanger according to the invention is designed such that the two adjacent in or opposite to the stacking direction interstices of the channel device, each forming a second fluid channel, through the channel elements communicate fluidly with each other. Such, inventive arrangement of the individual channel elements causes the channel housing of the channel elements can be advantageously almost completely surrounded by the first fluid, preferably the air to be cooled. This leads to a comparison with conventional heat exchangers thermal interaction of the first fluid with the flowing through the individual channel elements second fluid, that is preferably a coolant. As a result, this leads to a heat exchanger with improved efficiency.

In a preferred embodiment, the channel element is designed as a tubular body which comprises a circumferential wall partially delimiting a channel interior. In this embodiment, the channel interior is frontally limited by a first passage opening and by a second passage opening opposite this first passage opening.

In an advantageous development, the peripheral wall has a wall thickness of at most 2 mm, preferably of at most 1.5 mm, particularly preferably of at most 1 mm. In this way, the weight of the heat exchanger can be kept low even with a large number of installed channel elements.

In another preferred embodiment, the channel members may be integrally formed on the first and second plates of their associated plate pair. This measure is useful if the heat exchanger is to be produced by means of an additive manufacturing process.

A particularly uniform heating or cooling performance can be achieved in the heat exchanger in a further preferred embodiment, in which for each channel element in the first plate of the associated channel device a first Plate breakthrough and in the second plate of the same channel device a second plate breakthrough is provided. In this case, the respective channel element is arranged in the first fluid channel delimited by the two plates such that the first plate breakthrough of the first plate communicates fluidically with the second plate breakthrough via the channel interior of the channel element.

In an advantageous embodiment, at least the channel elements and the plate pairs of the channel devices of the heat exchanger can be produced by means of an additive manufacturing method. Particularly preferably, the entire heat exchanger is produced by means of such an additive manufacturing method. The term "additive manufacturing process" in this case includes all manufacturing processes that build the component directly from a computer model out in layers. Such production processes are also known by the term "rapid forming". The term "rapid forming" includes in particular production processes for the rapid and flexible production of components by means of tool-free production directly from CAD data. The use of an additive manufacturing method allows the production of the heat exchanger according to the invention without component-specific investment means such as tool molds or the like. and almost no geometric restrictions. By means of the additive manufacturing method, it is possible to construct the design of the heat exchanger functionally bound. Thus, the individual components of the heat exchanger, the plate pairs of the channel devices, and the individual channel elements and their interfaces to the plate pairs can be greatly simplified. In particular, in conventional heat exchangers manufactured using other methods, small parts such as sealing elements or separately formed fastening elements, such as struts or the like, usually exist in a variety of shapes and a large number.

Alternatively or additionally, the heat exchanger may be integrally formed. Such a one-piece design is formed in particular when using the above-proposed additive manufacturing process, in particular laser melting. In a one-piece design of the heat exchanger eliminates the very costly and therefore costly attaching the individual components of the heat exchanger together.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the additive manufacturing process may include laser melting. This means that a laser melting process is used for producing channel elements and plate pairs, preferably for producing the entire heat exchanger. By means of such a method, the components of the heat exchanger can be made directly from 3D CAD data. Basically, the components of the heat exchanger during laser sintering tool-free and layered based on the three-dimensional CAD model associated with the heat exchanger.

Preferably, not only the channel elements and the plate pairs of the channel devices, but the entire heat exchanger are manufactured by means of said additive manufacturing process.

Preferably, the heat exchanger can also be integrally formed. Such a one-piece design is formed in particular when using the above-proposed additive manufacturing process, in particular laser melting. In a one-piece design of the heat exchanger eliminates the very costly and therefore costly attaching the individual components of the heat exchanger together.

In an advantageous development, the channel elements can each be designed as hollow cylinders extending along an axial direction. In this way, with a suitable arrangement of the hollow cylinder, a particularly stable support to the adjacent channel devices can be achieved. Such a hollow cylinder has a diameter measured transversely to the axial axis which is at most 1 mm, preferably at most 0.5 mm, particularly preferably at most 0.3 mm.

In another preferred embodiment, the peripheral wall of the channel element in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction has a round, preferably elliptical, most preferably circular, geometry. A heat exchanger with such a geometry is particularly easy to produce when using an additive manufacturing process.

Particularly advantageous flow characteristics and, associated therewith, a particularly high efficiency of the heat exchanger result in a structural design of the heat exchanger such that the first plate breakthrough of the first plate is aligned in an axial direction with the two through holes of the channel element and with the corresponding second plate breakthrough of the second plate. Said axial direction can be defined by a direction which in turn is orthogonal to a plane defined by the first plate plate plane.

Particularly suitably, a plurality of first plate openings may be provided in the first plate, which are arranged with respect to a plan view of the first plate like a grid with a plurality of first raster lines, but in any case with at least two raster lines on this. Alternatively or additionally, in the second plate such a plurality of second plate openings be provided, which are arranged with respect to a plan view of the second plate like a grid with a plurality of second raster lines, but in any case with at least two raster lines on this. Both measures, taken alone or in combination, lead to increased mechanical stability of the heat exchanger.

The mechanical stability of the heat exchanger can be further increased in a further preferred embodiment by a constructive embodiment is selected in which the first plate openings of two adjacent raster lines are arranged offset from one another.

A stable attachment of the individual channel devices to one another in the stacking direction is achieved by providing a holding device between two stacked channel devices, which connects a first plate of a channel device to a second plate of the channel device adjacent in the stacking direction.

Particularly suitably, the respective holding device may comprise a plurality of, in particular strut-like, holding elements, which are supported on the first and the second plate.

In a further preferred embodiment, a wall thickness of the peripheral wall of the channel elements is at most 0.5 mm, preferably at most 0.2 mm. By means of this measure, the weight of the heat exchanger can be kept relatively low even with a very large number of channel elements.

Particularly expediently, the two adjacent stacking plates, which limit the space between two adjacent channel devices, Part of a flat tube, which limits in this way the second fluid channel. This facilitates the realization of the heat exchanger in flat construction.

Other important features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, from the drawings and from the associated figure description with reference to the drawings.

It is understood that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained below can be used not only in the particular combination given, but also in other combinations or in isolation, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and will be described in more detail in the following description, wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or similar or functionally identical components.

Fig. 1

ein Beispiel eines erfindungsgemäßen Wärmetauschers in einer perspektiven Ansicht,

Fig. 2

den Wärmetauscher der Figur 1 in einer Schnittdarstellung entlang der Schnittebene II-II der Figur 1.

It show, each schematically

Fig. 1

an example of a heat exchanger according to the invention in a perspective view,

Fig. 2

the heat exchanger of FIG. 1 in a sectional view along the sectional plane II-II of FIG. 1 ,

FIG. 1 shows an example of a heat exchanger according to the invention in a perspective view. The FIG. 2 shows the heat exchanger of FIG. 1 in a sectional view along the section plane II-II of FIG. 1 , The heat exchanger 1 comprises a plurality of channel devices 2 for the flow through with a first fluid F ₁ , which are stacked along a stacking direction S. In the example of FIG. 1 For example, three stacked channel devices 2 stacked in the stacking direction S are shown; in variants of the example, however, this number may vary.

As FIG. 1 reveals, each channel means 2, a pair of plates 3, with a first and a second plate 3a, 3b, the limit in the stacking direction S has a first fluid channel 4a for through-flow of the first fluid _f1. In each case two adjacent in the stacking direction S channel devices 2 are at a distance one above the other, so that a fluidically separated from the first fluid channel 4a second fluid channel 4b is formed for flowing through with a second fluid F ₂ by the resulting between the adjacent channel means 2 intermediate space.

In the formed between the plate pairs 3a, 3b of a channel device 2 first fluid channel 4a is corresponding to the FIGS. 1 and 2 in each case a plurality of channel elements 6 are arranged. The channel elements 6 extend in the example scenario in the stacking direction A and are connected both to the first plate 3a and to the second channel plate 3b of the first fluid channel 4a in the stacking direction S bounding plate pair 3. By means of the channel elements 6, the two adjacent to the plate pair 3 of the channel device 2 in or against the stacking direction S interstices 5 are fluidly interconnected. The channel elements 6 may be integrally formed on the first and second plates 3a, 3b of their associated plate pair 3.

A flowing through a certain, a second fluid channel 4b intermediate space 5 flowing fluid F ₂ can thus through the channel elements 6 in a in or against the stacking direction S adjacent, also a second fluid channel 4b forming gap 5 arrive. The second fluid F ₂ may be a coolant by means of which the first fluid F ₁ - for example fresh air charged by means of an exhaust-gas turbocharger - is to be cooled before it is introduced into an internal combustion engine. The thermal interaction between the two fluids F ₁ , F ₂ takes place in the heat exchanger 1 presented here through the first and second plates 3a, 3b of the plate pairs 3, which each fluidically separate a first fluid channel 4a from a second fluid channel 4b, as well as over Channel elements 6, which also provide a fluidic separation of the first fluid channel 4a from the second fluid channel 4b. For this purpose, the channel elements 6 as in the FIGS. 1 and 2 may be formed as a tubular body 7. Each tubular body 7 has, in the example scenario, a circumferential wall 8 which partially delimits a channel interior 9. On the front side, the channel interior 9 is delimited by a first through opening 10a and by a second through opening 10b lying opposite this first through opening 10a. The peripheral wall 8 of the channel element 6 has in this example a wall thickness of at most 2 mm, preferably of at most 1.5 mm, more preferably of at most 1 mm. In this way, the weight of the heat exchanger 1 can be kept low.

In order to fluidly interconnect the intermediate spaces 5 adjacent in the stacking direction S by means of the tubular channel elements 6, a first plate opening 11a is provided in the relevant first plate 3a for each channel element 6, and a second plate opening 11b is provided in the relevant second plate 3b. In this case, the channel element 6 in question is arranged in the first fluid channel 4 a delimited by the two plates 3 a, 3 b so that the first plate opening 11 a of the first plate 3 a communicates fluidically with the second plate opening 11 b via the channel interior 9 of the channel element 6. The second fluid can thus from the gap 5 through the first plate breakthrough 11 a of the first plate 3 a and the first passage opening 10, the channel element 6 to flow through the channel interior 9. Subsequently, it passes through the second passage opening 10b and the second plate opening 11b of the second plate 3b of the same plate pair 3 in the space 5 adjacent in the stacking direction S. As interaction surfaces between the two fluids, therefore, all peripheral walls 8 of the channel elements and the first and second plates 3a, 3b of the channel devices 2 are available.

In principle, the channel elements 6 can each be designed as hollow cylinders extending along an axial direction A. In the example scenario, the axial direction A and the stacking direction S are identical. At the same time, the axial direction A is orthogonal to a plate plane E defined by the first plate 3a of the plate pairs 3. The channel elements 6 designed as hollow cylinders have a diameter measured transversely to the axial axis A which is at most 1 mm, preferably at most 0.5 mm, especially preferably at most 0.3 mm. This makes it possible to provide a plurality of channel elements 6 and in this way to extremely increase the effective heat-interaction area between the two fluids compared to conventional heat exchangers.

In the example scenario have the peripheral walls 8 of the channel elements 6 in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction A a round, preferably one in FIG. 1 illustrated elliptical geometry. Also, a circular geometry (not shown) is conceivable. In other variants of the example, other geometries can be realized. A wall thickness of the peripheral wall 8 of the channel elements 6 may be at most 0.5 mm, preferably at most 0.2 mm.

The channel elements 6 and plate pairs 3 shown in the figures with the first and second plates 3a, 3b of the plate pairs 3 of the heat exchanger 1 are manufactured by means of an additive manufacturing process. All may be preferred essential components of the heat exchanger 1, in extreme cases the complete heat exchanger, are produced by means of such an additive manufacturing process. The use of an additive manufacturing method allows the production of the heat exchanger 1 without component-specific investment means, such as tool molds or the like. and almost no geometric restrictions. By means of the additive manufacturing process, it is possible to construct the design of the heat exchanger 1 functionally bound - and no longer tool-bound. Thus, the individual components of the heat exchanger 1, such as the plate pairs 3 and the channel pairs 6 connecting the plate pairs 3 can be formed integrally with each other directly in the course of the manufacturing process. The provision of small parts such as sealing elements for sealing the channel elements 6 can thus largely or even completely eliminated.

The additive manufacturing process presented here may also include so-called laser sintering. This means that, at least for producing the plate pairs 3 and the channel elements 6, in extreme cases for producing the entire heat exchanger 1, a laser sintering method is used, which is also known to the person skilled in the art under the term "laser melting". By means of such a method, the components of the heat exchanger can be made directly from 3D CAD data. In principle, the said components of the heat exchanger 1 during the laser melting process are manufactured without tools and in layers on the basis of a three-dimensional CAD model assigned to the heat exchanger 1.

Like the representation of the FIG. 2 can recognize the aligned in the first plates 3a first plate apertures 11 a in the axial direction A and the stacking direction S both with the two through holes 10a, 10b of the first plate breakthrough 11a associated channel element 6 as well the associated, provided in the second plate 3b second plate openings 11b.

Looking at the representation of the FIG. 1 , it can further be seen that the first plate apertures 11a provided in the first plate 3a are arranged in a grid-like manner with a plurality of first grid lines 12 with respect to a plan view of the first plate 3a in the axial direction A or stacking direction S, respectively. Correspondingly, the second plate openings 11b formed in the second plate 3b are also arranged with a plurality of second raster lines 12b with respect to a plan view of the second plate 3b in the axial direction A or in the stacking direction S. The associated grid-like arrangement of the channel elements 6 leads to an improved mechanical rigidity of the heat exchanger 1. This applies in particular to the in FIG. 1 shown variant in which the first plate openings 11a of two adjacent first raster lines 12a and in an analogous manner, the second plate openings 11b of two adjacent second raster lines 12b are arranged offset from one another.

The attachment of the individual channel device 2 in the stacking direction S to each other can by means of a in FIG. 1 only schematically indicated holding device 13 done. Each holding device 13 comprises a plurality of strut-like holding elements 14, which are arranged between the first and second plates 3a, 3b of two adjacent channel devices 2 in the respective intermediate space 5. The strut-like holding elements 14 are supported at one end on the intermediate plate 5 in the stacking direction S limiting second plate 3b and the other end of the gap 5 against the stacking direction S limiting first plate 3a from.

Alternatively, the two adjacent in the stacking direction S plates 3b, 3a, which define the gap 5 between two adjacent channel devices 2, part of a flat tube (not shown), which in this way delimits the second fluid channel 4b. This facilitates the manufacture of the heat exchanger 1 in a flat construction, in particular by means of the already mentioned additive manufacturing process.

It is understood that in the above-explained figures, only the essential components of the heat exchanger 1 according to the invention are shown in a schematic representation. Constructive details known to those skilled in the art, such as a collector for collecting the second fluid F ₂ after passing through the various channel members 6, and fasteners for supporting the individual channel members 6 on the housing, etc are not shown in the figures for the sake of clarity.

The heat exchanger 1 may also be formed in one piece. Such a one-piece design is formed in particular when using the above-proposed additive manufacturing process, in particular laser melting. In a one-piece design of the heat exchanger eliminates the very costly and therefore costly attaching the individual components of the heat exchanger together. It is understood that in the case of a one-piece construction of the heat exchanger 1, the terms used herein such as e.g. "first plate 3a" remain valid.

Claims (16)

Heat exchanger (1), - With a plurality of channel devices (2) for the flow through with a first fluid (F ₁ ), which are stacked along a stacking direction (S), - Each channel means (2) comprises a pair of plates (3) having a first and a second plate (3a, 3b), in the stacking direction (S) define a first fluid channel (4a) for flowing through the first fluid (F ₁ ) . - wherein two in the stacking direction (S) adjacent channel devices (2) are arranged at a distance to each other, so that by a between the two adjacent channel means (2) formed intermediate space (5) fluidly from the first fluid channel (4a) separate second fluid channel (4b) for flowing through with a second fluid (F ₂ ) is formed, - Wherein in the first fluid channel (4a) at least one channel means (2), preferably all channel means (2), a plurality of channel elements (6) is provided which are connected to both the first and the second plate (3a, 3b) in that the two intermediate spaces (5) of the channel device (2) adjacent to the stacking direction (S) communicate fluidically with one another by means of the channel elements (6). Heat exchanger according to claim 1,
characterized in that
the channel element (6) is formed as a tubular body (7), which comprises a peripheral wall (8) partially delimiting a channel interior (9), wherein the channel interior (9) is delimited on the face side by a first through-opening (10a) and a second through-opening (10b) lying opposite this. Heat exchanger according to claim 2,
characterized in that
the peripheral wall (8) has a wall thickness of at most 2 mm, preferably of at most 1.5 mm, particularly preferably of at most 1 mm. Heat exchanger according to one of claims 1 to 3,
characterized in that a first plate breakthrough (11a) is provided for each channel element (6) in the first plate (3a) and a second plate breakthrough (11b) is provided in the second plate (3b), the channel elements (6) are arranged in the first fluid channel (4a) delimited by the two plates (3a, 3b) such that the first plate breakthrough (11a) of the first plate (3a) passes over the channel interior (9) of the channel element (6) ) communicates fluidically with the second plate breakthrough (11 b). Heat exchanger according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that - At least the channel elements (6) and the plate pairs (3) of the heat exchanger (1) are made by means of an additive manufacturing process, and / or that - The heat exchanger (1) is integrally formed. Heat exchanger according to claim 5,
characterized in that
the additive manufacturing process comprises a laser melting process. Heat exchanger according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that - The channel element (6) is formed as extending along an axial direction (A) extending hollow cylinder, - The hollow cylinder has a transverse to the axial axis (A) measured diameter which is at most 1 mm, preferably at most 0.5 mm, particularly preferably at most 0.3 mm. Heat exchanger according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the channel elements (6) are integrally formed on the first and second plates (3a, 3b) of their associated plate pair (3). Heat exchanger according to one of claims 2 to 8,
characterized in that
in that the peripheral wall (8) of the channel element (6) in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction (A) has a round, preferably elliptical, most preferably circular geometry. Heat exchanger according to one of claims 3 to 9,
characterized in that
the first plate breakthrough of the first plate in the axial direction is aligned with the two through holes of the channel member and with the associated second plate aperture of the second plate. Heat exchanger according to one of claims 3 to 9,
characterized in that - In the first plate (3a) a plurality of first plate openings (11a) is provided, which are arranged with respect to a plan view of the first plate (3a) grid-like with a plurality of first raster lines (12a) on this, and / or - In the second plate (3b) a plurality of second plate openings (11 b) is provided, which are arranged with respect to a plan view of the second plate (3b) grid-like with a plurality of second raster lines (12 b) on this. Heat exchanger according to claim 11,
characterized in that the first plate openings of two adjacent first grid lines are arranged offset to one another, - The second plate breakthroughs of two adjacent second raster lines are arranged offset from one another. Heat exchanger according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
between two in the stacking direction (S) adjacent channel means (2) is provided a holding device (13) which connects a first plate (3a) of a particular channel means with a second plate (3b) in the stacking direction (S) adjacent channel means (2). Heat exchanger according to claim 13,
characterized in that
the holding device (13) comprises a plurality of strut-like, holding elements (14), which are supported on the first and the second plate (3a, 3b). Heat exchanger according to one of claims 2 to 14,
characterized in that
a wall thickness of the peripheral wall (8) of the channel elements is at most 0.5 mm, preferably at most 0.2 mm. Heat exchanger according to one of claims 2 to 14,
characterized in that
the two plates (3a, 3b) limiting an intermediate space (5) between two channel devices (6) adjacent in the stacking direction (S) are part of a flat tube bounding the second fluid channel (5b).

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