EP0789213B1 - Heat exchanger for automotive vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a heat exchanger for a motor vehicle, with a unit of two collecting tubes and a rib / tube block integrated between them for a first circuit for guiding a heat transfer medium, the tubes of the fins / tube block opening into the header tubes, and with heat transfer means for at least one further circuit for guiding one another heat transfer medium, the unit consisting of manifolds and Ribs / tube block a subdivision into at least two mutually independent Heat transfer areas is made, with at least one heat transfer area the heat transfer means for the at least one other Circuit are integrated, and being in both manifolds at the same height each at least one partition arrangement for dividing each manifold is provided in the mutually independent heat transfer areas, wherein at least one partition arrangement is formed by two end walls, that leave a space between them and the space between them End walls limited space with a control hole leading to the outside is provided.

Such a heat exchanger is in the form of a partial block cooler from the US patent 2,037,845. Various fins / tube block units open in the partial block cooler in several collection boxes, which in turn with one on each side common water box are connected. In the respective water box are two mutually spaced partitions are provided, a closed between them Form space. The closed space is through two permanent openings open to one side.

Another heat exchanger is known from JP 4-369396 A. The known Heat exchanger has three heat transfer areas, the different oil coolers form. All three heat transfer areas are in one Integrated ribs / tube block, which opens into a collecting tube on each side. Each manifold is divided into different parts by means of appropriate partition walls Divided heat transfer areas.

From JP 4-268198 A is a heat exchanger with a single heat transfer area known in the inspection holes in a web section of a Collector tube are formed, which are open inwards to the fins / tube block.

In U.S. Patent 4,947,931 a heat exchanger is described in which heat transfer channels are integrated in a plastic block. In the plastic block several heat transfer units are integrated. To isolate the refrigerant from the other heat transfer medium, the plastic block has two to each other parallel partitions that extend from the upper box to the lower box of the Extend plastic block.

From DE 41 00 483 C2 a front area of a motor vehicle is known, which with a heat exchanger in the form of a heat exchanger is provided. For stiffening the front area of the vehicle body is at the level of the heat exchanger a strut is provided, which is tubular and at its ends with Line connections for integration into a coolant circuit is provided. The strut therefore represents a heat exchanger tube. This makes it possible to close proximity to the first coolant circuit of the heat exchanger to arrange another coolant circuit. The strut serves in particular as an oil cooler for a servo oil circuit in a power steering system.

The object of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger of the type mentioned create that with good use of the available space in simple Way a leak detection enables.

This problem is solved in that the fins / tube block at the level of the gaps in both headers there is one between the two headers extending separator arrangement.

The solution according to the invention makes it possible to leak the circuits in the area of the end walls. The control hole thus serves as a leak hole. The solution according to the invention is also simple modified the already existing elements of a heat exchanger known per se, by at least two circuits of different heat transfer media to be able to integrate. Additional components are in the solution according to the invention not required, which means both the construction effort and the assembly time for installing or removing the heat exchanger is significantly reduced. It will be a requires little space, fewer items are provided and the invention Solution has a relatively low weight, which makes it overall there is a reduced cost. By providing two end walls prevents leakage in the area of the end walls a mixture of the heat transfer media takes place. Through the two to each other spaced end walls is thus a safe separation of the heat transfer media achieved.

In an embodiment of the invention are an inlet and a return of the first circuit arranged on one of the manifolds. In a further embodiment of the invention an inlet and a return of the further circuit arranged on one of the manifolds. As a result, the inflows and outflows of both circuits on a common are advantageous Collector pipe arranged.

In a further embodiment of the invention, there is at least one collecting tube arranged the bulkhead in two chamber sections partition wall. As a result, the circuit of the heat transfer fluid through the pipes of the Ribs / pipe block causes.

In a further embodiment of the invention, a bypass hole is in the bulkhead intended. This causes a pressure drop in the associated heat transfer circuit prevented.

Fig. 1

zeigt in ausschnittsweiser Darstellung eine Ausführungsform eines erfindungsgemäßen Wärmeübertragers in Form einer Kombination aus einem Kondensator und einem Ölkühler, bei dem in einer Einheit aus zwei seitlichen Sammelrohren und einem zwischen diesen eingebundenen Rippen/Rohrblock zwei unterschiedliche Kühlkreisläufe mit verschiedenen Kühlflüssigkeiten integriert sind,

Fig. 2

in vergrößerter Darstellung den Anschlussbereich für den Zusatzkreislauf des Wärmeübertragers nach Fig. 1, und

Fig. 3

eine Seitenansicht des Wärmeübertragers nach Fig. 1 in Richtung des Pfeiles III in Fig. 1.

A preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention is described below and illustrated using the drawings.

Fig. 1

1 shows a detail of an embodiment of a heat exchanger according to the invention in the form of a combination of a condenser and an oil cooler, in which two different cooling circuits with different cooling liquids are integrated in a unit consisting of two side header pipes and a fins / pipe block integrated between them.

Fig. 2

in an enlarged view the connection area for the additional circuit of the heat exchanger according to Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3

2 shows a side view of the heat exchanger according to FIG. 1 in the direction of arrow III in FIG. 1.

A heat exchanger (1) according to FIGS. 1 to 3 represents a combination of one Condenser and an oil cooler, which is intended for installation in a motor vehicle is. The heat exchanger has two side manifolds (2, 3) between which a ribs / tube block (4) extends in a manner known per se. The Ribs / tube block (4) has a plurality of parallel and spaced apart Flat tubes (5), between which in a not shown, but known Way corrugated fins are arranged.

The heat exchanger (1) is divided into two different cooling areas (19, 20), of which the upper cooling area (19) in FIG. 1 is part of a cooling circuit for cooling an engine of the motor vehicle. A first pipe (6), which is in an upper End area connects to the manifold (2) serves as the inlet of this cooling circuit to the heat exchanger (1), a lower tube (7) which in the area of a lower end of the cooling area (19) for the first cooling circuit to the manifold (2) is connected, forms a return for this cooling circuit. For safe Guiding a coolant for the upper cooling circuit from the manifold (2) through the fins / tube block (4) to the manifold (3) and back is at least in the manifold (2) at half its length intended for the upper cooling circuit Flow chamber a the flow chamber in two chamber sections dividing bulkhead provided.

A lower cooling area (20) of the heat exchanger (1) is completely separated from the upper cooling area (19) in terms of flow. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the lower cooling circuit has oil as the cooling liquid, so that the lower cooling region (20) represents an oil cooler. In the illustrated embodiment, this lower cooling area in the heat exchanger system (1) is used to cool servo oil for power steering of the motor vehicle. Of course, this lower cooling area (20) can also be used for other types of heat exchangers. Both collecting tubes (2, 3) are provided at the same height, ie at the same length of the respective collecting tube (2, 3), each with a partition arrangement (10) which consists of two end walls (14, 16) arranged parallel and at a distance from one another , The two upper end walls (14) close off the two upper flow chambers of the header pipes (2 and 3) for the first cooling circuit towards the lower cooling area (20). The two lower end walls (16) of the partition arrangement (10) close off a lower flow chamber in each manifold (2, 3), both flow chambers in the manifolds (2, 3) forming part of the lower cooling area (20) for a further cooling circuit with a coolant different from the coolant for the upper cooling circuit. For this purpose, two further pipe connections (8, 9) are connected to the lower flow chamber of the collecting pipe (2), the pipe (8) forming an inlet and the pipe (9) forming a return for the cooling circuit of the lower cooling area (20). An intermediate space (15) remains between the two end walls (14, 16) of each partition arrangement (10) and serves as a leakage space. If one of the two end walls (14, 16) is leaking, the leaking coolant enters this space (15) so that it cannot mix with the coolant of the other cooling circuit. In the event that both end walls (14, 16) are leaking, no cooling liquid can enter the cooling circuit of the other cooling area (19, 20), since the cooling liquids (2) will only mix with one another in the intermediate space (15). However, due to the significantly higher pressures in the respective flow chambers of the two cooling areas (19, 20), the mixed cooling liquids from the intermediate space (15) will not be able to get into the upper or lower cooling area (19, 20). In order to be able to identify and remedy leakage losses in one of the two cooling circuits or in both cooling circuits, the intermediate space (15) in the collecting pipe (2) is provided with a control bore (17) leading to the outside. As soon as one of the two end walls (14, 16) leaks, the corresponding coolant flows out through the intermediate space (15) and the control hole (17). Depending on the nature of the coolant, you can immediately see which of the two cooling circuits is leaking.
To prevent the gaps (15) of the two partition assemblies (10) from being connected to each other by a flat tube, a partition (11) is provided at the level of the two partition sections (10) instead of a flat tube (5), the external dimensions of which are those of one Correspond to the flat tube (5). In contrast to the flat tubes (5), the separating web (11) has a full cross section.

The lower cooling area is next to the corresponding lower flow chamber sections assigned a total of four flat tubes (5) in the header tubes (2 and 3), wherein two upper flat tubes (5) the inlet and two lower flat tubes (5) are assigned to the return. A bulkhead (12) divides the lower flow chamber the manifold (2) in two sections, the circuit of the coolant caused by the flat tubes (5). One provided in the bulkhead (12) Bypass hole (13) prevents a pressure drop in the lower cooling circuit. The lower ends of the lower flow chambers of the two manifolds (2 and 3) are closed by a respective end wall (18).

The heat exchanger (1) according to FIGS. 1 to 3 thus has two completely independent cooling circuits, with essentially the Components of a heat exchanger known per se can be used. The Modification of a known heat exchanger to the invention Heat exchangers with two independent cooling circuits are made by few and simple measures by simply adding additional ones to the manifolds (2 and 3) End walls (14, 16) are pulled in and one of the flat tubes (5) at the level of the end walls (14, 16) through a partition (11) with a full cross-section is replaced. The additional pipe connections are also connected without much effort.

The heat exchanger according to the present invention is not just a combination from condenser and oil cooler, but also as a radiator in an analogous manner used.

Claims (5)

1. Heat exchanger for a motor vehicle, with a unit comprising two collection pipes and a fin/tube block incorporated between them for a first circuit for conveying a heat-exchange medium, the tubes of the fin/tube block opening into the collection pipes, and having heat exchange means for at least one other circuit for conveying another heat-exchange medium, the unit comprising collection pipes (2, 3) and fin/tube block (4) being divided into at least two heat-exchange regions (19, 20) independent of one another, the heat-exchange means for the at least one other circuit being integrated in at least one heat-exchange region (20), and at least one dividing wall arrangement (10) being respectively provided at a same height in the two collection pipes (2, 3) in order to divide each collection pipe (2, 3) into the independent heat-exchange regions (19, 20), the at least one dividing wall arrangement (10) comprising two terminal walls (14, 16) between which an intermediate chamber (15) is left free, and the intermediate chamber (15) bounded by the two terminal walls (14, 16) being provided with a control bore (17) leading to the outside, characterised in that the fin/tube block (4) has a dividing web arrangement (11) extending between the two collection pipes (2, 3) on a level with the intermediate chamber (15) in the two collection pipes (2, 3).
2. Heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that an inlet and a return outlet of the first circuit is provided on one of the collection pipes (2).
3. Heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that an inlet and a return outlet of the other circuit is arranged on one of the collection pipes (2).
4. Heat exchanger as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that a bulkhead wall (12) is provided in at least one collection pipe (2), dividing the collection pipe (2) into two chamber portions.
5. Heat exchanger as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that a bypass bore (13) is provided in the bulkhead wall (12).

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