EP1436556B1 - Refrigerant condenser - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a condenser ( 1 ) comprising an integrated collector ( 5 ) which is arranged parallel to one of the collector tubes ( 2 ) and is connected to said connector tube via two overflow opening ( 8 and 9 ). Said collector ( 5 ) is used to receive a drying/filtering unit ( 11 ). The condenser ( 1 ), consisting of tubes ( 3 ), ribs ( 4 ) and collector tubes ( 2 ), is produced by welding. According to the invention, the drying/filtering unit ( 11 ) is introduced into the collector ( 5 ) before the welding process and is positioned therein or connected thereto in a fixed manner. The collector ( 5 ) is then closed and the entire condenser ( 1 ) is welded. The connection between the drying/filtering unit ( 11 ) and the collector ( 5 ) is thus carried out before or during the welding process by means of welding. The invention is preferably used for air conditioning systems in motor vehicles.

Description

The invention relates to a brazed refrigerant condenser consisting of a heat exchange network with flat tubes and corrugated fins, of collecting tubes which are in fluid communication with the flat tubes, and of a collector arranged parallel to a collecting tube, comprising a dryer and / or a filter receives and via two overflow openings in fluid communication with the collector - such a capacitor is known from EP 0 669 506 A1 of the Applicant.

In this known capacitor is a so-called capacitor module in which a collector is arranged parallel to one of the manifolds, which is connected via two overflow openings with the manifold in combination. As a result, the refrigerant passes from the manifold into the collector, where there is a dryer, ie a container, usually made of plastic, which is filled with a dryer granules for dehydration of the refrigerant. After the refrigerant flows around or through the dryer, it passes through a filter screen into the bottom of the collector. The task of the screen is to clean the refrigerant from impurities in the form of very fine particles. Thereafter, the refrigerant enters via the lower overflow again in the manifold of the capacitor. In this design, all metal parts, ie flat tubes, ribs, headers and collectors are brazed in the brazing furnace, ie at a temperature of about 620 ° C. Of the Plastic salt with the granules does not survive such temperatures, so it is spent after soldering in the collector, whereupon this is closed by means of a lid. The use with dryer granules can then also be replaced for maintenance purposes.

Similar designs with a dryer cartridge used, which is also integrated with a filter as a built-in part, from the other documents of the applicant, the EP 0 689 014 B1 and EP 0 867 670 A2, forth. In addition, capacitor modules of the applicant have become known, the only one dryer insert with granules, d. H. without filter screen, d. H. EP 0 668 986 B1 and DE 43 19 293 C2. All these designs have in common that the dryer insert with or without filter sieve mounted only after the soldering of the capacitor, d. H. is positioned in the collector. After this introduction of the dryer filter insert the collector must be sealed fluid and pressure tight. This requires on the one hand appropriate design measures in the form of an opening on the collector with a matching lid and on the other hand additional steps after soldering for mounting the dryer insert. Of course, this is associated with corresponding costs, which are reflected in the price of the capacitor module.

US 5159821 discloses a collector-filter capacitor in which the output of the collector is not returned to the condenser through an overflow port. This condenser has a dryer which is provided between planar filters.

US 5419141 discloses a condenser with a collector with an insert with a dryer, wherein the insert is inserted into the collector to be opened after the soldering of the condenser and subsequently a screwable closure is resealed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve a Kälternittelkondensator of the type mentioned in that the assembly of the dryer / filter cartridge is simplified and the manufacturing cost of the entire capacitor can be reduced.

This object is achieved by the features of patent claim 1 and the method claim 9. By soldering the dryer including filter to the collector, the condenser can be completely assembled prior to the soldering process, ie, including dryer with dryer material and filter. A subsequent introduction of the dryer / filter cartridge after soldering is thus eliminated. Dryers and / or filters can also be glued during the soldering process with the collector, z. B. by means of a temperature-resistant adhesive. Likewise, a positive or frictional connection between the dryer / filter unit and the collector can be made before the soldering process, so that the

Unit is firmly positioned in the collector and can then be subjected to the soldering process without affecting Condition for all solutions that the dryer material is temperature resistant, d. H. is not impaired by the occurring during the soldering process temperatures of about 620 ° C in its function.

A positive connection can be made, for example, by the arrangement of annular beads above and below the dryer / filter unit, and a frictional connection can be achieved by pressing the housing of the dryer / filter unit into the collector, i. H. held there by means of a press fit.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims. The drier material can either be in the form of granules enclosed in a perforated metal container, or it can be used as a solid mass, e.g. B. as a cylindrical rod which is connected to the filter element and thus secured in the collector by soldering. The dryer / filter cartridge thus consists of a metallic material, preferably an aluminum alloy, which can be soldered to the collector, which also consists of an aluminum alloy.

Fig. 1

einen Ausschnitt aus einem Kondensatormodul mit Trockner/Filtereinsatz mit granulatförmigem Trocknermaterial,

Fig. 2

einen Ausschnitt aus einem Kondensatormodul mit einem Trockner-/Filtereinsatz mit stabförmigem Trockner aus fester Masse und

Fig.3

einen Ausschnitt aus einem Kondensatormodul mit einer eingelöteten Trocknerhülse und Filtersieb.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing and will be described in more detail below. Show it

Fig. 1

a section of a capacitor module with dryer / filter cartridge with granular dryer material,

Fig. 2

a section of a capacitor module with a dryer / filter cartridge with rod-shaped solid-mass dryer and

Figure 3

a section of a capacitor module with a soldered dryer sleeve and filter.

Fig. 1 shows a section of a refrigerant condenser 1, as it is used in the refrigerant circuit of a motor vehicle for the air conditioning of the passenger compartment. This condenser has a manifold 2 (the other is not shown) into which flat tubes 3 open, between which corrugated fins 4 are located, which are acted upon by ambient air for heat removal. Parallel to the manifold 2, a collector 5 is provided, which is in fluid communication with the manifold via two overflow openings 8 and 9, between which a collecting wall 10 is located in the manifold 2. As far as this capacitor is known: all parts 2, 3, 4, 5 are made of an aluminum alloy and are soldered together in a single pass in the brazing furnace.

In the interior 6 of the collector 5, a dryer / filter insert 11 is installed: It consists of an upper part, a perforated metallic cage 12, in which the dryer material is enclosed in the form of granules The lower part of the insert 11 consists of a filter screen 14, the outer frame 15 is adapted to the inner cross section of the collector chamber 6 and soldered to this or only mechanically connected. The relatively close-meshed filter screen 14 forms an approximately coaxial with the collector 5 arranged cylindrical surface, but leaves a gap 16 to the partition wall 7. The dryer / filter insert 11, consisting of the upper dryer section 12 and the lower filter section 14, is thus introduced and positioned before the soldering process in the interior 6 so that it soldered during the subsequent soldering process with the inner wall 17 of the collector 5 or mechanically connected Thus, this insert is fixed in the collector after the soldering process and can thus fulfill its function, which is described as follows:

The refrigerant, which has previously flowed through the condenser in a known manner, flows, as indicated by the arrows a and b, through the overflow opening 8 in the wall 7 from the collecting pipe 2 into the interior 6 of the collector 5. There it comes in contact with the metal sleeve 12, flows through the perforation 12 'and thus enters the interior of the sleeve 12, where the granules 13 is located - this deprives the refrigerant contained in it water. The granules 13 is commercially available and Resistant to soldering temperatures, such as those encountered in aluminum brazing. The refrigerant then flows into the interior of the approximately cylindrical filter screen 14 and passes from the inside to the outside, ie approximately in the radial direction through the filter screen 14 and then, as shown by the arrow c, via the overflow 9 in the wall 7 back in the collection tube 2, that is, in the below the partition 10 lying chamber 18 a. From there it flows through the bottom tubes of the condenser to the outlet of the condenser.

Another embodiment of the dryer / filter cartridge is shown in FIG . It corresponds in all essential parts of the embodiment according to FIG. 1 with the only difference that the dryer is designed as a dryer rod 20 from a solid drier mass. This mass contains the known dryer material and is also temperature resistant to the soldering process. This dryer rod 20 thus has no cage, it is fastened in a manner not shown in the lower filter frame 15.

Another embodiment is shown in FIG . A condenser 30 consists of a heat exchanger network 31, which is formed by flat tubes 32 and corrugated fins 33 arranged therebetween. The ends of the flat tubes 32 open into a manifold 34 and are soldered to it. The manifold 34 has a simplified representation of an upper chamber 35 (it may also be a further subdivision into a plurality of chambers may be provided) and a lower chamber 36, which is divided by a partition wall 37. Parallel to the manifold 34, a tubular collector 38 is arranged, which is closed at the end by a respective cover 39 and 40 pressure and fluid-tight. The chamber 35 of the manifold 34 communicates with the interior of the accumulator 38 via an opening 41, and the lower chamber 36 is in fluid communication with the lower portion 43 of the accumulator 38 via an overflow port 42. In the interior 44 of the accumulator 38 is a dryer / Filter cartridge 45 is arranged, which consists essentially of a perforated, metallic tubular sleeve 46 which is coaxially mounted in the collector 38, leaving an annular gap 47 by means of two frontally arranged annular flanges 48 and 49. Within the perforated sleeve 46 is located Dryer granules 50. The tubular sleeve 46 is frontally through likewise perforated end plates (not shown) completed. At the lower end of the sleeve 46 is frontally additionally a filter 51st

The entire dryer / filter unit 45 including the annular flanges 48, 49 is introduced into the interior of the collecting tube 44 before the soldering process of the capacitor and positioned there. Subsequently, the collector 38 is closed by the two covers 39, 40. Thereafter, the entire prepared for the soldering capacitor is placed in the soldering oven and soldered there. After the soldering process, the dryer / filter unit 45 is fully functional, which happens in the following way:

The refrigerant flows - analogous to the previous embodiments - following the arrow a via the overflow 41 first in the annular space 47 and from there via the perforation of the sleeve 46 in its interior. There, the refrigerant comes into contact with the granules 50, whereby the dehydration takes place. From the interior of the sleeve 46, the refrigerant can escape both upwards into the space 44 and down into the space 43. In the upper part 44, the gaseous phase of the refrigerant will accumulate, while the liquid phase will flow through the filter screen 51 into the lower space 43, so that there will collect mainly liquid refrigerant; this then passes through the overflow opening 42 into the chamber 36 and then into the last tubes of the condenser, which generally form the so-called subcooling path of the condenser.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Refrigerant condenser

2

manifold

3

flat tube

4

corrugated fins

5

collector

6

inner space

7

wall

8.9

overflow

10

partition wall

11

Dryer / filter cartridge

12

Metallic cage

12 '

openings

13

granules

14

filter screen

15

frame

16

gap

17

inner wall

18

chamber

20

dryer bar

30

capacitor

31

Wärrnetauschernetz

32

flat tubes

33

corrugated fins

34

manifold

35/36

chamber

37

partition wall

38

collector

39/40

cover

41

overflow

42

overflow

43

Lower part of the collector

44

Interior of the collector

45

Dryer / filter cartridge

46

shell

47

annulus

48/49

Annular flange

50

granules

51

filter screen

Claims (9)

1. Refrigerant condenser, made by brazing and consisting of a heat exchange network (31) with flat tubes (3, 32) and corrugated fins (4, 33), collector tubes (2, 34) which are in fluid connection with the flat tubes (3, 32), and a collector (5, 38) arranged in parallel with a collector tube, which accommodates inside itself a drier and/or filter and which is in fluid connection with the collector tube (2, 34) via overflow openings (8, 9; 41, 42), such that the drier (11, 20, 46) and/or the filter (14, 15; 51) is/are connected to the collector (5, 38) by a permanent joint made before or during the brazing process, characterised in that the drier consists of a perforated metallic container (12, 46) with a granulated desiccator (13, 50) in it and the metallic container (12, 46) is connected to the inside wall of the collector (5, 7; 38), the metallic container (12, 46) consisting of an alloy that can be brazed and being brazed to the collector (5, 7; 38).
2. Refrigerant condenser according to Claim 1, characterised in that the drier (11, 20, 46) is connected to a filter screen (14, 51), which is connected to the inside wall of the collector (5, 38).
3. Refrigerant condenser according to either of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the filter screen (14, 51) consists of an alloy that can be brazed.
4. Refrigerant condenser according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the desiccator material consists of a solid mass (20).
5. Refrigerant condenser according to Claim 4, characterised in that the solid desiccator mass (20) is connected to the filter element (15).
6. Refrigerant condenser according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the drier and filter screen are made as an integrated unit (45) arranged in the collector (38) and connected thereto.
7. Refrigerant condenser according to Claim 6, characterised in that the drier and filter screen are made as a tubular unit (45) arranged coaxially with an annular aperture in the collector (38) and connected to the collector (38) at its ends.
8. Refrigerant condenser according to Claims 6 or 7, characterised in that the filter screen (51) is arranged at the front and/or coaxially.
9. Process for the production of a refrigerant condenser according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the drier (11, 12; 20; 46) with desiccator material and/or the filter (14, 15; 51) are positioned in the collector (5, 38) before the brazing of the condenser (1, 30), and are connected to the collector either before or during the brazing process.

Images