EP1579162B1 - Heat exchanger module and method of producing - Google Patents

Abstract

The cooling fin is constituted from a strip (30) comprising a first heat exchange zone (18) intended to cooperate with tubes of a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchange zone (20) cooperating with tubes of a second heat exchanger. The strip has a weakening zone (22) able to allow separation into a first element comprising the first exchange zone and a second element comprising the second exchange zone. Independent claims are included for a heat exchanger module comprising two heat exchangers and a method of making the two heat exchangers.

Description

The invention relates to a heat exchange module and a method for manufacturing such a module. It will find its applications particularly in the field of motor vehicles.

Document is known EP1229296 a method of simultaneous manufacture of two heat exchangers.

That being so, it relates more particularly to a module according to the preamble of claim 1.

It is known to use, and in particular the document US5992514 heat exchange modules, also called multi-exchanger, comprising at least a first and a second exchanger having at least one common component, each exchanger comprising fluid tubes, generally planar and regularly spaced, with which cooperates each of the heat exchange zones of the fins.

In such modules, it is necessary to avoid thermal bridges between the exchangers. This need is all the greater as the two exchangers operate at different temperatures. An example of this is motor vehicle heat exchange modules which include a radiator for cooling the engine and a condenser forming part of the air conditioning circuit.

Classically, thermal bridging is achieved by various means, such as providing localized slots, removing material, or locally reducing the thickness of the fins. These various means, if they reduce heat exchange, do not provide a perfect thermal insulation as would be the case in the absence of any thermal bridge.

The subject of the invention is precisely a module for the exchange of heat that overcomes these disadvantages by allowing to remove the thermal bridge between the different heat exchanger module exchangers.

This object is achieved, in accordance with the invention, in that the module comprises fins for heat exchange, in particular for cooling, consisting of a strip comprising a first heat exchange zone intended to cooperate with the tubes of the first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchange zone, intended to cooperate with the tubes of the second heat exchanger, and a weakening zone, capable of permitting its separation, into a first element comprising said first zone; heat exchanger and a second element comprising said second heat exchange zone. The module further comprises at least one cheek assembled by soldering to the first heat exchange zone and the second heat exchange zone.

Thanks to these features, there is a fin which allows the simultaneous assembly of the components of two exchangers, and the separation of the connection between said first and second exchange zones.

It is thus possible to obtain multi-exchangers which have the advantage of not having any thermal bridge between the heat exchange zones of the fin since there is no longer any residual metal bonds between them, by which a transfer of heat heat could be done.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the strip of the fin according to the invention has a corrugated shape and the said weakening zone consists of a straight slot, for example obtained by shear, interrupted at some of the faces. corrugations by at least one residual connection, provided between said first and said second heat exchange zone.

For example, the faces of the corrugations have a height H and said residual connection, provided at mid-height, has a height h between H / 5 and H / 30, in particular about 0.5 mm.

According to one variant, the fins are flat. They then comprise perforations in which the tubes are introduced.

Said strip has a width, for example, substantially equal to the sum of the widths of the tubes of the first and second heat exchangers while said first and said second heat exchange zone of said strip have a width respectively corresponding to the width of the tubes first and second heat exchanger.

In a first example, the tubes of the exchangers of said multi-exchanger are offset from each other in a direction orthogonal to said tubes and said cheeks have a shift of equivalent level between the first and the second exchanger.

In a second example, said cheeks comprise two parts interconnected by deformable connections and soldered together respectively to the first and second heat exchange zones.

In such an example, one of the parts of the cheek assembled at one of the heat exchange zones may comprise at least one excrescence soldered to the other heat exchange zone.

It can also be noted that such cheeks find their use in any type of module without necessarily being modules with fins conforming to the invention. These cheeks have in fact their structure capacity limitations of heat transfer from one exchanger to another.

• on prévoit des bandes de tôle,
• on réalise un affaiblissement des bandes de tôle afin de limiter une première zone d'échange de chaleur destinée à être associée aux tubes du premier échangeur et une seconde zone d'échange de chaleur destinée à être associée aux tubes du second échangeur de chaleur, cet affaiblissement laissant subsister une liaison résiduelle entre la première zone d'échange de chaleur et la seconde zone d'échange de chaleur,
• on associe les bandes de tôle aux tubes des échangeurs,
• on rompt les liaisons résiduelles entre la première zone d'échange de chaleur et la seconde zone d'échange de chaleur de manière à les séparer entièrement,
• on assemble les échangeurs par brasage, et
• on assemble lesdits échangeurs (1,2) entre eux par ladite joue, lors du brasage.

The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a heat exchange module comprising at least two heat exchangers, each exchanger comprising generally flat and regularly spaced fluid circulation tubes, having a width, and cooling elements. associated with these tubes characterized in that:

• sheet metal strips are provided,
• a weakening of the sheet metal strips is achieved in order to limit a first heat exchange zone intended to be associated with the tubes of the first heat exchanger and a second heat exchange zone intended to be associated with the tubes of the second heat exchanger, this weakening leaving a residual connection between the first heat exchange zone and the second heat exchange zone,
• we associate the strips of sheet metal to the tubes of the exchangers,
• the residual connections between the first heat exchange zone and the second heat exchange zone are broken off so as to separate them completely,
• the exchangers are assembled by brazing, and
• said exchangers (1,2) are assembled together by said cheek during brazing.

After completion of said weakening, said sheet metal strip constitutes, for example, a fin as defined above.

Advantageously, the breaking operation of the residual bonds is performed before brazing, during the operation of association of the sheet metal strips with the tubes.

Preferably, the sheet metal strips are shaped so as to give them a corrugated shape, the association of the sheet metal strips with the tubes of the exchanger being done by introducing the corrugated sheet metal strips between the tubes.

In this case, the corrugated spacers of all the exchangers of the heat exchange module are made in a single operation, which makes it possible to increase the speed of manufacture without simultaneously increasing the forming speed. As a result, the geometrical characteristics of the spacers can be maintained within low manufacturing tolerances, which facilitates their introduction between the tubes without problems of matching.

Advantageously, said residual connection is made during the conformation of the corrugated sheet metal strips, this by producing a discontinuous slot in the sheet metal strips, for example by shearing.

Alternatively, the weakening of the metal strips may be achieved by removal of material or by producing longitudinal slots, before shaping.

Advantageously, the residual bonds are broken by displacement of the exchangers relative to each other, in particular according to a shearing movement.

The deformable cheeks as mentioned above are assembled to the remainder of the module, for example, when the tubes and the strips of metal sheets having the heat exchange zones are combined. Indeed, thanks to their deformable nature, they can support the operation of separation of said heat exchange zones.

If it is a multi-exchanger tube offset, provided with cheeks having a shift equivalent to that of the tubes, one of the cheeks may be positioned in abutment against the heat exchange zone of one of the exchangers and the other in support against the heat exchange zone of the other heat exchanger, during the combination of tubes and strips of plate. It will then act on said cheeks in two opposite directions, thereby obtaining the desired offset for the tubes and breaking the residual bond between the heat exchange zones.

• la Figure 1 est une vue partielle en perspective d'une ailette pour un module conforme à l'invention;
• la Figure 2 illustre un détail de la zone repéré II à la figure 1;
• la Figure 3 est une vue en perspective d'un module conforme à l'invention;
• la Figure 4 illustre en perspective une variante de réalisation d'un élément d'un module conforme à l'invention;
• la Figure 5 illustre en perspective une étape d'un procédé, conforme à l'invention, de fabrication d'un module d'échangeur de chaleur;
• la Figure 6 détaille selon un plan de coupe transversale la position relative des différents composants illustrés à la figure 5, dans un premier état ;
• la Figure 7 détaille selon un plan de coupe transversale la position relative des différents composants illustrés à la figure 5, dans un second état.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description of exemplary embodiments given by way of illustration with reference to the appended figures. In these figures:

• the Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a fin for a module according to the invention;
• the Figure 2 illustrates a detail of the area marked II to the figure 1 ;
• the Figure 3 is a perspective view of a module according to the invention;
• the Figure 4 illustrates in perspective an alternative embodiment of an element of a module according to the invention;
• the Figure 5 illustrates in perspective a step of a method, according to the invention, for manufacturing a heat exchanger module;
• the Figure 6 details in a cross-sectional plan the relative position of the various components illustrated in FIG. figure 5 in a first state;
• the Figure 7 details in a cross-sectional plan the relative position of the various components illustrated in FIG. figure 5 in a second state.

To the Figures 1 and 2 there is shown a heat exchange fin, in particular cooling, according to the invention. Said fin consists of a strip 30 comprising a first heat exchange zone 18, intended to cooperate with tubes of a first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchange zone 20, intended to cooperate with tubes of a second heat exchanger. Such fins make it possible to ensure a heat exchange between the air and a fluid circulating in the tubes. They are, for example, aluminum.

Each heat exchange zone 18,20 may be provided with means for disrupting the flow of air, also called louvers 60,62, known to those skilled in the art.

Advantageously, the configuration of said louvers is adapted to the type of exchanger equipped. They may, for example, be oriented head to tail on either side of an axis of symmetry, this in each heat exchange zone 18, 20. In other words, in the first heat exchange zone 18 , it is provided on either side of a first axis of symmetry of louvers of opposite orientation. Similarly in the second heat exchange zone 20, on either side of a second axis of symmetry. The number of louvers of the first heat exchange zone and that of the heat exchange second may be different.

According to the invention, said band comprises a weakening zone 22, able to allow its separation into a first element comprising said first heat exchange zone 18 and a second element comprising said second heat exchange zone 20.

It will be noted that the widths of the zones 18 and 20 are not necessarily equal. The width of each of these zones corresponds to the width of the fluid circulation tubes of each of the exchangers with which the fin is intended to cooperate. If the tubes of the first exchanger are wider than the tubes of the second exchanger, the heat exchange zone 18 intended to establish a heat exchange with the tubes of the first exchanger may be wider than the heat exchange zone 20 for establishing a heat exchange with the tubes of the second exchanger. The weakening zone 22 of the fin may thus be offset with respect to the axis of symmetry thereof.

According to the illustrated embodiment, said strip 30 has a corrugated shape and said weakening zone 22 consists of a straight slot interrupted at some of the faces of the corrugations by at least one residual connection 34, provided between said first and said second heat exchange zone. The ratio of the number of faces with residual bond on the number of faces without residual bond can vary from 1/7 to 1/20. It can be, especially 1/10.

The two heat exchange zones 18 and 20 are thus separated from one another by lights 26 interrupted at regular intervals by sheet metal tongues 34, in particular perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sheet metal strip 30.

A weakening of the sheet metal strip is thus achieved, this weakening leaving residual connections formed by the tabs between the first heat exchange zone 18 and the second heat exchange zone 20. Said lights have, for example, a width of less than 0.5 mm, or even 0.3 mm, or even 0.1 mm, or a zero or non-measurable width, said weakening resulting from a simple cut without removal of material.

The faces of the corrugations have, in particular, a height H and said residual link has a height h, for example between H / 5 and H / .30, especially equal to H / 12. It can be planned at mid-height or on the shelves.

The heat exchange module shown on the figure 3 is consisting of a radiator 1 for cooling a motor vehicle engine and an air conditioning condenser 2, these two exchangers are generally planar.

The radiator 1 consists in a known manner of a bundle of fluid circulation tubes 5 mounted between two manifolds 6 (only one box has been shown), the two manifolds 6 being arranged along two parallel sides of the bundle of tubes. tubes and provided with inlet pipes 8 and outlet of the cooling fluid.

The condenser 2 also consists of a bundle of fluid circulation tubes 10 mounted between two manifolds 12 (only one box has been shown), the manifolds being arranged along two parallel sides of the bundle and provided with tubes of inlet and outlet of the refrigerant (not shown).

The tubes of each of the exchangers are, for example, aluminum.

According to the invention, said module also comprises fins as described above, said first and second elements 64,66 of said fins, provided separated from each other, being respectively associated with the tubes 5,10 of the first and second second exchanger. The trace of the broken residual bond 34, although visible, has not been shown.

In the embodiment shown, the fins of the heat exchange module are constituted by interleaved corrugated sheets disposed between the tubes 5 and the tubes 10 '

The manifold 6 of the exchanger 1 is formed from metal sheets, preferably aluminum, shaped by conventional cutting and stamping operations.

They have a bottom 80 which is generally flat and elongated rectangular shape. This bottom is intended to form the collector plate, also called "plate with holes", of the header box 6. It comprises for this purpose a plurality of spaced holes 82 spaced elongate intended. to receive the tubes 5 of the exchanger 1. The manifold 6 further comprises side flanks 36 folded vis-à-vis which are generally planar and parallel to each other. The flanks 36 are connected substantially perpendicular to the bottom by two fold lines which are parallel to each other. The tubing 8 is arranged in one of the lateral flanks 36.

The manifold 6 is closed by a metal strip of given width which has parallel generatrices. This strip can be fitted between the lateral flanks 36 of the manifold 6 to form an assembly ready to be soldered together with the tubing 8.

The manifold 12 of the exchanger 2 has the general shape of an elongate cylinder provided with perforations for receiving the tubes 10 of the exchanger.

Advantageously, said heat exchange module according to the invention further comprises at least one cheek 40 joined by soldering to the first heat exchange zone 18 and the second heat exchange zone 20. Said cheek is constituted, for example, by a metal plate 37 of generally rectangular shape.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the tubes 5, 10 of the exchangers are offset from each other in a direction orthogonal to said tubes and the cheeks 40 have an offset 39 of equivalent level between the first and the second exchanger 1,2.

As illustrated in figure 4 , according to another mode of realization, the module comprises side cheeks 46 deformable. For this, said cheeks comprise two portions 48,50 connected to each other by deformable connections 52 and brazed together respectively to the first 18 and the second 20 heat exchange zones.

More specifically, the flange 46 comprises two adjacent elongated parts, namely a portion 48 and a portion 50 interconnected by the deformable bonds 52. The portion 48 is adapted to be assembled to the first heat exchange zone 18, c that is to say the interleaves of the exchanger 1, while the portion 50 is adapted to be assembled to the second heat exchange zone 20, that is to say the spacers of the exchanger 2.

One of the parts 50 of the cheek assembled at one of the heat exchange zones 20 comprises at least one protrusion 68 brazed to the other heat exchange zone 18.

The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a heat exchange module comprising at least two heat exchangers 1,2, each exchanger comprising generally flat and regularly spaced fluid circulation tubes 5, 10 having a width , and cooling elements 64,66 associated with these tubes 5, 10.

• on prévoit des bandes de tôle 30,
• on réalise un affaiblissement 22 des bandes de tôle 30 afin de limiter une première zone d'échange de chaleur 18 destinée à être associée aux tubes 5 du premier échangeur 1 et une seconde zone d'échange de chaleur 20 destinée à être associée aux tubes 10 du second échangeur de chaleur 2, cet affaiblissement laissant subsister une liaison résiduelle 34 entre la première zone d'échange de chaleur 18 et la seconde zone d'échange de chaleur 20,
• on associe les bandes de tôle 30 aux tubes 5 et 10 des échangeurs 1, 2,
• on rompt les liaisons résiduelles 34 entre la première zone d'échange de chaleur 18 et la seconde zone d'échange de chaleur 20 de manière à les séparer entièrement,
• on assemble les échangeurs 1, 2 par brasage.

We carry out the following operations

• sheet metal strips 30 are provided,
• the sheet metal strips 30 are weakened in order to limit a first heat exchange zone 18 intended to be associated with the tubes 5 of the first heat exchanger 1 and a second heat exchange zone 20 intended to be associated with the tubes 10 of the second heat exchanger 2, this weakening leaving a residual connection 34 remaining between the first heat exchange zone 18 and the second heat exchange zone 20,
• the sheet metal strips 30 are associated with the tubes 5 and 10 of the exchangers 1, 2,
• the residual connections 34 are broken between the first heat exchange zone 18 and the second heat exchange zone 20 so as to separate them completely,
• the exchangers 1, 2 are assembled by brazing.

After completion of said weakening, said sheet metal strip constitutes, for example, a fin as defined above.

Advantageously, before assembly, the sheet metal strips 30 are conformed so as to give them a corrugated shape, the association of the sheet metal strips 30 to the tubes of the heat exchangers being done by introduction of the sheet metal strips between the tubes 5, 10.

To the figure 5 the operation of associating the fins with the tubes is schematically represented. As illustrated, the breaking operation of the residual links 34 of said fins may be performed during this step.

More precisely, after insertion of the corrugated fins 30 between the tubes 5 and the tubes 10, the heat exchange zone 18 and the heat exchange zone 20 are still interconnected by the sheet tongues 34.

The residual links 34 can be broken by moving the exchangers 1,2 relative to one another. More precisely, the separation of the heat exchange zones 18 and 20 can be achieved by a shearing movement exerting on the first exchanger a force in a first direction F1 and on the second exchanger a force in a second direction F2, parallel and opposite to F1 direction.

Such an operation may be performed by a tool comprising a pair of jaws.41 and 42 adapted to grip the heat exchange zone 18 (tubes 5 and heat exchange elements 64) of the heat exchanger 1, and another pair of jaws 43 and 44 adapted to grip the heat exchange zone 20 (tubes 10 and heat exchange elements 66) of the heat exchanger 2, said pairs of jaws being able to move according to the F1, F2 directions.

The said residual connection 34 is made, for example by producing a discontinuous slot in the sheet metal strips 30 during their conformation in undulated form.

There is a common cheek 40 to the two exchangers vis-à-vis the first 18 and second 20 heat exchange zones and assembling said exchangers 1,2 between them by said cheek during brazing.

As illustrated in figures 6 and 7 , according to a first embodiment, it is cheeks having an offset 39.

One of the cheeks may then be positioned in abutment against the heat exchange zone 18 of one of the exchangers 1 and the other cheek 40 bears against the heat exchange zone 20 of the other exchanger 2 when the tubes 5, 10 and the metal strips 30 are combined, as is more particularly illustrated in FIG. figure 6 .

The said cheeks are then acted in two opposite directions, thereby obtaining the desired offset for the tubes and the breaking of the residual connection between the heat exchange zones. The cheeks 40 are then in abutment against the heat exchange elements 64, 66 over their entire width, as illustrated in FIG. figure 7 .

According to another embodiment, it may be a cheek deformable such as that described in figure 5 .

In this case, the deformable connections 52 may have been previously obtained through cuts 54 made in the thickness of the metal sheet.

The two parts 48 and 50 of the cheek are then assembled in abutment against the fins 30 before breaking the residual bonding zones of the heat exchange zones 18,20.

When the residual connection zones 34 are broken in order to separate the two heat exchange zones 18 and 20, the portions 48 and 50 of the cheek remain attached to the two heat exchange zones, but they are separated one from the other. the other. However, these two parts 48 and 50 remain integral with each other thanks to the deformable links 52.

Thus, in this embodiment, the flange 46 is associated at the same time as the rest of the exchanger (tubes and fins) and absorbs, 1 thanks to its deformable bonds 52, the shearing movement produced by the separation of the two zones. heat exchange.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above by way of example and extends to other variants. Thus, instead of using completely metal collecting boxes, one could use plastic manifolds each associated with a metal collector.

Moreover, a heat exchange module has been described here comprising two heat exchangers 1 and 2 (for example a cooling radiator and a condenser) intended to be traversed by different fluids.

It is also within the scope of the invention to provide a heat exchange module, which can also be called. multi-temperature exchanger, in which the exchangers 1 and 2 are traversed by the same fluid, provided at two different temperatures from one exchanger to another.

Alternatively, rather than constituting a module comprising a common cheek, it will be able to subject said exchangers to each other in the form of a module, after soldering, by means of reported connection means.

The invention finds particular application in the production of heat exchange modules for motor vehicles.

Claims (13)

1. Heat exchange module comprising at least one first and one second heat exchanger (1, 2), each exchanger comprising fluid circulation tubes (5, 10), generally flat, uniformly spaced, having a width, and heat exchange, particularly cooling, fins consisting of a strip (30) comprising a first heat exchange zone (18) intended to collaborate with the tubes of the first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchange zone (20) intended to collaborate with the tubes of the second heat exchanger, the said module further comprising at least one endplate (40, 46) assembled by brazing to the first heat exchange zone (18) and to the second heat exchange zone (20), characterized in that, prior to assembly, the said strip comprises a zone of weakness (22) able to allow it to be separated into a first element (64) comprising the said first heat exchange zone (18) and a second element (66) comprising the said second heat exchange zone (20) and, after assembly, the said first and second elements (64, 66) of the said fins, designed to be separated from one another, are respectively associated with the tubes (5, 10) of the first and of the second exchanger.
2. Module according to Claim 1, in which the said strip (30) has a wavy shape and the said zone of weakness consists of a rectilinear slit interrupted at some of the faces of the waves by at least one residual connection (34) provided between the said first and the said second heat exchange zones.
3. Module according to Claim 2, in which the faces of the waves have a height H and the said residual connection, provided mid-way up the height, has a height h of between H/5 and H/30.
4. Module according to Claim 2, in which the said slit results from a simple cut without the removal of material.
5. Heat exchange module according to one of the preceding claims, in which the tubes (5, 10) of the exchangers are offset from one another in a direction orthogonal to the said tubes and the endplates (40) exhibit an equivalent offset in level between the first and second exchangers (1, 2) .
6. Heat exchange module according to one of the preceding claims, in which the endplates (46) comprise two parts (48; 50) joined together by deformable connections (52) and assembled by brazing to the first (18) and to the second (20) heat exchange zones respectively.
7. Heat exchange module according to Claim 6, in which one of the parts (50) of the endplate assembled to one of the heat exchange zones (20) comprises at least one protrusion (68) secured by brazing to the other heat exchange zone (18).
8. Heat exchange module according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the first exchanger is a radiator and the second exchanger is a condenser.
9. Method of manufacturing a module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that:

   - the said strips of sheet (30) are provided,

   - a weakness (22) is created in the strips of sheet (30) so as to limit the said first heat exchange zone (18) intended to be associated with the tubes of the first exchanger (5) and the said second heat exchange zone (20) intended to be associated with the tubes (10) of the second heat exchanger (2), this weakness leaving a remanent residual connection (34) between the first heat exchange zone (18) and the second heat exchange zone (20),

   - the strips of sheet (30) are associated with the tubes (5 and 10) of the exchangers (1, 2),

   - the residual connections (34) between the first heat exchange zone (18) and the second heat exchange zone (20) are broken so as to completely separate the zones,

   - the exchangers (1, 2) are assembled by brazing,

   - an endplate (40, 46) common to the two exchangers is positioned facing the first (18) and second (20) heat exchange zones, and

   - the said exchangers (1, 2) are assembled with one another via the said endplate, during the brazing operation.
10. Method according to Claim 9, in which the operation of breaking the residual connections is performed during the operation of associating the strips of sheet with the tubes.
11. Method according to one of Claims 9 and 10, in which the strips of sheet (30) are shaped in such a way as to give them a wavy shape, the strips of sheet (30) being associated with the tubes of the heat exchangers by inserting the strips of sheet between the tubes (5, 10).
12. Method according to Claim 11, in which the said residual connection is created by making a discontinuous slit in the strips of sheet (30) while they are being given a wavy shape.
13. Method according to one of Claims 9 to 12, in which the residual connections (34) are broken by moving the exchangers (1, 2) one relative to the other.

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