EP2102575A1

EP2102575A1 - Heat exchanger including at least three heat exchange portions and thermal energy management system including such exchanger

Info

Publication number: EP2102575A1
Application number: EP07822622A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Philippe Jouanny; Ngy Sru Ap; Jean-Sylvain Bernard; Carlos Da Silva
Original assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques SAS
Current assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques SAS
Priority date: 2006-12-14
Filing date: 2007-11-15
Publication date: 2009-09-23
Also published as: FR2910121B1; FR2910121A1; WO2008071511A1; US20100078148A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger including at least firs, second and third heat exchange portions (221; 222; 223) extending essentially in the same plane, wherein said array provides for independent fluid circulation in each of said heat exchange portions (221; 222; 223). The invention also relates to a system for managing the thermal energy generated by an automotive vehicle engine including such a heat exchanger. Application in the field of automotive industry.

Description

Heat exchanger comprising at least three parts of heat exchange and thermal energy management system comprising such an exchanger

The invention relates to the field of heat exchangers, especially for motor vehicles.

Modern motor vehicles include, in addition to the heat engine, numerous equipment that exchange heat with an external environment, either to be cooled or, on the contrary, to be heated. By way of example, mention may be made of the air-conditioning system condenser of the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the charge air cooler or the heater radiator of the passenger compartment. This is why these vehicles are generally equipped with two circuits, namely a high temperature circuit which is used for cooling the heat engine and equipment with the highest temperature, and a low temperature cooling circuit which is used for cooling equipment whose temperature is lower, such as, for example, the condenser of the air conditioning circuit of the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle. Each of these circuits is equipped with a cooling radiator for the evacuation of heat.

In known vehicles, the exchange surface of the radiator of the high temperature loop and the exchange surface of the radiator of the low temperature loop are fixed. In addition, the high temperature radiator is used exclusively for cooling the high temperature circuit equipment, while the low temperature radiator is used exclusively for cooling and / or heating the low temperature circuit equipment. However, under certain load conditions of the engine, particularly at low load, it is not necessary to cool the engine. This is why the engine coolant flows through a bypass line that bypasses the radiator at high temperature so that the cooling capacity of the latter is not used. There is therefore a loss of cooling capacity.

It is known, in particular from document FR 2 844041, a heat exchange module comprising surface distribution means which make it possible to split, in a flexible manner, the heat exchange surface into a heat exchange section with high temperature used to cool the circuit at high temperature and a low temperature heat exchange section used for cooling the circuit at low temperature. The surface distribution means are constituted by adjustable partition means integrated in the manifold, for example retractable partitions.

However, such a heat exchange module has a certain number of drawbacks and in particular a large bulk at the collector boxes comprising the surface partitioning means, difficulties in obtaining a perfect seal at these levels. same means of partition as well as important manufacturing costs.

This application is intended to improve the situation. It proposes for this purpose an exchanger comprising at least a first, a second and a third heat exchange part, located substantially in the same plane and in which the beam allows an independent fluid flow in each of the exchange parts of heat.

Such a heat exchanger is particularly advantageous in that it offers the possibility of modulating, as a function of the cooling requirements of the equipment of each high temperature and low temperature circuit, the heat exchange surface required while keeping a minimum footprint. , the fluid distribution means not being integrated into the collector boxes.

The invention also relates to a thermal energy management system developed by a motor vehicle engine.

Other advantages and features of the invention will appear further on reading the following description, by way of illustration and without limitation, of the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 schematically shows a thermal energy management system developed by a motor vehicle engine according to the present invention; - Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a heat exchanger according to a first embodiment; and

- Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a heat exchanger according to a second embodiment.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the thermal energy management system developed by a motor vehicle engine comprises a high temperature circuit 2 provided, for example, with an engine inlet duct 6 connected to the combustion engine. 8 of the vehicle and a motor output pipe 10 connected to a four-way valve 12. A mechanical or electrical pump 14 circulates a coolant coolant through the engine block, as shown schematically by the arrows 15. The circuit The high-temperature cooling pipe also comprises a heating pipe 16 on which is mounted a heater 18. The circulation pump 14 also circulates the coolant in the heater 18.

From the four-way valve 12, the coolant can still borrow a high temperature radiator pipe 20 connected to a heat exchanger 22 according to the present invention and detailed further, The heat exchanger 22 is traversed by the coolant. Finally, a bypass line or short-circuiting pipe 24 allows the coolant to return to the engine 8 without having passed through the heat exchanger 22, as shown by the arrow 25.

The four-way valve 12 comprises an inlet channel designated by the reference 12-1 and three output channels, respectively a channel 12-2 connected to the heating pipe 16, a channel 12-3 connected to the pipe 20 of high temperature radiator and a 12-4 lane connected to the short-circuit line 24.

The thermal energy management system developed by a motor vehicle engine according to the invention further comprises a secondary or low temperature cooling circuit 4 provided, for example, with a low temperature radiator pipe 28 on which is mounted a pump of low temperature electric circulation and one or more heat exchangers 32-1 or 32-2. In the example shown, there have been two heat exchangers 32-1 and 32-2 for cooling or possibly heating equipment of the vehicle. The heat exchangers 32 may be, for example, a condenser of an air conditioning circuit and a charge air cooler. They are cooled by heat exchange with the coolant at low temperature which circulates in the low temperature cooling circuit 4. The low temperature fluid is also cooled in the heat exchanger 22.

The developed thermal energy management system further comprises at least a first distribution means 40 for allocating the fluid from the high temperature circuit and / or low temperature in a so-called attributable section or third portion 222 of the heat exchanger 22. The first distribution means 40 is provided outside the heat exchanger 22.

A second distribution means 42 allows for it to direct or allocate the fluid leaving the third part 222 of the heat exchanger 22 to the high temperature loop 2 or the low temperature loop 4. Here too, the second means 42 is provided outside the heat exchanger 22.

A particular embodiment of the invention proposes to have only one of the two distribution means 40 or 42.

A third distribution means 44 may also be used to redirect all or part of the fluid coming from the third part 222 of the heat exchanger 22 to a second part 223 of the heat exchanger 22, this third distribution means therefore allows a connection between the third part and the second part. Thus, the cooling fluid will be cooled to a lower temperature level by passing through the second portion 223 of the heat exchanger 22.

The distribution means 40 and 42 may be actuated or not at the same time. Similarly, the distribution means 40 and 44 may be coordinated according to the cooling requirements of the high temperature circuits 2 and low temperature 4. These distribution means 40; 42 and 44 are valves actuated by control means (not shown) which receive information from sensors (not shown) arranged at appropriate locations in the high temperature cooling circuit 2 and the low temperature cooling circuit. 4. This information can be, for example, the water temperature at the engine outlet 8 in the pipe 10, ie the engine rotation speed, the thermal power rejected by the engine in the high temperature cooling circuit. The control means may take into account one or more of these information.

The distribution of the fluid from the high temperature circuit 3 and the low temperature circuit 4 in the attributable portion 222 of the heat exchanger 22 is controlled according to the cooling needs of the high temperature circuits 2 and low temperature 4.

Thus, when the motor 8 operates at low load or at partial load, these cooling requirements are small and most of the high temperature coolant flows through the short-circuit pipe 24. In these conditions, the surface exchange of the attributable section 222 of the heat exchanger 22 can be recovered for cooling the low temperature equipment shown schematically by the heat exchanger 32. Improves their performance, for example the thermal performance of the air conditioning circuit, by proposing a condenser whose cooling capacity is higher.

When the engine runs at high load, it is, on the contrary, necessary to circulate a large amount of coolant fluid through the engine block to evacuate the thermal power rejected, In these conditions, the exchange surface of the attributable section 222 The heat exchanger 22 is used for cooling the engine.

Figure 2 shows a heat exchanger according to the invention. This heat exchanger 22 comprises a heat exchange bundle composed, for example, of a stack of tubes and fins. The tubes (not shown) are all identical and are parallel to each other. a cooling fluid circulates therein which exchanges heat with an external medium, for example atmospheric air. The tubes of the heat exchange module 22 are connected, at each of their two ends, to manifolds, namely respectively an inlet manifold for the coolant and an outlet box for the outlet of the coolant.

The heat exchange surface is, in this embodiment, composed of three distinct sections: a high temperature heat exchange section or first portion 221, a low temperature heat exchange section or second portion 223 and a so-called assigned section or third portion 222 disposed between sections 221 and 223.

The first part 221 is dedicated to cooling the fluid flowing in the high temperature circuit 2 or first heat exchange loop. The second part is dedicated to cooling the fluid flowing in the secondary cooling circuit 4 or second heat exchange loop. The third part is dedicated, as needed, to the cooling of the first or second heat exchange loop.

It will be noted that the fluid flowing in the first 2 and second 4 heat exchange loops is the same fluid, for example, water with added glycol.

Sections 221; 222 and 223 are fixed. In other words, they comprise a fixed and fixed number of heat exchange tubes of the heat exchanger 22.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the tubes of the first part 221 open at one end into a high-temperature inlet manifold 51 and at the other end into a high-temperature outlet manifold 61.

The tubes of the third portion 222 are connected at their input end to an assigned input collector 52 and at their output end to an assigned collector The first, second and third parts each include at least one inlet and at least one outlet for the fluid.

Thus, the inlet manifolds 51 and 52 respectively comprise tubings 100 and 104 for the inlet of said fluid and the outlet manifolds 61 and 62 respectively comprise tubings 102 and 106 for the output of said fluid.

The high temperature coolant enters the inlet manifold 51 and exits the outlet manifold 61 after passing through the high temperature heat exchange section 221. Likewise, the high or low temperature coolant Low temperature enters the attributable inlet manifold 52 and leaves the attributable outlet manifold after passing through the attributable exchange section 222.

The second part tubes 223 are respectively connected to a manifold 53 and to an intermediate manifold 63. A partition partition 112 makes it possible to break down the manifold 53 into two parts, namely a part 53-1 for the entry of the cooling fluid into the second part and a part 53-2 for the output of this same fluid. Thus, the cooling fluid has a so-called two-pass circulation in the second portion 223. In other words, the low-temperature coolant enters the inlet manifold 53-1 via an inlet manifold. 108 then flows into the first heat exchange section or first pass 223-1 of the second portion 223. The cooling fluid then performs a half-turn in the intermediate manifold 63 and flows into the second heat exchange section or second pass 223-2 of the second part 223. Finally, the fluid leaves the outlet manifold 53-2 through an outlet pipe of the cooling fluid 110.

It should be noted that the intermediate manifold 63 comprises a second cooling fluid inlet 114. In this example, the second inlet is located at the second heat exchange section 223-2 of the second portion 223. This second inlet 114 makes it possible to circulate, if necessary, the cooling fluid leaving the third portion 222 in the second heat exchange section 223-2 of the second portion 223 to obtain the desired temperature level of the fluid of the cooling. Thus, the first 223-1 and the second 223-2 passes each have an inlet for the coolant.

The heat exchanger 22 according to the invention comprises two collector boxes 5 and 6 in which the respective ends of each tube open. The manifolds 5 and 6 are provided with partitions partitions defining respectively the collectors 51; 52; 53-1; 53-2; 61; 62; and 63.

FIG. 3 represents a heat exchanger according to a second embodiment of the invention. The heat exchange surface is, here, composed of 5 distinct sections namely: a high temperature heat exchange section or first part 221, a low temperature heat exchange section or second part

223 and a so-called attributable section or third portion 222 arranged between the sections

221 and 223. These three sections are identical to those described in the embodiment of FIG. 2.

In this embodiment, the heat exchanger further comprises additional heat exchange sections including a so-called "subcooling" section 224 and a so-called "annex" section 225. Here again, the different sections of heat exchanger heat exchange 221; 222; 223; 224 and 225 are fixed.

The subcooling portion 224 is dedicated to the cooling fluid circulating in the second heat exchange loop 4. This part also has an inlet and an outlet for the cooling fluid.

The sub-cooling section 224 comprises an inlet manifold 54 provided with a pipe 116 and an outlet manifold 64 provided with a pipe 118. This heat exchange zone makes it possible to lower the temperature of all or part of the pipe. cooling fluid leaving the second heat exchange zone 223. With this feature, the cooling fluid from the low temperature loop can be cooled in at least two heat exchange levels. Heat exchangers mounted on the low temperature loop can then be cooled more efficiently. Of course, the cooling fluid can also be cooled to more than two levels heat exchange by providing additional passes as well as corresponding outputs.

The part dedicated to the subcooling 224 and the part dedicated to the cooling of the second heat exchange loop 4 communicate with each other. This communication can be obtained by various communication means. The means of communication may in particular be located outside the collector boxes and in this case may be valves. Another embodiment proposes that this communication be obtained via at least one passage orifice and switching means of said orifice, the corresponding orifice in this case at the inlet of the part dedicated to the sub. cooling.

The flow rate of the cooling fluid inside this section or portion dedicated to the subcooling will be lower than the flow rate through the low temperature portion 223 of the heat exchanger 22.

This cooling system can in particular be applied for the cooling of an air conditioning circuit condenser which comprises a condensation stage and a subcooling stage of the refrigerant. The condensation stage will then be cooled by coolant from the second heat exchange zone 223 and the subcooling stage will be cooled by coolant from the subcooling section.

The heat exchanger 22 further comprises a fifth heat exchange section 225, called the annex part. This part is intended for cooling another fluid such as, for example, transmission oil or automatic gearbox oil. The tubes of this part 225 are identical to the tubes of the other four parts and are also connected to an inlet manifold 55 and to an outlet manifold 65. Each manifold comprises a pipe for the inlet 120 or outlet 122 of the other fluid.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, only as examples, but encompasses all variants that may be considered by those skilled in the art within the scope of the claims below.

Claims

claims

A heat exchanger comprising at least first, second and third heat exchange portions (221; 222; 223) located substantially in the same plane, said exchanger permitting independent fluid flow in each of said portions of the heat exchanger; exchange (221; 222; 223).

2. Heat exchanger according to one of claims 1, wherein said first portion (221) is dedicated to cooling a fluid of a first heat exchange loop, said second portion (223) is dedicated to cooling a fluid of a second heat exchange loop, said third portion (222) being dedicated, as required, to the cooling of the first or second heat exchange loop, and wherein the fluid flowing in said first (2) and second heat exchange loop (4) is a same fluid.

A heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said first, second and third portions (221; 222; 223) each comprise at least one inlet (100; 104; 108; 114) and at least one outlet (102; 106; 110) for said fluid.

4. Exchanger according to claim 3, wherein said second part (223) allows a circulation of said fluid in two passes (223-1; 223-2), the first (223-1) and the second (223-2) passes. each having an inlet (108; 114) for said fluid.

5, heat exchanger according to one of claims 3 or 4, wherein said exchanger (22) further comprises another portion (224) dedicated to the sub cooling of the cooling fluid flowing in the second loop (4) exchange heat, said other part dedicated to the subcooling also having an inlet (116) and an outlet (118).

6. Heat exchanger according to the preceding claim, wherein said other part dedicated to sub-cooling (224) and said part (223) dedicated to the cooling of said second loop (4) heat exchange communicate via at least one passage opening and switching means, said passage orifice corresponding to the inlet of said part dedicated to sub-cooling.

7. Heat exchanger according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said heat exchanger further comprises at least one other part (225) for cooling another fluid.

8. Exchanger according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a heat exchange bundle composed of a stack of tubes and fins, said tubes being identical,

9. Exchanger according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said tubes open into collecting boxes (5; 6), said manifolds (5; 6) having at least one inlet (100; 104; 108; 114; 116; 120) and at least one output (102; 106; 118; 122) for each of said portions (221; 222; 223; 223; 224; 225).

10. A thermal energy management system developed by a motor vehicle engine comprising a high temperature cooling circuit (2) having a high temperature radiator for cooling the vehicle engine and a low temperature cooling circuit ( 4) comprising a low temperature radiator for cooling vehicle equipment, characterized in that said high and low temperature radiators are part of the heat exchanger (22) according to one of the preceding claims.

11. Thermal energy management system according to the preceding claim, wherein a first distribution means (40) is provided outside said heat exchanger (22) to allocate said fluid from said first loop (2). heat exchange or said second heat exchange loop (4) at said third portion (222).

12. Energy management system according to one of claims 10 or 11, wherein a second distribution means (42) is provided outside said heat exchanger for assigning said fluid exiting said third portion (222) to said first heat exchange loop (2) or said second heat exchange loop (4).

13. Energy management system according to the preceding claim wherein a third distribution means (44) provides a connection between said third portion (222) and said second portion (223).

14. The thermal energy management system according to the preceding claim, wherein said distribution means (40; 42; 44) are one or more valves.

The energy management system according to one of claims 10 to 14, wherein

said high temperature cooling circuit (2) comprises a main network equipped with a main pump (14) for circulating a heat-transfer fluid between the heat engine (8) and said main network furthermore comprises a pipeline of a short-circuit (24) and a heating pipe (16) having a heater (18),

and wherein said low temperature cooling circuit (4) comprises a secondary network including a secondary pump (30) and at least one equipment heat exchanger (32),

and the main network and the secondary network are connected by interconnection means which make it possible to circulate in a controlled manner the carrier fluid between the main network and the secondary network or to prohibit this circulation, depending on at least 1 state of charge of the engine.