EP2392876A1 - Unified system consisting of a condenser, a bottle and an internal heat exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

The system has a condenser (1) including a refrigerant outlet orifice (20) communicated with a tube shaped cylinder (2). The cylinder is provided with a refrigerant passage (34) that allows passage of refrigerant towards an internal heat exchanger (3). The condenser, the cylinder and the heat exchanger are traversed in order, by refrigerant (4) and are connected in a unitary manner. A refrigerant expansion unit e.g. thermostatic expansion valve, is integrated with the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is integrated with the cylinder.

Description

The technical sector of the present invention is that of air conditioning loops otherwise called loops or refrigeration circuits. The invention relates to a unitary unit constituting such a loop.

An air conditioning loop is conventionally used on motor vehicles to generate a flow of hot air or a cold air flow sent into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. This loop conventionally comprises a condenser, a bottle, an expansion member, an evaporator and a compressor traversed in this order by a refrigerant fluid. The condenser is an exchanger crossed by an outside air flow while the evaporator is a heat exchanger through which the interior air flow flows, that is to say the flow of air sent into the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle. . The refrigerant fluid that flows between an outlet of the compressor and an inlet of the expansion member is subjected to high pressure and high temperature while the refrigerant fluid circulating between the outlet of the expansion member and the inlet of the compressor is subjected to low pressure and low temperature.

Such an air conditioning loop can be improved by the addition of an internal heat exchanger whose function is to create a heat exchange between the refrigerant fluid subjected to high pressure / high temperature and the refrigerant fluid subjected to low pressure / low temperature . The addition of this component improves the overall efficiency of the air conditioning loop.

However, it is an additional component to be integrated into an engine compartment of the vehicle, the latter being already particularly congested.

It is known from the document US6539746 to combine this internal heat exchanger with a gas cooler and an accumulator. However, an accumulator does not provide the same functions and effects as a bottle placed in the refrigerant circuit between the condenser and the expansion member. The Figures 9 and 10 illustrate the technical differences between a battery and a bottle. In addition to placing this component in the loop of air conditioning (the accumulator is between the evaporator outlet and the compressor inlet while the cylinder is placed between the condenser outlet and the regulator inlet), the structure of an accumulator is different from the structure of the 'a bottle. Indeed, the figure 9 illustrates an accumulator which receives the refrigerant in the two-phase state (reference A). The latter separates in the liquid phase B and the gas phase C, the liquid phase B accumulating at the bottom and the gas phase C being in the upper part of the accumulator. This accumulator comprises an outlet tube 40 bent whose inlet 41 is arranged to capture only the gas portion C of the refrigerant, accompanied by a determined amount of oil sucked by an oil hole 42 formed in the tube .

The figure 10 illustrating a bottle has an opposite structure. In fact, the fluid enters the liquid state B, passes through the desiccant then the filter and stagnates at the bottom of the bottle. The outlet tube 40 immerses in this fluid in the liquid state B so that the intake 41 captures the refrigerant fluid only in the liquid state to send it in this state to the expansion member.

There is therefore a need to cleverly integrate such an internal heat exchanger in an air conditioning loop comprising a bottle.

The object of the present invention is therefore to propose a new architecture of certain components of the air conditioning loop by combining in the same unitary unit the condenser, the bottle and the internal heat exchanger so as to gather these elements to pool the circulation. refrigerant and thus gain compactness.

The invention therefore relates to a system comprising a condenser, a bottle and an internal heat exchanger adapted to be traversed by a refrigerant, said condenser comprising a coolant outlet orifice connected to the bottle, said bottle comprising a passage refrigerant fluid towards the internal heat exchanger characterized in that the condenser, the bottle and the internal heat exchanger are able to be traversed in this order by the refrigerant and are unitarily collected.

According to a first characteristic of the invention, a detent intended to relax the refrigerant fluid comprises a second channel connected to an output of said system, said detent member being part of the unitary unit.

According to a second characteristic of the invention, the internal heat exchanger is integral with the condenser while the expansion member is integral with the internal heat exchanger. Solidarity means that the parts concerned are fixed to one another by removable or non-removable fastening means so that once assembled, there is no relative movement of a part by report to the other.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the condenser has a beam capable of being traversed by an air flow, a first flank bordering said beam and a second flank bordering said beam being opposite to the first flank with respect to the beam, and wherein the internal heat exchanger is secured to the first side while the bottle is secured to the second sidewall. It is therefore understood that the beam is placed between the first and the second sidewall, and therefore between the internal heat exchanger and the bottle.

According to another characteristic of the invention, a conduit travels the beam by connecting said passage of the bottle to the internal heat exchanger, and more particularly to the high pressure channels constituting the internal heat exchanger.

According to yet another variant of the invention, the bottle is secured to the second sidewall and the internal heat exchanger extends from the first sidewall to the second sidewall in the extension of the beam.

According to yet another variant of the invention, the internal heat exchanger and the bottle are secured or fixed or mounted on the second sidewall.

Advantageously, the internal heat exchanger is secured to said bottle. In this case, the internal heat exchanger is not in contact with the condenser.

Advantageously, the bottle comprises a desiccant and a filter.

According to one characteristic of the invention, the system comprises a high pressure inlet orifice, an outlet, a low pressure outlet orifice and a Low pressure inlet port, which are on the first side of the beam. The high pressure inlet port is adapted to receive a refrigerant fluid subjected to high pressure and high temperature from the air conditioning loop, more particularly from a compressor. The low pressure outlet is intended to provide the air conditioning loop, and more particularly the compressor, the refrigerant fluid subjected to low pressure and low temperature. The low pressure inlet port is intended to receive the refrigerant fluid subjected to low pressure and low temperature from the air conditioning loop, in particular from an evaporator. Finally, the outlet is intended to supply the refrigerant fluid subjected to high pressure and high temperature to a regulator constituting the air conditioning loop.

According to an alternative of the invention, the system comprises a high-pressure inlet port on the first side of the bundle and the outlet, the low-pressure outlet orifice and the low-pressure inlet orifice are on the second side of the bundle.

Finally, the invention covers an air conditioning loop traversed by a refrigerant fluid and comprising a compressor, an expansion member, an evaporator and a system according to one of the characteristics set out above.

A first advantage of the invention lies in the ability to easily integrate an internal heat exchanger in an air conditioning loop using a bottle located between the condenser and the expansion member. The unitary and one-piece character facilitates the integration of these components in the engine compartment of the vehicle by avoiding the multiplication of supports, pipes and sealing devices between these components.

Another significant advantage lies in the compactness advantage, especially in dimensional terms, that the unitary unit offers by gathering in a single point, in other words on the same support, three components of the air conditioning loop.

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe d'une première variante du système selon l'invention,
• la figure 2 est une vue en coupe de l'échangeur de chaleur interne selon l'invention,
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe partielle d'une zone particulière du système selon la première variante,
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe d'une deuxième variante du système selon l'invention,
• la figure 5 est une vue en coupe d'une troisième variante du système selon l'invention,
• la figure 6 est une vue en coupe d'une quatrième variante du système selon l'invention,
• la figure 7 est une vue en coupe d'une cinquième variante du système selon l'invention,
• la figure 8 est une vue en coupe d'une sixième variante du système selon l'invention,
• la figure 9 illustre un accumulateur,
• la figure 10 illustre une bouteille.

Other features, details and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly on reading the description given below for information in connection with drawings in which:

• the figure 1 is a sectional view of a first variant of the system according to the invention,
• the figure 2 is a sectional view of the internal heat exchanger according to the invention,
• the figure 3 is a partial sectional view of a particular zone of the system according to the first variant,
• the figure 4 is a sectional view of a second variant of the system according to the invention,
• the figure 5 is a sectional view of a third variant of the system according to the invention,
• the figure 6 is a sectional view of a fourth variant of the system according to the invention,
• the figure 7 is a sectional view of a fifth variant of the system according to the invention,
• the figure 8 is a sectional view of a sixth variant of the system according to the invention,
• the figure 9 illustrates an accumulator,
• the figure 10 illustrates a bottle.

It should be noted that the figures disclose the invention in detail and sufficient for its implementation, said figures can of course be used to better define the invention where appropriate.

The figure 1 illustrates the invention in a longitudinal section where is apparent a gas cooler or condenser 1, a bottle 2 and an internal heat exchanger 3. These three components of an air conditioning loop are assembled so as to form a unit or unitary system and monobloc, that is to say physically assembled on the same support, for example the condenser. This system is traversed by a refrigerant symbolized on all the figures by arrows referenced 4.

The condenser 1 comprises a bundle 6 traversed by a flow of air outside the vehicle. This beam comprises a multiplicity of flat tubes 11 which extend transversely to the outside air flow. These flat tubes 11 carry the coolant 4 between a first manifold 13 and a second manifold 14. These manifolds 13 and 14 are therefore fluidly connected to each flat tube 11 and are partitioned into a refrigerant distribution chamber in groups of flat tubes thus forming passages 7, 8 and 9 for circulation of the refrigerant fluid. The partition of the collector boxes is operated by means of separators 15 installed in the through of the collector box so as to impose the flow of refrigerant in the pass concerned.

In the case in point, the beam 6 is divided into three passes, the upper pass 7 comprising 5 flat tubes, the intermediate pass 8 comprising 6 flat tubes and the lower pass 9 comprising 4 flat tubes.

Between each flat tube 11 is installed a spacer or fin 12 whose function is to increase the heat exchange surface between the refrigerant and the outside air flow.

These manifolds 13, 14 thus respectively form a first flank 10 of the bundle 6 and a second flank 16 bordering the bundle and opposite the first blank 10 relative to the bundle 6.

The refrigerant 4 enters the system through a high-pressure inlet 5 of the condenser 1, this inlet 5 being more particularly installed on the wall of the first manifold 13 and in the upper part thereof.

A bottle 2 is contiguous to the second sidewall 16. By way of example, the bottle 2 and the collecting box 14 can share a same wall 19 which thus delimits in a common manner the internal volume of the bottle 2 and the internal volume of the box. collector 14.

This bottle takes the form of a tube which extends over the entire height of the beam 6 and inside which is installed a desiccant 17 and a filter 18. The desiccant 17 serves to capture the circulating water particles in the coolant 4 while the filter 18 captures the solid particles that circulate in the coolant and resulting from wear of the components of the air conditioning loop. The filter 18 is placed in the lower part of the bottle 2 and completely closes the internal volume of the bottle 2 so as to be constantly traversed by the refrigerant. In doing so, the filter 18 delimits with the wall of the bottle a lower chamber 29.

The wall 19 has an outlet 20 of the condenser which allows the refrigerant to flow from the lower pass 9 to the internal volume of the bottle 2.

The first flank 10, and more particularly the wall delimiting the first manifold 13, supports the internal heat exchanger 3. The latter is delimited by an outer envelope 21, one face 22 is common with the first manifold 13. Alternatively, the outer casing 21 may be welded to the wall defining the first manifold 13.

Inside the outer casing 21, high pressure channels 24 and low pressure channels 23 allow heat exchange between the refrigerant fluid subjected to high pressure and high temperature and the same refrigerant fluid subjected to low pressure and low temperature. The high pressure channels 24 are connected to an outlet 25, the latter being in the first variant of the invention a high pressure outlet of the system.

The internal heat exchanger 3 also includes a low pressure inlet port 26 and a low pressure outlet port 27 which each communicate with one end of the low pressure channels 23.

The system according to the invention also comprises a conduit 28 which extends in the bundle 6 of the first blank 13 to the second blank 14. In the example of figure 1 , This duct 28 is placed under the lower pass 9 and bears against the last fin 12. This duct 28 is a hollow tube which communicates the lower chamber 29, via a passage 34, with the high pressure channels 24 of the internal heat exchanger 3. The conduit 28 course and the beam 6 from one end to the other of the latter.

In this first variant of the invention, the high pressure inlet orifice 5, the low pressure inlet orifice 26, the low pressure outlet orifice 27 and the outlet 25 are installed on the first side 10 of the bundle 6 In other words, all these means of communication towards the outside of the system are placed on one and the same side, which facilitates integration into the system. engine compartment of the vehicle and avoids conduit paths made unnecessary by the invention.

The system is unitary in that the condenser 1, the bottle 2 and the internal heat exchanger 3 form a single unit. This is made possible for example when these components are brought together by fastening means such as screwing or welding.

In this first variant of the invention, the components are side by side in the following order from left to right looking at the figure 1 : internal heat exchanger 3, condenser 1 and bottle 2.

The flow direction of the refrigerant 4 inside the system takes on importance. The refrigerant 4 enters the system through the high pressure inlet 5 and then flows in a first direction in the upper pass 7. The second manifold 14 collects this refrigerant and channels it to the intermediate pass 8 where the fluid refrigerant circulates in the opposite direction to the direction of flow in the first pass 7. The first manifold 13 then collects the coolant and channels it to the lower pass 9 where the fluid flows in the same direction as the direction of flow in the upper pass 7. Finally, the second manifold 14 collects the coolant 4 which then passes through the outlet 20 of the condenser 1, where it enters the bottle 2. During this course, the refrigerant 4 thermally exchanges with the outside air flow which passes through the beam 6 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the figure 1 .

The coolant thus cooled passes through the desiccant 17 and then through the filter 18 to reach the lower chamber 29 of the bottle 2. At this stage, the refrigerant 4 flows in the conduit 28 in the direction of the beam 6 and in the second direction flank 16 to the first flank 10. Then, the refrigerant 4 enters the internal heat exchanger 3, particularly in the high pressure channels 24. The refrigerant fluid at high pressure and high temperature then rises the heat exchanger internal to exit through the outlet 25. In parallel, the refrigerant fluid 4 subjected to low pressure and low temperature enters the heat exchanger internal 3 by the low pressure inlet 26 and then travels the low pressure channels 23 downwards to exit through the low pressure outlet orifice 27. It is understood here that the circulation of the refrigerant in the internal exchanger 3 is against the current, the direction of circulation of the fluid flowing in the high pressure channels 24 and in the low pressure channels 23 being opposite.

The figure 2 illustrates a section of the internal heat exchanger in a section symbolized by the reference A on the figure 1 . We see in more detail the outer envelope 21 inside which the high pressure channels 24 and low pressure 23 walk.

These channels are alternated. In other words, a high pressure channel 24 is next to each side of a low pressure channel 23. It will be noted that the high pressure channels are subdivided into sub-channels 24a to 241, subdivision walls 30 ensuring separation between subchannels 24a to 241 while ensuring the mechanical strength of the high-pressure channel 24 subjected to the refrigerant fluid at high pressure and high temperature.

The figure 3 also illustrates a section of the internal heat exchanger 3 but the cut is made at the duct 28 as illustrated by the cutting line referenced B on the figure 1 .

The outer casing 21 has a hole through which the duct 28 passes, the latter being connected to the high pressure channels 24 by passing through the first low pressure channel 23. Of course, a distribution chamber connects on one side the end of the duct 28 with all the high pressure channels 24 so as to simultaneously supply refrigerant 4.

The figure 4 shows a second variant of the invention. It is an improvement of the system in which the detent is integrated in the unitary and monobloc system, so as to be part of the unitary system as well and to benefit from the advantage of approximation of the components.

The description of the figure 1 applies in all respects to the variant shown on the figure 4 . An expansion member 31 is therefore part of the unitary system and is secured to the outer casing 21 of the internal heat exchanger 3. This expansion member is a thermostatic expansion valve or a electrically or electronically controlled expansion valve, but it may be an orifice-tube or expansion tube. The expansion member comprises a first channel 32 for circulating the refrigerant fluid which communicates with the low-pressure inlet port 26. The expansion member 31 further comprises a second channel 33 which communicates with the outlet 25. It will be noted that the spacing between the first channel 32 and the second channel 33 is identical to the spacing between the low pressure inlet port 26 and the outlet 25 which allows to simply align the expansion member on the exchanger of internal heat 3.

In this second variant, the components are side by side in the following order from left to right looking at the figure 4 : expansion element 31, internal heat exchanger 3, condenser 1 and bottle 2.

The figure 5 illustrates a third variant of the unitary system according to the invention. The description of the first variant applies to identical components and the differences will now be described.

According to this third variant, the internal heat exchanger 3 is installed on the same side as the bottle 2, that is to say on the side of the second flank 16 bordering the beam 6 of the condenser 1. The internal heat exchanger 3 shares a face 35 of its outer shell 21 with the bottle 2. This face 35 is therefore common to the bottle 2 and the internal heat exchanger 3. This face 35 comprises a passage 34 which communicates the lower chamber 29 of the bottle 2 with the high pressure channels 24 of the internal heat exchanger 3. This passage 34 is practiced under the filter 18.

In this variant, the high pressure inlet orifice 5 is therefore on the side of the first sidewall 10 being secured to the first manifold 13 then the low pressure inlet port 26, the outlet 25 and the outlet orifice low pressure 27 are located on the side of the second sidewall 16.

In this third variant, the components are side by side in the following order from left to right looking at the figure 5 : condenser 1, bottle 2 and internal heat exchanger 3.

The figure 6 illustrates a fourth variant of the invention which corresponds to an improvement of the third variant. The expansion member 31 is added to the unitary system according to the invention so as to be part of it. As for the figure 4 it comprises the first channel 32 for circulating the refrigerant fluid which communicates with the low-pressure inlet port 26. The expansion member 31 further comprises the second channel 33 which communicates with the outlet 25. Here again, the center distance between the first channel 32 and the second channel 33 is identical to the spacing between the low pressure inlet port 26 and the outlet 25.

In this variant, the components are side by side in the following order from left to right looking at the figure 6 : condenser 1, bottle 2, internal heat exchanger 3 and expansion member 31.

The figure 7 shows a fifth variant of the invention. The description of the first variant applies to identical components and the differences will now be described.

The internal heat exchanger 3 is installed in the plane of the beam 6 of the condenser 3 but under the lower pass 9. It is therefore understood that the internal heat exchanger 3 extends from the first sidewall 10 to the second sidewall 16 bordering on either side of the beam 6. The passage 34 which communicates the lower chamber 29 of the bottle 2 with the high pressure channels 24 is formed in the wall 19 which is common to the bottle 2 and to the second manifold 14.

The outer casing 21 of the internal heat exchanger 3 is here contiguous to the beam 6, the face 35 of this casing being against the last fin 12 of the beam 6. This outer casing 21 opens out from the first sidewall 10 forming an end 36 on which are manufactured some of the connection ports.

This end 36 has a lower face from which opens the low pressure outlet orifice 27 and an upper face 38, opposite to the lower face 37 relative to the internal heat exchanger 3, which opens the outlet 25 and the orifice low pressure inlet 26.

In this variant, the circulation of the refrigerant fluid in the low-pressure channels 23 of the exchanger is effected from the low-pressure inlet orifice 26 towards the second flank 16 bordering the bundle and then returns in the opposite direction towards the end 36 to exit through the low pressure outlet port 27. The same is not true for the circulation of the refrigerant subjected to high pressure / high temperature which enters the high pressure channels 24 after passing through the passage 34 and flows from the second sidewall 16 to the first sidewall 10 to exit through the outlet 25. While the refrigerant fluid subjected to low pressure / low temperature circulates in "U" in the internal heat exchanger, the refrigerant fluid subjected to high pressure / high temperature circulates in this exchanger according to an "I".

The sixth variant of the invention is represented on the figure 8 . This is an improvement of the fifth variant wherein the expansion member 31 is integrated in the unitary system according to the invention.

This expansion member 31 is secured to the upper face 38 of the end 36 constituting the internal heat exchanger 3.

In the fifth and sixth variants of the invention, the refrigerant 4 enters the system through the high-pressure inlet 5, passes through the three passes 7, 8 and 9 and opens into the bottle 2 secured to the opposite side the flank which comprises the high pressure inlet port 5. The refrigerant then passes through the bottle 2 and enters the internal heat exchanger 3 through the passage 34. The refrigerant then flows through the channels high pressure 24 of the second sidewall 16 to the first sidewall 10 and then exits the internal heat exchanger through the end 36 through an outlet 25. In the case of the figure 8 , the coolant 4 passes into the second channel 33 of the expansion member 31 to be relaxed.

After passing through the evaporator, the coolant 4 enters at low pressure and low temperature in the expansion member 31 by the first channel 32 and then flows through the low pressure channels 23 to finally exit the system through the low outlet orifice pressure 27 and move towards the compressor.

Claims (12)

System comprising a condenser (1), a bottle (2) and an internal heat exchanger (3) adapted to be traversed by a refrigerant (4), said condenser (1) comprising a coolant outlet (20) connected to the bottle (2), said bottle (2) comprising a passage (34) of refrigerant fluid to the internal heat exchanger (3) characterized in that the condenser (1), the bottle (2) and the internal heat exchanger (3) are able to be traversed in this order by the refrigerant (4) and are collected unitarily. A system according to claim 1, wherein an expansion member (31) for expanding the refrigerant (4) comprises a second channel (33) connected to an outlet (25) of said system, said expansion member (31) being part of of the unitary set. System according to claim 2, wherein the internal heat exchanger (3) is integral with the condenser (1) while the expansion member (31) is integral with the internal heat exchanger (3). System according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the condenser (1) has a beam (6) adapted to be traversed by an air flow, a first flank (10) bordering said beam (6) and a second sidewall (16) bordering said beam (6) and opposite to the first sidewall (10) with respect to the beam (6), and wherein the internal heat exchanger (3) is secured to the first sidewall (10) while the bottle (2) is secured to the second side (16). The system of claim 4, wherein a conduit (28) travels the beam (6) by connecting said passage (34) of the bottle (2) to the internal heat exchanger (3). System according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the condenser (1) has a beam (6) adapted to be traversed by an air flow, a first flank (10) bordering said beam (6) and a second sidewall (16) bordering said beam (6) and opposite to the first sidewall (10) with respect to the beam (6), and in which the bottle (2) is secured to the second sidewall (16) and the internal heat exchanger (3) extends from the first flank (10) to second sidewall (16) in the extension of the beam (6). System according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the condenser (1) has beam (6) adapted to be traversed by an air flow, a first flank (10) bordering said beam (6) and a second flank (16) bordering said beam (6) and opposite to the first sidewall (10) with respect to the beam (6), and in which the internal heat exchanger (3) and the bottle (2) are secured to the second sidewall ( 16). System according to claim 7, wherein the internal heat exchanger (3) is secured to said bottle (2). System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bottle (2) comprises a desiccant (17) and a filter (18). System according to any one of claims 4 to 6, comprising a high pressure inlet (5), an outlet (25), a low pressure outlet (27) and a low pressure inlet (26) which are on the first side (10) of the beam (6). System according to any one of claims 7 to 8, comprising a high pressure inlet port (5) on the first side (10) of the beam (6) and an outlet (25), a low pressure outlet (27) and a low pressure inlet port (26) which are on the second side (16) of the beam (6). An air-conditioning loop traversed by a refrigerant (4) and comprising a compressor, an expansion member (31), an evaporator and a system according to any one of the preceding claims.

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