EP3105431A1

EP3105431A1 - Pipe assembly for a charge air cooler

Info

Publication number: EP3105431A1
Application number: EP15701820.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Nic Sautter; Michael Moser; Stefan Hirsch
Original assignee: Mahle Behr GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Mahle Behr GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2014-02-12
Filing date: 2015-01-30
Publication date: 2016-12-21
Also published as: DE102014202536A1; WO2015121091A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a pipe assembly (1) for a heat exchanger, comprising a plurality of fluid pipes (2) through which a fluid can flow and which are arranged like a fabric such that the fluid pipes (2) form a warp thread (2a) or a weft thread (2b) of a reed fabric (3).

Description

Pipe arrangement for a charge air cooler

The invention relates to a pipe arrangement for a heat exchanger and a heat exchanger with such a pipe arrangement. The invention further relates to a motor vehicle with such a heat exchanger.

In modern motor vehicles, supercharged internal combustion engines are becoming increasingly important, since with the aid of such charging, the power density relative to the displacement and based on the fuel consumption can be significantly increased. There is therefore a tendency to increasingly equip even vehicles with smaller engines with suitable charging devices in order to increase their performance or to reduce fuel consumption. Likewise, there is a tendency to downsize the engines at the same power in the sense of a so-called "downsizing" and to reduce fuel consumption.

Supercharged internal combustion engines are therefore regularly equipped with a charge air cooler, which is based on the principle of a heat exchanger to cool the charged by means of an exhaust gas turbocharger charge air. Such cooling of the charge air increases the performance of the internal combustion engine, reduces their fuel consumption and their pollutant emissions and reduces the thermal load of the internal combustion engine. Conventional intercoolers are typically constructed in the manner of a heat exchanger, which is part of a coolant circuit and flows through a coolant, which in turn couples thermally to the charge air to be cooled. The heat removed from the charge air is absorbed by the coolant, which can evaporate.

Heat exchangers known from the prior art are also used in numerous other components of a modern motor vehicle, for example for cooling battery systems or the like.

A central component of a known from the prior art heat exchanger is a tube assembly with fluid pipes, which can be traversed by the charge air to be cooled. Between the individual tubes coolant channels are provided, the Flowed through by coolant, so that a highly effective thermal contact between the charge air to be cooled and coolant is produced.

As a night part in such conventional heat exchangers or pipe arrangements, however, proves their complex structural design, which regularly requires the use of a variety of individual components. An application-specific modification of a conventional heat exchanger, such as to adapt it to different space geometries, is therefore often associated with considerable design effort.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved embodiment of a pipe assembly, which is characterized by a structurally particularly simple structure.

This object is solved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Preferred embodiments are subject of the dependent claims.

The basic idea of the invention is accordingly to form a tube arrangement of a heat exchanger with a plurality of fluid tubes in the manner of a tube tissue, so that each fluid tube is formed either by a warp or a weft thread of the tube tissue. This makes it possible to produce the thus interwoven fluid pipes made of a continuous material and cut in the course of production to the desired size.

Such a tubular fabric has a construction space technically advantageous, two-dimensional structure in the manner of a sheet, which can be installed with high flexibility as a central component in a heat exchanger. Depending on which requirements are application-specific to the Kühlbzw to be provided by the heat exchanger. Heat output, it is also possible to stack several such tube fabric layered. Since the individual fluid pipes extend in the manner of a warp or weft thread of a fabric in mutually orthogonal direction, a two-dimensional flow is also effected with a fluid, for example a coolant, whereby a particularly homogeneous heat exchange can be achieved. In this case, an embodiment in which the tube fabric forms a substantially two-dimensional sheet structure proves to be particularly advantageous, wherein the sheet structure is substantially planar and may extend in a tissue plane. This makes it possible without major design effort, if necessary, several tubular fabric layered to arrange each other in order to adapt the achievable by means of the tube assembly heating or cooling performance application-specific requirements. Alternatively, it may also be thought to form the pipe braid curved, for example, to meet certain external, space-specific boundary conditions.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the tube arrangement has at least one distributor region for distributing the fluid onto the fluid tubes and at least one collector region for collecting the fluid flowing through the fluid tubes. In this way, the fluid flowing through the tubular fabric can be distributed in a simple manner to the individual fluid pipes in a space-saving manner and can be collected from them again without the need for expensive external inlets and outlets.

Particularly expedient, the at least one distributor region and the at least one collector region may be part of a housing part, which encloses the tube fabric like a frame. In this way, the space required for the tube assembly space can be kept very small. At the same time it is ensured in this way that the tube fabric are mechanically stable.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the tube fabric may have a first and second longitudinal side, wherein along the first longitudinal side, a common first distributor region is provided with a fluid inlet which is in fluid communication with all of a weft forming fluid tubes for introducing a fluid into the fluid tubes. This makes it possible to introduce the fluid, in particular said coolant, in an effective manner into the individual, acting as weft threads fluid pipes. In order to discharge the fluid from the fluid pipes, a common first collector region with a fluid outlet can be provided along the second longitudinal side is in fluid communication with the weft forming fluid tubes for draining the fluid.

According to an advantageous development, a common second distributor area is provided along a first transverse side of the tubular fabric, which is in fluid communication with all fluid pipes forming a warp thread for introducing the fluid into the fluid pipes. Analogously to the above-explained common first distributor region for the fluid tubes acting as weft threads, the second distributor region serves for introducing fluid into the fluid tubes of the tube tissue acting as warp threads. Consequently, it is advisable to provide along the second transverse side also a common second collector region, which fluidly communicates with the fluid tubes acting as a warp thread for collecting and discharging the fluid from the fluid pipes serving as warp thread. In addition, the second distributor region is also fluidly connected to the first distributor region, so that fluid introduced into the tube fabric via the fluid inlet can be introduced both into the fluid tubes acting as warp threads and as weft threads. Accordingly, a fluid connection between the second collector region and the first collector region is provided for discharging the fluid from the fluid tubes acting as warp threads.

An embodiment in which the tube fabric is adhesively bonded or soldered to the first distributor region and / or the first collector region and / or the second distributor region and / or the second collector region proves to be particularly advantageous because of its manufacturing technology.

The use of adhesive bonds is particularly recommended if the first distributor region and / or the first collector region and / or the second distributor region and / or the second collector region are made of a plastic. In this case, in order to reduce the production costs, it may also be envisaged to inject the first distributor region and / or the second collector region and / or the second distributor region and / or the second collector region to the tube fabric using a spraying method known to the person skilled in the art. In a further preferred embodiment, at least two housing parts, preferably a plurality of housing parts, may be stacked along a stacking direction. The arrangement along the stacking direction is carried out such that between the at least two adjacent in the stacking direction tubular fabrics, a fluidly separated from the tubular fabrics intermediate space is formed. This intermediate space can be used to flow through a fluid other than the fluid, in particular a gas. By heat exchange with the fluid flowing through the tube fabric, the fluid flowing through the gap can be heated or cooled, ie the tube arrangement follows the operating principle of a heat exchanger, in particular in the form of a plate heat exchanger with stacked plates or plate pairs.

Particularly preferably, the at least two housing parts, in particular by use of suitable fastening means, be releasably secured to each other. With the help of such a modular design in the manner of a modular system, the size and performance of the pipe assembly, especially if it is to act as a heat exchanger, can be adapted to different application requirements.

In order to integrate the pipe arrangement presented here into a modular heat exchanger, it is proposed to form the first distributor region and / or the first collector region and / or the second distributor region and / or the second collector region as, in particular, frame-like, housing part.

In a further preferred embodiment, a longitudinal direction of the tubular fabric is defined by the longitudinal side, wherein the idler tubes forming a warp thread extend essentially along this longitudinal direction. In an analogous manner, a transverse direction of the tubular fabric is defined by the transverse side, which extends substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. Accordingly, in this scenario, the fluid tubes forming a weft thread extend substantially along the transverse direction. In other words, the fluid tubes forming a weft thread extend substantially orthogonally to the fluid tubes forming a warp thread. Cost advantages result in an embodiment in which the tube fabric is integrally formed. In particular, the use of a continuous material, which can be tailored to the required dimensions, is recommended. As a continuous material is in particular a wire mesh made of metal pipes, in particular aluminum pipes, into consideration.

The invention further relates to a heat exchanger with a previously proposed pipe arrangement for flowing through with a coolant. The tube assembly is thermally in contact with a fluid line, which can be traversed by a fluid to be cooled by the coolant. Such a fluid may be, for example, charge air charged by an exhaust gas turbocharger when the heat exchanger is used in conjunction with an internal combustion engine as intercooler.

In a preferred embodiment, the tube arrangement provided in the heat exchanger may comprise at least a first and a second tube tissue which are spaced apart along a stacking direction so that a gap between the two tube tissues forms the fluid line through which the fluid to be cooled flows. Said stacking direction may be approximately orthogonal to the longitudinal and transverse directions of the pipe arrangement.

According to an advantageous development, the above-presented principle, between two tube tissues to form a gap which is traversed by the fluid to be cooled, to expand to any number of such tube tissues. In such a development, therefore, along the stacking direction, a plurality of tubular fabrics are arranged at a distance from one another, between which a respective fluid line is provided in the form of a gap between adjacent tubular fabrics.

Finally, the invention relates to a motor vehicle with at least one heat exchanger presented above. Other important features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the subclaims, from the drawing and from the associated description of the figures with reference to the drawings.

It is understood that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained below can be used not only in the particular combination given, but also in other combinations or in isolation, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and will be described in more detail in the following description, wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or similar or functionally identical components.

It show, each schematically

1 shows an example of a pipe arrangement according to the invention in a plan view,

2 shows a first variant of the tube arrangement of FIG. 1 in a side view,

3 shows a second variant of the tube arrangement of FIG. 1 in a side view,

Fig. 4 shows a third variant of the tube assembly of Figure 1 in a side view.

Figure 1 illustrates an example of a pipe assembly 1 according to the invention for a heat exchanger in a rough schematic representation. The tube assembly 1 comprises a plurality of fluid conduits 2 through which fluid can flow and which are arranged in a tissue-like manner, so that each of the fluid tubes 2 forms either a warp thread 2 a or a weft thread 2 b of a tubular fabric 3. In this scenario, the tube fabric 3 is an essentially two-dimensional, ie planar structure, which may be flat or, alternatively, also curved, which will be described in more detail below in connection with the explanations referring to FIG. The tube fabric 3 may be formed in one piece and in particular be made of a continuous material, which consequently can be cut in the course of production with the required dimensions. As a continuous material like a wire mesh of metal tubes, in particular aluminum tubes, come into consideration. The individual metal tubes may have a diameter of 1 mm to 10 mm, preferably of about 2 mm.

By a first longitudinal side 4a and a second longitudinal side 4b, a longitudinal direction L of the tube fabric 3 is defined, wherein the fluid tubes 2 forming a warp thread 2a extend substantially along said longitudinal direction L. In an analogous manner, a transverse direction Q of the tubular fabric 2 is defined by the two transverse sides 4c, 4d, which extends substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction L. Correspondingly, the fluid tubes 2 forming a weft thread 2b extend essentially along said transverse direction Q. It follows immediately that the fluid tubes 2 forming a respective weft thread 2b extend substantially orthogonal to the fluid tubes 2 forming a respective warp thread 2a.

Along the first longitudinal side 4a, the tube fabric 3 now has a common first distributor region 5, which has a fluid inlet 6. The first distributor region 5 is fluidically connected to the fluid tubes 2 forming a weft thread 2b, so that a coolant can be introduced into the respective fluid tubes 2 acting as a weft thread 2b via the fluid inlet 6. For subsequent discharge of the coolant from the fluid pipes 2, a common first collector region 7 with a fluid outlet 8 is provided along a second longitudinal side 4b of the tube fabric 3, which is also in fluid communication with the fluid tubes 2 forming a weft 2b.

FIG. 1 also shows that along the first transverse side 4c of the tube fabric 3 a common second distributor region 9 is provided, which is in fluid communication with all fluid tubes 2 forming a warp thread 2a for introducing the coolant into these fluid tubes 2. Analogously to the above-explained common first distributor region 5 for the fluid tubes 2 acting as weft threads 2b, the second distributor region 9 serves for introducing coolant into the respective fluid tubes 2 of the tube fabric 3 acting as the warp thread 2a. 4d of the tubular fabric 3, a common second collector region 10 is provided, which fluidly communicates with the respectively acting as warp 2a fluid pipes 2 for collecting and discharging the coolant from the fluid pipes 2.

In addition, the second distributor region 9 is also fluidically connected to the first distributor region 5, so that fluid introduced into the tube tissue 3 via the fluid inlet 6 can be introduced both into the fluid tubes 2 acting as warp threads 2a and as weft threads 2b. Accordingly, a fluid connection between the first collector region and the second collector region 7, 10 is provided for discharging the coolant from the fluid tubes 2 acting as warp threads 2 a.

The tube fabric 3 can be glued or soldered to the distributor regions 5, 9 and / or the two collector regions 7, 10. Alternatively, it is also conceivable, the distributor or collector areas 5, 9, 7, 10 form such that they can be inserted into the tube fabric 3 or vice versa. This scenario is shown by way of example in FIG. 1 in a subsection of the distributor region 9 denoted by 1 1. The use of adhesive bonds, however, is recommended when the distribution and collector areas are made of plastic 5, 9, 7, 10. In this case, the distributor or collector areas 5, 9, 7, 10 can also be molded directly onto the tube fabric 3. Both during injection molding and during insertion, the joint which forms can be sealed in a fluid-tight manner by means of a suitable sealing element (not shown) known to the person skilled in the art.

The distributor or collector areas 5, 9, 7, 10 may be designed in the manner of a common housing part 13, for example in the manner of a frame in which the tube fabric 3 is integrated, so that it is easily integrated into a modular heat exchanger can be, which is composed of a variable number of such housing parts. In this way, the performance of the heat exchanger with respect to the achievable cooling capacity by an appropriate definition of the number integrated in the heat exchanger housing parts 13 can be adapted to individual external requirements. In the example of Figures 1 and 2, the housing part 13 summarizes the tube fabric 3 like a frame. In this way, the construction required for the pipe assembly 1 can be be kept particularly low. At the same time it is ensured in this way that the tube fabric 3 are still kept mechanically stable.

Regardless of whether the distributor or collector areas 5, 9, 7, 10 are formed in the form of frame-like, modular housing parts 13 or not, the formation of the fluid pipes 2 as a tube fabric 3 in each case allows a layered or stacked arrangement of the individual Pipe arrangements 1 to each other. Such an example scenario with four tubular fabrics 3 stacked on one stacking direction S is shown in the illustration of FIG. The stacking direction S may be orthogonal to both the longitudinal direction L and the transverse direction Q. In a variant, at least two housing parts 13, preferably a plurality of housing parts 13, may be stacked along the stacking direction S. Then each tube fabric 3, a housing part 13 is assigned. The arrangement of the housing parts 13 and thus of the tubular fabric 3 along the stacking direction S is such that between the at least two adjacent in the stacking direction S tubular fabric a fluidly separated from the tubular fabric 3 intermediate space 12 is formed. This gap 12 can be used to flow with a fluid other than the fluid. By heat exchange with the fluid flowing through the tubing 2, the fluid flowing through the gap can be heated or cooled, i. the tube assembly 1 follows the operating principle of a plate heat exchanger stacked in the stacking direction S plates / plate pairs. Particularly expedient, the at least two housing parts 13 can be releasably secured to one another by using suitable fastening means. In this way, the size and performance of the pipe assembly 1, especially if it is to act as a heat exchanger, adapt to different application requirements.

FIG. 4 shows the previously explained scenario in which a plurality of housing parts 13 are stacked together along a stacking direction S and each individual housing part 13 distributor or collector areas 5, 9, 7, 10 and these areas 5, 9, 7, 10th associated pipe fabric 3 comprises. The stacking direction S preferably extends orthogonally to both the longitudinal direction L and the transverse direction Q. Due to the flexible material properties of the tubular fabric material, which at least to a limited extent drapability of the tube fabric 3 allows, it is possible, the tubular fabric 3 not in a predetermined plane, ie flat, but curved to arrange, for example, given predetermined, outer space-specific boundary conditions to suffice. This can be seen from the rough schematic representation of Figure 2, which shows the tube assembly 1 of Figure 1 in a longitudinal section along the section line II-II. FIG. 2 shows that two curved tube fabrics 3 are stacked along a stacking direction S. Such a curved configuration of the tube fabric 3 can basically take place along arbitrary directions and not only, as shown by way of example in FIG. 2, in the direction orthogonal to the stacking direction S.

It can also be seen from FIG. 2 that the two tube fabrics 3 are arranged at a distance from one another, so that an intermediate space 12 is formed between the two tube fabrics 3, through which the fluid to be cooled flows. The fluid, in turn, can be cooled by the coolant flowing through the two tube fabrics 3 with a suitable configuration of the tube assembly 1, for instance as part of a heat exchanger. The fluid to be cooled may be, for example, charge air of an internal combustion engine if the heat exchanger using the pipe arrangement 1 is an intercooler of an internal combustion engine.

Claims

claims

1 . Pipe arrangement (1) for a heat exchanger,

with a plurality of fluid pipes (2), through which a fluid can flow, which are arranged like a fabric, so that a warp thread (2a) or a weft thread (2b) of a tubular fabric (3) is formed by the fluid pipes (2).

2. Pipe assembly according to claim 1,

characterized in that

- The tube fabric (3) forms a substantially two-dimensional sheet,

- The sheet is formed either substantially flat or curved.

3. Pipe arrangement according to claim 1 or 2,

characterized in that

the tube arrangement (1) has at least one distributor region (5, 9) for distributing the fluid to the fluid tubes (2) and at least one collector region (7, 10) for collecting the fluid flowing through the fluid tubes (2).

4. Pipe arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 3,

characterized in that

the at least one distributor region (5, 9) and the at least one collector region (7, 10) are part of a housing part (13) which surrounds the tube fabric (3) like a frame.

5. Pipe arrangement according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that

- The tube fabric (3) has a first and second longitudinal side (4a, 4b), - Is provided along the first longitudinal side (4a) a common first manifold portion (5) having a fluid inlet (6) which is in fluid communication with all a weft yarn (2b) forming fluid pipes (2) for introducing a fluid into said fluid pipes (2) .

- Is provided along the second longitudinal side (4b) a common first collector region (7) with a fluid outlet (8) which is in fluid communication with all a weft thread (2b) forming fluid pipes (2) for discharging the fluid from these fluid tubes (2) ,

6. Pipe arrangement according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that

a common second distributor region (9) is provided along a first transverse side (4c) of the tubular fabric (3), which is in fluid communication with all fluid tubes (2) forming a warp thread (2a) for introducing the fluid into the fluid tubes (2),

a common second collector region (10) is provided along a second transverse side (4d) of the tubular fabric (3) which is in fluid communication with all fluid pipes (2) forming a warp yarn (2a) for discharging the fluid from the fluid pipes (2),

- The second manifold region (9) fluidly communicates with the first manifold region (5) and the second collector region (10) fluidly communicates with the first collector region (7).

7. Pipe assembly according to claim 6,

characterized in that

the tube fabric (3) is glued or soldered to the first distributor region (5) and / or the first collector region (7) and / or the second distributor region (9) and / or the second collector region (10).

8. Pipe arrangement according to claim 6 or 7,

characterized in that

the first distributor region (5) and / or the first collector region (7) and / or the second distributor region (9) and / or the second collector region (10) is made of a plastic.

9. Pipe arrangement according to one of claims 6 to 8,

characterized in that

the first distributor region (5) and / or the first collector region (7) and / or the second distributor region (9) and / or the second collector region (10) is injection-molded onto the tubular fabric (3).

10. Pipe assembly according to claim 9,

characterized,

in that at least two housing parts (13), preferably a plurality of housing parts (13), are stacked along a stacking direction (S), such that between the at least two tubular fabrics (3) adjacent to each other in the stacking direction (S), one fluidly flows from the tubular fabrics (3) separate intermediate space (12) is formed.

1 1. Pipe arrangement according to claim 10,

characterized in that

the at least two housing parts (13) are releasably secured together.

12. Pipe arrangement according to one of claims 6 to 1 1,

characterized in that

- A longitudinal direction (L) of the tubular fabric (3) is defined by the first longitudinal side (4a),

the fluid pipes (2) forming a warp thread (2a) extend essentially along the longitudinal direction (2),

a transverse direction (Q) of the tubular fabric (3) is defined by the first transverse side (4c), which is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (L),

- The weft yarn (2b) forming the fluid pipes (2) extend substantially along the transverse direction (Q).

13. Pipe assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

the tube fabric (3) is integrally formed.

14. Pipe assembly according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that

- The tube fabric (3) is made of a continuous material and the continuous material comprises a wire mesh of metal tubes, preferably made of aluminum tubes.

15. heat exchanger,

- with a pipe arrangement (1) for flowing through with a coolant according to one of the preceding claims,

- With a thermally with the pipe assembly (3) operatively connected fluid line, which is traversed by a fluid to be cooled by the coolant.

16. Heat exchanger according to claim 15,

characterized in that

the tube arrangement (1) comprises at least a first and a second tube tissue (3) which are arranged at a distance from one another along a stacking direction (S) which is orthogonal to the longitudinal and transverse directions (L, Q), so that a Interspace (12) between the two tube fabrics (3) forms the fluid line.

17. Heat exchanger according to claim 16,

characterized in that

along the stacking direction (S) a plurality of tube fabrics (3) is arranged, between each of which a gap (12) is provided, in particular each tube fabric (3) by a housing part (13) is enclosed and held.

18. Motor vehicle with at least one heat exchanger according to one of claims 15 to 17.

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