FR2993966A1 - ASSEMBLY OF A HEAT EXCHANGE MODULE AND AT LEAST ONE ELECTRICAL MEMBER. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly of a heat exchange module (1) and at least one electrical element, said heat exchange module (1) comprising at least one thermoelectric device (24, 26, 28). ) configured to provide an electric current from a temperature gradient between two fluids exchanging heat with each other in said module (1), said thermoelectric device (24, 26, 28) feeding said electrical member.

Description

Set of a heat exchange module and at least one electric member. The present invention relates to an assembly of a heat exchange module and at least one electrical member. It will find in particular its applications in the field of motor vehicles. It has long been known to cool the engine of a motor vehicle with a heat transfer liquid. After cooling the engine, the hot liquid is cooled in turn by passing through a cooling radiator lo located on the front of the vehicle to be swept by a flow of ambient air passing through the calender of the vehicle. The operation of many motor vehicles still requires the cooling of other fluids such as engine air supercharging air, refrigerant air conditioning loop of the vehicle interior or other. As with the engine coolant, some of these fluids are cooled using a heat exchanger located on the front of the vehicle to be swept by the airflow passing through the calender. For others, the cooling is effected by heat exchange with a coolant liquid in turn cooled by the flow of ambient air 20 through the calender. This is called indirect exchange. For heat exchange on the front panel, it is necessary to have motor-fan units in order to ensure a minimum ambient air flow when the vehicle is stationary or is traveling at too slow a speed. For the indirect exchange, it is necessary to use pumps circulating the heat transfer liquid to the exchanger ensuring the cooling of the fluid in question. Currently, the electrical energy used for powering an electrical component, whether it is for example a fan motor and / or pumps and / or any type of electric actuator, is provided by an alternator. To provide this electrical energy, the alternator transforms mechanical energy taken from the engine by the alternator belt.

The alternator thus imposes a resistive torque, proportional to the current generated, which limits the available power for the wheels and increases the consumption of the vehicle. Moreover, it has already been proposed thermoelectric devices using so-called electric thermo elements, for generating an electric current in the presence of a temperature gradient between two of their opposite faces according to the phenomenon known as the effect Seebeck. The present application aims to propose an advantageous use of the electrical energy produced by such thermoelectric devices in the context of the problem raised above. The invention thus relates to an assembly of a heat exchange module and at least one electrical member, said heat exchange module comprising at least one thermoelectric device configured to supply an electric current from a temperature gradient between two fluids exchanging heat with each other in said module, said thermoelectric device supplying said electric member. In this way, the heat exchange module is used to supply at least one electrical element and to provide the basic function of the module, namely heat exchange. Thus, each electrical member is a consumer of electrical energy autonomously powered by said assembly. Preferably, said electrical member is at least one electrical machine for driving fluids passing through said module. The heat exchange module is thus able to supply all or part of the electrical machines using the thermoelectric device or devices integrated in said assembly formed of a heat exchange module and at least one electrical member. The cooling of the fluids is thus performed more autonomously. In addition, a certain degree of proximity has been observed between the amount of current made available by the thermoelectric device (s) employed, taking into account the temperature gradients available, and the needs of the organs used to entrain the fluids involved.

According to various embodiments that may be taken together or separately: said heat exchange module comprises a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger and / or a third heat exchanger, said first, second and / or third heat exchangers are configured to be traversed in series by a flow of air, said first exchanger being downstream in the direction of flow of said air flow, - said first heat exchanger comprises the one or one of said devices electrical thermo, said first thermoelectric device, - said second exchanger comprises a said second, said electric thermo devices, - said third exchanger comprises a said third said thermoelectric devices, - said first heat exchanger, said high temperature radiator , is a radiator for cooling a coolant for cooling a vehicle engine, - led it second heat exchanger, said low-temperature radiator, is another radiator for cooling a heat-transfer fluid, for cooling other fluids, said third exchanger is a condenser for an air-conditioning loop, said assembly further comprises at least one motor-fan unit driven by the one or one of said electrical machines, said group forcing a flow of air flow through said heat exchange module; said motor-fan unit forces said air flow; through said exchangers, - said assembly further comprises a pump driven by the one or one of said electrical machines, said pump forcing a circulation of coolant through said heat exchange module, - said pump causes said coolant to through said second exchanger. According to one aspect of the invention, said thermoelectric device comprises elements, said electrical thermo, for generating an electric current in the presence of a temperature gradient, and said first exchanger, said second exchanger and / or said third exchanger comprise each a heat exchange beam, the beam of said heat exchanger (s) comprising: a first zone configured to allow heat exchange between a first, said hot, of said two fluids exchanging heat in the beam and a second said cold, said two fluids, and - a second zone configured to allow the generation of said electric current by thermally connecting the electric thermo elements with beam components from said first part, said components being in heat exchange relationship with at least one of said first and / or second of said two fluids. This provides both, with the aid of a single beam, a heat exchange function for cooling the hot fluid and heating the cold fluid, on the one hand, and on the other hand , a function of supplying at least one of the hot or cold sources necessary for the operation of the thermoelectric elements. Said beam components from said first part are, for example, configured to be in thermal relation with the hot fluid. Said first zone is provided, in particular, downstream of the second zone in the direction of circulation of the hot fluid. Said beam may comprise round and / or oval tubes and first spacers in heat exchange relationship with said round and / or oval tubes, said round and / or oval tubes forming the beam components from said first portion, said second part of the beam further comprising second inserts in heat exchange relationship with the second fluid, said thermoelectric elements being positioned between said first and second spacers. It can be noted that by associating the electric thermo elements with fins, it facilitates the intimacy of the contact between them and the components of the device in contact with which they must be to be subjected to a temperature gradient. Said second spacers will advantageously be configured to make a heat shield protecting the first spacers of a flow of cold fluid. According to another aspect of the invention, said heat exchange module is configured to be positioned on the front face of a motor vehicle, so that the flow of air flowing through a calender of the vehicle can pass through it. The invention will be better understood in the light of the following description which is given only as an indication and which is not intended to limit it, accompanied by the attached drawings among which: FIG. schematically a first exemplary assembly according to the invention, - Figure 2 schematically illustrates a second overall example 20 according to the invention, - Figure 3 schematically illustrates a third overall example according to the invention. FIG. 4 partially illustrates, in perspective, an exemplary exchanger of a heat exchange module of the assembly according to the invention; FIG. 5 partially illustrates, in perspective, the 4. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the invention relates to an assembly of a heat exchange module 1 and of at least one electrical member, preferably an electric machine 3. 4 serving to actuate a training member 6, 8 d a first fluid exchanging heat with another fluid in said module. Said heat exchange module 1 may comprise: a first heat exchanger 10, here a cooling radiator for a coolant liquid F1 for cooling a heat engine 11, said high temperature radiator, a second heat exchanger 12 , here another cooling radiator of a heat transfer fluid F2, for cooling other fluids F5, said low-temperature radiator, and / or - a third heat exchanger 14, here a condenser of an air conditioning loop, no illustrated. Said high temperature radiator 10 is here part of a cooling loop 16 of the engine 2 which has been illustrated in a simplified manner. Said loop 16 may also include a heating radiator and / or a motor bypass path. Said coolant F1 flowing through said engine cooling loop 16 is, in particular, water containing antifreeze such as glycol. Said low temperature radiator 12 is part of a low temperature loop 18 comprising a charge air exchanger 20. Said low temperature loop 18 and said low temperature radiator 12 are designated in this way because of the temperature of the coolant liquid F2 which traverses them, on average of temperature lower than the temperature of the coolant F1 circulating in the loop 16 of the engine cooling. As in the latter, said coolant F2 flowing through said low temperature loop 18 is, in particular, water added antifreeze such as glycol. Said other fluid F5 cooled by the fluid F2 flowing through the low temperature loop is, for example, supercharging air. It may be noted that said low temperature loop 18 may also include a turbo compressor 22. In other words, said fluid F 2 flowing through the second loop is further used here to cool said turbo compressor 22. It is in particular a turbo compressor serving supplying the charge air F5 intended to be cooled at said charge air exchanger 20. The fluid F3 passing through the condenser is, in particular, a refrigerant. Said first 10, second 12 and / or third 14 exchangers are configured to be traversed, for example, in series by an air flow F4, said first exchanger 10 being downstream in the direction of flow of said air flow F4 .

Said assembly further comprises at least one motor fan unit forcing a flow of air flow F4 through said heat exchange module. Said group here comprises at least one of the three electrical machines of said assembly. In other words, a first fluid passing through said heat exchange module 1 and driven under the action of a drive member 6, in this case said motor-fan unit, actuated by one of the 3 electrical machines of the assembly according to the invention is the air flow F4. More precisely, said motor-fan unit 6 here forces said air flow through said first, second and third exchangers 10, 12, 14.

Said fan motor unit 6 may comprise two fans 32, each driven by one of the 3 electrical machines of said set. This is, for example, a DC motor. Said assembly further comprises a pump forcing a coolant circulation F2 through said heat exchange module 1, in particular through said second heat exchanger or low-temperature radiator 12. Said pump here comprises at least one other electrical machines 4 said set. In other words, a second fluid passing through said heat exchange module 1 and driven under the action of a drive member 8, in this case said pump, actuated by one of the 4 electrical machines of the assembly according to the invention is the heat transfer liquid F2 of the low temperature circuit 18.

According to the invention, said heat exchange module 1 comprises at least one thermoelectric device 24, 26, 28 configured to supply an electric current from a temperature gradient between two fluids exchanging heat with each other in said module 1. This is the temperature gradient existing between the ambient air flow F4 and the heat transfer fluid F1 flowing through the engine cooling loop 16 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3), the gradient existing between the flow of air ambient air F4 and the coolant flowing through the low temperature loop 18 (FIGS. 2 and 3) and / or the temperature gradient existing between the heat transfer liquid F1 and the refrigerant flowing through the condenser 14. Still according to the invention, at least one of said electric thermoelectric devices 1 supplies said electric machine (s) 3, 4. In this way, the temperature gradient (s) existing between the fluids passing through the exchanger is used to bring about any or part of the actuating members for driving said fluids. More precisely, here the gradients mentioned above are used to power the electrical machine or machines 3, 4 actuating the motor-fan unit 6 and / or the pump 8. According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. electrical 24 is unique and provided at said first exchanger 10.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 2, there is provided a second thermoelectric device 26 located at said second exchanger 12. According to the embodiment of Figure 3, there is provided a third thermoelectric device 28, located at said third exchanger 14. At least one of said thermoelectric devices 24, 26, 28 may be electrically coupled in parallel to a electrical distribution network 36 supplying the electrical machine or machines 3, 4 actuating the motor-fan unit 6 and / or the pump 8. Said electric circuit 36 comprises, for example, a converter 30 for stabilizing the current supplied to at least l one of the electric machines 3, 4 from the one or more electric thermo devices 24, 26, 28.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, said thermoelectric device equipping said first exchanger 10, and / or said second exchanger 12 and / or said third exchanger 14 comprises elements 100, called electrical thermo, which make it possible to generate an electric current in the presence of a temperature gradient. These are, for example, elements of substantially parallelepipedic shape generating an electric current, according to the Seebeck effect, when they are subjected to said gradient between two of their opposite faces, said contact faces. Such elements allow the creation of an electric current in a load connected between said contact faces. In a manner known to those skilled in the art, such elements consist, for example, of Bismuth and Tellurium (Bi2Te3). At least one of said first exchanger 10, said second exchanger 12 and said third exchanger 14 comprises a heat exchange bundle 101, said bundle 101 of at least one of said heat exchangers comprising: first zone 102 configured to allow a heat exchange between a first, so-called hot, of said two fluids exchanging heat in the beam and a second F4, said cold, said two fluids, and - a second zone 104 configured to allow the generation said electric current by thermally connecting the electric thermoelectric elements 100 with beam components from said first part, said components being in heat exchange relation with at least one of said first and / or second of said two fluids, here the hot fluid.

For the sake of simplification, only the integration of the thermoelectric device 24 of the first exchanger is treated in the following and the hot fluid in question is the heat transfer liquid F1 mentioned above. Said first zone 102 is provided, for example, downstream of the second zone 104 in the direction of circulation of the hot fluid F1.

Said beam 101 here comprises round and / or oval tubes 110 and first spacers 111 in heat exchange relation with said round and / or oval tubes 110. Said round and / or oval tubes 110 form the components of the beam from said first portion 102. They are traversed by said first fluid F1. Said second portion 104 of the bundle further comprises second tabs 112 in heat exchange relation with the second fluid F4. Said thermoelectric elements 100 are positioned between said first 111 and second interlayers 112. According to this embodiment, it is therefore the first 111 and second interlayers 112 that fulfill the function of establishing the thermal contact with the electric thermoelectric elements 100.

The first 111 and second spacers 112 are, for example, in the form of planar fins. By fin means an element having two large opposite planar surfaces and much thinner than its width and length, to establish a surface contact between said large surfaces and the thermoelectric elements 100 at the or contact faces 116 thereof. The fins are formed, for example, of aluminum and / or aluminum alloy. The first portion 102 of the beam 101 may also comprise flat fin-shaped spacers, not illustrated, in heat exchange relation with the tubes 110, for example interleaves identical to the first 20 spacers 111 of the second portion 104 of the beam 100. Said exchangers 10, 12, 14 are for example of the mechanical type. The tubes 110 are parallel to each other. They open at each end into collector boxes 150 of the exchanger, via passage orifices provided thereon, for example at the level of collector plates 152 of said boxes 150. Inserts 111, 112 are perpendicular to the tubes and traversed by them. Said first spacers 111 are held on the tubes 110 and / or the tubes 110 are held in the boxes 150, for example, by crimping. A non-visible seal is used to seal the manifold plates 152 and the tubes 110 at each of their through holes.

The second spacers 112 are configured, for example, to make a heat shield protecting the first spacers 111 of a flow of the second fluid. The second spacers 112 have, in particular, an L-shaped, a flank 120 of the L coming to cap one at least of said first spacers 111, said flank 120 extending parallel to the tubes 110. The thermoelectric elements 100 are located between the other sidewall 121 of the L, said other side extending transversely to the tubes 110, and the face of the first spacer 111, provided vis-a-vis.

The opposite face of the first spacer 111 may also be in contact with other thermoelectric elements 100. Preferably, a first spacer 111, a thermoelectric element 100 and a second spacer 112 are superimposed in this order. The first spacers 111 are provided with orifice 123 for the passage of the tubes 110 with which they are in contact. The second spacers 112 are provided with orifices also allowing the passage of the tubes 110 but, this time, without contact to avoid any thermal bridge between the first fluid F1 and the second fluid F4. Said second zone 104 may further comprise spacers 160 holding second tabs 112. Said spacers 160 pass noncontact through orifices 162 of said first spacers 111 and with contact through orifices of said second spacers 112. From a Electrical view, the fins or spacers 111, 112 are coated, for example, with an electrically insulating material and are provided, at their face-facing face of said thermoelectric elements of one or more tracks electrically conductive, not shown, connecting, in series and / or in parallel, the thermoelectric elements disposed on the insert. For ease of assembly, the thermoelectric elements 100 30 may be pre-assembled into modules 170, ready to be inserted between the first and second spacers 111, 112. Said modules 170 are disposed between the tubes 110. As already mentioned, the module Heat exchanger according to the invention may be used in place of a conventional heat exchange module, including front exchanger of a motor vehicle. The engine 11 is then the engine of the vehicle, here provided supercharged. The air conditioning loop incorporating said condenser 14 serves for the air conditioning of the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

Claims (5)

REVENDICATIONS1. Assembly of a heat exchange module (1) and at least one electrical device, said heat exchange module (1) comprising at least one thermoelectric device (24, 26, 28) configured to supply a current electrical device from a temperature gradient between two fluids exchanging heat with each other in said module (1), said thermoelectric device (24, 26, 28) supplying said electrical member. 2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the electrical member is an electric machine (3, 4) for actuating a drive member (6, 8) of a first fluid exchanging heat with another fluid in said module (1). 3. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 or 2 above wherein said heat exchange module (1) comprises a first heat exchanger (10), a second heat exchanger (12) and / or a third exchanger heat exchanger (14), configured to be traversed in series by a flow of air, said first exchanger (10) being downstream in the direction of flow of said air flow. 4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said first heat exchanger (10) comprises the one or one of said thermoelectric devices, said first thermoelectric device (24). 5. The assembly of claim 3 or 4 wherein said second exchanger comprises a said second (26) of said thermoelectric devices. An assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein said third heat exchanger comprises a said third (28) of said thermoelectric devices. 7. An assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 6 wherein: said first heat exchanger (10), said high temperature radiator, is a radiator for cooling a heat transfer liquid for cooling a vehicle engine, said second heat exchanger (12), called a low-temperature radiator, is another coolant for cooling a heat-transfer fluid, for cooling other fluids; said third exchanger (14) is a condenser for an air-conditioning loop; . 8. An assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 7 wherein said assembly further comprises at least one fan driven by the or one of said electrical machines (3), said venser forcing a flow of air flow (F4 ) through said heat exchange module (1). 9. The assembly of claim 8 configured so that said group forces said air flow (F4) through said exchangers (10, 12, 14). 10. An assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 9 wherein said assembly further comprises a pump driven by the one or more of said electrical machines (4), said pump forcing a circulation of heat transfer liquid (F2) through said heat exchange module (1). 11. An assembly according to claim 10 configured so that said pump drives said coolant (F2) through said second heat exchanger (12) .12. An assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 11 wherein said thermoelectric device (24, 26, 28) comprises so-called electrical thermo elements (100) for generating an electric current in the presence of a temperature gradient, and said first exchanger (10), and / or said second exchanger (12), and / or said third exchanger (14) each comprise a heat exchange bundle (101), the bundle (101) of said one or more heat (10, 12, 14) comprising: - a first zone (102) configured to allow a heat exchange between a first, said hot, of said two fluids exchanging heat in the beam and a second, said cold, of said two fluids, and - a second zone (104) configured to allow the generation of said electric current by thermally connecting the electrical thermoelectric elements (100) with beam components from said first portion (102), said components both in heat exchange relationship with at least one of said first and / or second of said two fluids. The assembly of claim 12 wherein said beam components (101) from the first portion (102) are configured to be thermally related to the hot fluid. 14. The assembly of claim 12 or 13 wherein the first zone (102) is provided downstream of the second zone (104) in the direction of circulation of the hot fluid. An assembly according to any one of claims 12 to 14 wherein said bundle (101) comprises round and / or oval tubes (110) and first spacers (111) in heat exchange relation with said round tubes and or ovals (110), said round and / or oval tubes (110) forming the beam components from said first portion (102), said second portion (104) of the beam (101) further comprising intermediate intersects (112) ) in heat exchange relationship with the second fluid, said thermoelectric elements (100) being positioned between said first (111) and second (112) spacers.