GB2362208A

GB2362208A - A cooler for use in a vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2362208A
Application number: GB0011136A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Julian Crossley; David Reid
Original assignee: PARTCO Ltd
Current assignee: PARTCO Ltd
Priority date: 2000-05-10
Filing date: 2000-05-10
Publication date: 2001-11-14
Also published as: GB0011136D0

Abstract

A cooler for use in a vehicle or mobile machine such as a digger or excavator, includes an annular heat exchanger (12) having a hollow core. The heat exchanger comprises a tube (16) through which flows a working fluid such as water, a water mixture such as water/glycol, oil or refrigerant. The tube may be made up by a plurality of annular sub-tubes (16a), which are formed from pressed and braised aluminium plate, each having an inlet opening (16b) and an outlet opening (16c). The sub-tubes (16a) are connected together by means of blocks, each with a through bore aligned with the inlet and outlet openings (16b, 16c). The cooler may comprise more than one annular heat exchanger (12, 22), each having a hollow core (15, 25). A shaft (30) carrying two axial fans (31, 32) extends through the cooler. A baffle (35) and a divider plate (36) ensure that air drawn in at the free ends of the hollow cores (15, 25) is pushed out through the spaces between the tubes (16, 26). The heat exchanger may be a single tube forming a spiral. The shaft may carry two centrifugal fans. The cooler may include a vortex pre-cleaner.

Description

2362208 Title: Cooler

Description of Invention

The invention relates to a cooler, and in particular to a cooler for use in vehicles or mobile machines such as diggers and excavators.

Vehicles and mobile machines such as diggers and excavators (which for brevity will all be referred to simply as "vehicles" throughout this specification) require a number of coolers, for example radiators for cooling the engine coolant fluid (which may be water, a mixture of water and an antifreeze such as glycol, or alternative fluids), charge air coolers or intercoolers, coolers for transmission oil or hydraulic oil, or condensers for air conditioning systems. In the prior art all these coolers are generally of a slab shape and are located one behind the other at the front of the vehicle with an axial fan behind them to pull air through. However, such an arrangement suffers from two significant disadvantages.

The first disadvantage is the depth of the combination of coolers which limits the design choices for the overall shape of the vehicle and it's bodywork. The second disadvantage is that the air reaching the last of potentially four coolers may by then already be, for example, 10-15 degrees above the ambient temperature, and thus the cooling in that last cooler is less efficient than it might otherwise be, and this necessitates that that cooler is much larger than would otherwise be required.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative cooler for use in vehicles which mitigates the above identified problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a cooler for a vehicle, the cooler having a body with an outer surface and an inner surface 2 which defines a hollow core within and extending the length of the body with open ends, the body having at least one tube through which working fluid to be cooled passes and space adjacent the tube for the passage of coolant gas past the tube.

The cooler may conveniently include a plurality of such bodies arranged with a common axis running through their aligned hollow cores.

In some embodiments coolers according to the invention may further include an axial fan located adjacent one or each end of the hollow core(s) to draw coolant gas in at the open end(s).

Such coolers preferably also include a baffle within the hollow core to direct coolant gas drawn in through the open end(s) of the hollow core(s) out through the body past the tube.

In alternative embodiments coolers according to the invention may include one or two centrifugal fans located within the hollow core(s) adapted to draw coolant gas in through one or both open ends of the hollow core and to push it out thiough the body past the tube.

Coolers may further include a pre-cleaner to pre-clean the coolant gas drawn in at one or both ends of the hollow core(s). Such a pre-cleaner may conveniently be a vortex pre-cleaner. The cleaner may be located adjacent the open end of a hollow core.

The fan or fans may be driven directly by a drive shaft of an engine of the vehicle or may be driven by a hydraulic motor.

The working fluid may be water or a water mixture or oil or air or refrigerant.

Examples of coolers according to the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure I is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cooler according to the invention; 3 Figure 2 is a lengthways cross sectional view of the cooler of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end view of the cooler of Figures 1 & 2; Figure 4 is an end view of a sub-tube of the cooler of Figures 1 to 3; Figure 5 is a cross section along line A-A of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a cooler according to the invention; Figure 7 is a lengthways cross sectional view of the cooler of Figure 6, and Figure 8 is an end view of the cooler of Figures 6 & 7.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 5, a cooler 10 has a first body 12 with an outer surface 13 and an inner surface 14 defining a hollow core 15 which extends along the length of the body 12 and has open ends. The body 12 comprises a tube 16 through which flows a working fluid such as water or a water mixture such as water/glycol.

In this embodiment the tube 16 takes the form of a plurality of annular sub-tubes 16,a as shown in Figures 4 and 5, which are formed from pressed and braised aluminium plate, and each have an inlet opening 16b and an outlet opening 16e such that working fluid may enter the sub-tube 16a, flow around the annulus from the inlet opening 16b to the outlet opening 16c and exit the annulus. The sub-tubes 16a are connected together by means of blocks 16d each with a through inlet bore 16e and through outlet bore 16f aligned with the inlet and outlet openings 16b and 16e respectively. Thus the aligned inlet openings 16b and through inlet bores 16e forin an equivalent of a header tank as found in conventional slab type coolers, and fluid must flow around one of the sub-tubes 16a to pass from that inlet "header tank" to the aligned outlet openings 16c and through outlet bores 16f and thus to the outlet of the tube 16, as discussed below.

The arrangement of the tube 16 is such that there are spaces adjacent the tube 16, or sub-tubes 16a, for the coolant gas to flow past and remove heat in the conventional way.

The tube 16 has an inlet port 17 through which the working fluid is input to the tube 16 (arrow A), and an outlet port 18 through which the working fluid flows out from the tube 16 (arrow B) after passing through it. In this embodiment the inlet port 17 and outlet port 18 are at opposite ends of the body 12.

The cooler 10 further comprises a second body 22 which has an outer surface 23 and an inner surface 24 which defines a hollow core 25 which extends along the length of the body 22 and has open ends. In a similar manner to the first body 12, the second body 22 comprises a tube 26 through which flows a working fluid, in this case such as oil. The tube 26 may be a single tube forming a spiral, or there may be a plurality of sub-tubes which are in some way interconnected such as discussed above. The tube 26, or sub-tubes, may have turbulators within them, as is generally the case in oil coolers in the prior art, in order to break up laminar flow and achieve the required degree of cooling. In any event the tube 26, or sub-tubes, have spaces adjacent them for the flow of coolant gas past them. The tube 26 has an inlet port 27 through which the working fluid is input to the tube 26 (alTOW C), and an outlet port 28 through which the working fluid flows out fl-om the tube 26 (arrow D) after passing through it. In this embodiment the inlet port 27 and outlet port 28 are at adjacent each other at the same end of the body, 22.

The first and second bodies 12, 22 are arranged adjacent each other with their inner and outer surfaces 13), 213) and 14, 24 aligned and thus their hollow cores 15, 25 also aligned with a common axis running through.

The cooler 10 further comprises a shaft 30 rotatably mounted within the hollow cores 15, 25 and on their common axis. The shaft -30 carries two axial fans 31, 32 one at the free end of body 12 and the other at the fiee end of body 22. The fans 31, 32 are appropriately configured to draw coolant gas, normally air, in through the free ends of the hollow cores 15, 25. The fans 31, 32 are protected by fan guards 33, 34.

Also located on the shaft 30 is a baffle 35 and divider plate 36 which combine to ensure that air drawn in at the free ends of the hollow cores 15, 25 is pushed out through the spaces between the tubes 16, 26 respectively, thus ensuring that it flows past the tube and cools the working fluid therein.

In the cooler 10 the first and second bodies are of substantially the same length. The first body 12 may perform the function of the radiator for the vehicle engine, whilst the body 22 may cool the transmission oil for the vehicle.

Referring now to Figures 6 to 8, a second embodiment of a cooler 50 according to the invention is illustrated. The cooler 50 has a first body 52 which is similar to the first body 12 of the first embodiment. The body 52 has an outer surface 53) and an inner surface 54 which defines a hollow core 55 extending along the length of the body 52 and which has open ends. The body 52 comprises a tube 56 through which flows a working fluid such as water or a water mixture such as water/glycol. As before the tube 56 may be a single tube forming a spiral, or there may be a plurality of sub-tubes as described above which are in some way interconnected, with spaces adjacent the tube 56 for coolant gas to flow past. The tube 56 has an inlet port 57 through which the working fluid is input to the tube 56 (arrow E), and an outlet port 58 through which the working fluid flows out from the tube 56 (arrow F) after passing through it. In this embodiment the inlet port 57 and outlet port 58 are at opposite ends of the body 52.

The cooler 50 further comprises a second body 62 which has an outer surface 63 and an inner surface 64 which defines a hollow core 65 which extends along the length of the body 62 and has open ends. In a similar manner to the second body 22, the second body 62 comprises a tube 66 through which 6 flows a working fluid, in this case such as oil. The tube 66 may be a single tube forming a spiral, or there may be a plurality of tubes which are in some way interconnected, and which may have turbulators within them of known kind. In any event the tube or tubes have spaces adjacent them for the flow of coolant gas past them. The tube 66 has an inlet port 67 through which the working fluid is input to the tube 66 (arrow G), and an outlet port 68 through which the working fluid flows out ftom the tube 66 (arrow H) after passing through it. In this embodiment the inlet port 67 and outlet port 68 are at adjacent each other at the same end of the body 62.

In the cooler 50 the first body 52 is of greater length than the second body 62. The relative sizes, in particular lengths, of the bodies incorporated within coolers of the invention being chosen to ensure that they can provide the level of cooling required for the function they are to perform. Thus on occasions the bodies may be of the same length, or as in this case they may be different. Whilst in general the bodies incorporated within a cooler will be of the same diameter, they may on occasions be of different diameters.

The first and second bodies 52, 62 are arranged adjacent each other with their inner and outer surfaces 5-3, 63) and 54, 64 aligned and thus their hollow cores 55, 65 also aligned with a common axis running through. The bodies 52, 62 are separated by a plate 5 1.

The cooler 50 further comprises a shaft 70 rotatably mounted within the hollow cores 55, 65 and on their common axis. The shaft 70 carries a pair of centrifugal fans 71, 72 one within hollow core 55 of body 52 and the other within the hollow core 65 of body 62, and a divider plate 73). The fans 71, 72 and divider plate 73 are appropriately configured to draw coolant gas, normally air, in through the free ends of the hollow cores 55, 65 and expel it through the spaces between the tubes 56, 66. The fans 71, 72 are protected by fan guards 74,75.

7 The cooler 50 further comprises a vortex pre-cleaner 80 secured to the end adjacent the second body 62. This is of known kind and is provided to preclean the coolant gas, normally ambient air, before it is drawn into the hollow core 65. The pre-cleaner 80 primarily removes relatively large particles, such as vegetable matter, to prevent clogging of the spaces between the tubes 56, 66. Other forms of pre-cleaner may used in place of the vortex pre-cleaner 80, as appropriate to the application to which the cooler is to be put, for example mesh filters may be used if it is required to remove finer particles.

The pre-cleaner is described above as being adjacent the second body 62 of the cooler 50. However, pre-cleaners may be located remote from the body concerned, provided they are located in the path input coolant gas must take to reach the body. For example the pre-cleaner may be located at an input to ducting leading to the open end of the body, and through which the coolant gas must pass to reach the body.

In addition to -the features described coolers according to the invention may further comprise fins or cooling gas turbulators between the tubes carrying the working fluid to assist in heat dissipation and/or structural integrity of the unit. Such fins or turbulators may be braised to the tubes or otherwise mechanically banded.

The methods used to drive the fans in coolers according to the invention will be chosen appropriately for the vehicle into which they are to be installed. In some cases the layout may be such that the shaft of the cooler can be driven directly by the drive shaft of the vehicle engine. In other cases, particularly the kind of mobile machine which includes hydraulics for other applications, the fans may be driven by a hydraulic motor. Of course electric motors could also be used.

The coolers 10, 50 described above are of generally cylindrical configuration, the bodies 12, 22, 51 and 62 being cylindrical and defining cylindrical hollow cores 15, 25, 55 and 65. However, coolers according to the 8 invention need not be of such a configuration and could be, for examples, oval, square or rectangular in cross-section.

Although both embodiments described above comprise two bodies, coolers according to the invention may include a single body, or more than two. The bodies may be designed appropriately for the cooling of whatever working liquid is appropriate but most often this will be water, a water mixture, oil, air or a refrigerant.

The embodiments described both draw air in from both ends, but embodiments according to the invention may only draw air in from one end, and incorporate a single fan. In such circumstances there would be no need for a division between the bodies such as the divider plates 36 and 51 described above.

In the present specification "comprise" means "Includes or consists of' and "comprising" means "including or consisting of'.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof

Claims

9 CLAIMS

1. A cooler for a vehicle, the cooler having a body with an outer surface and an inner surface which defines a hollow core within and extending the length of the body with open ends, the body having at least one tube through which working fluid to be cooled passes and space adjacent the tube for the passage of coolant gas past the tube.

2. A cooler for a vehicle according to claim 1 characterised in it includes a plurality of such bodies arranged with a common axis running through their aligned hollow cores.

3. A cooler for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that it further includes an axial fan located adjacent one or each end of the hollow core(s) to draw coolant gas in at the open end(s).

4. A cooler for a vehicle according to claim 3) characterised in that it further includes a baffle within the hollow core to direct coolant gas drawn in through the open end(s) of the hollow core(s) out through the body past the tube.

5. A cooler for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that it further includes a centrifugal fan located within the hollow core(s) adapted to draw coolant gas in through one or both open ends of the hollow core and to push it out through the body past the tube.

6. A cooler for a vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 5 characterised in that it further includes a pre-cleaner to pre-clean the coolant gas drawn in at one or both ends of the hollow core(s).

7. A cooler for a vehicle according to claim 6 characterised in that the precleaner is a vortex pre-cleaner.

8. A cooler for a vehicle according to claim 6 or 7 characterised in that the pre-cleaner is located ad acent the open end of a hollow core.

Ii 9. A cooler for a vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 8 characterised in that the fan or fans are driven directly by a drive shaft of an engine of the vehicle.

10. A cooler for a vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 8 characterised in that the fan or fans are driven by a hydraulic or electric motor.

11. A cooler for a vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the working fluid is water or a water mixture or oil or air or refrigerant.

12. A cooler for a vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 or 6 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

13. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.