JP2008002723A - Integrated heat exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce thermal distortion of tubes in an integrated heat exchanger having two or more heat exchanger portions independent from each other, in one heat exchanger core. <P>SOLUTION: This integrated heat exchanger comprises a core portion 3 having the plural tubes 1 arranged in parallel with each other to circulate a heat medium, and a fin 2 joined to outer surfaces of the tubes 1 for promoting heat exchange of the heat medium, and header tanks 4 extending in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the tubes 1 at both longitudinal end portions of the tubes 1 and communicated with the tubes 1. Specific two tubes adjacent to each other among the plurality of tubes 1 are constituted as dummy tubes 10 in which the heat medium is not circulated, the header tanks 4 are divided with the portion between the two dummy tubes 10 set as a boudary, and an ATF cooler portion 31 and a condenser portion 32 are formed in the core portion 3 independently from each other with the two dummy tubes 10 set as the boundary. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an integrated heat exchanger having two or more heat exchanger portions independent of each other in one heat exchanger core.

  In vehicles such as automobiles, in addition to radiators for cooling engines and condensers for cooling air conditioning refrigerants, oil coolers for transmission oil cooling for automatic vehicles (ATF coolers), oil coolers for engine oil cooling, A so-called hybrid vehicle is provided with many heat exchangers such as a radiator for cooling electronic components such as an inverter for controlling an electric motor.

  In recent years, it has been desired to reduce the width of heat exchangers associated with vehicle collision safety, to reduce installation space by reducing the size, and to reduce the number of assembly work steps. As a countermeasure, a pair of upper and lower headers (tanks) of one heat exchanger is partitioned by a partition plate at a position corresponding to each other, and thereby a first heat exchanger section independent from each other in one heat exchanger core and There is known an integrated heat exchanger that has two heat exchanger functions of a second heat exchanger section.

  In such an integrated heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger part and the second heat exchanger part have different uses, and therefore the temperature of the heat medium is also different. For this reason, a big temperature difference generate | occur | produces in the boundary part of two heat exchanger parts. Thereby, a big thermal stress generate | occur | produced in the boundary part of two heat exchanger parts, and the crack may generate | occur | produce in the junction part of the tube and header tank which are located in a boundary part.

On the other hand, the tube located at the boundary between the two heat exchanger parts is a dummy tube through which the heat medium does not flow, and the tank is divided at the dummy tube as a boundary, so that the two heat exchanger parts An integrated heat exchanger that suppresses heat transfer and reduces thermal stress has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-18880 A

  However, in the integrated heat exchanger described in Patent Document 1, since thermal stress is transmitted through the fins disposed between the tube and the dummy tube, a large thermal strain is applied to the tube adjacent to the dummy tube. Occurs, which causes the tube to break.

  In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to reduce heat distortion of a tube in an integrated heat exchanger having two or more heat exchanger portions independent of each other in one heat exchanger core.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a plurality of tubes (1) arranged in parallel through which a heat medium flows, and fins that are joined to the outer surface of the tube (1) to promote heat exchange of the heat medium ( 2) and a header tank (4) extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tube (1) at both longitudinal ends of the tube (1) and communicating with the tube (1). Specific two adjacent tubes of the plurality of tubes (1) are configured as dummy tubes (10) through which no heat medium flows, and the header is defined as a boundary between the two dummy tubes (10). The tank (4) is divided, and the core part (3) has heat exchanger parts (31, 32) independent from each other with the two dummy tubes (10) as a boundary. Yes.

  Thus, by dividing the header tank (4) with the two dummy tubes (10) as a boundary, the two adjacent tubes among the plurality of tubes (1) are the dummy tubes (10), The thermal stress based on the temperature difference between the heat exchanger parts (31, 32) independent from each other can be absorbed by the two dummy tubes (10). Thereby, it becomes possible to reduce the thermal distortion of the tube (1).

  In addition, the code | symbol in the bracket | parenthesis of each said means shows the correspondence with the specific means as described in embodiment mentioned later.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a front view showing an integrated heat exchanger according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the integrated heat exchanger of the present embodiment includes a single core portion 3 composed of a plurality of tubes 1 and fins 2, and a pair of header tanks that are assembled and arranged at the left and right ends of the core portion 3. 4.

  The tube 1 is a tube through which a heat medium flows. The tube 1 is formed in a flat shape so that the air flow direction (perpendicular to the paper surface) coincides with the major axis direction, and the longitudinal direction thereof coincides with the horizontal direction. As shown, a plurality of wires are arranged in parallel in the vertical direction. The fin 2 is formed into a wave shape and joined to the flat surfaces on both sides of the tube 1. The fin 2 increases the heat transfer area with air and promotes heat exchange between the heat medium and air. Yes. Further, inserts 5 that reinforce the core portion 3 by extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the tube 1 are provided at both ends of the core portion 3.

  The header tank 4 extends in a direction (vertical direction in the present embodiment) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tube 1 at the longitudinal end portions (left and right ends in the present embodiment) of the tube 1 and communicates with the plurality of tubes 1. Therefore, the header tank 4 includes a core plate 4a into which the tube 1 is inserted and joined, and a tank body 4b that forms a space in the tank together with the core plate 4a.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the core portion 3 constitutes an oil cooler portion for cooling automatic vehicle transmission oil (hereinafter referred to as an ATF cooler portion 31) and a condenser portion 32 for cooling air-conditioning refrigerant. It is. In the present embodiment, the ATF cooler unit 31 is disposed on the upper side in the vertical direction, and the capacitor unit 32 is disposed on the lower side in the vertical direction. In addition, the ATF cooler part 31 and the capacitor | condenser part 32 are equivalent to the heat exchanger part of this invention.

  The two tubes disposed at the boundary between the ATF cooler 31 and the capacitor 32 are dummy tubes 10 through which no heat medium flows. In the present embodiment, the dummy tube 10 is formed by closing both end portions in the longitudinal direction.

  The header tank 4 is divided into two in the header tank longitudinal direction (vertical direction) with the boundary between the two dummy tubes 10 as a boundary. That is, the header tank 4 is divided into an ATF cooler header 41 corresponding to the ATF cooler portion 31 and a radiator header 42 corresponding to the capacitor portion 32, and the radiator header 42 is separated from the ATF cooler header 41. It arrange | positions at intervals along the header tank longitudinal direction (vertical direction).

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state in which the temperature difference between the ATF cooler unit 31 and the condenser unit 32 is increased in the integrated heat exchanger according to the present embodiment. When the temperature difference between the ATF cooler unit 31 and the capacitor unit 32 becomes large, as shown in FIG. 3, the two dummy tubes 10 are greatly increased via the fins disposed between the ATF cooler unit 31 and the capacitor unit 32. Thermal distortion occurs. At this time, almost no thermal strain is generated in the tube 1.

  As described above, two adjacent tubes among the plurality of tubes 1 are used as the dummy tube 10 and the header tank 4 is divided by using the two dummy tubes 10 as a boundary, so that the ATF cooler unit 31 and the capacitor are separated. The thermal stress based on the temperature difference of the part 32 can be absorbed by the two dummy tubes 10. Thereby, the thermal distortion of the tube 1 can be reduced.

(Other embodiments)
In the above embodiment, the embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the cross flow type heat exchanger in which the heat medium flows in the horizontal direction has been described. However, the present invention is applied to a down flow type heat exchanger in which the heat medium flows in the vertical direction. The invention can also be applied.

  In the above-described embodiment, the ATF cooler unit 31 and the condenser unit 32 are used as the heat exchanger unit. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the present invention is not limited to this in the radiator unit for engine cooling, the oil cooler unit for engine oil cooling, and the hybrid vehicle. A radiator unit for cooling electronic components such as an inverter for controlling the electric motor can be used.

  In the above embodiment, one set of two adjacent dummy tubes 10 is provided and the header tank 4 is divided into two. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and two or more sets of dummy tubes 10 are provided and three header tanks 4 are provided. You may divide into the above.

It is a front view which shows the integrated heat exchanger which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the A section enlarged view of FIG. It is a principal part enlarged view which shows the state from which the temperature difference of the ATF cooler part 31 and the capacitor | condenser part 32 became large in the integrated heat exchanger in embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Tube, 2 ... Fin, 3 ... Core part, 4 ... Header tank, 10 ... Dummy tube, 31 ... ATF cooler part (heat exchanger part), 32 ... Condenser part (heat exchanger part).

Claims (1)

A core portion (3) having a plurality of tubes (1) arranged in parallel through which the heat medium flows and fins (2) joined to the outer surface of the tube (1) to promote heat exchange of the heat medium. )When,
A header tank (4) extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tube (1) at both longitudinal ends of the tube (1) and communicating with the tube (1);
Two adjacent tubes among the plurality of tubes (1) are configured as dummy tubes (10) through which the heat medium does not flow,
The header tank (4) is divided at the boundary between the two dummy tubes (10),
The core portion (3) includes heat exchanger portions (31, 32) that are independent from each other with the two dummy tubes (10) as a boundary.

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