JP2014518372A - Heat exchanger pipe and heat exchanger comprising such a pipe - Google Patents

Abstract

  The present invention includes a strip (9) which is a pipe (2) of a heat exchanger (1) and is folded back so as to define an internal space (10) of the pipe (2). (9) relates to a pipe (2) having first and second edges (15, 16) joined to divide the internal space (10) into at least two channels. According to the present invention, the first edge portion (15) is divided into two separate parts called first and second contact portions (18, 22) that contact the second edge portion (16). Portion and the first and second contact portions (18, 22), across the internal space (10) of the pipe (2) and facing the second edge portion (16) The third contact portion (20) in contact with the region of the strip (9). The invention further relates to a heat exchanger (1) comprising such a pipe (2).

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat exchanger pipe and a heat exchanger comprising such a pipe.

  The present invention applies to all heat exchangers, and in particular to heat exchangers used in automobiles, such as heating radiators or air conditioning evaporators in automobiles.

  Pipes formed from metal strips and made by folding back such strips to define the interior space of the pipe are known in the art. The pipe includes two longitudinal walls facing each other across the internal space of the pipe, and two side walls that connect these longitudinal walls.

  This type of pipe creates the problem of preventing wall deformation under the pressure of the fluid flowing through the pipe, and such deformation adds stress to the pipe that can lead to leakage.

  In order to overcome this problem, document US Pat. No. 6,513,586 provides a leg defined by a strip and connecting the longitudinal walls of a pipe. The legs are perpendicular to the two longitudinal walls in order to provide sufficient mechanical support to withstand the pressure provided by the fluid flowing through the pipe.

  When the internal height of the pipe is at the minimum internal height, i.e. the distance between the two longitudinal walls is below the minimum distance, the two longitudinal walls between the two contacts It is mechanically impossible to obtain a vertical leg.

  The object of the present invention is to overcome this drawback.

  To this end, a heat exchanger pipe comprising a strip that is folded back to define the internal space of the pipe, the strip being joined to divide the internal space into at least two channels. A pipe having a first and second edge portion is proposed.

  According to the present invention, the first edge portion includes two separate portions called first and second contact portions that contact the second edge portion, and the first and second contact portions. And a third contact portion that contacts the region of the strip that crosses the internal space of the pipe and faces the second edge portion.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, the second edge portion is flat. As a result, it is not necessary to perform a specific bending and / or pressing operation to obtain the second edge.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the first contact portion and the second contact portion are flat. Therefore, the contact between the second edge portion, the first contact portion in the first, and the second contact portion in the second is a plane-to-plane contact, and the connection between these elements is Optimized.

  According to an example embodiment, the pipe comprises two flat walls facing each other across the interior space, and the second edge defines a portion of one of these walls. Accordingly, the first contact portion contacts the two flat walls.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, the first edge portion further includes a step portion facing the inside of the pipe, and the tip of the second edge portion is disposed so as to face the step portion.

  According to another aspect, the first contact portion is connected to the third contact portion by a first inclined leg, and the second contact portion is connected to the third contact portion by a second inclined leg. Leads to. The presence of the two legs tilted from the vertical makes it possible to reduce the internal height of the pipe while maintaining sufficient mechanical strength of the pipe.

  According to an example embodiment, the first inclined leg, the third contact portion, and the second inclined leg are arranged in series and in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipe. Forms a “V” shape. The “V” shaped opening increases or decreases as a function of the slope from the vertical of each leg.

  According to another example embodiment, the distance between two flat walls is 1.5 mm or less, in particular 1.0 mm or less. In this case, this distance is measured along an axis perpendicular to the plane containing the two flat walls. Such dimensions can be used without compromising the mechanical strength of the flat wall, especially because of the presence of the two legs, especially when the legs are tilted. However, the present invention also applies to pipes having a larger internal height.

  According to another example embodiment, the third contact is located in the central region of the pipe. Thus, the channels defined on each side of the first edge within the pipe have substantially the same cross section.

  According to one aspect of the invention, the strip has a portion that contacts a portion of the strip facing each other across the interior space of the pipe to define an auxiliary channel.

  According to another aspect, the strip has a pressing portion which may or may not contact the portions of the strip facing each other across the internal space of the pipe. Thus, these presses cause turbulence in the fluid flow inside the pipe, in particular in order to improve the efficiency of heat exchange between the two fluids flowing through the exchanger.

  The invention further relates to a heat exchanger comprising at least one pipe according to any one of the claims.

  The accompanying drawings will be helpful in understanding how the present invention may be implemented. In these figures, identical reference numerals indicate similar components.

1 is an overview of a radiator for which a pipe according to the invention is intended. A pipe according to the invention is shown along section II-II in FIG. FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing in detail the first and second edges of the strip used to define the pipe. FIG. 3 is a top view of a pipe according to the invention. It is a figure similar to FIG. 4 which shows another embodiment. FIG. 5 is a partial view of another embodiment of the pipe in FIG. 4.

  The present invention can be used in a heat exchanger 1 as shown in FIG. A heat exchanger 1 comprises a set of parallel tubes 2. Each tube 2 is attached to a manifold chamber (in this case, the input chamber 3 and the output chamber 4 respectively according to the direction of flow of the heat transfer fluid flowing through the pipe 2) so as not to leak fluid. It has an end 2A ′ and a second end 2A ″. An inlet flange 5 and an outlet flange 6 are added to these manifold chambers 3, 4 respectively.

  Specifically, the pipe 2 through which the heat transfer fluid flows extends in the longitudinal direction along an axis A called an axis A extending in the longitudinal direction of the pipe 2. An insert 7 is arranged between the pipes 2 that increases the surface of the heat exchange between the heat transfer fluid flowing through the pipe 2 and the second fluid (especially air) passing through the exchanger 1.

  The heat exchanger includes, for example, two horizontal panels 8 (also referred to as horizontal members) that surround the set of pipes 2 and are arranged in parallel to the pipes 2.

  The pipe 2, the manifold chambers 3, 4 and the lateral panel 8 are made of, for example, aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

  A pipe 2 according to the invention is shown in FIG. Such a pipe 2 includes a metal strip 9 which is folded back so as to define an internal space 10 of the pipe 2. The strip 9 has two flat walls called the lower wall 11 and the upper wall 12. The flat walls are substantially parallel to each other. Further, the pipe 2 has two side walls (referred to as a left side wall 13 located on the left side in FIG. 2 and a right side wall 14 located on the right side in FIG. 2) connecting the two flat walls 11 and 12 to each other. ing. The side walls 13, 14 are in particular semicircular so that the pipe 2 has a substantially oval cross section. The wall thickness of the strip 9 is, for example, between 0.15 and 0.3 mm, in particular 0.2 mm.

  The strip 9 has an inner surface facing the internal space 10 of the pipe 2 and an outer surface facing the outside of the pipe 2. The outer surface of the strip 9 is brazed so as not to leak fluid to the insert and / or other components of the heat exchanger, such as a manifold chamber, as will be described in more detail below. Can be covered with a fusible gold intended to be brazed.

  The inner surface of the strip 9 can have a corrosion resistant coating to reduce the risk of leakage caused by corrosion inside the pipe 2. It can also have a fusible metal that covers the corrosion resistant coating and is used to braze specific areas of the inner surface of the strip 9 together.

  Furthermore, the strip 9 has a first edge portion 15 and a second edge portion 16 joined to each other so as to divide the internal space 10 into at least two channels over the whole or part of the length of the pipe 2. doing. The first side 41 of the pipe 2 is the side of the pipe 2 that is located between the first edge portion 15 and the left side wall 13, and the second side 42 of the pipe 2 is the first edge portion. 15 and the right side wall 14.

  In the example shown in FIG. 2, the strips 9 are also located on a flat wall and face each other across the interior space 10 so as to improve the mechanical strength of the flat walls 11, 12 of the pipe 2. It has the bending part 17 (especially two bending parts 17) which contacts this site | part. In this case, such a bent portion 17 is located for all or part of the length of the pipe 2 and helps to define an auxiliary channel in addition to the two channels defined by the edges 15, 16. ing. Thus, in the illustrated case where the strip 9 has two bent portions 17, the pipe 2 is divided into four channels. In this case, one of the two bent portions 17 is located on the upper side wall 12 on the first side 41 of the pipe 2, while the other bent portion 17 is on the second side 42 of the pipe 2. Located on the lower wall 11.

  The first channel 30 is a channel located between the left side wall 13 and the bent portion 17 located on the upper side wall 12, and the second channel 31 is formed between the bent portion 17 and the first edge portion 15. It is a channel located between. The third channel 33 is a channel located between the bent portion 17 located on the lower side wall 11 and the first edge portion 15, and the fourth channel 32 is formed between the right side wall 14 and the bent portion 17. It is a channel located between.

  In this case, the strip 9 has press portions 27 and 28 formed by continuous and / or discontinuous pressing. These press portions can contact the portions of the strips 9 that face each other across the internal space 10 of the pipe 2. In this case, they are referred to as press-molding contact portions 27. In FIG. 2, two examples of the press contact 27 appearing from the flat wall of the pipe and leading to the opposing flat wall are shown in the first channel 30 and the fourth channel 32. Like the third channel 33, the two press-molding contact portions 27 may be arranged facing each other and brought into contact with each other.

  The other pressing parts 27, 28 do not have to contact the part of the strip 9 facing each other across the internal space 10 of the pipe 2, in which case they are referred to as independent pressing parts 28. Two examples of the independent press section 28 are shown in the second channel 31 in FIG. These independent press portions 28 can be arranged on the lower side wall 11 and / or the upper side wall 12. They may or may not be located facing each other across the interior space 10.

  The first edge portion 15, the one or more bent portions 17, and the one or more press portions 27, 28 are obtained, for example, by bending and / or pressing.

  FIG. 3 is a more detailed view of the area of joining of the first and second edges 15, 16 of the pipe 2.

  The first edge portion 15 is located inside the pipe. In this case, the first edge portion 15 has a first contact portion 18 that is particularly flat and contacts the second edge portion 16. A first inclined leg 19 inclined relative to the vertical contacts the first contact portion 18 with the inner surface of the upper wall 12 across the internal space 10 of the pipe 2 and facing the second edge portion 16. The contact portion 20 is extended. Next, the first edge portion 15 is extended by the second leg 21 inclined with respect to the vertical, and is terminated, for example, with a second contact portion 22 that is flat and contacts the second edge portion 16. . According to the invention, the third contact part 20 is located between the first and second contact parts 18, 22, in particular between the first and second inclined legs 19, 21. . This improves the mechanical strength of the pipe.

  The first inclined leg 19, the third contact portion 20, and the second inclined leg 21 are arranged continuously and are “V” in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A of the pipe 2. It has a letter shape. In other words, in the cross section in which the first inclined leg 19, the third contact portion 20, and the second inclined leg 21 are formed in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A of the pipe 2. V "-shaped.

  Accordingly, the height of the pipe 2 depends on the inclination of the inclined legs 19, 21 with respect to the vertical, such as flattening the “V” shape. This ensures an internal height of the pipe 2 of less than 1.5 mm, in particular less than 1.0 mm, while ensuring sufficient mechanical support of the wall of the pipe 2 to withstand the pressure caused by the fluid flowing through the pipe 2. That is, it is possible to obtain the distance between the inner surface of the lower wall 11 and the inner surface of the upper wall 12.

  In this case, the second edge portion 16 is flat, particularly a part of the lower wall 11. This facilitates brazing between the second edge portion 16 and the first and third contact portions 18, 22 which are also flat. Further, the surfaces of the first and third contact portions 18 and 22 that contact the second edge portion 16 improve the quality of the coupling between the first and second edge portions 15 and 16 as described above. Covered with a fusible gold that will help. Furthermore, in this configuration, the surface of the first edge 15 designed to contact the heat transfer fluid flowing through the inside of the pipe 2 is in this case covered with a corrosion protection material as described above. Probably covered with fusible gold.

  In the illustrated example, the first and second edge portions 15 and 16 are joined around a central region of the pipe. Specifically, the pipe 2 is divided so that the third contact portion 20 is divided by the first edge portion 15 and the second edge portion 16 into two channels having substantially the same cross section. Located in the center of It is also possible to further divide these identically cross-sectional channels by bends, as already seen.

  Further, the first edge portion 15 includes a step portion 23 that faces the inside of the pipe 2, and the tip 24 of the second edge portion 16 is disposed so as to face the step portion 23.

  Accordingly, the step portion 23 includes a first fold line 25 and a second edge portion toward the inside of the pipe 2 so that the first contact portion 18 of the first edge portion 15 can contact the second edge portion 16. And a second fold line 26 directed to 16.

  FIG. 4 shows the outer surface of the lower wall 11 of another embodiment of the pipe. The third contact 20 is shown using wavy lines.

  In this case, the heat transfer fluid flows inside the pipe 2 in a U-shaped loop. This type of pipe 2 is a heat exchanger with a partition in which only one manifold chamber (not shown) is arranged on the first end 2A ′ side and allows the manifold chamber to be partitioned. Intended to be installed. More specifically, the manifold chamber partition separates the heat transfer fluid flowing in the single pipe 2 from the heat transfer fluid flowing out. Thus, the heat transfer fluid passes from the first chamber of the manifold chamber into the interior of the first side 41 of the pipe 2. It then flows along the longitudinally extending axis A to the second end 2A '' of the pipe 2 and then flows in the opposite direction on the second side 42 of the pipe to the second chamber of the manifold chamber.

  In this example embodiment, the pipe 2 is provided with two continuous press-contacts 27 in a longitudinal part of the pipe, the first longitudinal part 51 being two continuous parts. The channel 30, 31, 32, 33 is defined by the press part 27 and the first edge part 15, extending from the first longitudinal end 2 </ b> A ′ over most of the entire length of the pipe 2. The pipe 2 further comprises a discontinuous press-forming contact 27 located in the second longitudinal part 52 of the pipe 2 that extends the first longitudinal part 51 to the second end 2A ″. Yes. The discontinuous press part 27 is located at an extension of the continuous press part 27, for example.

  Accordingly, the discontinuous press 27 creates a flow path for fluid between the first channel 30 and the second channel 31 and between the third channel 33 and the fourth channel 32. .

  The third contact portion 20 extends in this case continuously about the first longitudinal part 51 of the pipe 2. Around the second longitudinal portion 52, in the extension of the continuous portion of the first edge portion 15, a portion of the third contact portion 20 is connected to the first and second channels 30, 31 and the third portion. And discontinuous to create a fluid window between the fourth channel 33,32. Thus, fluid can pass from the first side 41 of the pipe 2 to the second side 42. These discontinuous portions of the third contact portion 20 can be obtained by pressing after the formation of the first edge portion 15. Further, it can be formed by providing a slot prior to the formation of the first edge portion 15. In this case, by forming the first edge 15, the region in which the slot is located forms a window that allows the passage of heat transfer fluid from the first side 41 to the second side 42 of the pipe 2. To do.

  Thus, as already mentioned, once the heat transfer fluid reaches the second longitudinal end 2A ″, it passes from the first side 41 to the second side 42 and then through the pipe 2 in the opposite direction. , The first end 2A ′ is output and enters the partitioned manifold chamber.

  In the example shown in FIG. 5, the third contact portion 20 and the two bent portions 17 are continuous, from the first longitudinal end 2A ′ to the second longitudinal end 2A ″. It extends. In this case, the heat exchanger intended to incorporate the pipe 2 comprises two manifold chambers (not shown), the first partitioned manifold chamber having a first longitudinal end. Located at 2A ′, the second manifold chamber is located at the second longitudinal end 2A ″.

  In this case, the heat transfer fluid returns to the inside of the first and second channels 30, 31 through the first manifold chamber located at the first longitudinal end 2 </ b> A ′ and passes through the pipe 2. From the second longitudinal end 2A ″, it is output to the second manifold chamber and passes through the third and fourth channels 33, 32 of the same pipe 2. The heat transfer fluid then passes through the pipe 2 in the other direction and is then output from the first longitudinal end 2A 'and enters the first manifold chamber. The partition of the first manifold chamber then guides the heat transfer fluid to the outlet hole.

  FIG. 6 shows that the strip 9 has a press-forming contact 27 and is located in particular near the first longitudinal end 2A ′ and / or the second longitudinal end 2A ″. 3 is an example embodiment having two press portions 27. FIG. These press portions 27 are arranged to reinforce the flat wall of the pipe 2 in the vicinity of the one or more ends 2A ′, 2A ″. This ensures good mechanical strength of the pipe 2 when the end of the pipe 2 is inserted into one or more manifold chambers.

  According to various possible examples, the first contact 18 and the second contact 22 are continuous along the pipe, while the third contact 20 is continuous over the entire length of the pipe. Or it may be discontinuous.

  4, 5 and 6, a dashed line 60 perpendicular to the longitudinally extending axis A located near the ends 2A ′, 2A ″ of the pipe 2 indicates one or more manifold chambers. The area of the pipe 2 that is intended to be inserted into the two is defined together with the ends 2A ′, 2A ″.

Claims (13)

A pipe (2) of the heat exchanger (1),
A strip (9) folded back to define the internal space (10) of the pipe (2),
The strip (9) has a first edge (15) and a second edge (16) joined to divide the internal space (10) into at least two channels;
The first edge portion (15) includes two separate portions called first and second contact portions (18, 22) that contact the second edge portion (16), and the first edge portion (15). And a third contact portion (20) located between the second contact portions (18, 22),
The third contact portion (20) contacts the region of the strip (9) across the internal space (10) of the pipe (2) and facing the second edge portion (16). Pipe (2).   The pipe (2) according to claim 1, wherein the second edge (16) is flat.   Pipe (2) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first contact portion (18) and the second contact portion (22) are flat. Comprising two flat walls (11, 12) facing each other across the internal space (10),
Pipe (2) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second edge (16) defines a part of one of the walls (11, 12).   Pipe (2) according to claim 4, wherein the distance between the two flat walls (11, 12) is 1.5 mm or less.   Pipe (2) according to claim 5, wherein the distance between the two flat walls (11, 12) is 1.0 mm or less.   The first edge portion (15) has a step portion (23) facing the inside of the pipe (2), and a tip (24) of the second edge portion (16) is formed by the step portion. Pipe (2) according to any of claims 1 to 6, arranged to face (23).   The first contact portion (18) is connected to the third contact portion (20) by a first inclined leg (19), and the second contact portion (22) is connected to a second inclined leg (21). The pipe (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pipe (2) is connected to the third contact portion (20) by a).   The first inclined leg (19), the third contact portion (20), and the second inclined leg (21) are continuously arranged, and extend in the longitudinal direction of the pipe (2). Pipe (2) according to claim 8, forming a "V" shape in a plane perpendicular to the axis (A).   Pipe (2) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the third contact portion (20) is located in a central region of the pipe (2).   The strips (9) are portions of the strips (9) facing each other across the internal space (10) of the pipe (2) so as to define auxiliary channels (30, 31, 32, 33). 11. Pipe (2) according to any of claims 1 to 10, having a part (17) in contact with the pipe.   The strips (9) may or may not touch the portions of the strips (9) facing each other across the internal space (10) of the pipe (2). The pipe (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising:   A heat exchanger (1) comprising at least one pipe (2) according to any of the preceding claims.

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