MX2011004502A

MX2011004502A - Fin for a heat exchanger, and heat exchanger including such a fin.

Info

Publication number: MX2011004502A
Application number: MX2011004502A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Patrick Boisselle; Erwan Vigneras; Gerard Gille
Original assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques
Priority date: 2008-10-29
Filing date: 2009-10-12
Publication date: 2011-05-24
Also published as: BRPI0920049B1; CN102272547A; FR2937719A1; BRPI0920049A2; WO2010049261A1; EP2342523A1; FR2937719B1; EP2342523B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a fin (6) for a heat exchanger that comprises a body provided with at least one hole (8) for the passage of a tube (4) of said heat exchanger (1) and a so-called spacing means (14), the hole (8) having an outline with two so-called large sides (10) and two so-called small sides (12), and in which the spacing means (14) is provided on a small side (12) of the outline of the hole (8) for the passage of the tube (4). According to the invention, the spacing means (14) includes a bearing surface (16) capable of bearing another fin (6). The invention can particularly be used in the automotive industry.

Description

FLAP FOR A HEAT EXGER AND EXGED OF HEAT THAT INCLUDES SUCH FIN DESCRIPTIVE MEMORY The invention relates to a fin for a heat exger and a heat exger comprising such fin.

Specifically refers to a fin for a heat exger comprising a body equipped with at least one hole for the passage of a tube of the heat exger and a means known as a separating means, in whose fin, the orifice has a contour with two sides known as long sides and two sides known as short sides, and in whose fin, the separating means are placed on a short side of the contour of the passage orifice of the tube.

Such a fin is used in an exger known as a meical exger by reference to its method of assembly, for example a motor cooler radiator.

A heat exger of the meical type is generally made of at least one heat exge core comprising tubes and heat exge elements known as fins. The fins are placed parallel to each other and perpendicular to the tubes. In other words, the fins are superimposed on one another. In general, the fins are perforated with holes for the passage of the tubes, the number of holes is equal to the number of tubes in said row.

The fin-tube core bundle is meically held by means of a tool, also known as an olive, inserted into the tubes to deform the walls of the tubes and force them against the holes made in the fins. The fins are each separated by a gap, for example of the order of one millimeter.

The ends of the tubes are then each inserted into a collecting plate having openings for receiving the tubes. The collector plates are then covered with covers to form tanks for gravity feed.

It is also known in practice, in a meical type exger, for the collector plate to be fitted in a joint. The tubes and the collector plates are assembled using a crimping operation known as "expansion" which consists of expanding the respective ends of the tubes to compress the joint and thereby permanently and fluidly assembling the ends of the tubes and the plate.

A fin as described above is known from US 3 771 595. In that document, the spacing between the two adjacent fins is achieved using a spacer means. The separating means are obtained by cutting and perforating the strip of metal constituting the fin with a cut identical to the shape of the cross section of the tubes, saving small spaces of material around the periphery of the cut. These pieces of material, also known as flanges, are they raise to form the separating means.

The heat exger in US 3 771 595 has tubes of oval cross-section. The passage openings in the fin for the tubes are therefore also oval in shape with two perpendicular symmetry axes, respectively with a larger or smaller dimension.

However, these fins have the disadvantage of not being able to be applied in heat exgers in which the space separating the two fins is greater than the smaller dimension of the passage orifice for the heat exger tube.

Specifically, in such an example, the gap spacing of the fin can not exceed the smallest dimension of the passage orifice of the tube. Mentioned differently in that document, the gap is limited by the height of the flange.

To solve this disadvantage, the invention proposes a fin as described above, in which the separating means comprise a supporting surface capable of supporting another fin.

Such a fin makes it possible to obtain a gap that is greater than the smaller dimension of the tube passage and to do so considers a possible recalibration of the gap.

Specifically, in the context of the invention, the support surface is placed in the continuation of the spacing means, which means that the gap can be adjusted independently of the height of the spacer means or the flange.

The particular embodiments of the invention propose that: - the supporting surface is capable of supporting another fin to be formed as an integral part of said separating means, - the support surface is capable of supporting another fin to be produced in the form of a raised edge substantially parallel to a plane known as the total plane of the extension of the fin, the wing additionally comprises at least one means capable of interrupting an air flow passing through the fin, and - the means capable of interrupting the air flow are formed of grids, said grids are parallel to the direction of said air flow.

The invention also relates to a heat exchanger comprising at least one fin as described hereinbefore and in which the fin has heat exchange tubes therethrough.

In the following detailed description, which is given by way of example only, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of a mechanical type heat exchanger, Figure 2 is a partial perspective view and a plan view of a core bundle of tubes and fins according to the invention Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of a flap according to the invention, Figure 4 is a partial perspective view and a side view of a core bundle of tubes and fins according to the invention, and Figure 5 shows several steps in the part of the method of manufacturing a flap according to the invention.

As illustrated in Figure 1, a heat exchanger 1 of the mechanical type comprises two tanks for gravity feed 2. The tanks for gravity feed 2 are placed in communication by means of at least one series of tubes 4 arranged in a aligned configuration, through which the heat transfer fluid is circulated.

The heat exchanger 1 can be used as a cooler to cool the engine coolant. In such an example, the heat transfer fluid is motor coolant such as, for example, water containing glycol.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 2 to 4, the tubes 4 are oblong in shape with two sides known as long sides and two sides known as short sides, the short sides being round. In this embodiment, the opposite long sides each have a concave shape. This tube shape is also known as "bean form" or "peanut shape".

The tubes 4 are aligned parallel to each other in a direction known as the first direction. The first direction is, in this example, perpendicular to the direction of a flow F of air passing through the heat exchanger. In other words, the tubes are superposed one on top of the other in a first direction.

The heat transfer fluid that is circulated through the tubes 4 exchanges the thermal energy with the air flow F. To increase the heat exchange between the heat transfer fluid and the air flow, the parallel elements of heat exchange, here produced in the form of fins 6, are provided in the tanks for gravity feed 2. A fin 6 is provided for the flow of air to pass through it in a given direction known as the second direction.

The fins 6 are arranged transversely to the axis of the tubes 4 and parallel to the tanks for feeding by gravity 2. In other words, the fins 6 are superimposed on one another, the distance separating the two adjacent fins defined by the space of separation . The direction of the overlap of the fins 6 is perpendicular to the direction of the overlap of the tubes 4.

In this example, the fins 6 are metal strips of substantially rectangular shape and have dimensions of width and length substantially equal to those of the tanks for gravity feed 2. Each fin 6 extends substantially in a plane known as the total plane of the extension.

A fin 6 comprises a body equipped with at least one hole 8 for the passage of a tube 4 of the heat exchanger 1. This orifice is shown in figure 3 of the present application.

The hole 8 has a contour, in this example, an elongated contour, corresponding to the shape of the tube 4 passing through the fin 6. In the embodiment shown here, the contour of the tube 8 comprises two sides known as long sides 10. and two sides known as short sides 12.

More particularly, the contour of the hole 8 in this example has an oblong shape in which each of the two long sides 10 has a concave shape. What is meant by an oblong shape is a shape that is longer than its width and that has a round part in these two extremes.

The flap 6 further comprises means known as a separating means 14. The separating means 14 also known as a spout, in this example are placed on a short side 12 of the through hole 8 of the tube 4. Here, the separating means 14 are placed perpendicular to the direction of air flow F.

In this example, the separating means 14 extend from the body of the metal strip from which the fin is made and it does so in a different plane from the total plane of the extension of the fin 6. In this example, the means spacers 14 extend substantially perpendicular to the total plane of extension of the fin. The spacer means 14 in this example is formed as an integral part of the body of the fin 6.

The separating means 14 is obtained in particular by drilling and lifting the metal from which the fin 6 is made. When the perforation is made, measures are taken to ensure that two fragments of the material are left, these two fragments are raised to form the separating means 14.

The spacer means or flange 14 define the gap between two adjacent fins of the heat exchange core bundle. As a reminder, the gap means the distance separating two fins in the direction in which the last one is stacked in the heat exchanger.

According to the invention, the flange 14 additionally comprises a surface 16 capable of supporting another fin.

In other words, the separating means 14 is equipped with a protrusion 16 that extends in a different plane from the plane of extension of these means. In this example, the protrusion or support surface 16 of the spacer means 16 extends substantially parallel to the total extension plane of the fin 6. This protrusion makes it possible to maintain a uniform spacing between the fins 6 of the heat exchanger 1.

Otherwise said again, a surface 16 capable of supporting another fin can be observed as a projection extending in a plane different from that of the flange 14.

In the embodiment shown, the surface 16 capable of supporting another fin is produced in the form of a raised tab or edge 16. In other words, the spacer means 14 comprises an end connected to the fin 6 and a distal end of the end connected to the fin 6. The distal end of the spacer means or flange 14 comprises the support surface 16, which, in this example, extends substantially parallel to the total extension plane of the fin 6.

The tongue 16 is in the continuation of the separating means 14 and is substantially elongated, flat and narrow. The connection between the separating means 14 and the tongue 16 is, in this example, by means of a rounded part. In other embodiments, the tongue 16 is connected to the flange 14. Mentioned differently again, the tongue 16 is produced as an integral part of the spacer means 14 and the body of the fin 6.

The surface 16 capable of supporting another fin is obtained by laminating the two fragments of material that form the separating means 14 outwards. This lamination is obtained using a rounded punch.

A flap 6 according to the invention thus allows to reuse part of the material normally discarded after the drilling operation used to create the hole 8 for the tube. It will be noted that this additional material stored in the exchanger and in contact with the tube can only help with the heat exchanger.

The flap 6 further comprises at least one means 18 capable of interrupting the flow of air F. Here, the means 18 capable of interrupting the flow of air F occurs in the form of gratings parallel to the direction of air flow F.

A fin 6 can be obtained by a method that includes at least the following steps: - the metal strip is perforated to form a hole 8 for the passage of the tube 4, keeping two fragments of material 14 (step A), the two fragments of material 14 are turned using a punch and a disc (step B) the two fragments of material 14 are laminated to the outside of the hole 8 using a rounded punch (step C) to form the surface 16 capable of supporting another fin.

It will be observed that the perforation is carried out using punches suitable for the shape of the tube. In this example, the punches used are of what is called a peanut shape.

It is possible to plan additional processing steps in which the height of the material fragments 14 is calibrated to obtain the desired separation, using a shaker block and / or in which the transverse grooves are formed to obtain the means 18 capable of interrupting the flow of air, and / or in which the metal sheet is cut to obtain at least two strips of metal.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described hereinabove merely by way of examples, but encompasses all alternative forms that one skilled in the art can imagine in the scope of the appended claims. The alternative forms described herein may be taken into account separately or in combination with each other.

Claims

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A fin (6) for a heat exchanger comprising a body equipped with at least one hole (8) for the passage of a tube (4) of said heat exchanger (1) and means (14) known as means spacers, the hole (8) has an outline with two sides known as long sides (10) and two sides known as short sides (12), and the spacer means (14) are placed on the short side (12) of the outline of the orifice (8) of the tube (4), wherein the separating means (14) comprise a support surface (16) capable of supporting another fin.

2 - . 2 - The flap according to the preceding claim, further characterized in that the support surface (16) capable of supporting another flap is formed as an integral part of said separating means (14).

3. - The fin according to claim 1 or 2, further characterized in that the support surface (16) capable of supporting another fin occurs in the form of a raised edge (16) substantially parallel to a plane known as the total plane of extension of the fin.

4. - The flap according to claim 1 or 2, further characterized in that it additionally comprises at least one means (18) capable of interrupting a flow (F) of air passing through said flap (6).

5. - The flap according to the preceding claim, further characterized in that said means (18) capable of interrupting said air flow is formed by grids, said grids are parallel to the direction of said air flow (F).

6. - A heat exchanger (1) comprising at least one fin (6) of one of the preceding claims, said fin has, passing through it, tubes (4) in which a transfer fluid is circulated from hot.

7. - The heat exchanger according to the preceding claim, further characterized in that the tubes (4) are oblong in shape.