US2419634A - Congealable liquid conditioning device - Google Patents

Description

April 1947. R. e. DYKEMAN ET AL 2,419,634

CONGEALABLE LIQUID CONDITIONING DEVICE Filed Sept. 3, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ill April 29, 1947. R. G. DYKEMAN ETAL CONGEALABLE LIQUID CONDITIONING DEVICE Filed Sept. 5, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 29, 1947. R. e. DYKE MAN ETAL 2,419,634

CONGEALABLE LIQUID CONDITIONING DEVICE Filed Sept. 5, 1942 s Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 29, 1947 atlases CONGEALABLE LIQUID CONDITIONING DEVICE Reuben G. Dykeman, Joseph 0. Shaw, and Allan G. Hoffman, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to United Aircraft Products, Inc., Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 3, 1942, Serial No. 457,216

9 Claims. (Cl. 2572) This invention'relates to devices for conditioning congealable liquids and, more particularly, to heat exchangers adapted for use in oil circuits for internal combustion engines.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a conditioning device for quickly bringing a viscous liquid, such as oil, from a congealed or highly viscous condition to a fluid state of proper consistency, and having once obtained such proper consistency, to maintain the liquid within the desired temperature range without overheating, on the one hand, and without danger of re-congealing as a result of over-cooling, on the other hand.

It is intended, by this invention, to overcome several specific problems, among which is that which arises due to varying temperature conditions encountered in the use of a lubricating oil for engines, and more especially in vehicular engines where quick starting of the latter is required at low temperatures without first preheating the same and whereinearly attainance of full power output of the engine is essential under certain conditions, as for example in combat. Further it is intended, by this invention, to overcome the problem of excessive heat which might be developed in the oil during the running period of the engine and which heat must be rapidly dissipated therefrom into the surrounding atmosphere, although the vehicle during its operation may pass through climatic conditions involving temperature changes ranging from extreme heat to extreme cold, and in which latter event, recongealing of the oil in a radiator type of heat exchanger would result in great danger to the entire lubricating system and consequent damage to the engine.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a radiator type heat exchanger for oils and the like, a system and means for distributing the hot oil throughout a radiator core section, the core section being contained in a shell or chamber constituting, in effect, a reservoir in an oil circuit and containing a considerable mass of the oil. By this invention it is intended to inject the hot liquid into the main body of the mass so as v to quickly establish certain circuits through well defined flow passages for the hot oil through the mass when the mass is highly viscous and use of warm oil only in the circuit is desirable, but ultimately to establish flow throughout the entire core structure, thus to utilize all of the oil in the circuit when such oil is hot and use of all available oil is desirable. Furthermore, it is herein proposed to reconcile these almost opposed theories of operation without any necessity for providing moving structural parts within the core section.

A further objective is the provision, in a core structure including baflles for lengthening the normal path of oil flow through the core, and cooling tubes which resist the flow, of means for by-passing certain of the baffles and tubes when congealed oil is contained therebetween, and for constantly increasing the length of the paths through the core as the oil between the baliles and tubes becomes more fluid. More specifically, it is intended to provide a conditioner having certain zones to which heat is transferred more quickly than others when the main body of the liquid therein is viscous, and to by-pass the oil, at first, through such zones. A cognate object, however, is to prevent any substantial portion of the oil from short-circuiting through those Zones after the oil has become heated. In event the oil in the core section should suddenly become cooled and congealed in some of the passages, it is intended that the courses of the hot oil will revert to the by-pass zones until such time as passages may be re-established through the blocked zones, without appreciable sudden increase in pressure on the inlet side of the conditioner, and without substantial loss in pressure 'or volume'on the outlet side. It is thus intended to provide a conditioner which, while subject at any time to the gambit of conditions, nevertheless, will insure continuous flow of congealable liquid at uniform temperature and viscosity.

In the structural manifestations of these objectives, it is proposed to provide, as one form of the invention, a cylindrical body member enclosing a core section composed of a plurality of open-ended air or other coolant conveying flow tubes between which the liquid to be conditioned, is caused to flow, said tubes being so spaced or arranged with respect to each other as to provide high resistance and low resistance liquid flow paths therebetween. Mounted within the body member between the inlet and the outlet thereof, are a plurality of spaced transversely extending bafiles for increasing-or lengthening the liquid flow paths therethrough. Also extending through the core section, in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the first mentioned baffles, is a centrally located bafile means formed to provide channels through which some hot oil may by-pass some of the fiow paths between the transverse baiiles when some or all of the flow paths between the latter are blocked by congealed oil.

In addition to the above, an object is to teach a new method for thermally conditioning a congealable liquid by'initially providing zones of heated liquid in a mass of congealed liquid, and injecting some heated liquid into such zones while injecting other of the heated liquid into the mass surrounding the heated zones.

' These and other objectives will appear from 3 the following specification and drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation diagrammatically showing one side of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2 looking from the right of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a detail of the central portion of the core diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the elements shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the central bafile;

Fig. '7 is a section along the line 'II of Fig. (i; and

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the central bafile with the side plates removed.

Fig. 9 is a view in vertical longitudinal section, taken substantially along the line 99 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral I denotes a cylindrical shell preferably formed of sheet metal and surrounding the main body portion of the conditioner, the inner elements of which form a core section broadly of the type found in radiators and oil coolers for internal combustion engines for automobiles, airplanes and other vehicles.

Inside shell 1, a plurality of bafiles 2 are disposed in parallel spaced relation to one another, the baffles preferably being of sheet metal secured at their outer edges to the inner side of shell I and at their inner edges, to a central bafile 29. As seen best in Fig. 2, the baffles are disposed to either side of the central bafile and are each formed with an opening adjacent one end, said openings being consecutively staggered so as to provide interconnecting ports 4 at. their opposite ends and to define a zigzag passage through the core, see Fig. 1. i

The core structure further includes a plurality of heat exchange elements in the form of air or. other coolant conveying. tubes 3 dispersed throughout the interior of shell I and extending axially therethrough from end to end, the ends of the tubes being open so as'to allow a coolant, such as air, to pass freely therethrough. The tubes are supported in spaced relation to one another by forming the same with flared hexagonal ends Ii, described more fully below, so that the spaces I8 and is, (see Fig. 5), between the tubes will coo erate to form myriad tortuous passages, of low and high resistance, respectively, to the passage of liquid therethrough.

Surrounding shell I, a cylindrical jacket 5 is disposed in radially spaced relation to the shell so as to define an annular chamber surrounding the shell, the chamber constituting a feed chamber or passage and having an inlet 6 adapted to be connected to an oil line (not shown) leading from an engine.

A partition 5| is disposed adjacent the inner end of the inlet 6 to prevent the incoming oil from passing directly to and through the conduit outlet I2 and to cause'said oil to first flow through the chamber formed by the jacket 5.

In its lower side, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, shell I is provided with an inlet opening I so that the interior of the core section within the shell communicates with the chamber enclosed between shell I and jacket 5, the inlet 1 preferably being diametrically opposite inlet 6;

In addition to inlet opening I, shell I also is provided with a'plurality of spaced diffusion or bleeder openings I5 which connect the chamber 4. formed by the jacket 5 and shell l with the interior or the core section.

The outlet elements for the chamber between shell I and jacket 5, and for the main body of the core section inside shell I, are formed in valve mechanism 8 mounted on bosses 9, 9| which are affixed on the outside of shell I and extend through the jacket 5. As seen best in Fig. 1, an outlet it extends through the wall of shell I immediateiy opposite the opening in jacket 5 and is surrounded by boss 9 so as to establish communication from the interior of shell I through an outlet conduit 52 in valve mechanism 8, conduit I2 being, in turn, adapted for connection with an oil line (not shown) leading back to an engine. Valvemechanism 8 is completed by a valve I3 movably mounted to close the outlet opening through boss ii! leading from jacket 5, said valve being normally biased towards closed position by spring Hi, which may be of thesimple expansion type diagrammatically illustrated, and so ad- J'us ted as to yield under a predetermined amount of pressure from within for allowing the valve to open, or of the thermostatic type and arranged to ciose and open the valve, respectively, in the presence or. absence of predetermined heat.

The operation of the structure thus far described is as follows: Assuming the conditioner is connected in an oil line or an internal combustion motor, and that the interior of shell I is filled with highly viscous or congealed oil, Warm oil from the motor, when the latter is started, will pass through chamber inlet 6 and around the chamber between shell I and jacketi as indicated by the outermost arrows in Fig. 1. The interior of shell I being, at this time, momentarily blocked 031 the congealed oil contained within the shell between tr e bafiles 2 and between tubes 3, sufiicien-tpressure will be imposed upon valve I3 to overcome spring It so that the outlet surrounded by boss s: will be opened, thus establishing a flow circuit generally indicated by dotted line A, between inlet 5 and outlet conduit I2, whereby the incoming hot oilwill by-pass the core or interior of shell I so long as the oil within the latter is in highly viscous or congealed state.

As the hot oil flows around the chamber, some of it will be injected through the diffusion or leeder openings Is into the mass of congealed oil between the tubes and baffles and, through intirnate intermingling with the congealed oil, create free zones of heatedoil, at first near the inlet conduit 6 and the outlet leading from the core or shell I, through boss 9, and then through the remainder of the core sections. However, as the oil within shell I is heated by the oil flowing through the surrounding chamber defined by the shell I and jacket 5, the viscosity thereof will be reduced so that passages between the tubes 3 will become established, thus to allow the oil to flow from inlet 7 through the core and out through core outlet Iii. Simultaneously, as the oil becomes heated and less viscous, the pressure against valve I3 will be alleviated so that spring It will close the valve, whereupon, the flow circuit will be as indicated by line B in Fig. 1. Since the viscosity of the oil decreases as the temperature rises, the spring I4, if it be thermostatic as suggested may be adjusted to close valve I 3 when exposed to heat sufficient to warm the oil to a predetermined degree within shell I.

In order'to establish certain tortuous flow paths through the core structure within shell I, the tubes 3 are, in certain areas, so spaced from one anotheras to provide passages I9 of considerable greater cross-section and of lesser resistance to liquid flow than the resistance to liquid flow occurring in passages l8 between most of tubes 3.

As best seen in Figs. 4 and 5, the hexagonal ends ll of the tubes 3 are disposed in abutting relation with one another and are connected together to form the closed portion of the end walls of the core. However, at certain intervals, a tube 3 is omitted and a hexagonal plug l6 substituted therefor so that whenthe core is viewed in end elevation, as in Figure 2, it will be seen that a pattern of devious wide and spaced passages l9 are provided. 7

In order to establish a more perfect distribution of the hot oil throughout the central portion of the congealed mass of oil in the core so as to establish certain zones of heat distribution, and quickly, to establish how through the core section even before the spaces l8 and !9 between tubes 3 become entirely free, a central baffle 20 is mounted diametrically through the core, the baffle 28 having a pair of notches '2! of inverted V shape extending upwardly from the lower edge thereof as seen best in Figs. 8 and 9. Next, a pair of plates 22, preferably wedgeshaped, are secured on each side of plate 20 to mask each notch, thereby forming channels extending from the bottom and partially through the baflle 29. It should be noted that plates 22 terminate short of the lower edge of baffle 28, as indicated at 23, so as to allow oil to enter the channels formed between the plates, and that injector outlets 24 are provided for squirting hot oil into certain select zones adjacent the plates.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 5, it will be seen that wide channels iii are provided between tubes 3 at injector outlets 24 by substituting half plugs H in the end walls, and that half plugs, and half tubes 3' and IT respectively are mounted, where necessary, adjacent the center bafile 28. Preferably, dummy tubes are also provided opposite the difiusion openings wherever a full tube 3 would block the openings.

Referring particularly to Fig. 9, it will now be apparent that when hot oil first enters inlet 1, it Will immediately pass into notches 2! in baflie 2!], and flow out through injector outlets 2 thus by-passing the lower portion of the core, so that a substantially lesser portion of the congealed oil need be broken through before a complete circuit through the core is established. Initial passage through slots 2! is facilitated since the metal from which bafile 2!? and plates 22 are formed constitutes a relatively good heat conductor so that the oil within slots 2i and ad- J'acent bafile 26 will be pre-heated by heat transmitted through shell i from the hot oil in the surrounding chamber. Then, as the main body of oil within shell I becomes heated, only a small portion of the oil entering inlet 1 will pass through slots 2! which, when the oil is fluid, are relatively restricted in comparison with the aggregate cross-sectional area between the tubes 3 and baffles 2.

While, in the description of the invention it has been described as an element in a lubricating oil circuit, this by no means exhausts the possibilities of application, since the method and structural concepts are readily adaptable to other uses, where heat transfer to and from a congealable liquid is contemplated, without avoiding the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a conditioner for congealable liquids, a

cylindrical shell having inlet and outlet means therein, a plurality of bafiles extending between the ends of said shell transverse to the flow of said liquid from said inlet means to said outlet means and having a plurality of respectively staggered openings therethrough forming a tortuous flow passage, a bafiie plate in said shell perpendicular to said bailles and having one edge adjacent said inlet means, said baffle having notch means extending therein from said one edge, plate means secured to said baffle plate for masking said notch means whereby to define passage means through said plate means, said plate means terminating short of said one edge and having openings therethrough whereby liquid flowing through said passage means will by-pass said tortuous fiow passage.

2. A lubricant conditioning device for use in a lubricant circulating system, wherein a lubricant, the viscosity of which varies progressively with changes in temperature, is circulated under pressure and subjected to heat, including a radiator body having inlet and outlet openings and formed to provide a flow path therebetw'een, said radiator body having central and peripheral areas, means for introducing a portion of the lubricant flowing under heat and pressure into the body in one of the said areas thereof at spaced points between the inlet and outlet of the body, walls forming passages independent of the last named means disposed within the body and originating adjacent the inlet opening of the body for by-passing another portion of the lubricant flowing under heat and pressure into the lubricant contained within the body, said passages terminating within the other of the said areas of said body, and means for maintaining pressure on all of the lubricant and for relieving said pressure when the same reaches a predetermined degree, whereby to reduce the viscosity of the lubricant within the body and to maintain the same in a condition of fluidity.

3. A conditioning device for congealable liquids including a shell adapted to contain liquid and having an inlet and an outlet, a bafiie member within the shell and having a notched lower portion disposed adjacent to said inlet, and perforated plates secured to said baffie and covering said notched lower portion for forming a bypass conduit extending from the inlet of the shell to a point intermediate the inlet and outlet of the latter.

4. A conditioning device for congealable 1iquids, including a shell having an inlet and an outlet, a baflle within the shell having one of its edges provided with a plurality of spaced notches and disposed adjacent to the shell inlet, and perforated means connected to each of the sides of the bafile and covering said notches so as to form a liquid by-pass extending from a point adjacent the shell inlet to a point intermediate the inlet and outlet of the latter.

5. In a device of the class described, an assembly of tubes wherein a fluid which acts as a coolant and a liquid which is congealable pass in heat exchange relationship, said assembly of tubes having central and peripheral areas, a shell enclosing said tube assembly, means including a port defining an inlet for the admission of liquid to said tube assembly, outlet means for the discharge of liquid from said tube assembly, means defining a main flow path through said tube assembly between said port and said outlet means, conduit means for conducting liquid to said port, continuously open passes of relatively smaller flow capacity than said conduit means between said conduit means and one of the said areas of said tube assembly for by-passing a part of the liquid flowing in said conduit means directly into said one area, and separate and additional passes of relatively smaller flow capacity than said conduit means originating adjacent said port and leading to the other of the said areas of said tube assembly for lay-passing a part of the liquid supplied said port directly into said other area.

6. In a device of the class described, an assembly of tubes wherein a fluid which acts as a coolant and a liquid which is congealable pass in heat exchange relationship, said assembly of tubes having central and peripheral areas, a shell enclosing said tube assembly, inlet means for admitting liquid to said tube assembly, outlet means for the discharge of liquid from said tube assembly, means defining a main fiow path through said tube assembly between said inlet means and said outlet means, conduit means arranged in heat exchange relation to one of the said areas of said tube assembly for conducting liquid to said inlet means, a plurality of passes of relatively smaller flow capacity than said conduit means for Joy-passing a part of the liquid flowing through said conduit means directly into said one area of said tube assembly, and passages within the enclosure defined by said shell and forming continuations of said conduit means extending in by-passing relation to said main flow path to selected terminal positions within the other of the said areas of said tube assembly for discharging another part of the liquid flowing through said conduit means directly into said other area.

7. In a device of the class described, an assembly of tubes wherein a fluid which acts as a coolant and a liquid which is congealable pass in heat exchange relationship, said assembly of tubes having central and peripheral areas, a shell enclosing said tube'assembly, openings in said shell defining an inlet and an outlet for the congealable liquid which flows therebetween through said tube assembly, a jacket surrounding said shell and in spaced relation thereto, means for supplying the space between said jacket and shell with liquid for cooling, the liquid flowing through said space in heat exchange relation to the peripheral area of said tube assembly to said inlet, and passages within said tube assembly for discharging uncooled liquid directly into the central area of said tube assembly, said passages being open at their opposite ends and communicating at their one end with the space between said jacket and said shell and communicating at their opposite ends with the interior tube assembly in the central area thereof.

8. In a device of the class described, an assembly of tubes wherein a fluid which acts as a coolant and a liquid which is congealable pass in heat exchange relationship, said assembly of tubes having central and peripheral areas, a shell enclosing said tube assembly, inlet means including a port for admitting liquid to said tube assembly, outlet means for the discharge of liquid from said tube assembly, means defining a main flow path through said tube assembly between said port and said outlet means, conduit means arranged in heat exchange relation to one of the said areas of said tube assembly for conductin liquid to said 'port, and passages within the enclosure defined by said shell of smaller flow capacity than said conduit means originating adjacent said port and leading in by-passing relation to said main flow path to selected points in the other of the said areas of said tube assembly for discharging a part of the liquid supplied said port directly into said other area.

9. Ina device of the class described, an assembly of tubes wherein a fluid which acts as a coolant and a liquid which is congealable pass in heat exchange relationship, said assembly of tubes having central and peripheral areas, a shell enclosing said tube assembly, a conduit for conducting liquid to said tube assembly, continuously open passes of relatively smaller flow capacity than said conduit means between said conduit means and one of the said areas of said tube assembly for by-passing a part of the liquid flowing in said conduit means directly into said one area, a port additional to said passes communicating said conduit means with said tube assembly and defining the main inlet to said assembly, outlet means from said tube assembly, means defining a, flow path through said tube assembly between said inlet port and said outlet. and further passes of relatively smaller flow capacity than said conduit means originating adjacent said port and leadin to the other of the said areas of said tube assembly for bypassing a part of the liquid supplied said port directly into said other area.

REUBEN G. DYKEIAAN, JOSEPH C. SHAW. ALLAN C. HOFFMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,992,796 Young et a1 Feb; 26, 1935 2,223,655 Askin Dec. 3, 1940 2,307,300 Ramsaur Jan. 5, 1943 1,860,731 Cole May 31, 1932 1,906,540 Clarke May 2, 1933 2,223,662 Lear Dec. 3, 1940 1,617,433 Beisel Feb. 15, 192'? 1,455,738 Rushmore May 15, 1923 2,293,960 Young Aug. 25, 1942 2,343,867 Hofi'man Mar. 14, 1944 2,343,869 Shaw Mar. 14, 1944 2,289,097 Brinen July 7, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 593,062 French -1 May 14, 1925 248,035 Brit Aug. 25, 1925 460,047 Brit Jan. 20, 1937 102,385 Swiss Nov. 18, 1922 310,157

Brit Apr. 25, 1929

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