Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
  • F28D1/00—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators
  • F28D1/02—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid
  • F28D1/04—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid with tubular conduits
  • F28D1/047—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid with tubular conduits the conduits being bent, e.g. in a serpentine or zig-zag
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
  • F28D1/00—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators
  • F28D1/02—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid
  • F28D1/04—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid with tubular conduits
  • F28D1/053—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid with tubular conduits the conduits being straight
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
  • F28F13/00—Arrangements for modifying heat-transfer, e.g. increasing, decreasing
  • F28F13/003—Arrangements for modifying heat-transfer, e.g. increasing, decreasing by using permeable mass, perforated or porous materials
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
  • F28F21/00—Constructions of heat-exchange apparatus characterised by the selection of particular materials
  • F28F21/06—Constructions of heat-exchange apparatus characterised by the selection of particular materials of plastics material
  • F28F21/067—Details
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
  • F28F21/00—Constructions of heat-exchange apparatus characterised by the selection of particular materials
  • F28F21/08—Constructions of heat-exchange apparatus characterised by the selection of particular materials of metal
  • F28F21/081—Heat exchange elements made from metals or metal alloys
  • F28F21/084—Heat exchange elements made from metals or metal alloys from aluminium or aluminium alloys
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
  • F28F9/00—Casings; Header boxes; Auxiliary supports for elements; Auxiliary members within casings
  • F28F9/26—Arrangements for connecting different sections of heat-exchange elements, e.g. of radiators
  • F28F9/262—Arrangements for connecting different sections of heat-exchange elements, e.g. of radiators for radiators
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
  • F28D1/00—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators
  • F28D1/02—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid
  • F28D2001/0253—Particular components
  • F28D2001/026—Cores
  • F28D2001/0266—Particular core assemblies, e.g. having different orientations or having different geometric features
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
  • F28D1/00—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators
  • F28D1/02—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid
  • F28D2001/0253—Particular components
  • F28D2001/026—Cores
  • F28D2001/0273—Cores having special shape, e.g. curved, annular

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a heat exchanger for motorised vehicles which can be used for cooling, heating, ventilating and/or air conditioning modules.
• the invention further relates to coolers in the automotive field, such as water or oil coolers, for e.g. turbo-chargers, which are cooled by the air which surrounds the motorised vehicle.
• coolers in the automotive field such as water or oil coolers, for e.g. turbo-chargers, which are cooled by the air which surrounds the motorised vehicle.
• Heat exchangers in the automotive field gradually need to fulfil more stringent demands with respect to heat exchanging capacity and efficiency, but also, among other things, to the amount of volume taken, weight, design freedom, strength and orientation.
• An aspect of the claimed invention provides a heat exchanger for a motor vehicle for a given volume with a given incoming flow surface.
• This heat exchanger comprises a plurality of heat-conducting tubes and heat exchange enlarging structures.
• the heat-conducting tubes are joined together by the heat exchange enlarging structures thereby forming at least two heat-exchanging stacks.
• a first medium flows through the heat conducting tubes and a second medium flows through the heat exchange enlarging structures.
• the heat-exchanger comprises a first portion (A) and a second portion (B), wherein the second portion (B) is angled relative to the first portion (A), such that longer lengths of said heat exchanging stacks can be stowed in said volume. This increases the heat exchanging capacity for said volume with said given incoming flow surface. Air flowing into said volume through said given incoming flow surface is distributed across both of said first (A) and second (B) portions.
• the heat exchanging stacks are further connected to first and second collecting tanks.
• the heat exchanger is fed through multiple first collecting tanks and released by at least one second collecting tank or fed through one first collecting tank and released by multiple second collecting tanks.
• the volume available for cooling is limited and also the frontal surface or the incoming flow surface is limited to the frontal part of the car, i.e. where cooling airflow is coming to the car.
• the split up entry or exit of the fluid to be heat exchanged, i.e. the first medium increases further the heat exchanging capacity of a given volume and incoming flow surface.
• the first collecting tank is positioned in the angle of said first (A) and second (B) portions.
• the angle of said first (A) and second (B) portions is between
• the heat exchanger according to the invention is preferably made of metal, even more preferably the heat exchanging stack is made of a lightweight metal or a lightweight metal alloy.
• the first and second collecting tanks can be made of any suitable plastic or metal.
• the heat exchange enlarging structures can be any known fins, such as e.g. offset fins, wave fins or louvered fins.
• the heat exchange enlarging structures are thermally conductive open cell porous media. This can be a carbon or graphite foam; a carbon or graphite containing metal foam; metal foam as described e.g.
• the thermally conductive open cell porous medium has an amount of pores per inch (ppi) between 10 and 50 ppi. More preferably, the amount of pores per inch (ppi) is between 15 and 30 ppi, most preferably the amount of pores per inch (ppi) is 20 ppi.
• the porosity of the thermally conductive open cell porous medium is ranging between 91 ,5% and 96,5%, more preferably between 92% and 96%, most preferably between 92,5% and 95,5%. This porosity provides an even more improved direct and immediate cooling of the metal piece.
• the porosity of the thermally conductive open cell porous medium can be tuned depending on the thermally conductive open cell porous medium used as known by the person skilled in the art. E.g. in the case of an open cell metal foam reference is made to EP 1604756.
• the thermally conductive open cell porous medium is metal foam, preferably made of aluminium or an aluminium alloy.
• the metal foam is made of copper or a copper alloy.
• the metal foam is made of graphite or comprises graphite.
• the thickness of the open cell porous medium is between 1 and 6 times the pore diameter. More preferably, the thickness of the open cell porous medium is between 1 ,5 and 5 times the pore diameter, even more preferably between 2 and 4 times the pore diameter.
• This method comprises the following steps: first a plurality of heat- conducting tubes and heat exchange enlarging structures are provided. Thereafter the heat exchange enlarging structures are thermally attached to the heat conducting tubes so as to obtain at least two stacks of alternating tubes and heat exchange enlarging structures. Then collecting tanks are provided. The first and second collecting tanks are joined to the heat exchanging stacks, such that an angle ⁇ is formed between said at least two heat exchanging stacks 2 and a first or second collecting tank is in the angle ⁇ connecting those two heat exchanging stacks 2. The second or first collecting tanks, respectively, are then joined to the other ends of the heat exchanging stacks 2.
• the heat exchange enlarging structures are thermally attached to the heat conducting tubes by sintering, or via a thermally conductive means.
• the thermally conductive means can be formed by thermally conductive glue, thermally conductive epoxylayer, (soldering) paste, thermally conductive metal layer, e.g. brazing foil, and so on.
• thermally conductive glue thermally conductive glue
• thermally conductive epoxylayer thermally conductive epoxylayer
• (soldering) paste thermally conductive metal layer
• e.g. brazing foil e.g. brazing foil
• the heat exchanging stack is produced integrally by casting the heat exchange enlarging structures together with the heat conducting tubes or by a method of rapid manufacturing. Every one of these attachment methods, reduce the thermal contact resistance and thus improves the thermal conductivity between the heat exchange enlarging structures and the heat conducting tubes.
• Another aspect of the claimed invention provides use of a heat exchanger according to the invention for cooling, heating, ventilating and/or air conditioning.
• FIG. 1 shows a conventional, flat and finned heat exchanger and in figure 5B a comparable flat heat exchanger wherein the fins are replaced by open cell metal foam.
• FIG 6 shows a second test for comparison.
• Figure 6A shows a top view of a conventional heat exchanger.
• Figure 6B shows a top view of another set up of the conventional heat exchanger of figure 6A.
• Figure 6C shows a top view of a heat exchanger according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 7 shows 3-D views of the test of figure 6b and figure 6c respectively.
• FIG. 1 shows a top view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• Heat exchanger 1 is build up from two stacks 2 of heat conducting tubes which are interconnected via heat exchange enlarging structures.
• the heat exchanger further comprises first and second collecting tanks 3, 4.
• the heat exchanger comprises a first portion A and a second portion B, wherein portion A is angled with respect to portion B. The angle in between portion A and portion B is called ⁇ .
• Heat exchanger 1 is build of two stacks 2, which are made of 2 parallel first stacks which are attached to one another.
• the two stacks are further bent in an angle ⁇ and an angle ⁇ .
• Angle ⁇ and ⁇ might be equal to one another and might be equal to or different of angle ⁇ .
• the angles ⁇ , ⁇ and ⁇ are all equal to one another. This provides an equal division of the incoming fluid flow over the front surface of the heat exchanger, as a result of the even pressure build up over the depth of the heat exchanger.
• Figure 3 shows different set ups of fluid flow in the heat exchanger of figure 2.
• hot liquid was fed into the heat exchanger 1 at the sides and released in the center of the heat exchanger 1. Cooling air was blown through heat exchanger 1 with a constant airflow.
• hot liquid was fed into the heat exchanger in the center and released at both sides. Again cooling air was blown as in the test of figure 3a, with the same test conditions.
• figure 3c the center collecting tank was closed and all hot liquid was fed at one side and released at the other side of heat exchanger 1. All tests were done under same test conditions.
• Figure 4 shows the results obtained in the test of figure 3, they are expressed as a percentage of the heat exchange coefficient ⁇ of the best performing heat exchanger in the test.
• the heat exchanger of figure 3a is the best, whereas the heat exchanger of figure 3b is only performing at 98% in comparison with the heat exchanger of figure 3A and the heat exchanger of figure 3c is performing at 64% in comparison with the heat exchanger of figure 3a.
• Figures 5a and 5b show flat heat exchangers with only one entry and one exit of fluid to be heat exchanged, i.e. the first medium.
• the heat exchanger of figure 5a is a conventional finned heat exchanger; the heat exchanger of figure 5b is the same conventional finned heat exchanger wherein the fins are replaced by open cell metal foam of 20 ppi.
• These heat exchangers were tested in a wind tunnel with air speeds of 15m/s at an angle of 90° (frontal) and hot water at 80 0 C at a speed of 0,75m/s flowing through the heat conducting pipes of both heat exchangers.
• the measured heat exchanging power of the metal foam flat heat exchanger of figure 5b amounts up to 98% of the heat exchanging power of the conventional finned flat heat exchanger of figure 5a.
• Figure 6 shows another test on heat exchanging capacity of a heat exchanger with respect to the flow direction and the incoming flow surface.
• Figure 6a shows a conventional heat exchanger build up of a stack of heat conducting tubes which are interconnected by heat exchange enlarging louvered fins. The heat exchanger is set up under an angle of 90° with respect to the incoming cooling air. The incoming flow surface in this test was as large as the surface of the straight conventional heat exchanger of figure 6a.
• Figure 6b shows the same conventional heat exchanger as used in figure 6a which was set under an angle of 12° with respect to the incoming cooling air. The fins in this heat exchanger are also under an angle of 12° with respect to the incoming cooling air.
• the incoming flow surface is the length of the heat exchanger multiplied with sin(12°).
• Figure 6c shows an exemplary heat exchanger according to the present invention wherein the heat conducting tubes are interconnected with open cell aluminium foam of 20 ppi. All angles ⁇ , ⁇ and ⁇ are equal to 12°. Tests were done with a first medium flow of 0,75m/s, entry of the first medium at angle a (in the center) and exit at collecting tanks 4 (as shown in fig.2).
• Figure 7 shows 3-dimensional views of the test of figure 6.
• the set up of figure 6B is shown in figure 7A and the set up of figure 6C is shown in figure 7B for clarification of the results.
• Table 2 shows the test results of the examples in figure 6 and 7.
• Angle ⁇ is equal to 12°, angles ⁇ and ⁇ are equal to 20°.
• the first medium flow has its entry at the sides (collecting tanks 4) and exits the heat exchanger at collecting tank 3 (center).
• a still further example of a heat exchanger according to the present invention has heat conducting tubes with height of 8 mm and width of 25mm, which are interconnected with metal foam of 30ppi and porosity of 95,8%. There is only one angle ⁇ of 60°.
• the first medium enters the heat exchanger at the sides (collecting tanks 4).

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
• Heat-Exchange Devices With Radiators And Conduit Assemblies (AREA)

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Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (1)

Citations (10)

• 2010
  • 2010-03-25 WO PCT/EP2010/053893 patent/WO2010112392A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2010-03-25 EP EP10709862A patent/EP2446209A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (10)

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