WO2014064079A1

WO2014064079A1 - Header box for heat exchanger, notably motor vehicle engine charge air cooler

Info

Publication number: WO2014064079A1
Application number: PCT/EP2013/072030
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Pierre Galland; Benjamin Ferlay; Jérôme BLANCHARD
Original assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques
Priority date: 2012-10-26
Filing date: 2013-10-22
Publication date: 2014-05-01
Also published as: EP2912397A1; FR2997487A1; FR2997487B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a header box (5) for a heat exchanger (1), notably for a motor vehicle engine charge air cooler comprising a heat exchange bundle (3) for exchanging heat between a first and a second (A) fluid, said header box (5) comprising at least one guide chamber (7) for guiding the second fluid (A) towards or from said heat exchange bundle (3), and at least one cooling device (11) able to cool the second fluid (A) in the guide chamber (7).

Description

Slip-box for heat exchanger, especially motor vehicle engine supercharging air cooler

The invention relates to a manifold for a heat exchanger, in particular a motor vehicle engine air-cooler, and a heat exchanger, especially a motor vehicle engine air-cooler, comprising such a manifold.

To increase the thermal efficiency of a heat exchanger, it is traditionally known to increase its size and / or its exchange capacity, which leads to an increase in its size or even losses.

In the field of charge air coolers, it is also known so-called "pre cooler" devices mounted upstream of the heat exchanger for cooling the charge air of the engines. These devices which consist of auxiliary heat exchangers make it possible to perform a first cooling of the charge air then passing through the exchanger. A disadvantage of this arrangement is to also increase the overall size of the system, its complexity and cost.

The invention aims to increase the cooling capacity of a heat exchanger, in particular for cooling the charge air of a motor vehicle engine, while limiting the overall size of the system, the pressure drops and the complexity.

It is proposed in this sense a manifold for heat exchanger, especially motor vehicle air-cooler, comprising a heat exchange bundle between a first and a second fluid, said manifold comprising at least one second fluid guide chamber to or from said heat exchange beam, and at least one cooling device adapted to cool the second fluid in the guide chamber. Said cooling device thus provides an additional cooling capacity of the second fluid to the heat exchanger without substantially increasing its overall size. Indeed, the cooling device is intimately associated with the manifold and does not alter or little its own volume.

In other words, we take advantage of the exchange surface offered by the guide chamber of the box and until now unused to increase the heat efficiency of the exchanger. Said cooling device is advantageously configured to allow the circulation of a cooling liquid.

Said cooling device may be a tube or cooling circuit of the second fluid housed in said guiding chamber.

The cooling tube may be of corrugated shape, for example serpentine, spiral, spiral or other, which increases the heat exchange surface.

Said tube or cooling circuit may also be provided with fins or external spacers cooling the second fluid, intended to be in contact with the latter, which also increases the heat exchange surface.

The tube or cooling circuit may advantageously be provided with internal ribs or corrugations configured to disturb the circulation of the cooling fluid in the tube or cooling circuit and thus increase the heat exchange.

Alternatively or in addition, said cooling device may also comprise at least one external cooling chamber, configured to cool the second fluid of the guide chamber through a wall of said guide chamber located opposite the enclosure, said enclosure being for example disposed in contact with said wall of the guide chamber, preferably in contact with a heat conducting portion of said wall. This external enclosure may comprise a simple cover sealingly connected to the wall of said guide chamber. This lid can be plastic. It is thus better thermally insulated from the outside environment, but it can also be made of metal, thus being able to be conveniently secured by welding to the wall of the header box, generally made of aluminum or aluminum alloy.

Said external cooling chamber may also be part of a double walled header box, for example a part of the manifold defined by the double wall and adjacent to the guide chamber. This double wall is conductive of heat.

Said external cooling chamber may also be provided with internal ribs or corrugations configured to disturb the circulation of the circulating cooling fluid in said cooling chamber.

A surface of the wall of the guide chamber of the manifold opposite to said outer enclosure may also be provided with vanes or spacers cooling the second fluid. Said enclosure and the guide chamber of the header can in combination have any shape to increase the heat exchange surface with said cooling fluid and second fluid, without affecting the guiding and the distribution of the second fluid in the chamber. guidance to or from said beam, for example having at least one fold or rib extending in a direction of guiding the second fluid to or from said beam, for example a fold or rib formed projecting from said chamber to said chamber. Said fold or rib defines, for example, two circulation channels of the second fluid, extending longitudinally in said chamber. Said cooling chamber, or even said tube or cooling circuit, may further comprise an internal disturbance of the circulation of the cooling fluid, for example an insert disposed inside the enclosure and / or said tube or cooling circuit. The invention also relates to a heat exchanger, in particular a motor vehicle engine supercharging air cooler, comprising a manifold as defined above.

Said tube or cooling chamber of the header box and the heat exchange bundle of the exchanger can receive a cooling fluid from the same cooling circuit of the vehicle or a cooling fluid coming from different circuits of the vehicle, in particular a cooling fluid of a so-called low temperature circuit (LV) and / or a so-called high temperature circuit (HT). Said fluid or coolant is, in particular, water containing antifreeze, for example glycol.

The invention also relates to a system for cooling a fluid, in particular a motor vehicle supercharging air, comprising a heat exchanger as defined above and at least one cooling fluid circuit, BT and / or HT, of the beam and collector box.

Thus, the cooling system may comprise a single cooling circuit, BT or HT, the beam and the header, located in series or in parallel in said circuit, or two different circuits, BT and / or HT respectively of the beam and the collector box.

The characteristics of the invention and its advantages will appear more clearly with reference to the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic top view, in partial longitudinal section, of a heat exchanger according to one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a heat exchanger according to an alternative embodiment; Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a heat exchanger according to another embodiment;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 of a portion of an exchanger according to another embodiment;

Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a manifold according to the invention; and Figures 6, 7 and 8 are views similar to the previous collector box according to alternative embodiments.

Like reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar elements.

As illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the invention relates to a heat exchanger 1, in particular for cooling the supercharging air A of a motor vehicle engine. This heat exchanger 1 comprises a heat exchange beam 3, not visible, between a first and a second, A, fluids, and at least one manifold, here an inlet manifold 5 and an outlet box 10 of the second fluid. In the present case, the second fluid A is a stream of hot compressed air. This flow of compressed air A is cooled as it passes through the bundle 3, which is cooled by a coolant or first fluid, especially a mixture of water and glycol, circulating inside the bundle.

Said beam comprises, for example, a stack of plates defining circuits for passing the first alternating fluid with circuits for passing the second fluid. Said exchanger further comprises a housing 3 inside which said beam is housed. Said housing 3 and / or said beam are made of aluminum and / or aluminum alloy.

In the illustrated example, the second fluid enters the exchanger through an orifice 6 of the inlet header box 5. It is then distributed in the beam through an orifice communication between said input box 5 and said housing, according to the arrows marked 8. After passing through the beam, being cooled by the first fluid, it emerges from the exchanger through the outlet manifold 10. The said manifolds 5, 10 comprise at least one guide chamber 7 of the second fluid A to / from said heat exchange bundle 3. Said guide chambers 7 are here formed by a wall 9 of said manifolds 5, 10. In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the outlet manifold 10 is an air distributor, configured to be attached to an engine cylinder head, so as to distribute the air to intake pipes of the engine cylinder head.

According to the invention, one of said manifolds, here the inlet manifold 5 further comprises at least one cooling device 1 1 adapted to cool the second fluid A in the guide chamber 7. It increases in this way the cooling capacity of the exchanger.

Said cooling device is particularly configured to allow the circulation of a cooling fluid B. This cooling fluid B may be brine, for example that of a cooling circuit 15 of the engine of the vehicle or a other body of the vehicle.

Thus, according to a first variant, the cooling device 1 1 and the bundle 3 can be traversed by the cooling fluid B of a low temperature circuit 15 of the vehicle, as represented in FIG. This fluid B flows first in the heat exchange bundle 3 and then in the guide chamber 7 of the second fluid A, against the current of the latter, as shown in the arrows 16 in FIG.

According to a second variant, the cooling fluid B may also be a high temperature circuit fluid of the vehicle, that is to say passing through the engine of the vehicle for cooling said engine, passing through the guiding chamber in a circuit 17 'distinct from that 17 at low temperature traveling through the heat exchange bundle 3, as shown in FIG. 2.

Said cooling device 11 is, for example, a cooling tube 13 housed in said guide chamber 7 of the second fluid, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Said cooling tube 13 may be of corrugated shape, for example serpentine as shown, or spiral, spiral or other, which increases the heat exchange surface of the tube 13 with the second fluid A flowing in the guide chamber 7.

Said tube 13 may also be provided with fins or external cooling spacers of the second fluid A, not shown, integral with the wall of said tube, which also increases the heat exchange surface of the tube 13 with said second fluid A.

The tube 13 may be provided on its wall with ribs or internal corrugations or an internal disturbance, not shown, configured to disrupt the flow of said cooling fluid B in the tube 13 and thus increase the heat exchange.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 and following, the cooling device 1 1 may alternatively or cumulatively comprise at least one external cooling chamber 19, configured to cool the second fluid A of the guide chamber 7, through the wall 9 of the chamber 7 of said guide 19 is for example disposed in contact with the wall 9 of the guide chamber 7 of the header box, said wall being made of a heat conducting material, such as metal like aluminum or aluminum alloy. Said enclosure 19 is here adjacent to the guide chamber 7. Said external cooling chamber January 9 is configured to allow the circulation, as in the case of the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2, a cooling fluid B. Said external cooling chamber 19 may be part of the header 5 , being, for example, a portion of a double-walled header box, as shown in FIG. 3, said header box comprising a wall 9 'separating said enclosure 1 9 from said chamber 7. This external enclosure 1 9 can still be a simple cover attached sealingly on the wall 9 of the guide chamber 7 as shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7. This cover 1 9 may be plastic or metal, for example aluminum or alloy of aluminum, which allows brazing welding to the wall 9 of the manifold.

According to the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 5 to 8, said enclosure 1 9 defines a single circulation channel for the cooling fluid, for example located on a longitudinal face of the box. According to the embodiment of FIG. 4, it defines several channels, for example located on the longitudinal and / or lateral faces of the box.

Said external cooling chamber 1 9 may also be provided with internal ribs or corrugations 20 as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, or even with an internal disrupter 21 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, to disturb the circulation of the cooling fluid B and thus increasing the heat exchange of the cooling fluid B circulating in the chamber 19.

The surface of the wall 9 of the guide chamber 7 opposite to said outer enclosure 1 9 may also be provided with fins or ribs 23 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, intended to serve for cooling the second fluid A, which increases also the exchange of heat between the cooling chamber 1 9 and said second fluid A contained in the guide chamber 7 of the manifold. Said enclosures 19 and the guide chamber or the collector box may have in combination any form suitable for increasing the heat exchange surface with said cooling fluid B and second fluid A, without affecting the guiding and the distribution of the second fluid A to or from said beam 3. For example, the wall 9 may comprise at least one fold 25, as shown in V or recessed in the middle part of the guide chamber of the manifolds of Figures 6 and 8. Said fold 25 is here protruding from said enclosure 19 to said chamber 7 in the direction of guiding the second fluid A to said beam 3. In Figure 8, said fold is provided with a disrupter 21.

The above shows that the cooling device 1 1 has only a small impact in the overall size of the header in its environment. Only the inputs and outputs of the circuit 15, 17 of coolant B are to be expected. An example of such an inlet / outlet orifice in FIGS. 5 and 8, provided at the level of said cover of the enclosure 19, can be noted.

The invention thus provides means for increasing the cooling capacity of a heat exchanger, in particular for cooling the supercharging air of a motor vehicle engine, without substantially increasing the overall size of the system or its complexity. .

Claims

1. Slip box (5) for a heat exchanger (1), in particular a motor vehicle engine supercharging air cooler, comprising a beam (3) for exchanging heat between a first and a second (A) fluid, said box collector (5) comprising at least one guide chamber (7) of the second fluid (A) to or from said heat exchange beam (3), and at least one cooling device (1 1) suitable for cooling the second fluid A in the guide chamber (7).

2. header box (5) according to claim 1, wherein said cooling device (1 1) is a tube (13) or cooling circuit of the second fluid (A), housed in said guide chamber (7).

3. header box (5) according to claim 2, wherein said cooling tube or circuit (13) is serpentine-shaped.

The header (5) according to claim 1, wherein said cooling device (1 1) has at least one external cooling chamber (19) configured to cool the second fluid (A) of the guide chamber (7). ) of the manifold through a wall (9) of said guide chamber (7), located opposite the enclosure (19).

5. header box (5) according to claim 4, wherein said external cooling chamber (19) is part of a manifold (5) double wall (9 '), said enclosure being delimited by the double wall (9); ') and adjacent to the guide chamber (7).

The header box (5) according to claim 4, wherein said outer enclosure (19) comprises a simple cover sealingly connected to the wall (9) of said guide chamber (7).

7. collector box (5) according to one of claims 4 to 6, wherein said cooling chamber (19) is provided with internal ribs or corrugations configured to disturb the circulation of a circulating cooling fluid in said enclosure.

8. collector box (5) according to one of claims 4 to 7, wherein a surface of the wall (9) of the guide chamber (7) opposite said outer enclosure (19) is provided with fins (23). ) or cooling interleavers of the second fluid A.

9. header box (5) according to one of claims 4 to 8, wherein said enclosure (19) comprises at least one fold or rib (25) extending in a direction for guiding the second fluid to or from said beam (3).

A header (5) according to claim 9, wherein said fold or rib (25) defines two circulation channels of the second fluid extending longitudinally in said guide chamber (7).

1 1. The header (5) according to one of claims 2 to 10, wherein said cooling tube or circuit or said cooling chamber comprises an internal disturbance (21).

12. Heat exchanger (1), in particular motor vehicle air-source air cooler, comprising a manifold (5) according to any one of the preceding claims.

13. Cooling system (27) of a fluid, in particular a motor vehicle supercharging air, comprising a heat exchanger (1) according to claim 12 and at least one fluid circuit (15, 17, 17 '). cooling the beam (3) and said collector box (5).

14. Cooling system (27) according to claim 13, wherein said circuit (15) is common to said beam (3) and to said manifold (5), located in series or in parallel in said circuit.

15. cooling system (27) according to claim 13 comprising two cooling circuits, a first cooling circuit (17) for said beam (3) of the exchanger and a second cooling circuit (17 ') for the collector box. (5).