Abstract: A heat exchanger (10) preferably provides supercritical cooling to the refrigerant of a transcritical cooling system (12). The heat exchanger (10) includes a pair of elongated headers (20, 22) having longitudinal axes (24, 26) disposed substantially parallel to each other, a plurality of elongated tubes (28) spaced in side-by-side relation along the longitudinal axes (24, 26) of the headers (20, 22), and serpentine fins (30) extending between adjacent pairs of the tubes. Each of the tubes (28) has a first end (31) connected to the header (20) and a second end (32) connected to the other header (22) to the headers (20, 22).

Abstract: A compact cooling system includes a mounting panel adapted to receive a plurality of at least three cooling units, a cooling fan, and a fan drive mechanism. The mounting panel supports the fan and drive mechanism in a manner allowing rotation of the fan about the axis of rotation. A front side of the mounting panel is adapted for receiving and supporting the cooling units in a pattern defining a cantilevered, tubular polygonal solid disposed about the fan. The mounting panel includes a convex central region extending into the tubular polygonal solid and receiving the drive mechanism in operative connection to the fan. By virtue of this arrangement, a very compact cooling system is provided. The tubular polygonal shape of the cooling units, when mounted on the mounting panel, forms an air duct for directing a flow of cooling air induced by the fan through the cooling units.

Abstract: A cooling system is provided for a vehicle that includes an air-cooled coolant radiator and air-cooled gas cooler to cool a gas flow of a CO2 type air conditioning system of the vehicle. The cooling system includes a pre-cooler for pre-cooling of the refrigerant by transferring heat from the refrigerant either to the coolant flowing through the radiator or to a cooling air flow passing through the radiator, or both.

Abstract: An air-cooled charge air cooler for vehicles with a coolant-filled pre-cooler oriented in an air collection tank of the charge air cooler. The pre-cooler is sized to contact a majority of the charge air entering the charge air cooler. The pre-cooler has flow paths carrying coolant between manifolds of the pre-cooler and the flow paths define channels therethrough to direct charge air through the pre-cooler and into a cooling grate of the charge cooler. The channels have a depth that allows for a corresponding adjustment in the length of the cooling grate of the charge air cooler while maintaining the overall space requirement for the charge air cooler in a vehicle and meeting the increasing performance requirements for such charge air coolers.

Abstract: High pressure drop and evaporator inefficiency due to the presence of lubricant in a refrigerant are avoided in a refrigeration system including a compressor (10) having an inlet (12) and an outlet (14). A gas cooler/condenser (16) receives compressed, lubricant containing refrigerant from the compressor outlet (14). Also included is an evaporator (48) for evaporating refrigerant and cooling another fluid and returning the refrigerant to the compressor inlet (12). A phase separator (36) is interposed between the gas cooler/condenser (16) and the evaporator (48) for receiving cooled refrigerant from the gas cooler/condenser (16). The phase separator (36) includes a chamber (62) having an inlet (34) connected to the gas cooler/condenser (16), an upper vapor outlet (38) connected to the compressor inlet (12), a liquid refrigerant outlet (40) and a lubricant outlet (78).

Abstract: A compact cooling system for a vehicle includes an assembly of heat exchangers (10), (12), (14) and (16) connected to each other to provide a box-like configuration. Each heat exchanger (10), (12), (14), (16) includes a core with headers (20), (22) at each end in fluid communication with spaced, flattened tubes (18) with fins (24) extending between the tubes in each of the cores. One of the cores (10) is generally horizontal and located at the upper side of the box-like configuration. A radial discharge fan (42) is located within the box-like configuration and receives cooling air and directs the same radially outwardly through the cores to cool fluid passing through the tubes (18) of the cores. An equalization tank (60), (80) is mounted on the box-like configuration in overlying, spaced relation to a substantial portion of the surface of the heat exchanger (18) so as to be in the path of cooling air merging from the heat exchanger (10) to divert the same.

Abstract: Fan efficiency problems are substantially reduced in a cooling system having a plurality of heat exchangers (10), (18), (20), (22) positioned with respect to each other to define a housing in the form of a polygonal solid with certain of the heat exchangers being employed in heat exchange fluid while others may be utilized to cool one or more other heat exchange fluids different from the first. A radial fan (42) is disposed within a space (26) within the housing and provided with blades (52) for flowing air generally radially outward through the heat exchangers (10), (18), (20), (22). The ratio of the location of the center line (d) of the fan blade outer edges (56) with respect to the front (30) of the heat exchanger to the diameter (D) of the fan (42) at the outer edges (56) is in the range of about 0.20 to about 0.36.

Abstract: A heat exchanger including a first header having an inlet therein, a second header, an outlet in one of the first and second headers, and a plurality of flat tubes extending between the first and second headers for carrying a fluid between the first and second headers. A first connector is also provided for connecting a first exterior line to one of the first and second headers, the first connector being proximate and substantially parallel to an end of one of the flat tubes. In a compact cooling system, such heat exchangers may be disposed about a radial fan directing air flow outwardly away from the fan axis. One of a system inlet and a system outlet are connected via the first exterior lines to the first connectors of at least two of the heat exchangers. 655.

Abstract: A compact cooling system for a vehicle includes an assembly of heat exchangers (10), (12), (14) and (16) connected to each other to provide a box-like configuration. Each heat exchanger (10), (12), (14), (16) includes a core with headers (20), (22) at each end in fluid communication with spaced, flattened tubes (18) with fins (24) extending between the tubes in each of the cores. One of the cores (10) is generally horizontal and located at the upper side of the box-like configuration. A radial discharge fan (42) is located within the box-like configuration and receives cooling air and directs the same radially outwardly through the cores to cool fluid passing through the tubes (18) of the cores. An equalization tank (60), (80) is mounted on the box-like configuration in overlying, spaced relation to a substantial portion of the surface of the heat exchanger (18) so as to be in the path of cooling air merging from the heat exchanger (10) to divert the same.

Abstract: A transmission is provided for driving a radial fan about a fan axis in a vehicle cooling unit including a plurality of heat exchangers arranged to surround the radial fan to receive a radial air flow therefrom. The radial fan receives an axial air flow from a front end of the cooling unit. At least one of the heat exchangers has a rearmost edge that defines a back end plane transverse to the fan axis, with none of the other heat exchangers having a rearmost edge that extends rearward beyond the back end plane.