Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a plurality of tubes, a collection tank having an inlet port and an internal chamber in fluid communication with the plurality of tubes, a header coupled to the collection tank and having a plurality of apertures each dimensioned to receive a corresponding tube, a gasket separating the header from the collection tank and sealing a gap between the header and the collection tank, and a reinforcement retaining the gasket in position between the header and the collection tank. The reinforcement includes a first web extending across the internal chamber and a second web spaced apart from the first web and extending across the internal chamber. The heat exchanger also includes a baffle coupled to and extending between the first web and the second web. The baffle extends across at least a portion of the internal chamber between the inlet port and the plurality of tubes.

Abstract: A heat exchanger with a plurality of stacked flat tubes and a collecting tank having a wall extending around the entire periphery of, and connected to, the end of the stacked flat tubes. A first medium may be distributed through the collecting tank and flat tubes. Internal inserts are in the flat tubes, with the inserts being bonded between the broad sides of the tubes and, in the region of connection of the tubes to the collecting tank, being configured to compensate for length changes in the stacking direction caused by temperature changes, as by recesses in connectors such as wave flanks or by corrugated wave flanks. The flat tubes with inserts such as described may be separately provided for use in manufacture of heat exchangers.

Abstract: The invention relates to an exhaust gas heat exchanger in an exhaust gas recirculation arrangement. The heat exchanger includes a plate stack which is surrounded by a housing. The plate stack can include two plates which are connected at their longitudinal edges to form a flat tube which contains a turbulator through which exhaust gas flows. The heat exchanger can also include a coolant duct which is equipped with flow directing elements arranged between two flat tubes. In order to make the exhaust gas heat exchanger more resistant to changing temperature stresses, the invention provides that the flow directing elements can be formed from a corrugated plate in which ducts with inlets and outlets are formed. At least some of the ducts in the inlet area of the coolant have a nonlinear profile so that changes in length are permitted between the plate stack and the housing.

Abstract: A cooling system includes a radial fan rotatable by an axis to deliver radial air flow to the cooling system, a plurality of heat exchangers spaced radially from the fan and arranged around the fan in a box-like configuration to receive the radial air flow therefrom, with the heat exchangers bounding an interior space of the cooling system. One of the heat exchangers is provided in the form of a charge air cooler that includes a first flow path for a charge air flow in heat exchange relation with a second flow path for an engine coolant flow of the vehicle. The cooling system further includes a surface associated with the charge air cooler to substantially block the radial air flow from exiting the interior space through the charge air cooler.

Abstract: An economically manufactured heat exchanger is provided and includes a plurality of elongated, straight, flat tubes (16), each formed of two identical halves (78,80) joined to each other in mirror image fashion and each having opposed open ends and all arranged in a stack (18). At least one spacer wall (36) is disposed within each tube and extends generally from end to end thereof to define at least two side-by-side first fluid flow paths within a tube. An elongated housing (10) contains the stack and includes spaced headers (20,22) with each header including a tube slot for the adjacent end of each tube (16) in the stack (18). Spacers (26) in the stack separate adjacent tubes in the stack from one another and the spacers include ribs defining a serpentine flow path for a second fluid. An opening (30) is located in the housing (10) near each end thereof and is in fluid communication with the second fluid flow path (28).

Abstract: A vehicle radiator including inlet and outlet headers, a soldered core having a plurality of coolant flat tubes joining the inlet header and the outlet header with cooling fins on opposite sides of the coolant flat tubes, and a multifunction flat tube on at least one side of the core. The multifunction flat tube has a greater section modulus than the coolant flat tubes, and is soldered to adjacent cooling fins and the inlet and outlet headers whereby the multifunction flat tube carries coolant from the inlet header to the outlet header. The multifunction flat tubes each also have an inner flow resistance which is substantially smaller than the inner flow resistance of individual coolant flat tubes whereby more coolant flows through each multifunction flat tube than flows through an individual coolant flat tube per unit time.

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: Optimization of the efficiency of a compact cooling system for air cooling of at least two different heat exchange fluids is obtained in a construction including three heat exchangers (10), (12), (14) arranged in a housing-like shape with an open center. A radial fan (44) is located within the housing and is rotatable about an axis (42). A front panel (36) having an air inlet (38) on the axis (44) abuts a corresponding one of the opposed sides (26), (62) of each of the heat exchangers while a rear panel abuts the other of the opposed sides (64) of each of the heat exchangers (10), (12), (14) and journals the fan (44) for rotation about the axis (44).

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.

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: A compact cooling system including a radial fan directing air flow outwardly and a plurality of heat exchangers disposed around the radial fan. Each heat exchanger has a plurality of tubes extending between an inlet header and an outlet header, with the headers extending generally in the same direction as the fan axis. A system inlet is connected to the inlet headers and a system outlet is connected to the outlet headers, whereby the length of the connection between each heat exchanger and the system outlet and system inlet is generally the same for each heat exchanger.

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: 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.