Heat exchanger and method of manufacturing
A heat exchanger including at least one collecting tank for input and output of a first heat transfer medium, a plurality of plastic tubes receiving the first heat transfer medium from the at least one collecting tank and outputting the first heat transfer medium to the at least one collecting tank, and a plurality of metal heat exchange elements between the tubes and in heat exchange contact with the tubes and a second heat transfer medium. At least some of the heat exchange elements are incorporated in the tube walls, with wave crests and troughs embedded in furrows of the walls. The heat exchanger is manufactured by heating the heat exchange element to plasticize the tubes at least at the contact sites between the tubes and the heat exchange elements, and then producing intimate contact between the tube and the heat exchange element.
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIXNot applicable.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention is directed toward heat exchangers, and particularly toward heat exchangers having plastic components.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS POSED BY THE PRIOR ARTDE 33 02 150 A1 discloses one example of a heat exchanger having flat metal tubes and flat metal ribs having the contour of the openings corresponding to the flat tubes. One flat tube each is inserted through each opening of a stack of ribs so that a heat exchanger block is formed by a number of tubes that are passed through a stack of ribs. The heat exchanger also has side parts made of plastic and a bottom part viewed as a collecting tank, which also consists of plastic. The soldering process often required to produce heat exchangers is avoided by this structure, thereby advantageously allowing the significant energy requirements, related costs and environmental burdens of soldering processes to be avoided. However, the contact between the flat tubes and the heat exchanger elements is not particularly intensive in this structure, and therefore heat exchange is inhibited. An identical design of the heat exchangers with respect to the described features can also be found in DE 32 02 901 C2 and DE 32 10 114 C2.
DE 37 28 303 A1 discloses a heat exchanger having round tubes and heat exchange elements (flat or corrugated ribs) made of plastic, which were produced in one piece with the tubes. This heat exchanger can also be produced without soldering, but heat exchange efficiency is not ideal. WO 00/43722 A1 also teaches round tubes made of plastic, without heat exchange elements between the tubes, where the tubes run in close wave-like rows to increase heat transfer between the cooling air flowing around the tubes and the charge air flowing in the tubes by deflecting the cooling air several times. Heat exchange efficiency is not ideal with this structure either.
A heat exchanger that can have either metal or plastic tubes is described in EP 191 956 A1. The material to be used for the other components of the heat exchanger, especially for the heat exchange element, is not mentioned there, although it can be concluded from the configuration shown in the figures that it was produced from plastic. The heat exchanger has no collecting tanks but the heat exchanger block is situated in a housing and is traversed in cross-flow by the two heat exchange media. Its heat exchange efficiency is also not ideal.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect of the present invention, a heat exchanger is provided, including at least one collecting tank for input and output of a first heat transfer medium, a plurality of plastic tubes receiving the first heat transfer medium from the at least one collecting tank and outputting the first heat transfer medium to the at least one collecting tank, and a plurality of metal heat exchange elements between the tubes and in heat exchange contact with the tubes and a second heat transfer medium.
In one form of this aspect of the present invention, the tubes have walls, and at least some of the heat exchange elements are incorporated in the tube walls. In a further form, the corrugated ribs have wave crests and wave troughs, and the crests and troughs are embedded in the tube walls whereby the crests and troughs lie in furrows of the walls. In a still further form, the wave crests and wave troughs have protrusions which penetrate into the tube walls. In a yet further form, the protrusions pass through the tube walls.
In another form of this aspect of the present invention, the tubes are extruded flat tubes. In a further form, the tubes are multi-chamber tubes.
In still another form of this aspect of the present invention, the heat exchange elements are corrugated ribs. In a still further form, the ribs are produced from one of the group consisting of an aluminum sheet and a non-ferrous heavy-metal sheet.
In yet another form of this aspect of the present invention, the heat exchange elements are flat ribs having protruding fins with the ends of the fins incorporated in walls of the tubes.
In still another form of this aspect of the present invention, metal internal inserts are in the plastic tubes.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of producing a heat exchanger such as described above is provided, with the tubes and heat exchange elements assembled in a heat exchanger block, comprising the steps of (1) heating the heat exchange element to plasticize the tubes at least at the contact sites between the tubes and the heat exchange elements, and (2) producing intimate contact between the tube and the heat exchange element.
In one form of this aspect of the present invention, the heating step is accomplished by an electrical induction current.
In another form of this aspect of the present invention, the heat exchange elements are corrugated ribs with wave crests and wave troughs and, during the heating step, heat input is concentrated on the wave crests and wave troughs.
In still another form of this aspect of the present invention, cooling within the tubes is accomplished during the heating step. In a further form, the cooling is accomplished by compressed air in the tubes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Heat exchangers 20 variously embodying the present invention are illustrated in the Figures. Such heat exchangers 20 can be advantageously used, for example, in a vehicle as a radiator, a charge air cooler or an oil cooler, but it should be understood that heat exchangers incorporating the present invention may advantageously be used in other applications as well
As is apparent from
The heat exchanger of the illustrated embodiment has two collecting tanks 30 and 32 arranged on opposite ends 36 of the flat tubes 26. The collecting tanks 30, 32 as illustrated are inlet and outlet collecting tanks, although it will be understood by those skilled in the art that in some applications a single tank could serve as both the inlet and outlet. In versions (not shown) with only one collecting tank, a partition divides the collecting tank into an inlet and outlet collecting tank part and, in such cases, only one so-called deflection tank can be situated on the opposite end 36 of flat tube 26 or the ends 36 of flat tubes 26 can be closed, in which case the flat tubes 26 then advantageously have at least one internal partition. If a deflecting tank is provided, the partition in the tubes can be dispensed with, so that some tubes of the heat exchanger block are allocated to the inlet collecting tank part and other tubes to the outlet collecting tank part.
In accordance with the present invention, the collecting tanks 30, 32 may also advantageously consist of plastic. The ends 36 of the flat tubes 26 may be inserted into openings of the collecting tanks 30, 32 or into openings of tube bottoms that are part of the collecting tanks 30, 32, with a suitable stable and tight fastening therebetween provided by, for example, by welding or gluing (
As clearly shown in
Cooling air freely flows through the corrugated ribs 28 perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in
In
A heat exchanger of the described type is a distinct progress relative to the prior art in almost any relation, both in terms of cost-effective production and in terms of excellent heat exchange efficiency. The heat exchanger also has a comparatively limited weight and may be readily adapted to different applications (i.e., the necessary design changes can be converted to a specific product with relatively limited expense).
The flat tubes 26 according to the practical example in
As illustrated in
Cuts 64 are schematically shown in
In conjunction with the Figures already explained,
It should also be understood that the production method can initially produce individual subblocks of the subsequent heat exchanger block 22 (e.g., a heat exchange element 28 and one or two tubes 26), with the heat exchange element or elements 28 heated and joined to the tube or tubes during production of the subblocks. Matching subblocks can then, as described, be assembled (also by heating) into an entire heat exchanger block 22 at the seams of the subblocks of the heat exchange elements 28. Moreover, the heat exchanger block 22 can also be produced by assembling tubes 26 and heat exchange elements 28 in alternation individually. In this case, each individual-added heat exchange element 28 is heated and joined to one or two tubes 26. Such production may be achieved without having to use a soldering method to produce the heat exchanger.
Still other aspects, objects, and advantages of the present invention can be obtained from a study of the specification, the drawings, and the appended claims. It should be understood, however, that the present invention could be used in alternate forms where less than all of the objects and advantages of the present invention and preferred embodiment as described above would be obtained.
Claims
1. A heat exchanger, comprising:
- at least one collecting tank for input and output of a first heat transfer medium;
- a plurality of plastic tubes receiving said first heat transfer medium from said at least one collecting tank and outputting said first heat transfer medium to said at least one collecting tank; and
- a plurality of metal heat exchange elements between said tubes and in heat exchange contact with said tubes and a second heat transfer medium.
2. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein said tubes have walls, and at least some of said heat exchange elements are incorporated in said tube walls.
3. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein said corrugated ribs have wave crests and wave troughs, and said crests and troughs are embedded in said tube walls whereby the crests and troughs lie in furrows of the walls.
4. The heat exchanger of claim 3, wherein said wave crests and wave troughs have protrusions which penetrate into the tube walls.
5. The heat exchanger of claim 4, wherein said protrusions pass through the tube walls.
6. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein said tubes are extruded flat tubes.
7. The heat exchanger of claim 6, wherein said tubes are multi-chamber tubes.
8. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein said heat exchange elements are corrugated ribs.
9. The heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein said ribs are produced from one of the group consisting of an aluminum sheet and a non-ferrous heavy-metal sheet.
10. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein said heat exchange elements are flat ribs having protruding fins with the ends of said fins incorporated in walls of the tubes.
11. The heat exchanger of claim 1, further comprising metal internal inserts in the plastic tubes.
12. A method of producing a heat exchanger according to claim 1 with said tubes and heat exchange elements assembled in a heat exchanger block, comprising the steps of:
- heating the heat exchange element to plasticize the tubes at least at the contact sites between the tubes and the heat exchange elements; and
- producing intimate contact between the tube and the heat exchange element.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein said heating step is accomplished by an electrical induction current.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein said heat exchange elements are corrugated ribs with wave crests and wave troughs and, during said heating step, heat input is concentrated on said wave crests and wave troughs.
15. The method of claim 12, further comprising cooling within the tubes during said heating step.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said cooling is accomplished by compressed air in said tubes.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 21, 2005
Publication Date: Jun 22, 2006
Inventors: Jens Nies (Holzgerlinger), Frank Opferkuch (Unterensingen)
Application Number: 11/284,530
International Classification: F28D 1/02 (20060101);