Intank oil cooler

Abstract

An intank oil cooler assembly comprises a plurality of manifold end connected, vertically stacked, elongated tubular panel subassemblies, containing structurally enhancing header manifold connector end post with external circular wide flanges, manifold intermediate spacer disc washers, and a base plate subassembly placed in a supporting bottom base position. Each thin-walled, tubular panel subassembly has header manifold inlet and outlet end sections, an internal central longitudinal flow channel region designed for conducting internal fluid flow, and also, has a turbulizer subassembly installed therein for causing internal fluid turbulization to optimize heat transfer. Each tubular panel subassembly is fabricated by laminating together paired, thin-walled plate elements having sidewalls embossed with dimpled exterior surface projections on their outer convex surface and axially corresponding reverse side dimpled depressions on their inner concave surface. Opposing tubular panel dimple surface projections are top end flattened and brazed externally together to position and form a geometrically desired fluid passageway between each thin-walled, tubular panel subassembly.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of heat exchangers, and more particularly to intank coolers.

2. Background Discussion

Many different types of intank oil coolers are constructed comprising a vertical stack of individual, tubular panel subassemblies. These intank oil coolers, in general use, are used for heat transfer purposes in applications internal to a primary fluid system. This invention is applicable to intank oil cooler assemblies where the primary design consideration includes providing good heat transfer characteristics obtained from the in-series stacking of individual tubular type, paired plate, panel subassemblies, each having an interior longitudinal fluid flow channel containing therein an internal turbulizer subassembly for enhancing heat transfer. In these intank oil cooler assemblies, the individual tubular panels are vertically stacked parallel together in a series arrangement, and are fabricated with opposing inlet and outlet header sections end manifold ports and the inlet and outlet end header manifold port sections are interconnected, so that one end manifold port header region defines the fluid port inlet end for the acceptance of inlet fluid flow and the opposing header manifold fluid port set defines the fluid port outlet end for the discharge of the fluid flow.

In intank oil cooler applications having tubular type paired plate subassemblies, performance is optimized by increasing the heat exchanger effective surface area and decreasing tubular wall thickness to enhance heat transfer. Prior to lamination, the panel element surface is embossed with dimples which project externally outward in each of the embossed single panel elements and, in the past, usually required the heat exchanger paired plate panels to be thickened in sidewall thickness to withstand high fluid flow capacity and fluid pressure as required to effect the desired heat dissipation rate demanded by the heat generating source.

The novelty of the herein disclosed intank oil cooler assembly invention is that the subject intank oil cooler assembly is fabricated with comparatively thinner walled, tubular panel sidewalls to enhance heat transfer characteristics, without the inherent resulting structural weakness of thin-walled tubular panels. The structural design weakness of thin-walled tubular panels is overcome by providing structural enhancing manifold external circular wide retention flanges, manifold intermediate disc spacer washers, and a base stiffening plate to impart greater sufficient structural strength to the individual tubular panel subassemblies that are fabricated and stacked in vertical sequence, so that the series of minimized thin-walled paired plate tubular panel subassemblies optimize heat transfer, while the mounting connector end post, external circular wide retention flanges, manifold intermediate spacer disc washers, and the base plate overcome distortion, thereby minimizing intank oil cooler assembly size and weight, and further, reducing fabrication costs and installation space.

The inventor has determined for specific heat exchanger applications the proper design of the plate element thin-wall width thickness, the dimension of the external circular wide retention flanges, the dimensions of the manifold intermediate spacer disc washers, and the structural base plate dimensions, that in combination with the stacked individual tubular type, paired plate panel subassemblies achieve optimum performance from the intank oil cooler assembly design parameters. The placement of the manifold intermediate spacer disc washers in the manifold subassemblies decreases intank oil cooler assembly height, thereby minimizing cooler size, while providing the desired intank oil cooler heat dissipation design without comprising overall structural strength for each specific cooler application.

Furthermore, an internal turbulizer subassembly of varied construction types and design configurations can be installed internally within the tubular panel subassembly to achieve the desired degree of turbulation of internal fluid flow in the tubular panel interior channel region, thereby further improving customizing the intank cooler heat transfer characteristics.

SUMMARY

This intank oil cooler invention is fabricated with embossed paired sets of dimpled elongate, single thin-walled plate elements that are perimeter laminated together to form longitudinal elongate tubular plate panels having opposing header manifold end sections that are placed in parallel relationship in a vertical stack. The header manifold end sections are aligned with manifold intermediate spacer disc washers and sealed hermetically together, so that the proximal ends form a header manifold inlet port for accepting input fluid flow and the opposing distal ends form a header manifold outlet port header for discharging fluid flow discharge.

The mounting top connector end post, external circular wide flange, and the manifold intermediate spacer disc washers in combination with the support base plate subassembly are designed in proportional relationship to the sidewall thickness of the plate elements to provide structural integrity with the combined effect of the external flange of the intank oil cooler connection post, the manifold intermediate spacer disc washer, the support base plate, and the vertically stacked, thin-walled, tubular plate panel subassemblies. The laminated, paired set of single, thin-walled plate elements that form the tubular plate panel subassembly are each longitudinally embossed on their face surface to produce exterior dimpled convex projections that have an axially corresponding, opposing interior concave dimpled surface on their reverse side surface, the surface of the top tubular panel subassembly in the stack having a flattened surface with no exterior dimpled convex projections.

The dimpled exterior convex projections are of equal vertical height and are flattened on their top end surface to be joined together by brazing along a common horizontal plane, the co-joined flat top surfaces acting as tubular plate panel subassembly divider spacing elements for maintaining a fluid passageway region equidistant vertical distance spacing between opposing parallel tubular plate panel subassemblies in the vertical stack of tubular plate panel subassemblies, the dimple projections partially defining the external fluid flow parallel passageways and providing uniform distance spacing between adjacent external surfaces of the tubular panel subassemblies.

The intank oil cooler dimpled external fluid flow passageway regions, that are uniformly spaced apart by the dimple shaped vertical projection embossments, are positioned uniformly in a geometric flow configuration in the external fluid flow channel region to cause the fluid flowing through the external central flow channel sub-region to intermix both longitudinally and circularly around the dimple projections to improve heat transfer. The structural support base plate is fastened to the bottom surface of the lowest tubular plate panel subassembly in the vertical stack to provide the intank oil cooler panel with structural integrity in the bottom area of the header manifold region for distortion resistance to high operating pressures, thereby minimizing the tubular panel single plate element wall thickness to obtain a corresponding weight reduction and size reduction of the intank oil cooler.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved structurally rigid, vertically stacked, intank oil cooler assembly composed of thin-walled plates that are constructed by laminating thin-walled, paired plate panel subassemblies together to produce an efficient intank oil cooler assembly requiring relatively small installation space while meeting the same or greater heat transfer and quantitative fluid flow capacity of a larger intank oil cooler assembly.

Another object of this invention is to provide an intank oil cooler being structurally enhanced to effect structural stability by having a mounting top connector end post with an external circular wide flange, manifold intermediate spacer disc washers, and a base plate to minimize the wall thickness of the tubular panel subassembly, thereby minimizing the size of the intank oil cooler assembly.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lightweight and low cost intank oil cooler assembly that is of a reduced total weight less than intank oil cooler assemblies presently commercially available for heat transfer applications.

Another object of this invention is to reduce the manufacturing cost of the intank oil cooler assembly by reducing the wall material thickness of the thin-walled tubular panel subassemblies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved intank oil cooler assembly.

FIG. 2 is a partial side elevational view showing the improved intank oil cooler assembly.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the improved intank oil cooler assembly with structural reinforcing components including the header manifold external mounting post, circular wide flange; the header manifold intermediate spacer washers; and, the base support plate.

FIG. 4a is a header manifold cross-sectional side view along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4b is a header manifold cross-sectional view along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 containing a turbulizer subassembly.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a turbulizer subassembly having a corrugated truncated triangular cross-section.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the thin-walled panel with structurally reinforcing embossed disc dished dimples in combination with the other structurally reinforcing components.

FIG. 7 is an alternative embodiment with cylindrical rod shaped dimples.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an intank oil cooler assembly 10 comprises a series of vertically stacked, elongate thin-walled tubular panel subassemblies 20. These tubular panel subassemblies 20 are assembled in a stack face-to-face, in spaced-apart relationship to form uniform external passageway regions 29 between opposing exterior sidewall faces of the vertically stacked, tubular panel subassemblies 20. As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, each thin-walled tubular panel subassembly 20 has at least one internal channel longitudinal flow region 28 within the tubular panel subassembly 20, and are fabricated from a paired set of plate element members 30 having embossed dimples 40 on their convex outer sidewall surface 32 and axially corresponding concave inner sidewall surface 34.

Referring to FIG. 2, each tubular panel subassembly 20 is constructed by first assembling together a paired set of plate element members 30 that are fixedly paired for subsequent lamination in face-to-face hermetically sealed contact. These paired set of plate element members 30 are laminated together with their convex outer surfaces 32 in corresponding longitudinal parallel alignment. After lamination, each embossed dimple 40 has an exterior convex projection 42 and an interior concave depression 44, and is of equal vertical height with a truncated flattened top 46 in common lateral alignment along a horizontal plane with respect to each other. The dimpled projection flattened peaks 46 are brazed together along the dimpled projection flattened peaks contact surface 48. These exterior convex projection surfaces 42 are positioned on the exterior surface of each tubular panel subassembly 20 and are uniformly located with respect to each other, and thereby, after being brazed together, form the spaced-apart, tubular panel subassembly 20, having a convex outer sidewall surface 24 that defines the sidewalls of external passageway regions 29, wherein exterior fluid flows between each adjacent tubular panel subassembly 20 for heat transfer. The horizontal external passageway regions 29 are defined by the opposite facing, adjacent external outer sidewall surfaces of the parallel aligned, tubular panel subassemblies 20.

Coolant fluid entering the tubular panel subassembly 20, internal longitudinal flow channel region 28, first enters the inlet header manifold 52, and then flows through the intank oil cooler assembly 10, vertically stacked series of tubular panel subassemblies 20. The header manifold subassemblies 50 are comprised of a fluid flow inlet defining a proximal inlet port end section 52 and a fluid flow outlet defining a distal outlet port end section 54 from which fluid flow is discharged. Surrounding the intank oil cooler assembly 10, proximal inlet port end section 52 opening, is an inlet header manifold embossed concave disc shaped depression area 36 in the plate element member 30, and surrounding the intank oil cooler assembly 10, distal outlet port end section 54 opening is a similar outlet header manifold embossed concave dish shaped depression area 36. Each plate element member 30 embossed depressed area forms a bell-shaped depression and is located at each manifold end to accommodate a manifold intermediate spacer disc washer 60 having a top disc surface 62, a bottom disc surface 64, a sidewall surface 66, and a central aperture 68.

With reference to FIGS. 3 & 4, each plate element member 30 has a substantially similar header inlet and outlet manifold subassembly 50 with an interconnecting axial fluid channel that after laminating are aligned by a manifold intermediate spacer disc washer 60 with that of a succeeding embossed plate element member 30 to form each header manifold proximal inlet port end section 52 and distal outlet port end section 54. Each header manifold subassembly 50, except the one on the upper surface of the outer plate element member 30 of the uppermost tubular panel subassembly 20, is an integral portion of the header manifold opening of each tubular panel subassembly 20. Header manifold embossments of adjacent tubular panel subassemblies 20 are disposed axially in abutting relationship by the header manifold intermediate spacer disc washers 60 and are brazed together around their outside perimeter surfaces to define an annular region where they are permanently brazed together. The respective header manifold subassemblies 50 of each adjacent tubular panel subassembly 20 is manifold intermediate spacer disc washers 60 interconnected, preferably by brazing at their outermost end surfaces to the succeeding header manifold subassembly 50 of the innermost panel, thus joining each successive manifold subassembly 50 to the next succeeding tubular panel subassembly 20. Each intank oil cooler assembly 10 header manifold subassembly 50 is aligned with the internal flow channel by the manifold intermediate spacer disc washers 60 connectively joined to the brazed header manifold subassembly 50 having an external circular wide flange 56, top connector post 58.

Each intank oil cooler assembly 10 has an inlet constructed manifold subassembly substantially identical to the opposing outlet constructed manifold subassembly. Internal coolant fluid, after flowing through any of the tubular panel subassemblies 20 returns to the fluid coolant source by discharging through the header manifold distal outlet port end section 54. The header manifold distal outlet port end section 54 is constructed to provide a fluid discharge exit opening at the distal end of each tubular panel subassembly 20, through which fluid can be discharged from each tubular panel subassembly 20 after having initially flowed therethrough.

For improving convection through both the outer and inner thin sidewalls of the tubular panel subassembly 20, each of the plate element members 30 is constructed with external, vertically spaced apart, exterior convex dimple projections 42 arranged geometrically on the convex outer sidewall surface 24 of each plate element member 30 in a generally uniform staggered geometric pattern. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the embossed outer sidewall surface 24 has individual exterior convex projections 42 that are butt end, braze connected; and extend vertically to form a dimple common contact plane area 74.

These exterior convex projection 42 of the tubular panel subassembly 20, convex surface 32 are embossed on the exterior surface portions of the thin sidewalls of each tubular panel subassembly 20 external passageway region 29, and the external dimples 40 project individually vertically outward from the upper and bottom exterior sidewall surfaces of the tubular panel subassembly 20.

On both the upper and bottom exterior thin sidewall surfaces 24 & 26 of the tubular panel subassembly 20, the exterior convex projections 42 function is to improve heat transfer performance by directing movement of the external fluid coolant passing over the exterior surface of the tubular panel subassembly 20 toward the longitudinal, center of the tubular panel subassembly 20, where there is usually less unimpeded fluid flow than at the tubular panel subassembly 20 edge regions. On the concave channel inner sidewall surface 26, the increased effective width, because of the embossed dimples 40, provides a path of reduced flow resistance directed toward the outer internal edge of the tubular panel subassembly 20, where this effect causes the internal fluid to flow toward the more effective cooling edge tubular panel region to create greater fluid flow mixing action within the internal channel longitudinal flow region 28 of the tubular panel subassembly 20.

The embossed dimpled 40, exterior convex projection 42, thus constructed, also contributes to improved heat transfer by providing additional heat transfer surface area on both the outer sidewall surface 24 and the inner sidewall surface 26 of the tubular panel subassembly 20.

Before fabrication, each plate element member 30 has been machine embossed between suitably shaped dies. It is technically well established that the thinner the sidewall thickness with which the embossed plate element member 30 is fabricated, the more effective is the tubular panel subassembly 20 in transferring heat from the fluid flowing inside the tubular panel subassembly 20 to the outer sidewall surface 24 of the tubular panel subassembly 20. But conversely, these plate element members 30, when thinly fabricated for good heat transfer, are more susceptible to distortion by flow fluid heat and pressures that develop within the tubular panel subassembly 20, and also by the thermal stresses imposed by the brazing operations used to fabricate the thin-walled, tubular panel subassembly 20.

The exterior convex dimple projection 42 is dynamically well suited for also imparting the required additional structural strength to reduce or prevent undesirable tubular panel subassembly 20 warping and other distortion. When the tubular panel subassembly 20 is pressurized, tubular panel subassembly 20 distortion deflections tend to occur along pressure induced stress lines. The inclusion in the tubular panel subassembly 20 surfaces of the embossed dimple 40, exterior convex projection 42, increases the moment of inertia along these lines, resulting in significant added desirable panel stiffness in the tubular panel subassembly 20.

Another alternative structural feature to increase heat transfer is by increasing the surface area of the tubular panel subassembly 20 intank oil cooler assembly 10 is shown in FIG. 7. In certain alternative intank oil cooler assembly 10 design applications, it has been necessary for the tubular panel subassembly 20 to be constructed with larger dimensions to provide greater surface area for promoting greater heat transfer, than is the case with the intank oil cooler assembly 10 present invention. A tubular panel subassembly 20 design constructed with larger dimples, or in the alternative, constructed with large semi-circular, rod-type ridges has been, in the past, to be found suitable for these applications. In prior art inventions, various shaped, flatenned dimples enable the tubular panel subassembly 20 to withstand high internal fluid pressures without distortion. A plurality of vertically spaced, dimpled semi-circular embossment vertical dimple projections are provided along vertical lines in the external passageways of the tubular panel subassembly 20 of the intank oil cooler assembly 10, each horizontal external passageway centerline being formed approximately midway between vertical embossment projections and the vertical edges of the intank oil cooler assembly 10. The aligned embossed dimples of the paired external tubular panel subassembly 20 plate element members 30 engage each other and are brazed at their upper flattened ends and are brazed together to produce the external passageway region 29. These spaced apart, vertical dimples 40 impart added mechanical strength without greatly reducing fluid flow mixing between central regions of the tubular panel subassembly 20.

In this alternate embodiment FIG. 7, the tubular panel subassembly 20 dimpled vertical embossments are fabricated as separate embossments 40 in the form of the semi-circular rod-shaped ridges. An advantage of the semi-circular rod type projection embossment of FIG. 7 is that this type of metal tubular panel subassembly 20 promotes larger heat transfer surface area than dimpled circular cross-section vertical embossments.

In the preferred embodiment designs of FIGS. 1-6, it is to be noted that the reinforcing embossments are in the form of localized circular dimples, rather than dimples with semi-circular cylindrical ridge, as shown in FIG. 7. This has the advantage of allowing internal fluid to flow more freely and with less resistance through the external passageway region 29 of the tubular panel subassembly 20 and the panel edge regions, than would be the case if a vertically extending dimple semi-circular rod shaped ridge were designed in their location. This substantially unimpeded fluid flow promotes good uniform fluid mixing between the warmer fluid in the central regions of the internal system cooler assembly 10 and the fluid near the outer edges of the tubular panel subassembly 20, thus counteracting the tendency for uneven cooling to occur as a result of the inherent extra cooling that tends to be present along the edges of each tubular panel subassembly 20.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a method is presented for fabricating an intank oil cooler assembly 10 to conduct internal fluid flow through a plurality of vertically stacked, elongated thin-walled, tubular panel subassemblies 20. The thin-walled tubular panel subassemblies 20 are placed in face-to-face, spaced-apart relationship to form vertically spaced external passageway regions 29 between the exterior surface faces of the tubular panel subassemblies 20. The thin-walled tubular panel subassembly 20, convex exterior 32 are pre-embossed with a dimpled exterior convex projection 42 having a corresponding axial concave surface 34 on the reverse corresponding inner sidewall surface 26.

Referring to FIGS. 3 & 4, each tubular panel subassembly 20 is fabricated by first pairing sets of plate element members 22, with their perimeters aligned together, and then hermetically sealed by brazing them together to form internal channel flow regions 28 for conducting longitudinal flow of an internal fluid, the plate element member 30 have exterior convex projections 42 having been fabricated of equal vertical height, aligned axially with respect to each other, and their abutting truncated outer flattened ends are brazed together along a projection peak contact surface 48, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 6. These projection flattened peak contact surfaces 48 are aligned with their exterior convex projection 42 uniformly dividing the tubular panel subassembly 20 into spaced-apart, side-by-side horizontal external passageway regions 29 to conduct fluid flow in the thus formed external passageway channels 29 disposed between adjacent tubular panel subassembly 20, and that are defined by the opposing facing convex surfaces 32 of the perimeter aligned, laminated tubular panel subassembly 20.

When coolant fluid enters the manifold of the tubular panel subassembly 20, internal channel region for longitudinal flow 28, the fluid flows through the vertically stacked, intank oil cooler assembly 10 series of tubular panel subassemblies 20. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the manifold subassembly 50 has a proximal inlet port end section 52 and a distal outlet port end section 54, that together define the internal fluid flow header manifold 50 intake and discharge ports.

The paired set of plate element members 22 are fabricated with substantially identical header manifold connecting embossments that are aligned by a manifold intermediate spacer disc washer 60 with a first embossed plate element member 30. Each of these manifold subassembly 50 proximal inlet port end section 52 and the distal outlet port end section 54, except the one on the outer plate element member 30 of the uppermost panel, is a portion of the header manifold opening to the tubular panel subassembly 20. Fluid inlet and fluid outlet header manifold embossments of aligned adjacent thin-walled, tubular panel subassemblies 20 are disposed by the header manifold in abutting relationship, and then are brazed together with and to the manifold intermediate spacer disc washer 60 around the outside perimeter of the annular region, where fixed in location, they are braze mated together.

Internal fluid first flows through the first header manifold proximal inlet port end section 52 and then through the integrated interconnected header manifold section, and into the aligned internal channel region longitudinal flow region 28 of the tubular panel subassembly 20 that defines the external circular flange top connector end region 56 leading directly into the intank oil cooler assembly 10.

Fluid flow through the internal system cooler assembly 10 lower header manifold constructed section is substantially identical to the upper header manifold construction section. Internal coolant fluid, after flowing through any of the tubular panel subassemblies 20 that are stacked in parallel, then returns to the fluid coolant source through the header manifold distal outlet port end section 54.

The distal outlet port end section 54 is constructed to provide for fluid exit discharge at the header manifold distal outlet port end section 54 of each tubular panel subassembly 20, whereby the fluid can subsequently exit each tubular panel subassembly 20 after first flowing through the tubular panel subassembly 20.

Heat transfer convection is improved through the outer sidewall surface 24 and the inner sidewall surface 26 of the tubular panel subassembly 20 by each of the plate element members 30 by the spaced vertically projecting embossed dimples 40 on each plate element member 30 that are positioned in a generally staggered uniform pattern. As shown in FIGS. 2 thru 6, the individual embossed dimples 40 extend transversely from the dimple vertically extending horizontal mating plane 48. Embossed dimples on the exterior surface portions of each plate element member 30 form portions of the thin wall sections of the tubular panel subassembly 20, external passageway regions 29. The external dimples, project upward from the exterior surface of the tubular panel subassembly 20, outer sidewall surface 24. The embossed dimples 40 projections function to improve heat transfer conductance as the fluid coolant passes over the surface of the tubular panel subassemblies 20 causing fluid flow toward the axial center of the tubular panel subassembly 20, where there is -usually less flow than at the edge regions. Internally, the fluid courses in a path of reduced flow resistance directed toward the outer edge of the tubular panel subassembly 20.

Exterior convex projections 42, contribute to improved cooling by providing additional heat transfer contact area surface for both the external and internal sidewalls of the tubular panel subassembly 20 and the embossed dimple 40 surfaces impart needed additional structural strength and resistance to distortion. During operation, pressurization of the fluid tubular panel subassembly 20 causes panel deflection from pressure along these pressure lines. In the tubular panel subassembly 20 of the exterior convex projection 42, as the moment of inertia increases along these lines, this results in significant added stiffness to the tubular panel subassembly 20.

The thin-walled construction of the tubular panel subassemblies 20 requires the addition to the intank oil cooler assembly of a bottom structural base support plate subassembly 80, this base plate having a base plate lower surface 84 with a base plate thickness and top surface 82 for providing supporting structural strength to the intank oil cooler

The thin-walled tubular panel subassemblies 20 necessitate the structural additions of header manifold a external circular wide flanges, manifold intermediate spacer disc washers 60 and the bottom structural base support plate subassembly 80 having a base plate top surface 82 combination and a base plate lower surface 84 to provide structural strength reinforcement against fabrication and operational distortion in the intank oil cooler.

Thus, the method for fabricating an intank oil cooler assembly 10 comprises assembling at least two laminated paired set plate element members 22, and then sealing the members peripherally in paired sets together to form elongated tubular panel subassemblies 20 having internal channel longitudinal flow regions 28. The tubular panel subassemblies 20 are stacked vertically in series, the elongated tubular panel subassemblies 20 when end joined together, at a proximal inlet port end section 52 form a header manifold adapted for accepting fluid flow and at the distal outlet port end section 54 define an outlet header manifold adapted for discharging fluid flow with an interconnecting manifold intermediate spacer disc washers 60 therebetween. At least one base plate subassembly, when placed in a base position in the vertical tubular panel subassembly 20 tubular panel stack, provides the structural support base for the series of elongated tubular panel subassemblies 20 forming the intank oil cooler assembly 10.

Prior to tubular panel subassembly 20 fabrication, each single plate element is fabricated with embossments to produce a structural surface dimpled condition having on one side a exterior convex projection 42 and on the opposing interior side an axially complimentary dimpled interior concave depression surface 44. The exterior convex projections 42 are embossed dimples 40 of equidistant vertical height, and are positionally located between opposing outer sidewall surfaces 24 of each tubular panel subassembly 20, and are flattened on the dimpled projection top surface for interconnection brazing. Each tubular panel subassembly 20 dimpled projection top surface that is joined and sealed together to positionally fix and space each said tubular panel subassembly 20 equidistant from an opposing tubular panel subassembly 20 surface.

The intank oil cooler assembly 10 dimple projection top surfaces, when joined together in a common horizontal plane 48, are uniformly staggered to define a desired, configures external passageway regions between adjacent tubular panel subassemblies 20 and in a design configuration that maximizes the cooling heat transfer effect.

After embossing the dimple projection embossments in each plate element member 30 in an alternating transverse singular and end paired set, plate element members 22 to thus define the external fluid flow circulation passageway regions 29 between each of the tubular panel subassembly 20, the internal turbulizer subassembly 90 is fabricated for installation in the internal channel region/longitudinal flow 28. The internal turbulizer subassembly 90 may be constructed of various materials to produce a turbulizer corrugated triangular cross-sectional area 92; a turbulizer of corrugated rounded, semi-circular cross-sectional area 94; or a hybrid composition corrugated cross-section. The tubular panel subassembly 20 turbulizer subassembly may be constructed of a metallic wire mesh or solid wall composition having various cross-sectional area geometric configurations. Accordingly, in other embodiments, the intank oil cooler assembly 10 may be constructed with various internal turbulizer subassemblies 90 constructed of various composite material compositions.

The function of the internal turbulizer subassembly 90 is to provide for the internal intermixing of fluid flow for promoting fluid temperature distribution in the fluid flow channel of the tubular panel subassembly 20, which in turn, produces enhanced uniform heat transfer in the interior of the tubular panel subassembly 20 for the intank oil cooler assembly 10

The header manifold intermediate spacer disc washer 60, the bottom structural base support plate subassembly 80, and the external circular wide flange top connector end is designed to provide, in combination with the vertical stack of tubular panel subassemblies 20, the substantially ideal structural composite strength for the thin-walled tubular panel, intank oil cooler 10.

The design variables that influence the construction structural configuration of a intank oil cooler 10 are the plate element thin-wall minimal thickness, the structural strength of the tubular panel subassembly 20, the design of the external circular wide flanges of the top connector mounting posts of the header manifold, the header manifold intermediate spacer disc washers 60, the structural reinforcing support plate, all contributing design factors calculated to produce a minimal weight and size, distortion resistant, efficient intank oil cooler 10 that maximizes heat transfer.

While we have shown and described particular embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects; and it is our intention herein to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the spirit and scope of this invention.

Claims

1. An intank oil cooler assembly comprising:

a. a thin-walled, paired set of single plate elements, each embossed on one sidewall surface with dimpled convex projections and embossed on the reverse sidewall surface with axially corresponding complimentary concave dimpled depressions, and then being laminated peripherally together to form an elongate, tubular panel subassembly having a header manifold, one at the proximal end and one at the distal end, and therewithin at least one longitudinal internal flow channel region;

b. at least two said elongate, tubular panel subassemblies being vertically stacked in parallel series, and each said tubular panel assembly being end joined together with an adjacent tubular panel subassembly at the proximal ends to define an inlet header manifold section being adapted for accepting fluid flow and at the distal ends to define an outlet header manifold section being adapted for discharging fluid flow, and said each manifold section being axially joined together with manifold intermediate-spacer disc washers, said manifold sections having external circular wide retention flanges;

c. each of said dimpled convex projections being of equal vertical height, top flattened, and joined together for positionally fixing and spacing each said tubular panel subassembly equidistant from and in parallel relationship with respect to an adjacent tubular panel subassembly; and

d. at least one structural support plate subassembly being constructed with a pre-determined thickness for being fastened to at least one said tubular panel subassembly member in said vertical stack to structurally reinforce said intank oil cooler assembly.

2. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 1 wherein the predetermined dimensions of said external circular wide retention flanges, said manifold intermediate spacer washers, and said support plate subassembly are determined by the structural distortion stabilization required by said vertical stacked, tubular panel subassembly.

3. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said structural support plate is secured to the lower surface of the most bottom positioned tubular panel subassembly.

4. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 3, wherein all of said dimple projection top surfaces are individually sealed together along a common horizontal plane.

5. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 4, wherein said dimple embossed projections are staggered uniformly to define parallel passageway regions between adjacent tubular panel subassemblies.

6. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 5, wherein said dimple projections are embossed in said plate element member, alternating in a pattern of single and paired sets to define each said fluid flow passageway region between adjacent said tubular panel subassemblies.

7. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said turbulizer subassembly is constructed with corrugations, each having a triangular cross-sectional area.

8. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said turbulizer subassembly is constructed with corrugations, each having a rounded semi-circular, cross-sectional area.

9. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 6, wherein each said turbulizer subassembly is constructed of a wire mesh composite material.

10. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 6, wherein each said turbulizer subassembly is corrugated to form a triangular cross-section and is constructed from wire mesh.

11. A method for constructing an intank oil cooler assembly comprising the steps of:

a. first fabricating and then laminating peripherally together a thin-walled, paired set of single plate elements each embossed on one sidewall surface area with dimpled convex projections and on the reverse sidewall surface area with axially corresponding, complimentary concave dimpled depressions to form a thin-walled, elongate tubular panel subassembly having between the proximal and distal ends therewithin at least one longitudinal internal flow channel region;

b. vertically stacking in series, and then end joining together in a header manifold, each said thin-walled elongate, tubular panel subassembly with an adjacent said tubular panel subassembly along their respective perimeters to define a header manifold inlet section at the proximal end adapted for accepting inlet fluid flow and at the distal end to define a header manifold outlet section adapted for discharging fluid flow, and each said manifold section having external circular wide retention flanges being axially connected together by manifold intermediate spacer disc washers;

c. each said dimpled convex projection top surfaces being of equal vertical height and adapted for positioning said tubular panels in said vertical stack equidistant from and parallel with an adjacent tubular panel subassembly; and

d. fastening at least one support plate subassembly in a structural position in said vertical stack to provide structural reinforcement to the intank oil cooler assembly.

12. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 11, wherein said structural support plate is fastened to the lower surface of the most bottom positioned tubular panel subassembly.

13. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 12, wherein all of said dimple projection top surfaces are individually sealed together along a common horizontal plane.

14. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 13, wherein said dimple embossed projections are staggered uniformly to define fluid passageway regions between each adjacent tubular panel subassemblies.

15. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 14, wherein said dimple embossed projections are embossed in said plate element member in alternating singular and paired sets to define fluid flow parallel passageway regions between adjacent said tubular panel subassemblies.

16. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 15, wherein said dimple embossed projections are embossed with flattened, round-edged top surfaces in said plate element member in a pattern of alternating single and paired sets within said fluid flow passageway regions positioned between adjacent said tubular panel subassemblies.

17. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 16, wherein said turbulizer subassembly is constructed with triangular cross-sectional corrugations.

18. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 16, wherein said turbulizer subassembly is constructed with corrugations having a rounded, semi-circular cross-sectional area.

19. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 16, wherein said turbulizer subassembly is constructed of a wire mesh composite material.

20. The intank oil cooler, as claimed in claim 16, wherein said turbulizer subassembly is corrugated and constructed from a wire mesh material.