Heat exchanger and method
A heat exchanger and a method of manufacturing a heat exchanger for transferring heat energy between first and second working fluids. The heat exchanger can include a housing, a plurality of tubes extending through the housing, and a baffle integrally formed with the housing. The baffle can include one or more fingers that can extend between at least two of the plurality of tubes. The method can include forming a baffle integrally from a side of a housing and positioning the baffle such that it extends into the interior space defined by the housing.
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The present invention relates to heat exchangers and, more particularly, to an exhaust gas recirculation cooler, a method of assembling the same, and a method of operating the same.
SUMMARYIn some embodiments, the invention provides a heat exchanger for transferring heat energy between first and second working fluids. The heat exchanger can include a housing, a number of tubes extending through the housing, and a baffle integrally formed with the housing. In some embodiments, the baffle can include a finger that extends between two of the tubes.
The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing a heat exchanger for transferring heat energy between first and second working fluids that can include the acts of providing a housing having at least two sides that are connected at an angle and define an interior space, forming a finger from one side, positioning a number of tubes in the interior space, and positioning the finger between two of the tubes. The method can also include the act of providing a bypass aperture in the finger such that a working fluid can flow through the finger. In some embodiments, the method can include the act of forming a number of fingers and positioning the fingers in the interior space.
In other embodiments, the invention provides a method of manufacturing a heat exchanger that can include the acts of providing a housing having at least two sides that define an interior space, positioning a number of tubes in the interior space, forming a baffle from one side of the housing, and folding the baffle with respect to the one side of the housing into engagement with at least one of the tubes. The invention can also include the act of providing an elastic element between the baffle and the one side of the housing.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
Also, it is to be understood that phraseology and terminology used herein with reference to device or element orientation (such as, for example, terms like “central, “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” and the like) are only used to simplify description of the present invention, and do not alone indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation. In addition, terms such as “first” and “second” are used herein for purposes of description and are not intended to indicate or imply relative importance or significance.
During operation and as explained in greater detail below, the heat exchanger 10 can transfer heat energy from a high temperature first working fluid (e.g., exhaust gas, water, engine coolant, CO2, an organic refrigerant, R12, R245fa, R22, R410A, air, and the like) to a lower temperature second working fluid (e.g., exhaust gas, water, engine coolant, CO2, an organic refrigerant, R12, R245fa, R22, R410A, air, and the like). In addition, while reference is made herein to transferring heat energy between two working fluids, in some embodiments of the present invention, the heat exchanger 10 can operate to transfer heat energy between three or more fluids. Alternatively or in addition, the heat exchanger 10 can operate as a recuperator and can transfer heat energy from a high temperature portion of a heating circuit to a low temperature portion of the same heating circuit. In some such embodiments, the heat exchanger 10 can transfer heat energy from a working fluid traveling through a first portion of the heat transfer circuit to the same working fluid traveling through a second portion of the heat transfer circuit.
The heat exchanger 10 can include a housing 12 which can extend along a portion of the length of the heat exchanger 10 and can cover at least one side of the heat exchanger 10. In some embodiments, such as the illustrated embodiment of
In embodiments such as the illustrated embodiment of
In the illustrated embodiment of
As shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments, such as the illustrated embodiment of
In other embodiments, the tubes 18 can have other orientations and configurations and the first and second flow paths 22, 24 can be maintained separate by other types of dividers, inserts, partitions, and the like. In still other embodiments, the first flow path 22 can extend through some of the tubes 18 while the second flow path 24 can extend through other tubes 18.
In the illustrated embodiment of
In the illustrated embodiment of
In yet other embodiments, the heat exchanger 10 can be configured as a multi-pass heat exchanger with the second working fluid traveling in a first pass between a first pair of adjacent tubes 18 and then traveling in a second pass between another pair of adjacent tubes 18 in a direction opposite to the flow direction of the second working fluid in the first pass. In these embodiments, the first working fluid can travel along the first flow path 22 through at least one of the tubes 18.
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 10 can include fluid chambers supported at one end 16 of the stake of the tubes 18, or alternatively, the heat exchanger 10 can include fluid chambers supported at both ends 16 of the stack of tubes 18. In some such embodiments, the header 14 can at least partially define a portion of one of the chambers. In embodiments having fluid chambers, a volume of the first working fluid, or alternatively a volume of the second working fluid can be housed in one of the fluid chambers.
As shown in
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 10 can include inserts 38 to improve heat transfer between the first and second working fluids as the first and second working fluids travel along the first and second flow paths 22, 24, respectively. As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment of
In some embodiments, the inserts 38 can be secured to the tubes 18. In some such embodiments, the inserts 38 are soldered, brazed, or welded to the tubes 18. In other embodiments, the inserts 38 can be connected to the tubes 18 in another manner, such as, for example, by an interference fit, adhesive or cohesive bonding material, fasteners, etc.
In some embodiments, the ends of the tubes 18 can be press-fit into a header 14. In some such embodiments, the ends of the tubes 18 and the inserts 38 supported in the tubes 18 or between the tubes 18 can be at least partially deformed when the tubes 18 and/or the inserts 38 are press-fit into the header 14. In some such embodiments, the tubes 18 and/or the inserts 38 are pinched and maintained in compression to secure the tubes 18 and/or the inserts 38 in a desired orientation and to prevent leaking.
In the illustrated embodiment of
The heat exchanger 10 can also include one or more baffles 30 integrally formed with the housing 12 or one of the housing portions 12a, 12b. The baffles 30 can be positioned along the length of the heat exchanger 10 and can extend between two or more of the tubes 18 to direct the flow of the second working fluid along the second flow path 24 and through the housing 12. In some embodiments, the baffles 30 can extend inwardly from housing 12 into an interior of the heat exchanger 10 in order to provide structural support for the tubes 18 and/or the inserts 38. Alternatively or in addition, the baffle 30 or a portion of the baffle 30 can at least partially define the second flow path 24. As illustrated in
Each of the baffles 30 can include one or more fingers 48, which extend inwardly into the interior of the housing 12 between adjacent tubes 18. In the illustrated embodiment of
As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment of
In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 10 can include a first baffle 30 located at one end of the heat exchanger 10 and a second baffle 30 located at the opposite end of the heat exchanger 10. In some such embodiments, the first baffle 30 can be integrally formed with the first housing portion 12a and can extend into the interior of the housing 12 from a first direction, and the second baffle 30 can be integrally formed with the second housing portion 12b and can extend into the interior of the housing 12 from a second direction. In other embodiments, both the first and second baffles 30 can be integrally formed with the first housing portion 12a and can extend into the interior of the housing 12 from a first direction, or alternatively, both the first and second baffles 30 can be integrally formed with the second housing portion 12b and can extend into the interior of the housing 12 from a second direction.
Additional baffles 30 can be positioned along the length of the heat exchanger 10 and can be integrally formed with the housing 12, or alternatively, can be secured to the housing 12. In some embodiments, additional baffles 30 are positioned between the opposite ends of the heat exchanger 10 with a first one of the additional baffles 30 having fingers 48 extending inwardly into the interior of the housing 12 from the first housing portion 12a and with a second one of the additional baffles 30 having fingers 48 extending inwardly into the interior of the housing 12 from the second housing portion 12a. In these embodiments, the baffles 30 can ensure that the second working fluid flowing along the second flow path 24 travels through the heat exchanger 10 along a circuitous or sinusoidal path around the ends of the fingers 48 of the baffles 30.
As shown in the embodiments of
In the illustrated embodiment of
The embodiments described above and illustrated in the figures are presented by way of example only and are not intended as a limitation upon the concepts and principles of the present invention. As such, it will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art that various changes in the elements and their configuration and arrangement are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A heat exchanger for transferring heat energy between a first working fluid and a second working fluid, the heat exchanger comprising:
- a housing having a first end and a second end;
- a plurality of tubes extending through the housing between the first end and the second end and providing a flow path for the first working fluid; and
- a baffle integrally formed with the housing for directing the flow of the second working fluid through the housing.
2. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the baffle includes a finger extending between two of the plurality of tubes.
3. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein the finger defines a bypass aperture extending between a first side of the finger and a second side of the finger.
4. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the baffle is moveably supported in the housing for movement relative to at least one of the plurality of tubes.
5. The heat exchanger of claim 4, wherein the baffle is movable in a direction substantially normal to a length of one of the plurality of tubes.
6. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the housing is formed from a first housing portion and a second housing portion secured to the first housing portion, and wherein the baffle extends into an interior space defined between the first housing portion and the second housing portion.
7. The heat exchanger of claim 6, wherein the baffle is a first baffle and is integrally formed with the first housing portion, and further comprising a second baffle extending into the interior space from the second housing portion.
8. The heat exchanger of claim 7, wherein the second baffle is integrally formed with the second housing portion.
9. The heat exchanger of claim 6, wherein the baffle is a first baffle and is integrally formed with the first housing portion, and further comprising a second baffle integrally formed with the first housing portion and extending into the interior space.
10. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the baffle is a first baffle, wherein the first baffle is adjacent to the first end of the housing, and wherein a second baffle is integrally formed with the housing adjacent to the second end of the housing.
11. A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger for transferring heat energy between a first working fluid and a second working fluid, the method comprising the acts of:
- providing a housing having a first side wall and a second side wall oriented at an angle with respect to the first side wall, together the first and second side walls at least partially defining an interior space;
- forming a finger from the first side wall;
- positioning a plurality of tubes in the interior space; and
- positioning the finger between two of the plurality of tubes.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the finger from the first side wall includes forming a plurality of fingers, and wherein positioning the finger between the two of the plurality of tubes includes moving at least two of the plurality of fingers into the interior space between the plurality of tubes.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a bypass aperture in the finger such that the working fluid can flow through the finger from an inlet end of the housing toward an outlet end of the housing.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein positioning the finger between the two of the plurality of tubes includes folding the finger into the interior space between the two of the plurality of tubes.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the finger from the first side wall includes cutting the first side wall.
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising moving the finger relative to the first side wall in a direction substantially normal to a longitudinal axis of one of the plurality of tubes.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the finger from the first side wall includes molding the first finger.
18. A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger for transferring heat energy between a first working fluid and a second working fluid, the method comprising the acts of:
- providing a generally planar housing plate;
- folding the plate to define a first side wall and a second side wall oriented at an angle with respect to the first side wall such that the first and second side walls together at least partially define an interior space;
- positioning a plurality of tubes in the internal space;
- forming a baffle from the first side wall; and
- folding the baffle with respect to the first side wall and into engagement with at least one of the plurality of tubes.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein forming the baffle from the first side wall includes cutting the first side wall.
20. The method of claim 18, further comprising piercing the baffle to provide a bypass channel through the baffle connecting an inlet side of the housing with an outlet side of the housing.
21. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing an elastic element between the baffle and the first side wall, the elastic element being deformable to allow movement of the baffle in a direction substantially normal to a flow path of the first working fluid through the housing.
22. The method of claim 18, further comprising moving the baffle relative to the first side wall in a direction substantially normal to a longitudinal axis of one of the plurality of tubes.
23. The method of claim 18, wherein forming the baffle from the first side wall includes forming a finger extending outwardly from the baffle, and wherein folding the baffle with respect to the first side wall and into engagement with the at least one of the plurality of tubes includes positioning the finger between two of the plurality of tubes.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 28, 2007
Publication Date: Oct 2, 2008
Applicant: Modine Manufacturing Company (Racine, WI)
Inventors: David W. Mast (Burlington, WI), Thomas J. Reiss (West Allis, WI), Christopher P. Schils (Joplin, MO)
Application Number: 11/729,410