U.S. patent application number 12/538520 was filed with the patent office on 2011-02-10 for self-powered heat exchanger.
This patent application is currently assigned to DENSO International America, Inc.. Invention is credited to Patrick Powell.
Application Number | 20110030929 12/538520 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43533920 |
Filed Date | 2011-02-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110030929 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Powell; Patrick |
February 10, 2011 |
SELF-POWERED HEAT EXCHANGER
Abstract
A heat transferring apparatus may employ a heat exchanger with a
fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and be coupled to a power exchange
unit, which employs a driving fan fluid inlet, a series of inner
fan blades to receive the fluid from the driving fan fluid inlet,
and a rotable driving fan unit. The inner fan blades are attached
to the rotable driving fan unit along with driving magnets. A
rotatable driven fan unit has numerous outer fan blades and a
series of imbedded driven magnets. The fluid drives the inner fan
blades and flows into the heat exchanger. The outer fan blades
force air through the heat exchanger and cools the fluid. A power
transfer wall located between the inner magnets and the outer
magnets transfers magnetic fields from the inner magnets to the
outer magnets to impart rotation in the driven fan unit and outer
fan blades.
Inventors: |
Powell; Patrick; (Farmington
Hills, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HARNESS, DICKEY & PIERCE, P.L.C.
P.O. BOX 828
BLOOMFIELD HILLS
MI
48303
US
|
Assignee: |
DENSO International America,
Inc.
Southfield
MI
|
Family ID: |
43533920 |
Appl. No.: |
12/538520 |
Filed: |
August 10, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/121 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F02M 31/20 20130101;
F04D 25/026 20130101; F28D 2021/0087 20130101; Y02T 10/12 20130101;
F28F 13/12 20130101; F28D 1/024 20130101; F28F 2250/08 20130101;
F04D 19/022 20130101; Y02T 10/126 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/121 |
International
Class: |
F28C 3/00 20060101
F28C003/00 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for transferring heat comprising: a heat exchanger
that contains a fluid; a power exchange unit comprising a driving
fan unit and a driven fan unit, the driving fan unit further
comprising: a plurality of inner fan blades angled for rotation
upon being struck by the fluid; and a plurality of inner driving
members; the driven fan unit further comprising: a plurality of
outer fan blades angled for rotation to cause airflow through the
heat exchanger; and a plurality of outer opposing members; a
cylindrical power transfer wall that prevents the fluid striking
the plurality of inner fan blades from flowing outside of the
cylindrical power transfer wall, wherein magnetic force from one of
the plurality of inner driving members or the plurality of outer
opposing members, imparts rotation in the plurality of outer
opposing members.
2. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 1,
wherein the outer fan blades push air through the heat
exchanger.
3. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 1,
wherein the outer fan blades pull air through the heat
exchanger.
4. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 1,
wherein the inner driving members are magnets and the outer
opposing members are not magnets.
5. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 1,
wherein the inner driving members are not magnets and the outer
opposing members are magnets.
6. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 1,
wherein the inner driving members are magnets and the outer
opposing members are magnets.
7. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 1,
wherein the heat exchanger further defines a plurality of holes in
an exterior wall to permit the air to exit from the heat
exchanger.
8. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 1,
wherein the heat exchanger further comprises: a heat exchanger
inlet that receives the fluid into the heat exchanger; and a heat
exchanger outlet that discharges the fluid from the heat
exchanger.
9. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 8,
wherein the heat exchanger inlet resides at a geometric center of
the heat exchanger.
10. An apparatus for transferring heat comprising: a heat exchanger
comprising: a heat exchanger inlet that receives a fluid into the
heat exchanger; and a heat exchanger outlet that discharges the
fluid from the heat exchanger; a power exchange unit comprising: a
driving fan fluid inlet; a plurality of inner fan blades to receive
fluid from the driving fan fluid inlet; a rotable driving fan unit,
the plurality of inner fan blades attached to the rotable driving
fan unit; a plurality of driving magnets attached to the rotatable
driving fan unit; a rotatable driven fan unit, a plurality of outer
fan blades attached to the rotatable driven fan unit; and a
plurality of driven magnets attached to the rotatable driven fan
unit, wherein the heat exchanger is attached to the power exchange
unit to receive the fluid.
11. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 10,
wherein the power transfer wall is cylindrical and is located
between the plurality of inner driving magnets and the plurality of
outer opposing magnets.
12. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 10,
wherein an outside diameter of the driven fan is larger than an
outside diameter of the power transfer wall and the driven fan and
the power transfer wall are concentric.
13. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 10,
wherein the fluid that drives the inner fan blades flows into the
heat exchanger.
14. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 10,
wherein outer fan blades cause airflow through heat exchanger.
15. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 10,
wherein the heat exchanger inlet is located in a geometric center
of the heat exchanger.
16. An apparatus for transferring heat comprising: a power exchange
unit comprising: a driving fan fluid inlet; a plurality of inner
fan blades to receive a fluid from the driving fan fluid inlet; a
rotable driving fan unit, the plurality of inner fan blades
attached to the rotable driving fan unit; a plurality of driving
magnets attached to the rotatable driving fan unit; a rotatable
driven fan unit, a plurality of outer fan blades attached to the
rotatable driven fan unit; a plurality of driven magnets attached
to the rotatable driven fan unit, wherein, a heat exchanger is
directly attached to the power exchange unit; and a driving fan
fluid outlet; and a heat exchanger, wherein the driven fan unit is
positioned to blow air through the heat exchanger.
17. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 16,
wherein the power transfer wall is cylindrical and is located
between the plurality of inner driving magnets and the plurality of
outer opposing magnets.
18. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 17,
wherein an outside diameter of the driven fan is larger than an
outside diameter of the power transfer wall.
19. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 18, the
heat exchanger further comprising: a heat exchanger inner tube
directly coupled to the driving fan fluid outlet; a heat exchanger
air tube surrounding the heat exchanger inner tube and defining an
air gap therebetween; an air cone with an air receiving end and an
air discharging end, the air discharging end coupled to the heat
exchanger tube to discharge air into the air gap; and a turbulence
producing device located inside the air cone.
20. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 19,
wherein: the outer fan blades force air into the air receiving end
of the air cone and into the heat exchanger air tube; the heat
exchanger inner tube receives the fluid; and a heat exchanger
outlet that discharges the fluid from the heat exchanger.
21. The apparatus for transferring heat according to claim 20,
wherein: the air cone is a frustum of a cone; the heat exchanger
air tube defines a plurality of exit holes for escape of the air
from the gap.
Description
FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to cooling liquid with a heat
exchanger.
BACKGROUND
[0002] This section provides background information related to the
present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. Devices for
cooling liquids are known; however, such devices are not without
their share of limitations. Traditional refrigeration systems may
be used to cool a liquid, which may need to be cooled for any one
of a variety of reasons. In one example of a traditional
refrigeration system, an external source or supply of energy, such
as electricity, must be utilized to drive a compressor, for
example, of the refrigeration system that circulates a refrigerant
such as R-132. In another example of a traditional refrigeration
system, the compressor may be mechanically driven instead of
electrically driven. In such a mechanically driven system, a belt
or a gear mechanism may be used to transfer power from a driving
shaft an internal combustion engine to the compressor. What is
needed then is a cooling device that that does not suffer from the
above limitations.
SUMMARY
[0003] This section provides a general summary of the disclosure,
and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of
its features. An apparatus for transferring heat may employ a heat
exchanger with a heat exchanger inlet that receives a fluid into a
radiator and a heat exchanger outlet that discharges the fluid from
the radiator. The device may further employ a power exchange unit
that employs a driving fan fluid inlet, a plurality of inner fan
blades to receive the fluid from the driving fan fluid inlet, and a
rotable driving fan unit. Moreover, the inner fan blades may be
attached to the rotable driving fan unit along with a plurality of
driving magnets. A rotatable driven fan unit may have numerous
outer fan blades attached to it along with a series of driven
magnets. The heat exchanger may be attached to the power exchange
unit so as to be able to transfer fluid. The fluid drives the inner
fan blades and flows into the heat exchanger. The outer fan blades
may force air through the heat exchanger by pushing the air in a
first direction, or by pulling air through the heat exchanger in an
opposite direction.
[0004] The power transfer wall may be cylindrical or drum-shaped
and be located between the inner driving magnets and the outer
opposing magnets. When the inner driving magnets rotate in the
driving fan unit, the polarity arrangement of the inner driving
magnets relative to the outer opposing magnets transfer a magnetic
field to impart rotation in the driven fan unit within which the
outer opposing magnets reside. That largest outside diameter of the
driven fan may be larger than the largest outside diameter of the
power transfer wall. The heat exchanger inlet may be located in a
geometric center or other location of the heat exchanger to
facilitate an overall package size that is as small as
possible.
[0005] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the
description provided herein. The description and specific examples
in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and
are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
DRAWINGS
[0006] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes
only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations,
and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
disclosure.
[0007] FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle depicting a location of a
fuel system of an internal combustion engine;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a fuel system employing a
power exchange unit and heat exchanger;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a side view of a power exchange unit and heat
exchanger;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the power exchange unit
of FIG. 3;
[0011] FIG. 5 is front view of the heat exchanger depicting an
example fluid flow path through the heat exchanger; and
[0012] FIG. 6 is a side view of a heat exchanger.
[0013] Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding
parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with
reference to FIGS. 1-6 of the accompanying drawings. Turning first
to FIG. 1, a vehicle 10 may employ an engine 12 within an engine
compartment 14. Engine 12 may be either a gasoline engine or a
diesel engine and operate, on gasoline or diesel fuel,
respectfully, that is stored in a fuel tank 16 and pumped through a
fuel delivery line 18 by a fuel pump 20 within a fuel pump module
22.
[0015] Turning now to FIG. 2, a fuel system schematic 24 depicts an
overview of components playing a role in delivering fuel to and
from engine 12. Although the teachings of the present invention are
applicable to engines employing gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene,
etc., an engine employing diesel fuel will be used in conjunction
with the description. Additionally, the teachings of the invention
are applicable to non-fuel applications, as may be mentioned
throughout this description. For instance, the teachings are
applicable to cooling a variety of fluids, including non-fuels.
Continuing, fuel pump 20 within fuel pump module 22 may pump liquid
fuel, such as diesel fuel, from fuel tank 16, through fuel delivery
line 18 and to fuel injection pump 26 as depicted with arrow 27.
Fuel injection pump 26 pressurizes fuel to a requisite fuel
pressure in preparation for injecting such pressurized fuel into
combustion chambers of engine 12 for combustion. When engine 12 is
running, because fuel pump 20 may operate at a speed in excess of
that required to pump and deliver the maximum volume of fuel
required by engine 12, a fuel return line 28 is included as part of
the fuel system, as depicted in fuel system schematic 24, to return
unused fuel to fuel tank 16. More specifically, fuel return line 28
returns non-combusted fuel from fuel injection pump 26 to fuel tank
16 as indicated with arrow 30. More specifically, fuel return line
28 may be divided into two portions, pre heat exchanger line 32 and
post heat exchanger line 34, with power exchange unit and heat
exchanger 36 located anywhere between pre heat exchanger line 32
and post heat exchanger line 34, for example, as depicted in FIGS.
1 and 2. Thus, pre heat exchanger line 32 delivers fuel, as
indicated with arrow 30, from fuel injection pump 26 to power
exchange unit and heat exchanger 36, while post heat exchanger line
34 delivers fuel, as indicated with arrow 38, from power exchange
unit and heat exchanger 36 to fuel tank 16.
[0016] Turning now with reference including FIGS. 3 and 4, a first
embodiment of power exchange unit and heat exchanger 36 will be
described. While liquid fuel is being used as a primary fluid in
description of power exchange unit and heat exchanger 36, liquids
that are not fuels are capable of being utilized. Continuing, upon
excess fuel leaving fuel injection pump 26, liquid fuel travels
through pre heat exchanger tube 32 until it reaches inlet 40 of
power exchange unit and heat exchanger 36. Upon liquid fuel
reaching inlet 40, the fuel temperature may be 40 to 90 degrees
Centigrade, depending upon the ambient conditions and vehicle use.
As an example, if vehicle 10 is residing on black asphalt on a day
in which the ambient temperature is 35 degrees C., and engine 12 is
idling, engine compartment 14 may reach a temperature of
approximately 80 degrees C.
[0017] Upon fuel entering power exchange unit and heat exchanger 36
at fuel inlet 40, the fuel contacts inner fan blades 44, also known
as internal fan blades, which are angled relative to the direction
of fuel striking blades 44, causing inner fan blades 44 to rotate
in clockwise direction 46, for example, which imparts clockwise
rotation in circular driving fan unit 48 within which inner driving
magnets 50 (inner driving members) are located. Inner fan blades 44
of driving fan unit 48 may each have a leading edge and a trailing
edge so that blades 44 rotate when struck with a moving fluid.
Thus, driving fan unit 48 and inner fan blades 44 rotate at the
same speed that is directly proportional to the speed of the return
liquid fuel flowing in pre heat exchanger line 32. That is, the
faster the fuel flows in pre heat exchanger line 32, the faster
inner fan blades 44 spin because inner fan blades 44 and driving
fan unit 48, which holds magnets 50, are in the flow path of liquid
fuel and contact liquid fuel. Because magnets emit or create a
magnetic field about them, a magnetic field is created through
power transfer wall 52, which is stationary and does not rotate.
The magnetic field created by inner driving magnets 50 reaches
outer opposing magnets 56 (outer opposing members) residing within
the inside diameter of driven fan 54. In one example, inner driving
magnets 50 have a different polarity than outer opposing magnets 56
to cause their attraction to each other such that one or more outer
opposing magnets 56 will move in the same direction when one or
more inner driving magnets 50 move. Because the driven fan 54 is
free to float (not contact) and rotate around the power transfer
wall 52, outer opposing magnets 56 are repelled by the magnetic
force of inner driving magnets 50 which imparts rotation in driven
fan 54. Outer opposing magnets 56 may be imbedded within a driven
fan unit 58 that rotates around and next to power transfer wall
52.
[0018] In a variation of the structure presented above, inner
driving magnets 50 may instead be attracted to steel or iron plates
substituted in locations of outer opposing magnets 56 in driven fan
54. Thus, inner driving magnets 50 may magnetically couple to steel
or iron plates, in place of outer opposing magnets 50, to drive
driven fan 54. Such an arrangement presents a lower cost option
than using outer opposing magnets 56 and inner driving magnets
50.
[0019] In yet another variation of the structures presented above,
steel or iron plates may be substituted in locations of inner
driving magnets 50. With such an arrangement, outer opposing
magnets 56 may instead be attracted to such steel or iron plates as
driving fan unit 48 rotates. Thus, outer opposing magnets 56 may
magnetically couple to steel or iron plates in place of inner
driving magnets 50 to drive driven fan 54. Such an arrangement
presents a lower cost option than using outer opposing magnets 56
and inner driving magnets 50.
[0020] When driven fan 54 begins to rotate clockwise, in accordance
with arrow 46, because driving fan unit 48 is rotating clockwise,
fan blades 60 also rotate clockwise. Fan blades may have a leading
edge 61 and a trailing edge 63 to force air into heat exchanger 66.
As driven fan 54 rotates clockwise, because fan blades are angled,
air is drawn between fan blades 60, such as in gaps 62 defined
between neighboring or adjacent fan blades 60 and completely
through driven fan 54, as depicted in FIG. 3 with airflow 64. Upon
airflow 64 passing through driven fan 54, airflow 64 passes across
or through a heat exchanger 66.
[0021] In an alternate embodiment, instead of airflow 64 passing in
the direction noted in FIG. 3 when "pushed" by driven fan 54 as
driven fan 54 turns in a first direction, such as clockwise, driven
fan 54 may turn in the opposite direction, such as
counter-clockwise and airflow 65 may be "pulled" through heat
exchanger 66. If airflow 65 is to be pulled through heat exchanger
66, fluid inlet 40 may become a fluid outlet 41, and fluid outlet
78 may become a fluid inlet 79. Thus, to pull air through heat
exchanger 66, inner fan blades 44 receive fluid from a side of
inner fan blades 44 to invoke such a counter-clockwise rotation in
inner fan blades 44 to thereby invoke such a counter-clockwise
rotation in driven fan unit 58 and driven fan blades 60 via inner
driving members 50 (e.g. magnets) and outer opposing members 56
(e.g. magnets).
[0022] With reference to FIG. 5, heat exchanger 66 may be similar
to a traditional heat exchanger, such as a radiator that fluidly
couples to an internal combustion engine, in that heat exchanger 66
has a series of tubes 68 that form a path about the heat exchanger
to maximize the distance that liquid fuel has to travel within heat
exchanger 66 while also gaining the benefit of air passing over an
exterior of metal tubes within which liquid fuel flows. An aspect
of heat exchanger 66 that enhances its use with power exchange unit
70 is that inlet 40 may connect couple or fasten directly to heat
exchanger 66. Power exchange unit 70 may also connect, couple or
fasten to heat exchanger 66, such as with power transfer wall 52 of
power exchange unit 70. Continuing, heat exchanger 66 may also be
mounted to power exchange unit 70 by directly welding an outside
perimeter or outside surface of heat exchanger 66 to power exchange
unit 70. More specifically, heat exchanger 66 and power transfer
wall 52 may connect or fasten to each other about their geometric
centers 72 and 74, respectively. The power exchange unit 70 may
entail all of the items depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4, and together
with heat exchanger 66, may form power exchange unit and heat
exchanger 36.
[0023] As depicted in FIG. 5, when liquid fuel enters heat
exchanger 66 at heat exchanger inlet 76, the heated or warmed
liquid fuel (or any liquid other than fuel), relative to its
temperature upon exiting heat exchanger outlet 78, may be routed
through heat exchanger 66 in tubes 68 until the cooled liquid,
relative to its temperature upon entering heat exchanger 66, exits
heat exchanger 66 at outlet 78.
[0024] Turning now to FIG. 6, another embodiment of the invention
is depicted. More specifically, heat exchanger 80 is generally
equipped with power exchange unit 70 and driven fan 54, both of
which are generally the same as described above and depicted in
FIGS. 3 and 4, and a heat exchanger 67. However, differences exist
between the device depicted in FIGS. 3-4 and the device of FIG. 6.
Continuing, power transfer wall 52 of power exchange unit 70 may be
connected or fastened to the air cone 82 or air concentrator 82,
such as with fasteners or by welding. The air cone 82 may have a
circular air receiving end 84 that may be larger than an air exit
end 86, which may also be circular. Air receiving end 84 receives
air and may be located against driven fan 54 (assuming driven fan
54 is equipped with a protective frame against which receiving end
84 may abut) or receiving end 84 may be located immediately
adjacent or immediately next to driven fan 54 such that only a
minimal amount of clearance lies between receiving end and driven
fan 54. A minimal amount of clearance (e.g. a gap) would be one in
which no appreciable amount of air could escape between driven fan
54 and receiving end 84 of air cone 82. Continuing with FIG. 6,
airflow 88 is drawn into and through fan blades 60 (FIG. 4) of
driven fan 54 and into air cone 82. Upon airflow 88 entering air
cone 82, airflow 88 becomes increasingly a converging airflow 90
whose velocity increases upon passing into air cone 82 until
airflow 90 reaches outer air tube 92 to become airflow 94 which may
become relatively stable in velocity throughout outer air tube 92.
Once in outer air tube 92, airflow 94 is free to move around an
outside diameter of inner fuel tube 98 before becoming warmed
airflow 96 that passes through holes 100 in air tube 92.
[0025] Continuing with FIG. 6, airflow 88, which becomes converging
airflow 90, which becomes a warmed airflow 94, may escape from air
tube 92 via holes. The airflow 94 is warmed relative to airflow 88
and becomes warmed because liquid fuel 102 that flows within inner
fuel tube 98 transfers heat through the wall of inner fuel tube 98.
Thus, the temperature of a liquid fuel 102 flowing within inner
fuel tube 98 is greater than that of airflow 88, 90 if heat is to
be transferred to airflow 94.
[0026] While air tube 92 may have an end 104 which may be governed
in accordance with the degree of cooling to be provided to the
liquid fuel 102 flowing within inner fuel tube 98. Upon air tube 92
ending, post heat exchanger line 34 will proceed to deliver cooled
liquid fuel to tank 16. Air cone 82, air tube 92, inner fuel tube
98 and holes 100 form and act as a heat exchanger 67.
[0027] Another structural feature that may reside within air cone
82, is a turbulence producing device. One example of a turbulence
producing device are air nodules 83 (e.g. raised semi-hemispherical
pieces) located on an inside diameter of air cone 82. Air nodules
83 may change airflow from laminar to turbulent or make turbulent
airflow even more turbulent. Making airflow 94 turbulent through
air tube 94 and around inner fuel tube 98 will hasten cooling of
the liquid within inner fuel tube 98. Another example of a device
to hasten turbulent airflow is deflector 85 within air cone 82.
Deflector 85 may be a ring welded or otherwise connected or
attached to an outside diameter of tube 98. Alternatively deflector
85 may be a bent or straight bar or flange to interrupt airflow 90
through air cone 94 and hasten turbulent airflow through tube
98.
[0028] Stated in slightly different terms, an apparatus for
transferring heat may have a heat exchanger 66, such as a radiator,
having a heat exchanger inlet 76 that receives a fluid into the
heat exchanger and a heat exchanger outlet 78 that discharges the
fluid from the radiator. The apparatus may also have a power
exchange unit 70 with a driving fan fluid inlet 40, a plurality of
inner fan blades 44 to receive fluid from the driving fan fluid
inlet 40, a rotable driving fan unit 48, the plurality of inner fan
blades 44 attached to the rotable driving fan unit 48, a plurality
of driving magnets 50 attached to or imbedded in the rotatable
driving fan unit 48; a rotatable driven fan unit 58 may employ a
plurality of outer fan blades 60 attached to the rotatable driven
fan unit 58 while a quantity of driven magnets 56 (outer opposing
members) may be attached to or imbedded in the rotatable driven fan
unit 58. The heat exchanger 66 is attached to the power exchange
unit 70, such as with traditional fasteners or by welding. The
apparatus may also employ a power transfer wall, which may be
cylindrical or tubular and be located between the plurality of
inner driving magnets and the plurality of outer opposing
magnets.
[0029] Power transfer wall 52 may serve to transfer power, or
magnetic fields, from the inner driving magnets 50 to the plurality
of outer opposing magnets 56. The overall outside diameter of the
driven fan 54 may be larger than the outside diameter of the power
transfer wall 52 (FIG. 3) so that air may be drawn into and forced
through the heat exchanger 66 by the outer fan blades 60. The force
of the return fluid (e.g. liquid fuel) from fuel injection pump 26
imparts rotation in the inner fan blades 44, driving fan unit 48
and inner driving magnets 50, which in turn, with a magnetic field
of inner driving magnets 50 passing through power transfer wall 52,
imparts a rotation in driven fan unit 58, outer opposing magnets 56
and thus fan blades 60. The same fluid (e.g. fuel) that drives the
inner fan blades 44 flows into the heat exchanger 66. Thus, the
fluid that is cooled, is used to drive an air fan to cool the
fluid. Heat exchanger inlet 76 for the fluid may be located in a
geometric center 74 of heat exchanger 66.
[0030] Power exchange unit and heat exchanger 36 is applicable to a
variety of applications in which heat transfer from one fluid
(liquid or gas) to another fluid (liquid or gas) is desired. Thus,
the teachings of the present invention are not limited to an
automotive application; however, an automotive application is
presented in conjunction with the teachings. In an automotive or
truck application for cooling liquid fuel, the power exchange unit
and heat exchanger 36 may be located under the vehicle (e.g.
between a road surface and floorboards of a vehicle) in the return
fuel line 32, 34 between the vehicle's front engine firewall and
fuel tank 16.
[0031] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on",
"engaged to", "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or
layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the
other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be
present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being
"directly on," "directly engaged to", "directly connected to" or
"directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no
intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to
describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in
a like fashion (e.g., "between" versus "directly between,"
"adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the
term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of
the associated listed items.
[0032] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been
provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not
intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual
elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not
limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are
interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if
not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in
many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure
from the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be
included within the scope of the invention.
* * * * *