U.S. patent application number 13/930175 was filed with the patent office on 2014-01-02 for exhaust-gas heat exchanger.
The applicant listed for this patent is Behr GmbH & Co. KG. Invention is credited to Christian FABER, Simon HUND, Albrecht SIEGEL.
Application Number | 20140000848 13/930175 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49754147 |
Filed Date | 2014-01-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140000848 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SIEGEL; Albrecht ; et
al. |
January 2, 2014 |
EXHAUST-GAS HEAT EXCHANGER
Abstract
An exhaust-gas heat exchange, in particular for use in the
exhaust tract of a motor vehicle, having a housing and having a
first flow duct through which a first fluid can flow and which is
received at its end regions in tube plates, wherein the first flow
duct and the tube plates are surrounded by the housing in such a
way that the housing forms a second flow duct through which a
second fluid can flow, which second fluid can flow around the first
flow duct, having a first diffuser which conducts the first fluid
into the first flow duct and having a second diffuser which
conducts the first fluid out of the first flow duct, characterized
in that the exhaust-gas heat exchanger has, at at least one of its
end regions, an at least partially encircling first flange which is
formed in one piece with the exhaust-gas heat exchanger.
Inventors: |
SIEGEL; Albrecht;
(Ludwigsburg, DE) ; FABER; Christian; (Stuttgart,
DE) ; HUND; Simon; (Stuttgart, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Behr GmbH & Co. KG |
Stuttgart |
|
DE |
|
|
Family ID: |
49754147 |
Appl. No.: |
13/930175 |
Filed: |
June 28, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/104.14 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28F 9/00 20130101; F02M
26/32 20160201; B23P 15/26 20130101; F28F 1/00 20130101; Y10T
29/49362 20150115; F28D 21/0003 20130101; F01N 2240/02
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/104.14 |
International
Class: |
F28F 1/00 20060101
F28F001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 29, 2012 |
DE |
10 2012 211 311.8 |
Claims
1. Exhaust-gas heat exchanger, in particular for use in the exhaust
tract of a motor vehicle, having a housing and having a first flow
duct through which a first fluid can flow and which is received at
its end regions in tube plates, wherein the first flow duct and the
tube plates are surrounded by the housing in such a way that the
housing forms a second flow duct through which a second fluid can
flow, which second fluid can flow around the first flow duct,
having a first diffuser which conducts the first fluid into the
first flow duct and having a second diffuser which conducts the
first fluid out of the first flow duct, wherein the exhaust-gas
heat exchanger has, at at least one of its end regions, an at least
partially encircling first flange which is formed in one piece with
the exhaust-gas heat exchanger.
2. Exhaust-gas heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the
first flange is formed by roller-burnishing or deep-drawing or
forging or embossing or internal high pressure forming.
3. Exhaust-gas heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the
housing and/or one of the diffusers has a first flange.
4. Exhaust-gas heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the
housing and/or the first flange and/or the diffuser is formed from
steel.
5. Exhaust-gas heat exchanger according to one claim 1 one of the
preceding claims, wherein the housing is formed from aluminum and
the diffuser and/or the first flange is formed from steel.
6. Exhaust-gas heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the
first flange has a thread.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] An exhaust-gas heat exchanger, in particular for use in the
exhaust tract of a motor vehicle, having a housing and having a
first flow duct through which a first fluid can flow and which is
received at its end regions in tube plates, wherein the first flow
duct and the tube plates are surrounded by the housing in such a
way that the housing forms a second flow duct through which a
second fluid can flow, which second fluid can flow around the first
flow duct, having a first diffuser which conducts the first fluid
into the first flow duct and having a second diffuser which
conducts the first fluid out of the first flow duct.
PRIOR ART
[0002] Exhaust-gas heat exchangers are preferably used in motor
vehicles, where they are arranged downstream of the internal
combustion engine. The hot exhaust gas discharged by the internal
combustion engine is cooled in said exhaust-gas heat exchangers and
can be supplied back to the internal combustion engine by means of
exhaust-gas recirculation. This serves to reduce the pollutant
content in the exhaust gas.
[0003] Exhaust-gas heat exchangers are known which have a tube
bundle with exhaust-gas tubes, said tube bundle being surrounded by
a housing through which a coolant flows. Here, the heat of the
exhaust gas is dissipated to the coolant. The coolant passes
through a coolant inlet into the interior of the housing and, after
flowing around the tube bundle, exits the exhaust-gas heat
exchanger via a coolant outlet likewise formed on the housing.
[0004] Here, the exhaust gas flows into the tube bundle via an
inlet diffuser and flows out of the tube bundle via an outlet
diffuser.
[0005] To be able to connect exhaust-gas heat exchangers to
elements positioned upstream or downstream, the inflow lines and
outflow lines of the heat exchanger have flanges. The required
flanges are generated directly on the respective components either
through the use of injection molding or pressure casting processes
or, if the use of such methods is not possible, through the
additional attachment of flanges.
[0006] Here, in presently known solutions, the flanges, which are
for example attached to the housing of the heat exchanger itself or
to the diffuser of the heat exchanger, are brazed or welded to the
heat exchanger as additional components.
[0007] A disadvantage of the prior art is in particular the fact
that the flange constitutes an additional component, resulting in
increased costs for parts. Furthermore, the joining of the flange
to the heat exchanger constitutes an additional process step which
increases the machining time and entails additional costs.
PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION, PROBLEM, SOLUTION, ADVANTAGES
[0008] The problem addressed by the present invention is therefore
that of providing an exhaust-gas heat exchanger which has one or
more flanges formed in one piece with the exhaust-gas heat
exchanger.
[0009] The problem addressed by the present invention is solved by
means of an exhaust-gas heat exchanger having the features of claim
1. Advantageous refinements of the present invention are described
in the subclaims.
[0010] It is advantageous for an exhaust-gas heat exchanger, in
particular for use in the exhaust tract of a motor vehicle, having
a housing and having a first flow duct through which a first fluid
can flow and which is received at its end regions in tube plates,
wherein the first flow duct and the tube plates are surrounded by
the housing in such a way that the housing forms a second flow duct
through which a second fluid can flow, which second fluid can flow
around the first flow duct, having a first diffuser which conducts
the first fluid into the first flow duct and having a second
diffuser which conducts the first fluid out of the first flow duct,
wherein the exhaust-gas heat exchanger has, at at least one of its
end regions, an at least partially encircling first flange which is
formed in one piece with the exhaust-gas heat exchanger.
[0011] By means of an at least partially encircling flange formed
in one piece with the housing, it is possible for the component
positioned upstream or downstream of the exhaust-gas heat exchanger
to be connected directly to the flange. It is thus possible to save
costs and working steps because the flange need not be attached as
an additional component to the housing or to the diffuser.
[0012] It is also expedient for the first flange to be formed by
roller-burnishing or deep-drawing or forging or embossing or
internal high pressure forming.
[0013] A flange can be formed on the housing or on the diffuser in
a particularly advantageous manner using one of said methods. It is
advantageous here that the flange is formed out of the material of
the housing or of the diffuser itself.
[0014] It is also preferable for the housing and/or one of the
diffusers to have a first flange.
[0015] In particular, the arrangement of the flange on the housing
itself or on the diffusers connected to the housing is advantageous
because those components of the exhaust-gas heat exchanger which
are positioned upstream or downstream can be connected directly to
the exhaust-gas heat exchanger in this way.
[0016] It is also advantageous for the housing and/or the first
flange and/or the diffuser to be formed from steel.
[0017] In particular owing to the high temperatures of the exhaust
gas which flows through the exhaust-gas heat exchanger, it is
advantageous for the housing and in particular the diffusers to be
formed from a heat-resistant material. The high exhaust-gas
temperatures could otherwise lead to permanent deformation or to
failure of individual components.
[0018] It is also expedient for the housing to be formed from
aluminum and for the diffuser and/or the first flange to be formed
from steel.
[0019] A configuration in which the housing is formed from aluminum
and the diffusers and/or the flange are/is formed from steel can
have an advantageous effect on the component weight. If the
exhaust-gas temperatures permit the use of aluminum as a housing
material, the component can be configured in a particularly
advantageous manner.
[0020] It is also advantageous for the first flange to have a
thread.
[0021] By means of a thread formed into the flange, it is possible
for components positioned upstream or downstream to be screwed
directly to the exhaust-gas heat exchanger. In this way, it is
possible for additional components such as, for example, a weld-on
nut to be dispensed with, whereby it is possible to save on
material costs and working steps.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The invention will be explained in detail below on the basis
of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawing, in
which:
[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exhaust-gas heat
exchanger.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exhaust-gas heat
exchanger 1. The exhaust-gas heat exchanger 1 is composed
substantially of a housing 3 which, in the interior, has a
multiplicity of flow ducts which, in their end regions, are
received in tube plates. The tube plates and the flow ducts cannot
be seen in FIG. 1 owing to the perspective view.
[0025] The housing 3 surrounds the tube plates in such a way that a
second flow duct is formed which is separated from the flow ducts
enclosed in the tube plates. A fluid can flow into the housing via
the fluid inlet 2 and can flow through said housing. Not
illustrated in FIG. 1 is the fluid outlet through which the fluid
can exit the housing 3 again.
[0026] A further fluid, preferably the exhaust gas in an exhaust
tract, flows through the exhaust-gas heat exchanger 1 along the
flow ducts enclosed in the tube plates. A second fluid flows
through said exhaust-gas heat exchanger through the fluid inlet 2
and the fluid outlet (not shown), wherein the second fluid flows
around the flow ducts, and heat is thus dissipated from the hot
medium flowing in the flow ducts.
[0027] In the exhaust-gas heat exchanger 1 shown in FIG. 1, a
diffuser 5 is connected to one side of the housing 3. The first
fluid flows through said diffuser either before or after flowing
through the housing 3, depending on the flow direction of the first
fluid.
[0028] In alternative embodiments, a second diffuser may also be
arranged on the opposite end of the housing. The shape of the
diffusers 5 may likewise deviate from the cylindrical shape shown
here, and may for example have a conical shape.
[0029] Illustrated on the outer radius of the housing 3 is an
encircling flange 4. Said flange 4 is formed in one piece with the
housing 3. This is possible for example through the use of the
machining processes roller-burnishing, deep-drawing, forging,
embossing or internal high pressure forming.
[0030] In alternative embodiments, it is also conceivable for a
flange 4 to be arranged on one or both of the diffusers 5.
[0031] By means of the flange 4 integrated directly in the housing
3 or in a diffuser 5, it is possible for components positioned
upstream or downstream, which components are arranged upstream of
the exhaust-gas heat exchanger 1 or downstream thereof in the
exhaust tract, to be connected directly to the exhaust-gas heat
exchanger 1.
[0032] Here, the connection may be realized for example by means of
tube clamps. The flange 4 may furthermore have a thread. By means
of said thread, components can be connected directly to the
exhaust-gas heat exchanger 1.
[0033] By contrast to the flange 4 shown in FIG. 1, the flange 4
may also be formed as an only partially encircling flange.
[0034] Overall, by means of the flange integrated directly in the
exhaust-gas heat exchanger 1, it is possible to attain savings with
regard to the number of components required and, furthermore, fewer
joining processes are required, whereby the machining costs are
also reduced.
[0035] Since the exhaust-gas heat exchanger 1 is subjected to high
temperatures owing to the throughflow of an exhaust gas from an
internal combustion engine, it is necessary for the diffusers 5 and
the housing 3 to be manufactured from a material which exhibits
adequately high heat resistance.
[0036] It is therefore particularly preferable for the exhaust-gas
heat exchanger 1 to be manufactured partially or entirely from
steel. It is by all means conceivable for only individual
components to be manufactured from steel, in particular those
components which are subjected to the highest temperatures, and for
other components to be formed for example from more lightweight
materials such as for example aluminum. Here, the deciding factor
is the temperature level that the component will be subjected to
later in normal operation.
* * * * *