U.S. patent application number 14/349474 was filed with the patent office on 2014-09-04 for plate for a heat exchanger and heat exchanger equipped with such plates.
This patent application is currently assigned to Valeo Systemes Thermiques. The applicant listed for this patent is Valeo Systems Thermiques. Invention is credited to Yoann Naudin, Nicolas Vallee.
Application Number | 20140246179 14/349474 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47002861 |
Filed Date | 2014-09-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140246179 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Vallee; Nicolas ; et
al. |
September 4, 2014 |
Plate For A Heat Exchanger And Heat Exchanger Equipped With Such
Plates
Abstract
The invention relates to a plate (4, 12, 14) intended to allow
an exchange of heat between a first fluid and a second fluid
flowing in contact with the plate (4, 12, 14), said plate (4, 12,
14) being configured to define a circuit (8) comprising a plurality
of successive passageways (71, 72, 73, 74), inside which the first
fluid flows in one direction of flow, changing its direction of
flow from one passageway to the other, each of said passageways
(71, 72, 73, 74) having a flow section for the first fluid.
According to the invention, the flow section of one passageway (71,
72, 73, 74), known as the upstream passageway, is larger than the
flow section of another passageway (71, 72, 73, 74), known as the
downstream passageway, which is situated downstream of the upstream
passageway in the direction of flow of the first fluid in the
circuit (8). The invention also relates to a heat exchanger
equipped with such plates.
Inventors: |
Vallee; Nicolas;
(Bazancourt, FR) ; Naudin; Yoann; (Saint Loup en
Champagne, FR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Valeo Systems Thermiques |
Le Mensnil Saint Denis |
|
FR |
|
|
Assignee: |
Valeo Systemes Thermiques
Le Mesnil Saint Denis
FR
|
Family ID: |
47002861 |
Appl. No.: |
14/349474 |
Filed: |
October 2, 2012 |
PCT Filed: |
October 2, 2012 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2012/069504 |
371 Date: |
April 3, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/109.1 ;
165/168 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28F 3/12 20130101; F28D
2021/0082 20130101; F28F 13/08 20130101; F28D 9/0056 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/109.1 ;
165/168 |
International
Class: |
F28F 3/12 20060101
F28F003/12 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 4, 2011 |
FR |
11/58951 |
Claims
1. A plate (4, 12, 14) intended to allow an exchange of heat
between a first fluid and a second fluid (C, G) flowing in contact
with the plate (4, 12, 14), the plate (4, 12, 14) being configured
to define a circuit (8) comprising a plurality of successive
passageways (71, 72, 73, 74), inside which the first fluid (C)
flows in one direction of flow, changing its direction of flow from
one passageway to the other, each of the passageways (71, 72, 73,
74) having a flow section for the first fluid (C), wherein the flow
section of one passageway (71, 72, 73, 74), is an upstream
passageway and is larger than the flow section of another
passageway (71, 72, 73, 74), which is a downstream passageway, and
is situated downstream of the upstream passageway in the direction
of flow of the first fluid in the circuit (8).
2. The plate (4, 12, 14) as claimed in claim 1, comprising an
initial passageway (71) and a final passageway (74), the flow
sections of the passageways (71, 72, 73, 74) decreasing from one
passageway to the other from the initial passageway (71) towards
the final passageway (74).
3. The plate (4, 12, 14) as claimed in claim 2, in which the flow
section of the initial passageway (71) is between 40% and 60%
larger than the flow section of the final passageway (74).
4. The plate (4, 12, 14) as claimed in claim 1, comprising four
passageways (71, 72, 73, 74), further defined as a first passageway
(71), a second passageway (72), a third passageway (73) and a
fourth passageway (74), with the first passageway (71) being
connected to an inlet (42) into the circuit (8), the second
passageway (72) being connected to the first passageway (71), the
third passageway (73) being connected to the second passageway (72)
and the fourth passageway (74) being connected, on the one hand, to
the third passageway (73) and, on the other hand, to an outlet from
the circuit (40).
5. The plate (4, 12, 14) as claimed in claim 4, in which the flow
section of the first passageway (71) is between 5% and 15% larger
than the flow section of the second passageway (72).
6. The plate (4, 12, 14) as claimed in claim 4, in which the flow
section of the second passageway (72) is between 20% and 40% larger
than the flow section of the third passageway (73).
7. The plate (4, 12, 14) as claimed in claim 4, in which the flow
section of the third passageway (73) is between 5% and 15% larger
than the flow section of the fourth passageway (74).
8. The plate (4, 12, 14) as claimed in claim 4, in which a distance
between margins (38, 60) defining the first passageway (71) is
between 30 mm and 35 mm, a distance between margins (60, 60')
defining the second passageway (72) is between 27 mm and 32 mm, a
distance between margins (60, 60') defining the third passageway
(73) is between 22 mm and 25 mm and/or a distance between margins
(60, 38) defining the fourth passageway (74) is between 20 mm and
23 mm.
9. The plate (4, 12, 14) as claimed in claim 1, inside which the
passageways (71, 72, 73, 74) comprise baffles (52) for the flow of
the fluid.
10. A heat exchanger (1), for a motor vehicle, the heat exchanger
(1) comprising plates (4) as claimed in claim 1, with at least two
of the plates (4) being stacked one on top of the other in a pair
of plates, such that the circuit (8) of one of the two plates (4)
is a minor-image of the circuit (8) of the other of the two plates
(4).
11. The plate (4, 12, 14) as claimed in claim 2, comprising four
passageways (71, 72, 73, 74), further defined as a first passageway
(71), a second passageway (72), a third passageway (73) and a
fourth passageway (74), with the first passageway (71) being
connected to an inlet (42) into the circuit (8), the second
passageway (72) being connected to the first passageway (71), the
third passageway (73) being connected to the second passageway (72)
and the fourth passageway (74) being connected, on the one hand, to
the third passageway (73) and, on the other hand, to an outlet from
the circuit (40).
12. The plate (4, 12, 14) as claimed in claim 5, in which the flow
section of the second passageway (72) is between 20% and 40% larger
than the flow section of the third passageway (73).
13. The plate (4, 12, 14) as claimed in claim 12, in which the flow
section of the third passageway (73) is between 5% and 15% larger
than the flow section of the fourth passageway (74).
14. The plate (4, 12, 14) as claimed in claim 5, in which a
distance between margins (38, 60) defining the first passageway
(71) is between 30 mm and 35 mm, a distance between margins (60,
60') defining the second passageway (72) is between 27 mm and 32
mm, a distance between margins (60, 60') defining the third
passageway (73) is between 22 mm and 25 mm and/or a distance
between margins (60, 38) defining the fourth passageway (74) is
between 20 mm and 23 mm.
15. The plate (4, 12, 14) as claimed in claim 2, inside which the
passageways (71, 72, 73, 74) comprise baffles (52) for the flow of
the fluid.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to plates for heat exchangers and to
plate heat exchangers, in particular for motor vehicles.
[0002] Exchangers, known as charge air coolers, permitting an
exchange of heat between charge air, intended to supply the engine
of the vehicle, and a coolant liquid are familiar in this field.
They comprise a heat exchange array consisting of a stack of plates
determining between them alternate circulation channels for the
charge air and for the coolant liquid.
[0003] Charge air coolers with stacked plates, such as those
referred to above, are familiar, in which each plate guides the
coolant liquid in a circuit forming a plurality of passageways of
identical cross section and in the interior of which passageways
the coolant liquid circulates in a direction orthogonal to the flow
of charge air. The coolant liquid changes its direction of
circulation in each passageway.
[0004] The temperature of the coolant liquid increases as it flows
through the circuit, which brings about a variation in its physical
properties (in particular its density and its viscosity). When the
physical properties of the charge liquid change, the loss of charge
also fluctuates.
[0005] In the existing solutions, the widths of the passageways are
identical within one and the same circuit and does not adapt to the
fluctuation the losses of charge mentioned previously, the
consequence of which is to impair the performance of the
exchanger.
[0006] The losses of charge may, in fact, contribute in a positive
manner to the thermal efficiency of the exchanger, in light of the
knowledge that the greater the loss of charge, the more turbulent
the mode of flow of the stream may be, which is favorable for the
thermal exchange, at least within a certain limit.
[0007] However, the pumps that are used for the circulation of the
coolant liquid possess limited characteristics, the intention being
to avoid excessively compromising the consumption of energy obtain
from the engine of the vehicle.
[0008] It has thus been established within the ambit of the
invention that a favorable relationship existed between the change
in the dimension of the flow sections of passageways and the
fluctuation in the changes in the physical properties of the
coolant fluid in order to reduce the total loss of charge in the
circuit without excessively compromising the thermal performance of
the exchanger.
[0009] The invention also relates to a plate intended to allow an
exchange of heat between a first fluid and a second fluid
circulating in contact with the plate, said plate being configured
to define a circuit comprising a plurality of successive
passageways, in which circuit the first fluid circulates in a
direction of flow, changing its direction of flow from one
passageway to the other, each of the passageways possessing a flow
section for the first fluid.
[0010] According to the invention, the flow section of one
passageway, known as the upstream passageway, is larger than the
flow section of another passageway, known as the downstream
passageway, which is situated downstream of the upstream passageway
in the direction of flow of the first fluid in the circuit.
[0011] Thus, as it flows through the circuit, the first fluid
circulates through passageways of which the flow section continues
to reduce, the effect of which is to sustain the fluctuation in the
losses of charge that are attributable to the increase in its
temperature. The coefficient of loss of charge may then be kept
relatively constant along the length of the circuit.
[0012] In the case of charge air coolers, the first fluid
corresponds to a coolant liquid, and the second fluid corresponds
to the charge air.
[0013] According to one aspect of the invention, said plate
comprises an initial passageway and a final passageway, and the
flow sections of the passageways decrease from one passageway to
the other from the initial passageway towards the final passageway.
They decrease, for example, in a linear or proportional manner.
[0014] According to another aspect of the invention, the flow
section of the initial passageway is between 40 and 60% larger than
the flow section of the final passageway.
[0015] According to one particular embodiment, said plate comprises
four passageways, known as the first passageway, second passageway,
third passageway and fourth passageway, the first passageway being
connected to an inlet into the circuit, the second passageway being
connected to the first passageway, the third passageway being
connected to the second passageway and the fourth passageway being
connected on the one hand to the third passageway and on the other
hand to an outlet from the circuit. The flow section then continues
to reduce from the first passageway as far as the fourth
passageway.
[0016] Advantageously, the flow section of the first passageway is
between 5 and 15% larger than the flow section of the second
passageway. Still advantageously, the flow section of the second
passageway is between 20 and 40% larger than the flow section of
the third passageway. In particular, the flow section of the third
passageway is between 5 and 15% larger than the flow section of the
fourth passageway.
[0017] According to one illustrative embodiment, the distance
between the margins defining the first passageway is between 30 and
35 mm, the distance between the margins defining the second
passageway is between 27 and 32 mm, the distance between the
margins defining the third passageway is between 22 and 25 mm
and/or the distance between the margins defining the fourth
passageway is between 20 and 23 mm. The margins defining a
passageway are, in particular, parallel to one another such that
the flow section of one passageway is constant. The flow section is
measured in a plane perpendicular to an extension plane of the
plate.
[0018] According to a further aspect of the invention, the
passageways comprise baffles for disrupting the flow of fluid.
[0019] The invention also relates to a heat exchanger, intended in
particular for a motor vehicle, comprising plates as defined
previously, at least two of said plates being stacked one on top of
the other in a pair of plates, such that the circuit of one of the
two plates is a mirror-image of the circuit of the other of the two
plates. It will be appreciated here that two plates forming a pair
of plates are stacked one on top of the other such that their
circuit together form a circulation channel for the first
fluid.
[0020] Other characterizing features and advantages of the
invention will become even more evident from a perusal of the
following description of illustrative embodiments provided by way
of example with reference to the accompanying figures. In these
figures:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a view in perspective illustrating as an exploded
view a heat exchanger according to the invention comprising plates
having four passageways;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a view from above of a plate comprising four
passageways, intended to illustrate the differences in the flow
sections of the different passageways according to the
invention.
[0023] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the invention relates to a heat
exchanger 1 permitting an exchange of heat between a fluid to be
cooled, in particular a gas G, and a coolant liquid C. It can be a
charge air cooler, inside which a flow of compressed air intended
to supply an internal combustion engine, for example an engine of a
motor vehicle, is cooled by a cooling liquid, in particular a
mixture of water and glycol.
[0024] The exchanger 1 comprises an array 2 for the exchange of
heat constituted by a stack of plates 4 determining between them
alternate circuits 6, 8 for the fluid to be cooled G and for the
coolant liquid. The array in this case is of generally
parallepipedal shape and exhibits an outlet surface 10 and an
opposing inlet surface, although not depicted here, for the fluid
to be cooled. It is terminated on both sides of the stack by a
plate, known as the upper plate, 12, and by a plate, known as the
lower plate, 14.
[0025] The exchanger 1 can also comprise a housing 5, inside which
the array 2 is situated. It guides the fluid to be cooled between
the plates from the inlet surface to the outlet surface 10 of the
array 2. It is constituted in this case by two lateral walls 18,
each coming up against the lateral edges 16, 16' of the plates 4,
12, 14, by an upper wall 20, coming into contact with the upper
plate 12, and by a lower wall 22, coming into contact with the
lower plate 14. The upper wall 20 can be provided with openings 24,
26 permitting the passage, both outgoing and incoming, of the
coolant liquid C into the array 2.
[0026] The exchanger 1 may also comprise outlet and/or inlet pipe
connections 28, 30 for the coolant liquid communicating with said
openings 24, 26 provided in the housing.
[0027] The different component parts of the exchanger are made of
aluminum or an alloy of aluminum, for example. In particular, they
are brazed to one another.
[0028] Each plate 4, 12, 14 includes a bottom 31, for example,
which is substantially plane, surrounded by a peripheral margin 32
terminated by a flat surface 34, permitting the brazing of the
plates to one another. The circuit 8 for the coolant liquid is
defined, on the one hand, by said peripheral margin 32 and, on the
other hand, by one or a plurality of central margins 60, 60', for
example arising from the material of the bottom 31 of the
plate.
[0029] The plates 4, 12, 14 are grouped together in pairs and are
assembled via their flats 34 and/or the margins 60, 60'. In this
way, the circuit of one upper plate 4 and of one lower plate 4 of
one and the same pair of plates complement one another in order to
constitute a circulation channel for the coolant liquid C. In other
words, the plates 4 are thus stacked by pairs, in such a way that
the circuit 8 for the coolant liquid C of one of the two plates is
situated opposite the circuit 8 for the coolant liquid C of the
other of the two plates of one and the same pair, in order to form
a circulation channel for coolant liquid C. The circuits 6 for the
circulation of the fluid to be cooled are provided between two
plates 4 opposite two adjacent pairs of plates 4.
[0030] In the illustrated example, the upper plates 12 and the
lower plates 14 of the stack are assembled with the upper 20 and
lower 22 walls of the housing in order to define a circulation
channel for coolant liquid.
[0031] The plates 4, 12, 14 possess the general shape of an
elongated rectangle, for example, having two large sides and two
small sides, each plate including two bosses 38, a first of the
bosses 38 exhibiting an inlet 42 into the circulation channel 8 for
coolant liquid C, and the other of the bosses 38 exhibiting an
outlet 40 from the circulation channel for coolant liquid C.
[0032] The bosses 38 are situated along one and the same small side
of the plate 4, 12, 14. They are penetrated here by an opening 50
for the passage of the coolant liquid C, and they are are intended
to come into contact with the bosses 38 of one adjacent plate 4 so
as to form respectively an inlet collector 44 and an outlet
collector, not illustrated here, for the coolant fluid C. The inlet
collector 44 discharges, for example, into the inlet pipe
connection 30 via the inlet opening 26 of the housing, and/or the
outlet collector discharges, for example, into the outlet pipe
connection 28 via the outlet opening 24 of the housing.
[0033] In other words, the coolant fluid makes its way into the
array via the inlet pipe connection 30 and is then distributed
between the plates 4 in the circuits 8 for the circulation of
coolant liquid via the inlet collector 44. It then flows in the
circuits 8 for the circulation of the coolant liquid C from their
inlets 42 as far as their outlets 40, where it penetrates into the
outlet collector. It then exits from the exchanger through the
outlet pipe connection 30.
[0034] The bosses 38 of two pairs of plates 4 determine between
them the height of the circulation circuits 6 for the fluid to be
cooled.
[0035] An inlet collection box and an outlet collection box (not
illustrated here) can be adapted to the periphery of the housing in
order to deliver and remove the fluid to be cooled.
[0036] The exchanger can also comprise secondary exchange surfaces,
for example corrugated baffles inserted between the plates 4 inside
the circuits 6 for the circulation of the fluid to be cooled G.
These baffles permit the flow of the liquid to be cooled G to be
disrupted in such a way as to improve the thermal exchange between
the two fluids.
[0037] Each plate 4, 12, 14 comprises, for example, corrugations 52
arranged inside the circuits 8 for the circulation of the coolant
fluid C. These corrugations 52 extend between the pockets 38
constituting the inlet collector and the outlet collector 44 for
the coolant liquid C and the second longitudinal extremity of the
plates 4, 12, 14. The corrugations 52 arise, for example, from the
material of the bottom 31 of the plates 4, 12, 14, in particular by
deep-drawing the plates 4, 12, 14.
[0038] The circuit 8 defined by the plates 4, 12, 14 makes it
possible to guide the coolant liquid C into a number n of
successive passageways, in this case being four in number, in which
the coolant liquid enters the inlet 42 into and the outlet 40 from
the circuit 8. Two adjacent passageways are separated, for example,
by the margins 32, 60, 60' of the plates 4, 12, 14.
[0039] The passageways are arranged parallel to one another in an
extension direction, in this case being the large side of the
plates. They can also be provided in series one after the
other.
[0040] The margins 60, 60' are thus oriented along the large side
of the plates 4 in order to define a serpentine circulation of the
coolant liquid inside each of the passageways of each of the
circuits 8 for the circulation of the coolant liquid C. Certain 60
of the margins extend from the edge 16 provided with the bosses 38
towards the opposite edge 16', while leaving a passageway free to
enable the fluid to flow from the passageway present on one side of
the margin 60 to the other passageway. They alternate with margins
60' extending from the edge 16' opposite that 16 provided with the
bosses 38 towards the edge 16 provided with the bosses 38, while
leaving a passageway free to enable the fluid to flow from the
passageway present on one side of the margin 60' to the other
passageway.
[0041] In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, where the plate
is provided with four passageways, it is possible to observe a
first passageway 71, or initial passageway 71, extending from the
inlet 40 as far as the edge 16' opposite that 16 provided with the
bosses 38; a second passageway 72 connected to the first and
extending from the edge 16' opposite the edge 16 provided with the
bosses 38 as far as the edge 16 provided with the bosses 38; a
third passageway 73 connected to the second passageway and
extending from the edge 16 provided with the bosses 38 as far as
the edge 16' opposite that 16 provided with the bosses 38; and a
fourth passageway 74 connected, on the one hand, to the third
passageway 73 and, on the other hand, to the outlet 42, such that
it extends from the edge 16' opposite the edge 16 provided with the
bosses 38 as far as the edge 16 provided with the bosses 38.
[0042] The circulation of the fluid to be cooled D inside the
circuits 6 for the circulation of the fluid to be cooled thus takes
place in a direction that is generally perpendicular to that of the
flow of the coolant liquid, the coolant liquid changing its
direction of flow from one passageway to the other.
[0043] A plate according to the invention is depicted in FIG. 2.
Such a plate exhibits a length L in the direction of extension of
the passageways and a length l in a direction D orthogonal to the
direction of extension of the passageways. Inside the exchanger,
the direction D thus corresponds to the direction of flow of the
fluid to be cooled. In the same way, in a plate comprising n
passageways, each passageway exhibits a width In corresponding to
the distance in the direction D between two margins 32, 60, 60'
defining this passageway. Thus, in the illustrated example, the
first passageway 71 exhibits a width 11, the second passageway 72 a
width 12, the third passageway a width 13, and the fourth
passageway 74 a width 14.
[0044] According to the invention, the flow section of a
passageway, known as the upstream passageway, is larger than the
flow section of another passageway, known as the downstream
passageway, which is situated downstream of the upstream passageway
in the direction of flow of the coolant fluid in the circuit 8 for
the circulation of the coolant liquid. Given that the coolant
liquid flows from the initial passageway towards the final
passageway, that is to say in this case from the first passageway
71 towards the fourth passageway 74, the flow section decreases
from the first passageway 71 towards the fourth passageway 74. An
optimization of the loss of charge/thermal performance ratio can
thus also be noted.
[0045] The flow section of a passageway is defined by its width
multiplied by the height of the margins 32, 60, 60' which define
it. Since the margins 32, 60, 60' in this case are substantially
parallel to each other and of identical height, the comparison of
the passageway widths is equivalent in the rest of the description
to a comparison of the flow sections of each passageway.
[0046] According to one aspect of the invention, the width l.sub.1
of the first passageway 71 is between 5 and 15% larger than the
width l.sub.2 of the second passageway 72.
[0047] The width l.sub.2 of the second passageway in this case is
between 20 and 40% larger than the width l.sub.3 of the third
passageway 73.
[0048] The width l.sub.3 of the third passageway 73 is, for
example, between 5 and 15% larger than the width l.sub.4 of the
fourth passageway 74.
[0049] In one illustrative embodiment, the width of the initial
passageway, in this case the first passageway 71, is between 40 and
60% larger than the width of the final passageway, in this case the
fourth passageway 74.
[0050] In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the plate the width l
of the plate 4, 12, 14 is, in particular, equal to 120 mm, and its
length L is, for example, equal to 200 mm. In this case, the width
l.sub.1 of the first passageway 71 lies, in particular, between 30
and 35 mm, the width l.sub.2 of the second passageway 72 lies, for
example, between 27 and 32 mm, the width l.sub.3 of the third
passageway 73 lies, in particular, between 22 and 25 mm and the
width l.sub.4 of the fourth passageway 74 lies advantageously
between 20 and 23 mm.
* * * * *