U.S. patent application number 14/349488 was filed with the patent office on 2014-10-30 for plate for 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 Systemes Thermiques. Invention is credited to Yoann Naudin, Demetrio Onetti, Nicolas Vallee.
Application Number | 20140318754 14/349488 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46968216 |
Filed Date | 2014-10-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140318754 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Vallee; Nicolas ; et
al. |
October 30, 2014 |
Plate For Heat Exchanger And Heat Exchanger Equipped With Such
Plates
Abstract
The invention relates to a plate intended to enable an exchange
of heat between a first and a second fluid circulating in contact
with the plate, said plate being configured to define a circuit for
the first fluid. According to the invention, said plate comprises
one or a plurality of protuberances intended to penetrate into a
plate for collecting the first fluid and defining an inlet into
and/or an outlet from the circuit. The invention also relates to an
array of such plates and to a heat exchanger comprising such an
array.
Inventors: |
Vallee; Nicolas;
(Bazancourt, FR) ; Onetti; Demetrio; (Saint Brice
Courcelles, FR) ; Naudin; Yoann; (Saint Loup En
Champange, FR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Valeo Systemes Thermiques |
Le Mesnil Saint Denis |
|
FR |
|
|
Assignee: |
Valeo Systemes Thermiques
Le Mesnil Saint Denis
FR
|
Family ID: |
46968216 |
Appl. No.: |
14/349488 |
Filed: |
October 2, 2012 |
PCT Filed: |
October 2, 2012 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2012/069501 |
371 Date: |
April 3, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/166 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28F 9/182 20130101;
F28D 1/0325 20130101; F28F 3/044 20130101; F28F 3/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/166 |
International
Class: |
F28F 3/08 20060101
F28F003/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 4, 2011 |
FR |
FR 11/58952 |
Claims
1. A plate for exchanging heat between a first and a second fluid
circulating in contact with the plate, the plate configured to
define a circuit for the first fluid, wherein the plate comprises
one or a plurality of protuberances penetrating into a collector
plate for the first fluid and defining an inlet into and/or an
outlet from the circuit.
2. The plate as claimed in claim 1, comprising two protuberances
respectively defining the inlet into and the outlet from the
circuit.
3. The plate as claimed in claim 1, comprising two small sides and
two large sides, such that the plate possesses the shape of a
rectangle, the one or the plurality of protuberances being situated
at a level of the small sides of the rectangle.
4. The plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate and the one
or the plurality of protuberances comprise a bottom and margins
defining the circuit, the bottom of the one or the plurality of
protuberances and the bottom of the plate extending in a plane.
5. The plate as claimed in claim 4, in which the margins delimiting
the circuit are parallel to one another at the level of the one or
the plurality of protuberances and the margins are flared out in a
direction of the circuit (8).
6. An array for exchanging heat, the array comprising a stack of
plates according to claim 1, the plates being arranged in pairs
such that two plates of the same pair define a circulation channel
for the first fluid.
7. A heat exchanger comprising the array for exchanging heat as
claimed in claim 6 and the collector plate, penetrated by the one
or the plurality of protuberances of the plates.
8. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 7, comprising a housing
provided with four walls and having an interior with the array
disposed within the interior, and with the collector plate further
defined as one of the four walls.
9. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 7, comprising at least
one inlet collector, into an interior of which the one or the
plurality of protuberances of the plates defining the inlet into
the circuits discharge, and one outlet collector, into an interior
of which the one or the plurality of protuberances of the plates
defining the outlet from the circuits discharge.
10. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 7, in which the
collector plate comprises a plane section and collars surrounding
the one or the plurality of protuberances.
11. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 10, wherein the one or
the plurality of protuberances comprise margins terminating at a
flat surface permitting brazing of the one or the plurality of
protuberances to one another and the margins extending in a plane
parallel to a plane in which the bottom of the one or the plurality
of protuberances extends.
12. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 11, in which two plates
forming a pair of plates are in contact at a level of an internal
surface of the flat surfaces.
13. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 11, wherein the collars
conform to an external surface of the margins of the one or the
plurality of protuberances and an external surface of the bottom of
the one or the plurality of protuberances and/or a lateral surface
of the flat surfaces is in contact with the plane section of the
collector plate.
14. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 7, comprising baffles
disposed therein, the baffles extending between two pairs of plates
until the baffles are in proximity to the collector plate.
15. A module for admission of air comprising an exchanger according
to claim 7.
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 including a stack of plates
determining between them alternate circulation channels for the
charge air and for the coolant liquid.
[0003] Each plate guides the coolant liquid in a circuit comprising
a plurality of passageways. These plates exhibit the general shape
of an elongated rectangle having two large sides and small sides,
each plate including two bosses, a first boss exhibiting an inlet
into the circuit for the circulation of the coolant liquid and the
other boss exhibiting an outlet from the circuit for the
circulation of the coolant liquid. The bosses are situated along
one and the same small side of the plate. They are intended to come
into contact with the bosses of an adjacent plate in order to
permit the coolant liquid to pass from one circulation channel to
another. The coolant fluid is thus distributed between the plates
via the inlet bosses. It then flows along passageways in the
circuits for the circulation of coolant liquid before exiting from
said plates at the level of the outlet bosses.
[0004] The charge air enters into the array at the level of one of
the large sides of each plate before exiting therefrom at the level
of the other of the large sides. Each plate thus comprises a zone
for the exchange of heat between the coolant liquid and the charge
air situated at the level of the passageways and an inlet/outlet
zone permitting the coolant liquid to enter into and to exit from
each plate.
[0005] One disadvantage derives from the fact that the zone inside
which the bosses are situated concentrates mechanical stresses
capable of causing rupture of the elements that are brazed to one
another. Another disadvantage derives from the fact that this zone
is highly prejudicial to the thermal performance because the charge
air passing through this zone, in particular between the bosses and
the first longitudinal extremity of the plate, does not pass
through the exchange zone between the two fluids and accordingly
exchanges no heat or almost no heat with the coolant liquid.
[0006] A well-known approach to circumventing this problem is to
modify the component parts of the exchanger or to add a
supplementary part constituting a screen and permitting the passage
through this zone of the fluid to be cooled to be limited. This has
the effect of complicating the component parts and/or the process
of manufacturing of the exchanger, however, which can give rise to
additional costs and, possibly, to an increase in the weight of the
exchanger.
[0007] The object of the invention is to improve the situation.
[0008] To this end, it proposes a plate intended to permit an
exchange of heat between a first and a second fluid circulating in
contact with the plate, said plate being configured so as to define
a circuit for the first fluid.
[0009] According to the invention, said plate comprises one or a
plurality of protuberances intended to penetrate into a collector
plate for the first fluid and defining an inlet into and/or an
outlet from the circuit.
[0010] The zone of each plate for the exchange of heat between the
two fluids is increased in size in this way, and the zone of each
plate which does not participate in the exchange of heat is reduced
in size. In fact, the only part of a plate that does not
participate directly in the exchange of heat is situated at the
level of the protuberances. It can also be appreciated that the
protuberances, by being oriented in a different way, are subjected
to fewer stresses than the inlet/outlet zones for the first fluid,
comprising bosses, of the known plates.
[0011] According to one aspect of the invention, said plate
comprises two protuberances. For example, the plate comprises one
inlet protuberance, through which the first fluid is able to enter,
and one outlet protuberance, through which the first fluid is
intended to exit.
[0012] According to another aspect of the invention, said plate
comprises two small sides and two large sides, such that said plate
possesses the shape of a rectangle, the one or a plurality of said
protuberances being situated at the level of the small sides of the
rectangle.
[0013] According to one illustrative embodiment, said plate and
said protuberances comprise a bottom and margins defining said
circuit, said bottom of the one or a plurality of said
protuberances and said bottom of said plate extending in one and
the same plane. The bottom of the one or a plurality of
protuberances possesses, for example, one distal extremity lacking
margins such that the first fluid is able to enter into and/or to
exit from the circuit via the distal extremity of the
protuberances.
[0014] According to another illustrative embodiment, the margins
delimiting the circuit are parallel to one other at the level of
the one or a plurality of protuberances and are flared out in the
direction of the rest of the circuit. They can continue to be
parallel to one other as far as a zone in which a change takes
place in the direction of flow of the first fluid. The margins thus
take the form of a funnel in proximity to the protuberances. The
expression proximity is used here to denote a zone situated between
0 and 30 mm from the protuberance.
[0015] The invention also relates to an array for the exchange of
heat comprising a stack of plates of the kind described previously,
said plates being arranged in pairs such that two plates of the
same pair determine between them a circulation channel for the
first fluid. Similarly, two plates arranged opposite one another
and belonging to two pairs of adjacent plates determine between
them a circulation channel for the second fluid.
[0016] The invention also relates to a heat exchanger comprising an
array for the exchange of heat as described previously and said
collector plate, intended to be passed through by said
protuberances of said plates.
[0017] According to one aspect of the invention, said exchanger
comprises a housing provided with four walls and in the interior of
which housing said array is present, one of the four walls being
said collector plate. The collector plate is a lateral wall of the
housing, for example, that is to say a plate situated opposite a
peripheral lateral edge of the plates provided with the
protuberances.
[0018] According to a further aspect of the invention, said heat
exchanger comprises at least one inlet collector, into the interior
of which the protuberances of said plates defining the inlet of
said circuits discharge, and one outlet collector, into the
interior of which the protuberances of said plates defining the
outlet from said circuits discharge. In this way, the one or a
plurality of inlet and/or outlet collectors is present on the
exterior of the housing, that is to say on the exterior of the
array, such that the array in its entirety participates in the
exchange of heat between the two fluids.
[0019] According to one illustrative embodiment, the collector
plate comprises a plane section and collars surrounding said
protuberances. The collars participate in the mechanical support of
the plates in relation to the housing and conform to the contour of
the protuberances in such a way that the two fluids are separated
in an impermeable manner.
[0020] According to one aspect of the invention, the margins of the
protuberances are terminated as a flat surface permitting the
brazing of the protuberances to one another and extending in a
plane parallel to the plane in which the bottom of the
protuberances extends. Two plates forming a pair of plates are in
contact at the level of an internal surface of the flat surfaces.
The collars conform to an external surface of the margins of the
protuberances and to an external surface of the bottom of the
protuberances, a lateral surface of the flat surfaces then having
the ability to come into contact with the plane section of the
collector plate. Each collar surrounding the protuberances of one
pair of plate thus comprises an upper part and a lower part, the
lower part of the collar being in contact with the protuberance of
a lower plate of the pair of plate, and the upper part of the
collar being in contact with the protuberance of an upper plate of
the pair. The lower part and the upper part of each collar are not
in contact with one another.
[0021] According to one aspect of the invention, baffles are
arranged inside the exchanger, said baffles extending between two
pairs of plates until they are in proximity to said collector
plate. In this way, the baffles disrupt the flow of the second
fluid circulating between the pairs of plates from one lateral wall
of the housing to the other. The expression proximity is used here
to denote a distance between 0 and 1 mm.
[0022] The invention also relates to a module for the admission of
air comprising an exchanger of the kind described previously.
[0023] 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:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a view in perspective illustrating partially a
heat exchanger comprising plates according to the invention;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a view from above of a plate of the exchanger in
FIG. 1;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a partial view in perspective of a collector plate
that is passed through at the level of collars by the protuberances
of the plates of the exchanger, and
[0027] FIG. 4 is a partial view illustrating the side of the
exchanger exhibiting the collector plate.
[0028] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the invention relates to a heat
exchanger 1 permitting an exchange of heat between a first fluid,
for example a coolant liquid C, and a second fluid, in particular a
fluid to be cooled G. It can be a charge air cooler, inside which
the fluid to be cooled is a flow of compressed air intended to
supply an internal combustion engine, for example an engine of a
motor vehicle. This flow of compressed air is cooled by the coolant
liquid, in particular in the form of a mixture of water and
glycol.
[0029] Said exchanger 1 comprises an array 2 for the exchange of
heat comprising a stack of plates 4 determining between them
alternate circuits 6, 8 for the coolant liquid C and for the fluid
to be cooled G. The array 2 in this case is of generally
parallepipedal shape and exhibits an inlet surface 10 and an
opposing outlet surface, although not depicted here, for the second
fluid G. The plates 4 in this case are arranged in pairs in such a
way that two plates 4 of one and the same pair determine between
them a circulation channel for the coolant liquid C. The circuits 6
for the circulation of the fluid to be cooled G are provided
between two plates 4 arranged opposite two pairs of adjacent
plates.
[0030] The exchanger can also comprise a housing 5, inside which
the array 2 is situated. In this case, it comprises a left-hand
lateral wall 18 situated to the left in FIG. 1 and a right-hand
lateral wall 19 situated to the right in FIG. 1. The left-hand
lateral wall 18 comes into contact with left-hand lateral edges
(reference 16 in FIG. 2) of the plates 4, whereas the right-hand
lateral wall 19 comes into contact with right-hand lateral edges
(reference 17 in FIG. 2) of the plates 4. The housing 5 likewise
comprises an upper wall (not illustrated here) and a lower wall 22
linking together the lateral walls 18, 19. The housing 5 guides the
fluid to be cooled G between the plates 4, from the inlet surface
10 as far as the outlet surface of the array 2.
[0031] The exchanger 1 may also comprise secondary exchange
surfaces arranged inside the circuits 6 for the circulation of the
second fluid. The secondary exchange surfaces extend between two
plates 4 arranged opposite one another belonging to two pairs of
adjacent plates. The secondary exchange surfaces in this case
comprise corrugated baffles 52 inserted between the plates inside
the circuits 6 for the circulation of the fluid to be cooled.
[0032] FIG. 2 depicts a plate 4 according to the invention. Such a
plate 4 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, for example, arising from the
material of the bottom 31 of the plate. The plates 4 possess the
general shape of an elongated rectangle, for example, having two
large sides and two small sides corresponding to the lateral edges
16, 17.
[0033] According to the invention, each plate includes two
protuberances 38, 39 intended to penetrate into a collector plate
for the coolant liquid (corresponding to the left-hand lateral wall
18 in FIG. 1) and defining an inlet 40 into and/or an outlet 42
from the circuit 8. In this case, an inlet protuberance 38 of said
protuberances exhibits the inlet 40, and an outlet protuberance 39
exhibits the outlet 42.
[0034] The protuberances 38, 39 are situated on the small sides 16,
17 of the plate, in this case at the level of the small side 16
situated on the left in FIG. 2. They comprise a bottom 43 and
margins 44 respectively extending the bottom 31 and the margins 32
of the plate 4 towards the exterior of the latter, that is to say
beyond its lateral edge 16. The protuberances 38, 39 thus project
in relation to the bottom 31 of the plate 4. The bottom 43 of the
protuberances 38, 39 extends, for example, in the plane in which
the bottom 31 of the plate 4 extends. The protuberances 38, 39
possess one distal extremity 45 lacking margins and two lateral
extremities provided with margins 44. The coolant liquid is thus
able to penetrate into or exit from the plate 4 via the distal
extremity 45 of the protuberances 38, 39 and to be guided inside
the circuit 8 of the plate 4 via the base 31, 42 and the margins
32, 60, 44 of the protuberances 38, 39 and of the plate 4.
[0035] Like the peripheral margins 32 of the plates 4, the
protuberances 38, 39 are terminated by a flat surface 46, which
extends in a plane parallel to the bottom 43 of the protuberances
38, 39. The inlet protuberances 38 and/or the outlet protuberances
39 of one and the same pair of plate are in contact with and brazed
to one another at the level of an internal surface of these flat
surfaces 46.
[0036] The margins 32, 44, 60 are parallel to one other at the
level of the protuberances 38, 39. They are of flared shape in
proximity to the protuberances 38, 39, that is to say that they are
of flared shape in a zone lying, in particular, between 0 and 30 mm
from the protuberances. This flaring of the margins 32, 44, 60
makes it possible to enlarge the circuit 8 for the circulation of
the coolant liquid in the event that the widening is present in
proximity to the inlet protuberance 38, and to reduce the circuit 8
for the circulation of the coolant liquid in the event that the
widening is present in proximity to the outlet protuberance 39. The
margins 32, 60 of the plates 4 are then parallel to one another as
far as a zone in which a change takes place in the direction of
flow of the coolant liquid.
[0037] The circuit 8 defined by the plates 4 makes it possible to
guide the coolant liquid into a number n of successive passageways,
in this case being two in number, in which the coolant liquid
circulates from the inlet 40 towards the outlet 42. Two adjacent
passageways are separated, for example, by the one or the plurality
of central margins 60 of the plates 4. The passageways are arranged
parallel to one another in an extension direction, in this case the
large side of the plates 4. They can also be provided in series one
after the other.
[0038] The circulation of the coolant liquid, changing its
direction of flow from one passageway to the other, thus takes
place in a direction that is generally perpendicular to that of the
flow of the fluid to be cooled passing through the exchanger from
the inlet surface of the array to its outlet surface, that is to
say from one of the two large sides of the plates 4 to the other of
the two large sides.
[0039] In the depicted example, where the plate 4 defines two
passageways, the plate comprises a single central margin 60. It can
also comprise half margins 60', parallel to the central margin 60
and to the peripheral margins 32, in such a way as to divide a
single passageway into a plurality of sub-passageways. The central
margin 60 is thus oriented towards the large side of the plates 4
in order to define a serpentine circulation of the coolant liquid
in each of the passageways of each of the circuits 8 for the
circulation of the coolant liquid. The central margin 60 extends,
for example, from the left-hand lateral edge 16 towards the
right-hand lateral edge 17 of the plate, while leaving a passageway
free to enable the coolant liquid to flow from the passageway
present on one side of the central margin 60 to the other
passageway present on the other side of the central margin 60.
[0040] The plate in this case comprises a number of baffles 55
situated inside the circuits 8. These baffles 55 arise, for
example, from the material of the bottom of the plates 4, in
particular by deep-drawing the plates. They may adopt a
hemispherical shape, as illustrated in FIG. 2, or, for example, a
more elongated shape.
[0041] Once assembled, the plates 4 are grouped together in pairs
and in contact at the level of their flat surfaces 34, 46 and/or
their margins 32, 60, 44. In this way, the circuit 8 of the upper
plate and of the lower plate in one and the same pair of plates
complement one another in order to constitute a circulation channel
for the coolant liquid. The plates 4 are thus stacked by pairs, in
such a way that the circuit 8 for the circulation of the coolant
liquid of one of the two plates is situated opposite the circuit 8
for the circulation of the coolant liquid of the other of the two
plates in one and the same pair, in order to form the circulation
channel for coolant liquid.
[0042] In this way, the protuberances 38, 39 of the lower plate 4
of a pair of plate are situated opposite a number of protuberances
38, 39 of the upper plate 4 of the same pair of plate.
[0043] Returning now to the heat exchanger depicted in FIG. 1, it
will be noted that the protuberances penetrate into the collector
plate of the exchanger, in this case the left-hand wall 18 of the
housing 5.
[0044] In order to cause the coolant liquid C to enter into and to
exit from the circuits 8 of the various plates 4 of the exchanger
1, the latter comprises an inlet collection box 71 and an outlet
collection box 72 for the coolant liquid C. The inlet collection
box 71 is situated opposite a number of inlet protuberances 38 of
the plates 4 and, together with a zone of the left-hand wall 18 at
the level of which the inlet protuberances discharge, forms an
inlet collector 73 for the coolant liquid C. In the same way, the
outlet collection box 72 is situated opposite a number of outlet
protuberances of the plates 4 and, together with a zone of the
left-hand wall 18 at the level of which the outlet protuberances 39
discharge, forms an outlet collector 74 for the coolant liquid.
[0045] The collection boxes 71, 72 have the shape of a skirt that
is open at the level of the left-hand wall 18 of the housing 5 in
order to permit the coolant liquid C to enter into and/or to exit
from the circuits 8 for the circulation of the coolant liquid by
means of the protuberances. The collecting boxes 71, 72 likewise
exhibit an opening, not illustrated here, in order to permit the
coolant liquid C to enter into and/or to exit from the collectors
73, 74, that is to say to enter into and/or to exit from the
exchanger 1.
[0046] The skirts in this case comprise two lateral surfaces 75, 76
situated to either side of protuberances and one surface, referred
to as the left-hand surface 77, linking the two lateral surfaces
75, 76. It must be noted that lateral surfaces 75, 76 can exhibit
forms that are flared from a lower or upper edge of the boxes
towards an opposite surface that is provided with the inlet/outlet
opening for the coolant fluid. In other words, the section of the
skirts in a plane parallel to the plane in which the bottom of the
plates 4 extends decreases from the upper surface as far as the
lower surface.
[0047] The boxes 71, 72 are secured to the collector plate 18 by a
distal contour, defined here by a folded edge 90 supported against
said collector plate 18. Thanks to the flared form imparted to the
circuit 8 in proximity to the protuberances, the boxes can be
configured in such a way as to exhibit a width, that is to say a
distance, between the two lateral surfaces 75, 76 of said boxes 71,
72, enabling the collector plate to exhibit a width, that is to say
a distance, between the inlet/outlet surfaces for the fluid to be
cooled, which width is substantially equal to, or slightly greater
than, the length of the lateral edges of the plates 4.
[0048] The coolant liquid C thus penetrates into the exchanger 1 by
entering into the inlet collector 73, for example by means of
inlet/outlet tubes (not illustrated here). It is then distributed
between the plates 4 in the circuits 8 for the circulation of the
coolant liquid by means of the inlet protuberances. It then flows
by doubling back into the two passageways of the circuits 8 for the
circulation of the coolant liquid from the inlets into the outlets,
at the level of which it exits from the array 2 before entering
into the outlet collector 74. The coolant liquid C is then able to
exit from the exchanger 1, for example via the inlet/outlet
tubes.
[0049] FIG. 3 permits an aspect of the invention to be illustrated,
according to which the left-hand wall 18 of the box 5, that is to
say the collector plate, comprises a plane section 80 and collars
81 surrounding the protuberances 38, 39. Each collar 81 in this
case comprises two protuberances 38, 39 in contact with one another
and belonging to one and the same pair of plate. Their roles is to
facilitate the insertion of the protuberances 38, 39 into the
collector plate, in order to ensure their mechanical support and to
guarantee the sealing between the inlet and/or outlet collectors
and the array 2 for the exchange of heat for the cooling liquid and
the fluid to be cooled. The collars 81 are produced by slotting the
collector plate, for example, and are brazed to the protuberances
38, 39, in particular in a manner that is simultaneous with the
brazing of the rest of the exchanger.
[0050] The collars 81 comprise an upper section 82 in contact with
the protuberance 38, 39 of an upper plate of a pair of plate and a
lower section 83 in contact with the protuberance 38, 39 of a lower
plate of the same pair of plate. The lower and upper sections 82,
83 of the collars 81 are mutually symmetrical in relation to a
plane passing through the flat surfaces 46 of the protuberances 38,
39.
[0051] Contact between the collars 81 and the protuberances takes
place in particular at the level of the bottom 43 and the margins
44 of the protuberances 38, 39. The collars 81 in fact conform to
an external surface of the margins 44 of the protuberances 38, 39
and to an external surface of the bottom 43 of the protuberances
38, 39.
[0052] The flat surfaces 46 of the protuberances 38, 39 are
terminated at the level of a lateral surface 84. These lateral
surfaces 84 are not in contact with the collars 81. In fact, the
upper section 82 and the lower section 83 of the collars 81 are
terminated at the level of the external surfaces of the flat
surfaces 46 of the protuberances 38, 39 and do not surround the
lateral surfaces of the flat surfaces 46. These lateral surfaces
are thus directly in contact with the plane section 80 the
collector plate.
[0053] FIG. 4 permits the illustration of the baffles 52 for the
flow of the fluid to be cooled, which baffles extend between two
adjacent pairs of plates. Thanks to the invention, these baffles 52
extend from one lateral wall of the box to the other. The left-hand
lateral wall 18 in this case plays the role of a collector plate
for the coolant liquid, and the baffles 52 are situated in
proximity to the collector plate, that is to say at less than 1 mm
from the collector plate. The exchange of heat is accordingly
optimized, since it takes place in a zone extending from the
left-hand lateral wall 18 of the box to the right-hand lateral wall
of the box.
[0054] 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.
* * * * *