Patent Application
20160123675
The present invention lies in the field of heat exchangers used in a motor vehicle. The invention relates to a connection module for a heat exchanger making it possible in particular to connect the heat exchanger to a component of a fluid circuit such as a pressure reducing device.
The invention also relates to a heat exchanger comprising such a connection module.
The invention further relates to a heat exchange assembly comprising the heat exchanger with such a connection module as well as the component of a fluid circuit such as a pressure reducing device to which the heat exchanger is connected.
More particularly, the invention relates to an exchanger between a first fluid such as a heat-transfer fluid and a second fluid such as a refrigerating fluid, with a view to cooling the heat-transfer fluid, for example a cooling liquid, providing the cooling of an electrical and/or electronic component of the vehicle, such as a battery.
Such an exchanger is for example arranged in an air-conditioning loop of a heating, ventilation and/or air-conditioning installation of an electrical or hybrid motor vehicle.
This is because a motor vehicle is normally equipped with a ventilation, heating and/or air-conditioning installation for modifying the air contained inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle by delivering a conditioned air flow inside the passenger compartment. Such an installation generally comprises an air-conditioning loop inside which the refrigerating fluid circulates.
Traditionally, the air-conditioning loop comprises a compressor suitable for raising the pressure of the refrigerating fluid in the gaseous state, a condenser suitable for condensing the refrigerating fluid compressed by the compressor and to subcool it in the liquid state, a pressure reducing member suitable for reducing the pressure and temperature of the refrigerating fluid, and an evaporator suitable for changing the refrigerating fluid from the liquid state to the gaseous state after pressure reduction before return thereof to the compressor. The pressure reducing member may by way of example be a thermostatic pressure reducer or a calibrated orifice.
According to a known embodiment, the evaporator allows heat transfer between the refrigerating fluid and the heat-transfer fluid, so as to cool the heat transfer fluid. The heat transfer fluid being for example a cooling liquid such as glycolated water, in this case the term water-type evaporator is used.
The pressure reducing member is provided upstream of the evaporator in the direction of circulation of the refrigerating fluid in order to reduce the pressure and temperature of the refrigerating fluid before evaporation.
According to certain solutions of the prior art, a sensor may be provided, such as a sensor for the temperature or pressure of the refrigerating fluid, so as to measure a physical quantity, pressure or temperature, of the refrigerating fluid after pressure reduction entering the water-type evaporator.
This measurement makes it possible in particular, for example in the case of a pressure reducing device controlled by a solenoid valve, to check that the solenoid valve is open, allowing pressure reduction of the refrigerating fluid and passage thereof into the water-type evaporator.
It is usual to provide an integral terminal block to allow connection of the water-type evaporator to the pressure-reducing member, and this connection unit also carries the refrigerating fluid temperature or pressure sensor.
This connection unit is generally brazed to the heat exchanger, such as the water-type evaporator.
Moreover, the exchangers known at the present time are designed and developed according to specifications imposed by the manufacturer of the vehicle in which the heat exchanger is installed.
The majority of the components constituting the exchanger are generally identical from one manufacturer to another, or from a vehicle belonging to one range to another, and often only a minor portion is variable, that is to say specific to the application.
This may very often be the pressure or temperature sensor for the refrigerating fluid after pressure reduction entering the water-type evaporator.
As the components of the heat exchangers are generally preassembled before being rigidly connected by brazing in a single manufacturing step, it is necessary to manage upstream the logistics relating to the variability of these exchangers, in order to adapt them to the requirements of each manufacturer. In this case, the connection unit carrying the pressure or temperature sensor must be adapted according to the vehicles in which it is to be incorporated.
The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks described above, mainly providing a heat exchanger that can be adapted to a plurality of configurations for installation on a vehicle.
To this end, the subject matter of the invention is a module for connecting a heat exchanger between a first fluid and a second fluid in particular for a motor vehicle, the connection module being configured to connect the heat exchanger to a component of a fluid circuit and to carry a sensor suitable for measuring a quantity of the fluid emerging from the component injected into the heat exchanger,
Thus the second fixing part can extend along the same axis as the first fixing part or along an axis forming a non-zero angle with the axis of the first fixing part.
The first fixing part serves as a reference for the orientation of the second fixing part.
The sensor of a physical quantity of the fluid may then be oriented differently depending on the assembly of the second fixing part on the first fixing part.
This adaptable orientation of the sensor is therefore possible by means of a standard connection module.
Depending on the vehicle in which the heat exchanger and its connection module must be incorporated, it therefore suffices to provide the orientation of the second fixing part carrying the sensor before rigidly connecting the assembly.
Said connection module may further comprise one or more of the following features, taken separately or in combination:
The invention also relates to a heat exchanger between a first fluid and a second fluid in particular for a motor vehicle comprising a connection module as defined previously.
According to one aspect of the invention, the heat exchanger comprises a heat exchange core comprising a first set of tubes and a second set of tubes in thermal contact with each other, said first set of tubes being suitable for being connected to a cooling circuit of an electrical and/or electronic component of said vehicle, such as a battery, in which the first fluid circulates, which is of the heat-transfer fluid type, the second set of tubes being suitable for being connected to the air-conditioning circuit of said vehicle in which the second fluid circulates, which is of the refrigerating fluid type.
According to a particular embodiment, the heat exchanger comprises a heat exchange core having a substantially parallelepipedal shape overall and the axis of the first fixing part is substantially parallel to the width of the heat exchange core.
According to another aspect of the invention, the heat exchanger is of the water evaporator type in which the heat transfer fluid, comprising water with glycol added, and the refrigerating fluid are able to circulate.
The invention also relates to a heat exchange assembly comprising such a heat exchanger comprising a connection module and a component connected to the heat exchanger.
According to one aspect of the invention, the component is a pressure-reducing member suitable for reducing the pressure and temperature of the fluid, such as a thermostatic pressure reducer. The component may comprise a control solenoid valve.
According to another aspect of the invention, the sensor is a temperature sensor or a pressure sensor.
Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly upon reading the following description given by way of illustrative and non-limitative example, and the accompanying drawings, among which:
In these figures, the substantially identical elements bear the same references.
According to one embodiment, the heat exchanger 1 is more particularly intended to effect a heat exchange between a refrigerating fluid FR, for example known by the reference R134a, or alternatively carbon dioxide, and a heat transfer fluid FC such as water with glycol added, serving as a liquid for cooling for example a battery of the vehicle.
The refrigerating fluid FR may be in gaseous, liquid or diphasic form.
The first fluid is for example the heat transfer fluid, and the second fluid is for example the refrigerating fluid FR.
The heat exchanger 1 is, according to a preferred embodiment, an evaporator. Since the heat-transfer fluid FC comprises for example glycolated water, the term water-type evaporator or chiller is used.
The heat exchanger 1 comprises a heat exchange core 3 in which a heat transfer takes place between the first fluid and the second fluid.
With reference to the example in
The heat exchange core 3 comprises a first set of tubes and a second set of tubes.
According to one embodiment, the first set of tubes is provided for circulating the first fluid and the second set of tubes is provided for circulating the second fluid.
According to one embodiment, the heat exchanger 1 comprises an alternation of tubes of the first set of tubes and tubes of the second set of tubes.
The first set of tubes and the second set of tubes are intended to be in thermal contact with each other. Thus, in the heat exchange core 3, the first fluid circulating in the first set of tubes and the second fluid circulating in the second set of tubes are brought close together in order to promote the transfer of calories from one fluid to the other. The first set of tubes and the second set of tubes can be defined by a stack of plates 5, 5a, 5b.
The plates are stacked for example over the thickness e of the heat exchanger 1 between a first end plate 5a and a second end plate 5b. The second end plate 5b is opposite the first end plate 5a with respect to the plurality of tubes of the first and second sets of tubes of the heat exchange core 3.
The plates 5, 5a, 5b are for example respectively rectangular in shape, the width of which defines the width I of the heat exchange core 3 and the length of which defines the length L of the heat exchange core 3.
The plates 5, 5a, 5b are conformed so as to allow communication of fluid between the tubes in the first set of tubes on the one hand and between the tubes of the second set of tubes on the other hand. The plates 5, 5a, 5b may have for this purpose at least one through hole allowing circulation of the first or second fluid.
It can further be provided to arrange a disruptor in the tubes of the first and/or second set of tubes the function of which disruptor is to disturb the circulation of the first or second fluid in order to promote the heat exchange. It may be an interference fin with a substantially corrugated shape.
Furthermore, the first set of tubes is suitable for being connected to a fluid circuit external to the heat exchanger 1, for example a cooling circuit of an electrical and/or electronic component of the vehicle such as a battery, in which the first fluid circulates according to the embodiment described.
The connection between the first set of tubes and the cooling circuit of an electrical and/or electronic component of the vehicle such as a battery may be produced by means of a connection device 7. The function of this connection device 7 is to implement the circulation of the first fluid between at least one of the tubes of the first set of tubes of the heat exchanger 1 and the cooling circuit in which the first fluid circulates.
According to the example in
The connection between the second set of tubes and the air-conditioning circuit is achieved by means of a connection module 11 also arranged on the first end plate 5a or on the second end plate 5b of the heat exchange core 3.
In the embodiment in
In the embodiment in
Such a connection module 11 is depicted in
With reference to
The component 13 of the refrigerating fluid circuit suitable for being rigidly connected to the exchanger, by means of the connection module 11, is for example a pressure-reducing member, such as a thermostatic pressure reducer 13.
Such a thermostatic pressure reducer 13 is one of the components essential to the functioning of the thermodynamic cycle that takes place in the refrigerating fluid circuit with which the heat exchanger 1 cooperates. The thermostatic pressure reducer 13 produces a reduction of the pressure of the second fluid, in this case, the refrigerating fluid FR, before entering the second set of tubes. Such a reduction results in a cooling of the first fluid that circulates in the first set of tubes by heat exchange with the second fluid.
According to a variant depicted in
The sensor 15 is for example suitable for sensing the temperature or pressure of the second fluid, in the example described the refrigerating fluid FR.
Referring once again to
More precisely, the connection module 11 comprises at least two complementary fixing parts 19, 21 making it possible to orient the sensor 15 in at least two different orientations with respect to a predefined orientation of one of the fixing parts 19, 21.
To do this, the connection module 11 comprises a first fixing part 19, known as the reference fixing part, suitable for being arranged in a predefined orientation, in the example illustrated along an axis A. The second fixing part 21 is in this case an adjustable part, the orientation of which can be adapted with respect to that of the first fixing part 19.
The two fixing parts 19, 21 are for example produced by extrusion and machining or may be completely machined.
According to the embodiment described, the fixing part 19 allows connection of the component 13 of the refrigerating fluid circuit to the heat exchanger 1 and the second fixing part 21 is provided to carry the sensor 15.
To this end, the first fixing part 19 comprises means 23 for fixing the component 13 of the refrigerating fluid circuit such as the thermostatic pressure reducer 13. In the example illustrated, the first fixing part 19 has passage orifices 23 for fixing screws for example. The component 13 of the refrigerating fluid circuit, such as a thermostatic pressure reducer 13, comprises in this case complementary orifices 24 for these fixing screws to pass (see
The first fixing part 19 therefore forms a mechanical support for the component 13 of the refrigerating fluid circuit, such as the thermostatic pressure reducer 13, that is to be connected to the heat exchanger 11.
According to the example illustrated in
Furthermore, the connection module 11 allows a fluid connection between the heat exchanger 1 and the component 13 of the refrigerating fluid circuit, such as the thermostatic pressure reducer 13.
To this end, the connection module 11 has at least one inlet orifice 27 through which the refrigerating fluid FR in the example described coming from the component such as the thermostatic pressure reducer 13 is injected into at least one tube of the second set of tubes of the heat exchange core 3 and an outlet orifice 29 through which the refrigerating fluid FR that has circulated in the second set of tubes of the heat exchange core 3 is discharged out of the heat exchanger 1.
The inlet orifice 27 on the connection module 11 is intended to be arranged opposite an inlet orifice 31 provided on the component 13 of the refrigerating fluid circuit, such as the thermostatic pressure reducer 13, through which the high-pressure refrigerating fluid is injected into the component 13. The inlet orifice 27 is also intended to be arranged opposite an inlet orifice provided on the end plate 5a, 5b, not visible in the figures. Thus the second fluid, here the refrigerating fluid FR, having for example undergone pressure reduction in the thermostatic pressure reducer 13 can circulate towards the second set of tubes for heat transfer with the first fluid circulating in the first set of tubes.
Likewise, the outlet orifice 29 on the connection module 11 is intended to be arranged opposite an outlet orifice provided on the end plate 5a, 5b, not visible in the figures. The outlet orifice 29 is also intended to be arranged opposite an outlet orifice 33 provided on the component 13 of the refrigerating fluid circuit, such as the thermostatic pressure reducer 13, through which the low-pressure refrigerating fluid FR is aspirated towards the compressor (not shown) of the refrigerating fluid circuit.
This arrangement allows discharge of the refrigerating fluid FR that has circulated in the heat exchange core 3 of the heat exchanger 1 to the refrigerating fluid circuit for compression in order to recommence a refrigerating cycle.
According to the example illustrated, the inlet orifice 27 is arranged on the second fixing part 21 and the outlet orifice 29 is arranged on the first fixing part 19. Of course, the converse is also possible.
Moreover, a seal 35 depicted in
Furthermore, the two fixing parts 19 and 21 are arranged adjacently to each other.
The first fixing part 19 and the second fixing part 21 have complementary shapes.
With reference to
The first fixing part 19 is for example arranged on an end plate 5a of the heat exchange core 3, extending along an axis A substantially parallel to the width I of the plates 5, 5a, 5b forming the heat exchange core 3 (see
Furthermore, referring once again to
The first fixing part 19 has a first assembly means 37 and the second fixing part 21 has a plurality of second assembly means 39.
The second assembly means 39 are complementary to the first assembly means 37 and extend in at least two different orientations with respect to the axis A of the first fixing part 19, so as to allow at least two different orientations of the second fixing part 21 with respect to the first fixing part 19.
According to the embodiment illustrated in
Furthermore, the assembly means 37, 39 may be shaped for assembly by complementarity of shape between the first fixing part 19 and the second fixing part 21.
The assembly means 37, 39 are for example socketing means of the male-female type.
By way of example, the assembly means 37, 39 comprise at least one complementary rib 41 and groove 43.
According to the example illustrated in
Thus, according to this example, the first assembly means 37 comprises a rib 41 and the second assembly means comprise a plurality of grooves 43.
The rib 41 may for example be in the form of a dovetail. The shape of the grooves 43 is complementary in this case to the dovetail shape.
The grooves 43 may be spaced apart at a predefined pitch, which may or may not be regular.
The plurality of grooves 43 makes it possible to define a plurality of notches for assembling the two fixing parts 19, 21. The rib 41 on the first fixing part 19 may engage in any of the grooves 43 provided on the second fixing part 21 according to the required orientation of the sensor 15.
In a variant, provision can be made for the first assembly means to comprise a groove 43 and for the second assembly means to comprise a plurality of ribs 41.
In the example described, the orientation of the sensor 15 is determined by the orientation of the second fixing part 21. This is because, as can be seen better in
The orientation of the sensor 15 is chosen in particular according to the space requirement of the vehicle in order to facilitate its incorporation in the vehicle.
In the example illustrated in
In the example in
In the example in
The sensor 15 assembled on the second fixing part 21 therefore extends in this oblique direction with respect to the width I of the heat exchange core 3.
The angle of inclination α, β of the second fixing part 21 with respect to the first fixing part 19, known as the reference part, may be adapted according to the interleaving of the assembly means 37, 39 carried on the one hand by the first fixing part 19 and on the other hand by the second fixing part 21.
Of course, more than one rib 41 may be provided on the first fixing part 19 for cooperation with the grooves 43 on the second fixing part 21.
Provision can also be made for one or more grooves 43 to be provided on the first fixing part 19 and for one or more ribs 41 to be provided on the second fixing part 21.
The two fixing parts 19, 21 can thus be preassembled on an end plate 5a or 5b and the assembly comprising the heat exchange core 3, the connection module 11 and optionally the connection device 7 can be rigidly connected by passing through a brazing furnace.
For this purpose, preassembly means may be provided for holding the fixing parts of the connection module 11 together and on the end plate 5a or 5b of the heat exchange core 3 before brazing.
Finally, the heat exchanger 1 comprising such a connection module 11 and the component 13 connected to the heat exchanger 1 form a heat exchange assembly suitable for being incorporated in a motor vehicle, the heat exchanger being connected to a circuit of a first fluid FC, known as the heat transfer fluid, such as the cooling liquid, and also being connected to the circuit of the second fluid, the refrigerating fluid FR in the example described, by the connection module 11 and the component 13 of the refrigerating fluid circuit.
Thus the component of the refrigerating fluid circuit such as the thermostatic pressure reducer 13 is no longer connected to the heat exchanger 1 via an integral terminal block as in the solutions of the prior art, but by means of a connection module affording flexibility in the orientation of the sensor 15 suitable for measuring for example the temperature or pressure of the second fluid FR injected into the heat exchanger 1.
The support function of the component 13 of the refrigerating fluid circuit, in this case of the thermostatic pressure reducer 13, and of the sensor 15 is split in two by means of the two fixing parts 19, 21, which can be assembled together with a different orientation of the fixing part carrying the sensor 15. A first fixing part 19 serves as a reference for the orientation of the second fixing part 21 carrying the sensor 15.
The fixing parts 19, 21 are therefore standard and it is upon assembly of the two fixing parts 19, 21 that adaptation to the vehicle in which the heat exchange assembly will be incorporated is achieved.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1355269 | Jun 2013 | FR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2014/060028 | 5/15/2014 | WO | 00 |
