Patent Application
20240102745
The present invention relates to a heat exchanger integrally formed with a radiator for cooling an engine or electrical components of a vehicle and a condenser for cooling a cabin.
In general, internal combustion engine vehicles are equipped with a radiator to cool a coolant in the engine and a condenser to cool a refrigerant used to cool a vehicle cabin. The internal combustion engine vehicles are configured as a cooling module by stacking the radiator and condenser and mounting a fan shroud on one surface to blow air. Further, in fuel cell and electric vehicles, the radiator is used to cool the electronic components.
The radiator and condenser have a structure that is formed separately and combined with each other, but since the radiator and condenser are assembled separately, there has been a difficulty in assembly because each header and tank need to be combined to form a header tank.
In addition, in the related art, there are technologies that the radiator and the condenser integrally formed, but due to the temperature difference between the different heat exchanging media, thermal stress may occur due to the temperature difference between tubes of the radiator and tubes of the condenser, and the coupling portion where the two heat exchangers are coupled or the bonding portion formed through brazing may be damaged, resulting in leakage of the heat exchanging media.
The present disclosure has been made in an effort to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a heat exchanger in which a radiator for cooling an engine or electrical components of a vehicle and a condenser for cooling a cabin are integrally formed, and which is easy to assemble and can prevent damage due to thermal stress.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, a heat exchanger of the present invention may include: a header including a pair of header tanks disposed spaced apart from each other, a plurality of tubes formed in two columns in the width direction and connected at both ends thereof to the pair of header tanks, and a plurality of fins interposed between the tubes and coupled to the tubes, in which tube insertion holes into which the plurality of tubes are inserted is formed in two columns in one or more of the pair of header tanks, and a central bent portion is formed protruding between a first row of tube insertion holes and a second row of tube insertion holes; a first tank coupled to one side of the header with respect to the central bent portion and having a space formed therein through which a heat exchanging media flows; and a second tank coupled to the other side of the header with respect to the central bent portion of the header and having a space formed therein through which the heat exchanging media flows.
In addition, the central bent portion of the header may include: a pair of vertical portions extending toward the first and second tanks, respectively, at positions spaced apart in the width direction of the horizontal portion in which the tube insertion holes are formed; and a connection portion configured to connect ends of the pair of vertical portions.
In addition, at least a portion of the connection portion may have a curved cross-sectional shape.
In addition, the connection portion may have a condensate water drainage hole formed through both surfaces of the connection portion.
In addition, the header may have a protruding bent portion formed in a center portion of the connection portion of the central bent portion in the width direction, and formed in the shape corresponding to the central bent portion.
In addition, the protruding bent portion may be at least partially cut and removed.
The header may have lateral surface bent portions formed at both ends of the horizontal portion in the width direction toward the first tank and the second tank.
In addition, the fins may be integrated fins having one side thereof coupled to the first column tube and the other side thereof coupled to the second column tube in the width direction.
In addition, each of the pair of header tanks may further include a baffle coupled to the header and the first tank and configured to divide an internal space of the header tank.
In addition, heat exchanging media having different temperatures may flow in different areas divided by the baffles.
In addition, a pair of baffles spaced apart from each other may be provided in each of the header tanks, and a dummy tube may be connected at a position corresponding a portion between the pair of baffles that are spaced apart.
In addition, the first heat exchanging portion disposed in the first row including the first column tubes is a radiator, the second heat exchanging portion disposed in the second row including the second column tubes is a condenser, in which the first heat exchanging portion may be disposed upstream and the second heat exchanging portion is disposed downstream in a flow direction of cooling air.
The heat exchanger of the present invention is easy to assemble the headers and tanks of the two heat exchangers, and can prevent damage to the coupling portion where the two heat exchangers are coupled or the bonding portion formed through brazing by preventing thermal stress caused by the temperature difference of the two heat exchanging media, thereby preventing leakage of the heat exchanging media.
Hereinafter, a heat exchanger of the present invention having the configuration as described above will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As illustrated, a heat exchanger according to the first embodiment of the present invention may include a pair of header tanks 100, a plurality of tubes 200, and a plurality of fins 300. The pair of header tanks 100 are spaced apart from each other, with the header tanks 100 forming a space within which a heat exchanging media may be stored and flowed. Further, although not illustrated, the header tanks 100 may have inlets and outlets that formed variously through which the heat exchanging media is introduced, and inlet pipes and outlet pipes may be formed that are connected to the inlets and the outlets. Further, the header tanks 100 may each include a header 110, a first tank 120, and a second tank 130, and may further include a baffle 140. The header 110 may have a plurality of tube insertion holes 111a formed in a horizontal portion 111 in the shape of an elongated rectangular plate that is approximately longer in the height direction than in the width direction, and the tube insertion holes 111a may be formed in two columns. Further, the header 110 may have a central bent portion 112 formed to protrude between a first column of the tube insertion holes 111a and a second column of the tube insertion holes 111a. In addition, the header 110 may have lateral surface bent portions 115 formed at both ends of the horizontal portion 111 in the width direction, respectively. In this case, the central bent portion 112 and the lateral surface bent portion 115 may be formed in a manner that extends from the horizontal portion 111 toward the first tank 120 and the second tank 130. The first tank 120 may be formed in the form of a container with a surface facing the header 110 opened, and the first tank 120 may be inserted between the center bent portion 112 of the header 110 and the lateral surface bent portion 115 on one side thereof in the width direction. The second tank 130 may be formed in the form of a container with a surface facing the header 110 opened, and the second tank 130 may be inserted between the center bent portion 112 of the header 110 and the lateral surface bent portion 115 on the other side thereof in the width direction. And the header 110, the first tank 120, and the second tank 130 may be coupled through brazing after being assembled.
Accordingly, an internal space formed by the combination of the first tank 120 and the header 110 on one side in the width direction with respect to the central bent portion 112 and an internal space formed by the combination of the second tank 130 and the header 110 on the other side in the width direction may be divided without being communicated with each other.
A tube 200 is a portion that forms a flow path through which heat exchanging media flows. A plurality of tubes 200 may include a first column tube 210 and a second column tube 220, and the tubes 200 may have both ends thereof connected to the pair of header tanks 100. The first column tubes 210 may be inserted into a first column of tube insertion holes of the tube insertion holes 111a formed in the header 110, and the second column tubes 220 may be inserted into a second column of tube insertion holes of the tube insertion holes 111a formed in the header 110. The tubes 200 may then be assembled into the header 110 and coupled through brazing. Accordingly, the plurality of tubes 200 may be arranged in two columns in the width direction, such that the first column tubes 210 and the second column tubes 220 are disposed spaced apart in the width direction. Further, the plurality of tubes 200 may be disposed with the tubes forming each column spaced apart from each other in the height direction. In addition, the first column tube 210 and the second column tube 220 may be disposed at a corresponding height from each other.
Fins 300 are coupled to the tubes 200 and serves to improve heat exchange efficiency by dissipating heat from the heat exchanging media flowing inside the tubes 200 to the outside by conduction. Further, the fins 300 may each be interposed and coupled between neighboring tubes 200 in the height direction. Here, the fins 300 may be integrated fins with one side thereof coupled to the first column tube 210 and the other side thereof coupled to the second column tube 220 in the width direction. That is, the fins 300 may be connected as one piece over the first column tube 210 and the second column tube 220. Therefore, a heat transfer area on the cooling air side of the fins 300 may be increased, thereby improving heat exchange performance. Additionally, louvers may be formed in the fins 300 to change airflow direction or increase contact area to improve heat exchange efficiency.
Thus, a first heat exchanging portion R including the first tank 120, the first column tube 210, and one side of the header 110 in the width direction centered on the central bent portion 112 of the header 110 may be arranged in the first column. Further, a second heat exchanging portion C including the second tank 130, the second column tube 220, and the other side of the header 110 in the width direction centered on the central bent portion 112 of the header 110 may be arranged in the second column. In addition, the first heat exchanging portion R and the second heat exchanging portion C may be integrally formed by the integrally formed header 110 and the integrally formed fins 300.
Here, the central bent portion 112 of the header 110 may include a pair of vertical portions 112a that extend toward the first tank 120 and the second tank 130, respectively, at spaced positions in the width direction between the first row of tube insertion holes and the second row of tube insertion holes, and a connection portion 112b that connects ends of the pair of vertical portions 112a. That is, the central bent portion 112 may be shaped by bending the horizontal portion 111 in the form of a flat plate such that the central bent portion 112 convexly protrudes toward the first tank 120 and the second tank 130 in the width direction. In this case, the connection portion 112b may be formed in a curved shape in cross-section, for example, in the form of a semicircle. Alternatively, only edges portions where the connection portion 112b is connected to the vertical portion 112a may form rounds, and an area between the two rounds may be in the form of a straight line. In addition, the central bent portion 112 may be formed in a variety of shapes.
As a result, the header is integrally formed so that two tanks may be assembled on one header for ease of assembly, and the central bent portion formed on the header may prevent thermal stress that may be caused by temperature difference of the heat exchanging media flowing along the first and second columns, thereby preventing damage to portions coupled through brazing, thereby preventing leakage of the heat exchanging media. In addition, compared to mounting each of the conventional heat exchangers on the vehicle, the heat exchanger of the present invention may reduce the number of mounts mounted on the vehicle, and may be more durable against vibration because the heat exchanger is integrally formed through brazing after being assembled.
In addition, the connection portion 112b of the center bent portion 112 of the header 110 may have a condensate water drainage hole 113 formed through both surfaces thereof. That is, since the second heat exchanging portion C operates as an outdoor unit in a heat pump system and may generate condensate water on a surface thereof, it may be easy to drain condensate water through the condensate water drainage hole 113 formed in the connection portion 112b. In this case, the condensate water drainage hole 113 may be formed, for example, only in a lower portion area of the header tank 100 in the height direction, and may be formed in various positions and numbers depending on an arrangement of the header tank 100 and the like. In addition, thermal stress may be further reduced by the condensate water drainage hole 113.
Further, the header 110 may have a protruding bent portion 114 formed in the center portion of the connection portion 112b of the central bent portion 112 in the width direction, and the protruding bent portion 114 may be formed in the shape corresponding to the central bent portion 112 but protruding from the connection portion 112b in a reduced form of the central bent portion 112. Accordingly, thermal stress may be further reduced by the protruding bent portion 114. Further, the protruding bent portion 114 may be formed in the same direction as a direction in which the central bent portion 112 protrudes from the horizontal portion 111. Additionally, after the header and the tanks are coupled through brazing, the protruding bent portion 114 may be cut and removed.
As illustrated, a heat exchanger according to the second embodiment of the present invention may have the same configuration as the first embodiment described above with the addition of baffles 140 so that an internal space formed by the coupling of the header 110 and the first tank 120 is divided. In this case, the baffles 140 may be provided in each of the pair of header tanks 100. Further, a pair of baffles 140 may be provided in each of the header tank 100, and the pair of baffles 140 provided in one header tank 100 may be spaced apart from each other in the height direction, such that a divided internal space is formed between the pair of baffles 140. Additionally, a dummy tube 230 may be connected at a position that corresponds to a portion between the pair of baffles 140, and no heat exchanging media may flow in a space between the pair of baffles 140 and inside the dummy tube 230. Accordingly, the first heat exchanging portion R may be divided by the baffles 140 and the dummy tube 230 in the height direction such that an upper side thereof with respect to the baffles 140 becomes a high temperature radiator (HTR) and a lower side thereof with respect to the baffles 140 becomes a low temperature radiator (LTR). Here, the high temperature radiator (HTR) may be a radiator for an engine that cools a coolant for the engine, and the low temperature radiator (LTR) may be a radiator for electronic components that cools a coolant for the electronic components. Furthermore, heat exchanging media of different temperatures may flow in the high temperature radiator (HTR) side and the low temperature radiator (LTR) side, which are different areas divided by the baffles 140. Accordingly, the heat exchanger according to the second embodiment of the present invention may be applied to hybrid vehicles that require cooling of both the engine and the electronic components. In addition, heat transfer between the high temperature radiator (HTR) and the low temperature radiator (LTR) may be blocked by the baffles 140 and the dummy tube 230 to reduce thermal stress, and appropriate cooling may be achieved in each radiator.
As illustrated, the heat exchanger according to the present invention may have the first heat exchanging portion R disposed in the first row including the first column tubes 210 as a radiator, and the second heat exchanging portion C disposed in the second row including the second column tubes 220 as a condenser, in which the first heat exchanging portion R is disposed upstream and the second heat exchanging portion C is disposed downstream in the flow direction of the cooling air. In case of internal combustion engines, coolant temperature in an engine radiator is approximately 110° C., which is higher than refrigerant temperature in a condenser, which is unfavorable for performance of the condenser when the radiator is disposed upstream in the flow direction of the cooling air. Meanwhile, in case of an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle, a radiator for electronic components to cool the battery or electronic components is configured, and coolant temperature of the radiator is approximately 65° C., which is lower than refrigerant temperature of a condenser. Therefore, it is advantageous for the performance of the radiator and condenser when the radiator is disposed upstream in the flow direction of the cooling air. That is, the arrangement of the heat exchanger as described above is a suitable configuration for electric or hybrid vehicles.
In addition, for example, the first column tube 210 and the second column tube 220 may have the same dimensions in the height direction, but may have different widths and internal shapes. Further, the first tank 120 and the second tank 130 may have different shapes and materials. In addition, a gap between the pair of vertical portions 112a in the central bent portion 112 of the header 110 is preferably within 3 mm. When the gap is too wide, an overall volume of the heat exchanger is increased, which is disadvantageous, and on the other hand, when the gap is too narrow, the thermal stress reduction effect may be reduced, which may make it difficult to form the condensate water drainage hole 113. In addition, a gas-liquid separator may be bonded to the second tank 130 of the second heat exchanging portion C, which serves as a condenser, through brazing.
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but has a wide range of applications, and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art to which the invention belongs without departing from the spirit of the present invention as claimed in the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2021-0061280 | May 2021 | KR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/KR2022/006507 | 5/6/2022 | WO |
