Patent Application
20160305687
The invention relates to a heat exchanger having an internal conduct for conducting a fluid, and having a heat dissipating body for dissipating heat of the fluid, wherein the heat dissipating body having a cavity extending in a longitudinal direction, at least one end piece of the internal conduct extending inside of the cavity, the end piece having an orifice facing a bottom surface of the cavity for feeding the fluid into a bottom area of the cavity, wherein between an outer shell of the internal conduct and an inner shell of the heat dissipating body a streaming space for conducting the fluid away from the bottom area is provided.
The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a heat exchanger.
In a first example of use, a heat exchanger is employed in an exhaust gas system of a motor vehicle in order to dissipate a maximum portion of the heat generated by the motor of the motor vehicle, for example, by conveying the heat into a heat transporting fluid. Thereby, a potential overheating of the exhaust gas system can be avoided, Moreover, the heat extracted from the exhaust gas can be used for heating purposes, for example, for heating a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle. According to a second example of use, the heat exchanger is part of a heating device or is connected to a heating device, for example, in a vehicle.
The possible applications of the heat exchanger described herein are not restricted to the vehicle sector. Rather, the heat exchanger can be principally used for each application in which heat shall be extracted from or conveyed to a fluid, i.e. a liquid or gaseous medium.
It is an object of the invention to provide a heat exchanger that has a structure as simple as possible and, accordingly, is easy to manufacture, and which has further a high efficiency, i.e. a heat exchange rate as high as possible. This object is solved by the characterizing feature of claim 1.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturing of such a heat exchanger, the complexity of such method being as low as possible. This object is solved with the features of claim 12.
The heat exchanger according to the present invention is based on prior art in that the inner shell of the heat dissipating body comprises a first and a second portion, the first portion having two ribs that are transversally displaced in relation to each other, and the second portion having two ribs that are transversally displaced in relation to each other and wherein at least one rib of the second portion is transversally displaced in relation to each rib of the first portion, or at least one rib of the second portion is transversally displaced in relation to each rib of the first portion. Preferably, at least two, three, four, five or six ribs of the first or the second portion are transversally displaced in relation to each rib of the second or the first portion. An embodiment is considered as being optimal, in which each rib of the first portion is transversally displaced in relation to each rib of the second portion. A rib of a heat exchanger is an element located in the streaming area of the heat exchanger, the element increasing the efficient surface of the heat exchanger and thereby the efficiency of the heat exchanger. Each portion can, for example, be undulated or corrugated. In this case, each peak of the undulation or each peak of the corrugation forms a rib. The ribs of any portion can extend parallely to each other and can be equally spaced. This can favor a fluid streaming through the cavity being as uniform as possible. The ribs can be elongate. For example, the length of reach rib can be more than threefold or even more than tenfold of the maximum dimension of the rib that is positioned transversally in relation to the streaming path. A direction transvers in relation to the longitudinal direction is also referred to as transversal direction. As mentioned, the ribs of both portions are transversally displaced relative to each other. Therefore, the inner shell of the heat dissipating body has a discontinuity at the border between the two portions. This promotes the appearance of turbulences at the border between the portions and therefore promotes a mixing of fractions of the fluid that are close to the surface with franctions of the fluid that are far away from the fluid, at the transition between the first portion and the second portion. The efficiency of the heat exchanger is thereby improved as compared to a heat exchanger that has an always continuous inner shell. It can be advantageous to have more than two adjacent portions of this kind. Each rib of the first portion can have a face surfaces facing the second portion. Each rib of the second portion can have a face surfaces facing the first portion. Preferably, a rib of the first portion (first rib) is deemed to be transversally displaced in relation to each rib of the second portion (second rib) if and only if the projection of the face surface of the first rib on a transversal surface (first projection) and the projection of a face surface of the second rib on the same transversal surface (second projection) are displaced to each other in a sense that none of the both projections completely covers the other one. In more simple words, this means that none of the both mentioned face surfaces is projected completely on the other one: therefore, the face surface of the first rib does not project or projects only partly on the face surface of the second rib and the face surface of the second rib does not project or projects only partly on the face surface of the second rib. A transversal surface is a surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, i.e. a surface having a normal vector that is parallel to the longitudinal direction. A projection is meant as an orthogonal projection. For instance it can be provided that the first projection covers less than 70 percent, less than 20 percent or even less than 10 percent of the surface of the second projection. Alternatively or additionally it can be provided that the second projection covers less than 70 percent, less than 20 percent or even less than 10 percent of the surface of the first projection. In particular it can be provided that both projections do not overlap. Overlapping of the both projections that is as small as possible is considered as advantageous in regard to the generation of turbulences,
The heat dissipating body may comprise a cast or extruded first segment comprising the first portion as well as a cast or extruded second segment comprising the second portion. Therefore, the heat dissipating body can be manufactured easily by first manufacturing the first segment and separately manufacturing the second segment, whereupon the segments are assembled. The above-mentioned abrupt transition from the first portion to the second portion may therefore be realized in a non-complex manner. Both of the single segments can, for example, be manufactured by machines that are already designed or already existing.
The first segment and the second segment may be identically constructed. In this case there is no need to manufacture different segments resulting in a particularly cost efficient manufacturing method. The heat dissipating body can have more than two segments that are identically constructed.
The first and the second portion can be arranged such that each rib of the first portion extends to a channel that is located between two adjacent ribs of the second portion. Thus, in this case, each rib of the first portion merges in a channel of the second portion. Turbulences may appear in the fluid at the transition from the rib to the channel. It may be provided that the rib completely or partially covers the channel to which it extends. This means that a face surface of the rib facing the channel and a transversal cross section of the channel are overlapping completely or in part at the beginning or the end of the channel that meets the rib. For example, it can be provided that the rib covers the cross section of the channel to which it extends by more than 20 percent, more than 50 percent, more than 80 percent or even by 100 percent.
Moreover, between two adjacent ribs of the first portion a channel can be located that extends to a rib of the second portion. Therefore, the channel that is formed between the adjacent ribs of the first portion merges into a rib of the second portion at the border between both portions. The abrupt transition from the channel to the rib promotes the mixing of the fluid. It can be provided that the rib covers the channel to which it extends, completely or partly. Thus, a face surface of the rib facing the channel and a transversal cross section of the channel at its beginning or end meeting the rib are overlapping completely or in part. For example, it can be provided that the rib covers the cross section of the channel to which it extends by more than 20 percent, more than 50 percent, more than 80 percent or even by 100 percent.
The heat dissipating body or at least its inner shell may comprise a rotational symmetry axis. This means that the heat dissipating body or at least its inner shell are transferred into themselves if a hypothetical rotation around the rotation symmetry axis is performed, i.e., they are invariant under the corresponding rotation. Such a symmetry may provide a high efficiency and may also facilitate the manufacturing of the heat dissipating body.
For example, the first and the second portions may comprise N ribs each, wherein the position of the ith rib of the first portion comprises an azimuthal angle of 306°/N*i wherein i=0, . . . ,N−1, and wherein a constant α is existing in interval (0; 1/2), such that the position of each jth rib of the second portion comprises an azimuthal angle of 360°/N*(j+α), wherein j=0, . . . , N−1. Preferably, the constant α is in the interval [1/10; 1/2], i.e. 0.1=<α=<0.5. In the case α=1/2 the inner shell or even the whole of the heat dissipating body may be symmetric under respective rotation of 180°/N about the rotational symmetry axis. Thus, if M segments are provided in total, it may be advantageous that the position of the jth rib of the kth portion (20′) comprises an azimuthal angle of 360°)/N*(j+k/M), wherein j=0, . . . ,N−1 and k=0, . . . ,M−1. In this case a symmetry under rotation of 360°/(N*M) about the rotation symmetry axis may be present.
The ribs of the first portion and the ribs of the second portion can each be elongate and extend in the longitudinal direction. In particular, the ribs can be each arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction. Such a rib structure may be particularly simple in manufacturing. For example, each of the ribs may have a substantially constant transversal cross section. This means that the transversai cross section of the rib is substantially constant at least on a portion along the longitudinal direction. This portion is referred to as “rib portion having constant cross section”. The length of the rib portion having constant cross section can be, for example, more than 50 percent, more than 80 percent or even more than 90 percent of the length of the rib. The term “length” in this disclosure is always meant as a dimension in the longitudinal direction, if not anything else can be conducted from the particular context. A transversal cross section is a cross section that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The transversal cross section of the rib can, for example, be essentially constant, in a sense that on the rib portion having constant cross section all changes of the transversal cross section are small in relation to the dimension of the cross section, for example, as compared to the width and/or height of the cross section. In other words, it may be provided that the rib portion having constant cross section has the appearance of a finite part of a geometric body that is invariant under infinitesimal translations in the longitudinal direction. A set of geometrical points invariant under infinitesimal translations if an infinitesimal translation transforms each point into another point of the same set. For exampie, the rib portion having constant cross section or even the whole rib may have the appearance of a cylinder. The cross section of the cylinder may have any shape, for example, substantially the shape of a rectangle.
Further, it may advantageous that in the longitudinal direction the ribs of the first portion and the ribs of the second portion each extend over the whole of the subject portion. Such a heat dissipating body may be relatively easy to manufacture.
The internal conduct may comprise a combustion chamber or may communicate with a combustion chamber, Part of the heat that is generated by the combustion can therefore be dissipated by the heat dissipating body and provided to a destination, for example, to a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle.
It may further be provided that the inner shell of the heat dissipating body comprises a third portion adjacent to the second portion, the third portion having at least two ribs that are transversally displaced to each other, wherein at least one rib of the third portion is transversally displaced in reiation to each rib of the second portion, or wherein at least one rib of the second portion is transversally displaced in relation to each rib of the third portion, Transversally means, as explained above, “transvers in relation to the longitudinal direction”. Thereby, a further zone of turbulences is generated, namely at the border between the second and the third portions, Further, it is possible that the inner shell of the heat dissipating body comprises further portions having the features that have been described referring to the first and the second portions.
The heat dissipating body may particularly be manufactured by a method that comprises the following steps: manufacturing a first segment comprising the first portion; manufacturing a second segment comprising the second portion; and assembling the first segment and the second segment. This method may be particularly uncomplicated when performed, since the inner shells of both of the single segments have a simpler structure than the assembled inner shell, In an alternate method, the heat dissipating body is manufactured in one piece, for example, using a salt core method.
The first and the second segments may, for example, be manufactured separately by casting or extruding. Alternatively, the segments can also be assembled from single elements, for example, by welding.
If both of the segments are identically constructed, they may be manufactured in sequence using a common manufacturing device. If a casting method is chosen they may be cast in sequence in the same mold. Therefore, the mold can be used twice.
The first segment and the second segment may, for example, be assembled by welding, This provides an adhesive bond or metallic continuity. Thereby, a sealing of the cavity at the contact point may be simultaneously provided. Alternatively, a connection of both of the segments by mechanical connection elements may be considered, for example, rivets or screws. In this case it may be required to seal the connecting point between both of the segments by using sealing means.
In the following, the invention will be further explained, referring to the attached drawings and corresponding embodiments.
In the present disclosure a top view is a presentation in which the longitudinal direction is perpendicular with respect to the drawing surface, if nothing else results from the context. In the following description of the drawings identical reference numbers refer to identical or similar components.
The heat dissipating body 12, 12′ comprises a cavity 14, 14′ extending in a longitudinal direction 36. The heat dissipating body 12, 12′ and/or the internal conduct 32 may have a rotational symmetry axis 16. in this case, the longitudinal direction 36 is parallel with respect to the rotational symmetry axis 16. Within the cavity 14, 14′ at least one end portion of the internal conduct 32 extends, referred to as end piece 34. The end piece 34 comprises the orifice 42. The orifice 42 faces a bottom surface 44 of the cavity 14, 14′. In operation, a fluid, in this example hot exhaust gas, flows out of the internal conduct 32 over the orifice 42 into a bottom area 46 of the cavity 14, 14′ (in the drawing, the flow is indicated by arrows).
Between an outer shell 48 of the internal conduct 32 and an inner shell 20, 20′ of the heat dissipating body 12, 12′, a flow space for conducting the fluid away from the bottom area 46 is designed. The flow space extends in the longitudinal direction 36. The inner shell 20, 20′ of the heat dissipating body 12, 12′ comprises a first portion 20 and a second portion 20′ adjacent to the first portion 20. According to an alternative (not shown) of the embodiment as shown, the heat dissipating body 12, 12′ comprises a lateral exit for letting out the fluid.
The first portion 20 comprises at least two ribs 22 (see
In the example (see
As can be gathered from
In the geometry shown in
The inner shell may comprise an alternating sequence of N portions. The number N of portions may for example be 3, 4, 5, 6 or more. The portions may be numbered 1 to N. The sequence may be alternating in this sense that each portion having the number l+2 (l=1 to N−2) is transferrable in the portion having the number l, by using a geometrical, i.e. an abstract or hypothetic, translation parallel to the longitudinal direction, Such an embodiment results in a high heat exchange rate. Each portion may be realized by a module or segment, making an efficient manufacturing possible.
An example of a manufacturing method is illustrated by the flow chart in
The top view in
In the example, the face surface of a rib 22 of the first portion 20 facing the second portion 20′ is greater than the cross section of the channel 26′ covered from this rib 22 at its beginning or end of the channel facing the first portion 20. The face surface of the rib 22 facing the second portion 20′ completely overlaps the cross section of the channel 26′ at its beginning or its end of the channel facing the first portion 20, while the cross section of the channel 26′ at its beginning or its end of the channel facing the first portion 20′ only partly overlaps the face surface of the rib 22 facing the second portion 20′.
In an alternative (not shown) of this example, a channel 26′ of the second portion 20′ and a rib 22 of the first portion 20 completely overlap each other transversally. Hence, the face surface of the rib 22 facing the second portion 20′ completely overlaps the cross section of the channel 26′ at its beginning or its end of the channel facing the first portion 20, and the cross section of the channel 26′ also completely overlaps at its beginning or its end of the channel facing the first portion 20 the face surface of the rib 22 facing the second portion 20′. Hereby a good heat exchange is achievable using an amount of material for the ribs as small as possible.
Further, in the example according to
The ribs 22 and 22′, respectively, of each portion are closely packed according to the example of
The features explained with reference to
In each of the embodiments described herein, the ribs extend in a transversal direction within the cavity 14, 14′, however, not necessarily to an opposing surface of the cavity. In other words, it may be provided that at least one or even each of the ribs 22 and 22′, respectively, protrude into the cavity 14, 14′ in a transversal direction, without meeting another solid structural element. Therefore, each of the ribs has only one contiguous surface, and not several of them, that is circulated around by the fluid. The ribs can therefore be referred to as fins. In particular, it may be provided that the whole cavity 14, 14′ is a contiguous spatial area. Thereby, a forming of turbulence patterns covering a relatively large space and of a good heat transport within the flowing fluid is allowed.
The features of the invention as disclosed in the preceding description, in the drawings and in the claims may be essential for realizing the invention, as well in single appearance as well as in any combination. “Several” means “at least two”. For each feature as explained with respect to a single rib 22 or 22′, it is contemplated that it may be advantageous that more or the most or all of the ribs 22, 22′, respectively, may comprise the features of interest. Further, with respect to each feature explained with reference to a single channel 26 or 26′, it may be advantageous that more or the most or all of the channels 26 and 26′, respectively, comprise the feature of interest.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2013 020 469.0 | Dec 2013 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2014/076723 | 12/5/2014 | WO | 00 |
