Patent Application
20210396479
The present invention relates to plates that form part of a heat exchanger. The subject matter concerns such a plate, and a heat exchanger having at least one such plate.
In the automotive sector, it is common to have to modify a temperature of an element such as an electric motor, a battery, a heat and/or cold storage device or similar. To this end, the motor vehicle is equipped with an installation which comprises a refrigerant circuit within which a refrigerant circulates, and a heat-transfer liquid circuit within which a heat-transfer liquid circulates. The refrigerant circuit comprises a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a thermal exchanger for cooling the refrigerant at constant pressure, an expansion member to permit expansion of the refrigerant, and a heat exchanger which is arranged to permit a thermal transfer between the refrigerant and the heat-transfer liquid.
The heat exchanger is an exchanger formed of plates that are stacked and joined together in order to form a tube delimiting a circulation channel for the refrigerant or for the heat-transfer liquid. The heat exchanger is a U-shaped heat exchanger, in which the circulation paths of the refrigerant and of the heat-transfer liquid are arranged in a U shape. To this end, the plate is provided with a rib which delimits the branches of the U and which is positioned between the branches of the U. The plate comprises at least two openings for supplying the circulation channel with heat-transfer liquid or refrigerant. The circulation channel provides the heat-transfer liquid or the refrigerant with a passage section which is a surface taken perpendicularly to a plane in which the plate extends and perpendicularly to an axis of longitudinal extent of the plate.
A first problem lies in a poor distribution of the refrigerant and/or of the heat-transfer liquid inside the circulation channel. Poor distribution of this kind lessens the efficacy of the thermal transfer between the refrigerant and the heat-transfer liquid.
A second problem lies in too great a speed of circulation of the refrigerant and/or of the heat-transfer liquid inside the circulation channel, which also minimizes the thermal transfer between the refrigerant and the heat-transfer liquid.
It is known to form protuberances inside the circulation channel in order to disturb a flow of the refrigerant and/or of the heat-transfer liquid inside the circulation channel. The protuberances are obtained from a deformation of at least one of the plates.
However, there is still a poor distribution of the refrigerant and/or of the heat-transfer liquid inside the circulation channel, and also too great a speed of circulation of the refrigerant and/or of the heat-transfer liquid inside the circulation channel, at least inside a zone of the passage section of the refrigerant and/or of the heat-transfer liquid inside the circulation channel. The zone of the passage section inside which said speed of circulation is excessive is, for example, a corridor formed between the protuberances and the rib that the plate comprises.
An object of the present invention is to make available a plate forming part of a heat exchanger which permits optimization of a distribution of the refrigerant and/or of the heat-transfer liquid inside the circulation channel that the plate partially delimits.
Another object of the present invention is to make available a plate forming part of a heat exchanger which reduces a speed of circulation of the refrigerant and/or of the heat-transfer liquid inside the circulation channel, in a particular zone where the speed of circulation of the refrigerant and/or of the heat-transfer liquid inside the circulation channel is judged excessive.
Another object of the present invention is to make available a particular arrangement of the plate forming part of a heat exchanger in which a circulation path is arranged in a U shape, especially for a heat exchanger between a refrigerant and a heat-transfer liquid.
Another object of the present invention is to make available a heat exchanger comprising at least one such plate, the heat exchanger being a heat exchanger between a refrigerant and a heat-transfer liquid, such as a heat exchanger interposed between a refrigerant circuit and a heat-transfer liquid circuit.
A plate of the present invention is a plate forming part of a heat exchanger and intended to delimit at least one channel for circulation of a fluid. The plate extends principally along an axis of longitudinal extent. The plate comprises at least one bottom, at least one first lateral raised edge which is inscribed within a first plane intersecting the axis of longitudinal extent, and at least two openings which are configured such that the fluid enters and exits the channel, respectively. The bottom is provided with a rib which extends longitudinally from the first lateral raised edge. The rib is positioned between the two openings.
According to the present invention, the rib is of a sinuous configuration.
The plate advantageously comprises any one at least of the following technical features, alone or in combination:
The present invention also relates to a heat exchanger comprising at least one such plate.
The heat exchanger advantageously comprises any one at least of the following technical features, alone or in combination:
Further features, details and advantages of the invention will become more clearly apparent from reading the following description, which is provided by way of illustration and in which reference is made to the drawings, in which:
It should first of all be noted that the figures set out the invention in detail for implementing the invention, it being of course possible for said figures to serve to better define the invention if necessary.
In
The refrigerant circuit 3 comprises a compressor 7 for compressing the refrigerant 4, a refrigerant/external air exchanger 8 for cooling the refrigerant 4 at constant pressure, for example placed at the front of the motor vehicle, an expansion member 9 to permit expansion of the refrigerant 4, and a heat exchanger 11 which is arranged to permit thermal transfer between the refrigerant 4 and the heat-transfer liquid 6.
The element 1 is in communication with a thermal exchanger 14, the thermal exchanger 14 being able to modify a temperature of the element 1, in particular by direct contact between the element 1 and the thermal exchanger 14, the thermal exchanger 14 being part of the heat-transfer liquid circuit 5.
The heat-transfer liquid circuit 5 comprises a pump 15 for making the heat-transfer liquid 6 circulate within the heat-transfer liquid circuit 5. The heat-transfer liquid circuit 5 comprises the heat exchanger 11, which is also part of the refrigerant circuit 3. The heat exchanger 11 comprises at least one first circulation path 21 for the refrigerant 4 and at least one second circulation path 22 for the heat-transfer liquid 6, the first circulation path 21 and the second circulation path 22 being arranged to permit a heat exchange between the refrigerant 4 present inside the first circulation path 21 and the heat-transfer liquid 6 present inside the second circulation path 22. Preferably, the heat exchanger 11 has several first circulation paths 21 and several second circulation paths 22. A first circulation path 21 is interposed between two second circulation paths 22, and a second circulation path 22 is interposed between two first circulation paths 21. The heat exchanger 11 thus has an alternating arrangement of first circulation paths 21 and second circulation paths 22.
Inside the heat-transfer liquid circuit 5, the heat-transfer liquid 6 flows from the pump 15 to the heat exchanger 11, then flows inside the heat exchanger 11, using the second circulation paths 22 to exchange heat energy with the refrigerant 4 present inside the first circulation paths 21, then flows inside the thermal exchanger 14, then returns to the pump 15.
Inside the refrigerant circuit 3, the refrigerant 4 flows from the compressor 7 to the refrigerant/external air exchanger 8, then to the expansion member 9. The refrigerant 4 then flows inside the heat exchanger 11, using the first circulation paths 21 inside which the refrigerant 4 exchanges heat energy with the heat-transfer liquid 6 present inside the second circulation paths 22, then returns to the compressor 7.
In
The heat exchanger 11 is a plate-type exchanger which comprises a plurality of plates 105, such as the plate 105 illustrated in
The plate 105 extends principally along an axis of longitudinal extent A1. The plate 105 comprises a bottom 106, and at least one raised edge 107 which surrounds the bottom 106. The bottom 106 extends within a bottom plane P5. The raised edge 107 is formed at the periphery of the bottom 106, and the raised edge 107 surrounds the bottom 106. The raised edge 107 intersects the bottom plane P5. It will be understood that the plate 105 is arranged in a generally rectangular tub, the bottom of the tub being formed by the bottom 106, and the edges of the tub being formed by the raised edge 107.
Such plates 105 are intended to be stacked in such a way that the bottoms 106 of the plates 105 are arranged parallel to each other, with a spaced-apart superpositioning of the bottoms 106. The raised edges 107 of two plates 105 nested one inside the other are in contact and are intended to be soldered to each other in order to ensure leaktightness of the channel 111 that is thus formed between two adjacent plates 105.
More particularly, the raised edge 107 comprises two longitudinal raised edges 108a, 108b, namely a first longitudinal raised edge 108a and a second longitudinal raised edge 108b, which are formed opposite each other. The raised edge 107 also comprises two lateral raised edges 109a, 109b, namely a first lateral raised edge 109a and a second lateral raised edge 109b, which are formed opposite each other.
In
The first longitudinal raised edge 108a extends in a third plane P3 which crosses the bottom plane P5 and which intersects an axis of lateral extent A2 of the plate 105, the axis of lateral extent A2 being orthogonal to the axis of longitudinal extent A1 and parallel to the bottom plane P5. The second longitudinal raised edge 108b extends in a fourth plane P4 which crosses the bottom plane P5 and which intersects the axis of longitudinal extent A2 of the plate 105.
By way of example, the first plane P1 forms, with the bottom plane P5, a first angle α of between 91° and 140°, preferably of between 91° and 95°. The second plane P2 forms, with the bottom plane P5, a second angle β of between 91° and 140°, preferably of between 91° and 95°. The third plane P3 forms, with the bottom plane P5, a third angle γ of between 91° and 140°, preferably of between 91° and 95°. The fourth plane P4 forms, with the bottom plane P5, a fourth angle δ of between 91° and 140°, preferably of between 91° and 95°. According to a design variant, the first angle α, the second angle β, the third angle γ and the fourth angle δ are equal, to within manufacturing tolerances.
In
Two of the openings 110 formed at the same longitudinal end of the plate 105 are each surrounded by a collar 120, such that these openings 110, encircled by this collar 120, extend in a plane that is offset with respect to a bottom plane P5 in which the bottom 106 is inscribed. The two other openings 110, situated at the other longitudinal end of the plate 105, extend in the bottom plane P5.
The bottom 106 comprises a rib 113, which is arranged such that the channel 111 has a U-shaped profile. The rib 113 is parallel to a first direction D of extent of the longitudinal raised edges 108a, 108b, the first direction D of extent of the longitudinal raised edges 108a, 108b being preferably parallel to the axis of longitudinal extent A1 of the plate 105. The rib 113 extends between a first longitudinal end 114 and a second longitudinal end 115, the first longitudinal end 114 being in contact with the lateral raised edge 109a that the raised edge 107 comprises. The second longitudinal end 115 is situated at a first non-zero distance D1 from the raised edge 107, the first distance D1 being taken between the second longitudinal end 115 and the lateral raised edge 109b, measured along the axis of longitudinal extent A1 of the plate 105. The first longitudinal end 114 of the rib 113 and the second longitudinal end 115 of the rib 113 are aligned along a first direction D parallel to an axis of longitudinal extent A1 of the plate 105.
These arrangements are such that the channel 111 is shaped as a U whose branches are parallel to the longitudinal raised edges 108a, 108b of the plate 105 and are separated by the rib 113, while the base of the U lies next to a second lateral edge 109b which is formed longitudinally opposite the first lateral edge 109a. The rib 113 is formed at an equal second distance D2 from the two longitudinal edges 108a, 108b of the plate 105, the second distance D2 being measured between the rib 113, taken at its center, and one of the longitudinal raised edges 108a, 108b, perpendicularly to the axis of longitudinal extent A1 of the plate 105.
According to one design variant, the rib 113 is offset by a non-zero distance with respect to a median plane P6 of the plate 105, the median plane P6 being orthogonal to the bottom 106 and parallel to the axis of longitudinal extent A1 of the plate 105, the distance being measured between the rib 113, taken at its center, and the median plane P6, perpendicularly to the latter.
In
The rib 113 is advantageously of a sinuous configuration. In other words, the rib 113 is of a sinusoidal shape overall. It will be understood that a first ridge 142 which separates the summit 140 from any one of the rib edges 141 has a sinuous shape in a plane parallel to the bottom plane P5 and containing the summit 140. It will also be understood that a second ridge 143 which separates the bottom 106 from any one of the rib edges 141 has a sinuous shape in a plane parallel to the bottom plane P5 and containing the bottom 106.
The first ridge 142 and the second ridge 143 are not rectilinear. The first ridge 142 and the second ridge 143 of the same rib edge 141 are superposable on each other. It follows from this that each of the rib edges 141 is formed by an alternating sequence of humps and hollows. In other words, each of the rib edges 141 has the shape of a corrugated sheet. In other words too, each of the rib edges 141 comprises an alternating succession of convex portions 144 and concave portions 145, as can be seen in
More particularly in
A rib width X, taken between the two rib edges 141 and parallel to the bottom plane P5, is constant from one to the other of the longitudinal ends 114, 115 of the rib 113.
Referring again to
In
The protuberances 112 are also organized in a plurality of oblique rows 124b of protuberances 112, the oblique rows 124b being formed along a third direction D″ which forms, with the second direction D′, a sixth angle φ, the sixth angle φ being the acute angle formed between the two directions D′, D″, which is of the order of 90°, to within manufacturing tolerances. The successive oblique rows 124b alternately traverse a convex portion 144 or a concave portion 145 of the groove 13. An oblique character of an oblique row 124a of protuberances 112 stems from the fact that the oblique row 124b of protuberances 112 is inclined by a non-zero angle with respect to the axis of longitudinal extent A1 of the plate 105.
It will be noted that a first distance E1 taken between a crown 146 of a convex portion 144 of the rib 113 and a protuberance 112 laterally nearest to the crown 146 is between 200% and 300% of a second distance E2 taken between a hollow 147 of a concave portion 145 of the rib 113 and a protuberance 112 laterally nearest to the hollow 147. In other words, the crown 146 of a convex portion 144 of the rib 113 is farther from the protuberance 112 laterally nearest to the crown 146 than are the hollow 147 of a concave portion 145 of the rib 113 and the protuberance 112 laterally nearest to the hollow 147.
The plate 105 is made of a metallic material able to be stamped in order to form in particular the protuberances 112 and the rib 113 by stamping of the plate 105, the metallic material being chosen from among the thermally conductive metallic materials, in particular aluminum or aluminum alloy.
The invention as has just been described does indeed achieve its set objectives, making it possible to homogenize the exchanges of heat along the entire length of the plate, thereby avoiding the zones of lesser exchange, for example along the rib 113 or along the longitudinal raised edges 108a, 108b, 208a, 208b.
The invention is not limited to the means and configurations exclusively described and illustrated, however, and also applies to all equivalent means or configurations and to any combination of such means or configurations. In particular, whilst the invention has been described here in its application to a heat exchanger involving refrigerant and heat-transfer liquid, it goes without saying that it applies to any shape and/or size of plate or to any type of fluid circulating along the plate according to the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1858765 | Sep 2018 | FR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/FR2019/052260 | 9/25/2019 | WO | 00 |
