This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202210486618.8, filed on May 6, 2022, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The application belongs to the technical field of auto parts, and relates to a cooler, in particular to a variable flow heat exchanger and a powertrain.
At present, the conventional vehicle oil cooler in the market mostly adopts the plate fin type oil cooler. Its function is to disturb the flowing hot oil in the core and fin through the structural design of the core and fin, and to cool the oil through heat exchange between the cooling water and the oil, so as to keep it within the appropriate temperature range, ensure that the engine oil has sufficient viscosity, and maintain the lubrication of relevant engine moving parts.
The existing vehicle oil cooler is designed with a single fluid flow mode, that is, the inlet, outlet and flow direction of the flow medium are certain. However, when the actual vehicle cooling system operates under different working conditions, the internal medium flow will vary greatly. At present, the conventional oil cooler design cannot change its own process according to the system flow changes, resulting in the cooling efficiency of the cooler being reduced or the energy consumption being increased.
The technical solution of the application has at least the following beneficial effects:
In the embodiment of the application, the variable flow heat exchanger provided includes a shell and a heat exchange core. The second shell in the shell is provided with a first interface, a second interface and a third interface. According to the requirements of different working conditions, the first interface, the second interface and the third interface can be independently used as the inlet of the cooled fluid or the outlet of the cooled fluid or closed to realize the switching of different modes. Thus, by making the cooled fluid interface include the first interface, the second interface and the third interface in the application, the multiple interfaces can be used to communicate with the engine or transmission in the vehicle respectively, and each interface can be redefined as the cooled fluid inlet, the cooled fluid outlet or closed according to the requirements of the cooling system; Different modes can be switched according to the position change of the inlet and outlet of the cooled fluid. For example, the flow mode of the cooled fluid in the first state is suitable for small flow conditions and can improve the heat exchange; the flow mode of the cooled fluid in the second state is suitable for large flow conditions and can reduce the flow resistance.
The invention can realize the function of changing the internal process of the cooling system through mode switching, so as to match different operating conditions, optimize the overall performance of the vehicle cooling system, and finally achieve the effect of reducing energy consumption. The variable flow heat exchanger structure of the application can take into account the requirements of different working conditions for the cooling system.
Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the following description, and some will become apparent from the following description, or will be known through the practice of the present invention.
As shown in
Specifically, the shell 10 comprises a first shell 101 and a second shell 102, the heat exchange core 20 is arranged between the first shell 101 and the second shell 102, and the heat exchange core 20 is arranged by superposition of multi-layer heat exchange plates 201; The cooling fluid interface is arranged on the first housing 101, the cooled fluid interface is arranged on the second housing 102, and the cooled fluid interface includes the first interface 121, the second interface 122 and the third interface 123; That is, the first interface 121, the second interface 122, and the third interface 123 are all provided on the second housing 102.
The fluid interface can be divided into a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet for the fluid to flow from the fluid inlet to the fluid channel of the heat exchange core 20, and then flow out from the fluid outlet to realize fluid heat exchange. One or both of the first interface 121, the second interface 122 and the third interface 123 can be used as the inlet of the cooled fluid, and correspondingly, the other interfaces can be used as the outlet of the cooled fluid. Compared with the conventional cooler, the application adds fluid interfaces, which are connected with the vehicle cooling system through multiple fluid interfaces, and each interface can be redefined as inlet, outlet or closed according to the requirements of the cooling system; That is, according to the requirements of the cooling system, the positions of the cooled fluid inlet and the cooled fluid outlet in the application can be changed. Thus, in the variable flow heat exchanger of the present application, the cooled fluid can have at least two flow process states. For example, in the first state, the cooled fluid flows into the heat exchange core 20 from the first interface 121, and flows out of the second interface 122 after heat exchange through the fluid channels of the heat exchange plates 201 of each layer of the heat exchange core 20. In the second state, the cooled fluid flows into the heat exchange core 20 from the first interface 121 and the second interface 122 respectively, and flows out of the third interface 123 after heat exchange through the fluid channels of the heat exchange plates 201 of each layer of the heat exchange core 20.
In this embodiment, the variable flow heat exchanger may include a variable flow laminated oil cooler for cooling engine oil. The cooled fluid can be engine oil, and the cooling fluid can be various coolants, such as water. For the convenience of description, the embodiment of the application takes the oil cooler as the above heat exchanger as an example to specifically describe the variable flow program cooler. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the principle, fluid interface, heat exchange core and other settings of the invention can be realized in any appropriately arranged cooler (heat exchanger), which is not limited to the oil cooler, that is, the cooled fluid is not limited to the oil. In addition, for clarity and conciseness, the description of the well-known functions and structures of the cooler may be omitted.
In some embodiments, the heat exchange plate 201 is respectively provided with openings for the cooling fluid body and the cooled fluid to flow along the two longitudinal ends. After being assembled as the heat exchange core 20, the longitudinal fluid channel is formed.
Further, the heat exchange core 20 is respectively provided with a channel group A and a channel group B along both ends of the longitudinal direction. The heat exchange core 20 can be generally rectangular in shape as a whole, and channel group A and channel group B can be respectively arranged at both ends along the length direction of the heat exchange core 20. For example, channel group A and channel group B can be respectively arranged at the left end and the right end. Of course, in other embodiments, the heat exchange core 20 can also adopt other shapes and structures, and the specific shape of the heat exchange core 20 is not limited in this embodiment.
The channel group A includes a first channel 211, a second channel 212, and a third channel 213, which are sequentially spaced, and the second channel 212 is located between the first channel 211 and the third channel 213. The channel group B includes a fourth channel 214, a fifth channel 215 and a sixth channel 216 which are arranged at intervals in sequence. The fifth channel 215 is located between the fourth channel 214 and the sixth channel 216. A multi-layer fluid flow path 202 is arranged between the channel group A and the channel group B, and the fluid flow path 202 is connected with one or several channels and fluid interfaces in the channel group A and the channel group B, so that the cooled fluid, such as oil, enters one or several channels from the fluid inlet, and then flows through the fluid flow path 202, collects in one or several channels, and then flows out from the fluid outlet. The first channel 211, the second channel 212, the third channel 213, the fourth channel 214, the fifth channel 215 or the sixth channel 216 can play the role of collection and distribution. For example, some of the channels can be used for the collection and distribution of the cooled fluid such as engine oil, and the other part can be used for the collection and distribution of the cooling fluid such as coolant. The setting of multiple interfaces and channels can facilitate the change of fluid flow and the switching of different modes.
The shell 10 in this embodiment is provided with a plurality of interfaces. In order to facilitate the change of fluid flow, increase the speed of fluid to various positions, and improve the cooling effect of the cooler, the above interfaces need to be set corresponding to each channel. For example, the first interface 121 on the second housing 102 corresponds to the fourth channel 214 of the heat exchange core 20, the second interface 122 on the second housing 102 corresponds to the sixth channel 216 of the heat exchange core 20, and the third interface 123 on the second housing 102 corresponds to the second channel 212 of the heat exchange core 20. For example, the cooled fluid entering from the first interface 121 flows through the fourth channel 214, and the cooled fluid is distributed from the fourth channel 214 to each parallel fluid flow path 202.
The internal flow of the variable process heat exchanger in this embodiment can be changed, that is, the variable process heat exchanger can have different modes or states. In this embodiment, the positions of the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet are changed according to the requirements of the cooling system, and the switching between the two states can be realized. In the first state, the cooled fluid first enters the fourth channel 214 from the first interface 121, then the cooled fluid is distributed from the fourth channel 214 to each layer of fluid flow path 202, and the cooled fluid of each layer of fluid flow path 202 is collected to the sixth channel 216 and flows out from the second interface 122; In the second state, the cooled fluid first enters the fourth channel 214 and the sixth channel 216 from the first interface 121 and the second interface 122 respectively, and then the cooled fluid is distributed to each layer of fluid flow path 202 from the fourth channel 214 and the sixth channel 216 respectively. The cooled fluid of each layer of fluid flow path 202 is collected to the second channel 212 and flows out from the third interface 123.
In some embodiments, the cooled fluid in the first state forms a U-shaped flow pattern, and the cooled fluid in the second state forms a Y-shaped flow pattern.
In this way, this embodiment can realize mode switching according to the position change of fluid inlet and fluid outlet. Taking fluid flow path 202 (oil path) as an example, it can realize U-type flow and Y-type flow switching: the U-type flow mode can adapt to small flow conditions and improve heat exchange; Y-type flow mode can adapt to large flow conditions, reduce flow resistance, and thus reduce energy consumption.
It can be understood that, in order to realize the switching between the two states, the variable process heat exchanger needs to be equipped with control elements to guide the fluid in the system, such as oil medium, from the designated inlet and outlet positions to pass through the oil cooler. The embodiment does not limit the specific type or structure of the control element, as long as it can realize the change of inlet and outlet positions and does not limit the purpose of the invention.
The variable flow heat exchanger will be further described in detail below.
As shown in
In some embodiments, the coolant includes but is not limited to water, that is, the medium flowing in the coolant flow path 203 may be cooling water, and the cooling water may be used to heat exchange the engine oil, but is not limited to this. In other embodiments, any other heat exchange medium capable of heat exchange for engine oil may also be used.
The first housing 101 is provided with a cooling medium inlet 111 and a cooling medium outlet 112. The cooling medium inlet 111 and the cooling medium outlet 112 are connected with a plurality of channels in the heat exchange core 20 and a coolant flow path 203. Alternatively, the cooling medium inlet 111 and the cooling medium outlet 112 may be respectively located at both ends of the first housing 101 along the longitudinal direction. For example, the cooling medium inlet 111 may be located at the left end of the first housing 101, and the cooling medium outlet 112 may be located at the right end of the first housing 101. Optionally, the cooling medium inlet 111 is connected with a water inlet joint, and the cooling medium outlet 112 is connected with a water outlet joint. Further, the cooling medium inlet 111 can be connected with a water system or a water pump in the vehicle through a water inlet joint to provide cooling water to the variable flow heat exchanger; The cooling medium outlet 112 is connected with another heat exchanger in the vehicle through a water outlet joint to input the water medium after heat exchange through the variable flow heat exchanger into another heat exchanger as the heat exchange medium of other heat exchangers.
The second shell 102 is provided with a first interface 121, a second interface 122 and a third interface 123, which can be connected with a number of channels and fluid flow paths 202 in the heat exchange core 20. The first interface 121, the second interface 122 and the third interface 123 need to be arranged at intervals in order to facilitate the position change of fluid inlet and fluid outlet, realize the switching of different modes, facilitate the import and export of cooled fluid, and ensure the heat exchange effect. For example, in some embodiments, the first interface 121, the second interface 122, and the third interface 123 are V-shaped on the second housing
102. For example, the first interface 121 and the second interface 122 are located at both ends of the V-shaped opening, and the third interface 123 is located at the tip of the V-shaped opening. Optionally, one or both of the first interface 121, the second interface 122 and the third interface 123 are used as fluid inlets, and the fluid inlets are connected with the transmission or engine in the vehicle through pipelines; One of the first interface 121, the second interface 122 and the third interface 123 serves as a fluid outlet, and the fluid outlet is finally connected with the transmission or engine in the vehicle through a pipeline.
The heat exchange core body in this embodiment can be laminated, that is, the heat exchange core body 20 is formed by stacking the multi-layer heat exchange plates 201. In some embodiments, the heat exchange plate 201 is longitudinally provided with fluid fins for the cooling fluid and the cooled fluid to flow, and after being assembled as the heat exchange core a multi-layer fluid channel is formed.
Optionally, the fluid flow path 202 and the coolant flow path 203 are distributed in an upper and lower layer; This helps to ensure the cooling effect of the coolant flow path 203 on the fluid flow path 202. Optionally, the heat exchange core 20 is provided with a multi-layer fluid flow path 202 and a multi-layer coolant flow path 203, and the fluid flow path 202 and the coolant flow path 203 can be alternately arranged. In this embodiment, the specific number of layers of the fluid flow path 202 and the specific number of layers of the coolant flow path 203 are not limited, and can be selected and set according to the actual heat exchange demand.
As shown in
In some embodiments, the heat exchange core 20 comprises a heat exchange plate 201, on which a cooling fluid assembly and a cooled fluid assembly are respectively arranged, the longitudinal ends of the heat exchange plate 201 are respectively provided with a channel group A and a channel group B, and the cooling fluid assembly and the cooled assembly can be located between the channel group A and the channel group B; The cooled fluid assembly is formed with a fluid flow path 202, and the cooling fluid assembly is formed with a coolant flow path 203.
Alternatively, the cooling fluid assembly includes a cooling plate 231 and cooling fins 232 connected to the cooling plate 231. The above coolant flow path 203 can be designed to form a flow channel for coolant flow by using the cooling plate 231 and the cooling fin 232.
As shown in
As shown in
In this embodiment, the heat exchange plate 201 includes fluid components arranged on both sides, and the fluid components define the fluid flow path 202 of the fluid on the heat exchange plate 201. Optionally, the fluid assembly includes a cooling fluid assembly and a cooled fluid assembly. The cooled fluid assembly in the fluid assembly includes fins and partition ribs 224, which divide the fluid flow path 202 on the heat exchange plate 201 into at least two flow path areas; The fins include a first fluid fin 222 and a second fluid fin 223.
Alternatively, as shown in
As shown in
Optionally, the first valve, the second valve and the third valve can be one or more of the electronic temperature control valve, mechanical valve and thermal valve respectively. The specific types of the first valve, the second valve and the third valve are not limited in this embodiment.
In some embodiments, in the first state, the first valve and the second valve are electrically connected with the control device 30 respectively, so that the first interface 121 is used as the inlet of the cooled fluid, the second interface 122 is used as the outlet of the cooled fluid, and the third interface 123 is closed. That is, in the U-shaped flow mode, the first interface 121 is used as the inlet of the cooled fluid, the second interface 122 is used as the outlet of the cooled fluid to communicate with the control device 30, and the third interface 123 is closed or non-conductive. In the second state, the first valve, the second valve and the third valve are electrically connected with the control device 30 respectively, so that the first interface 121 and the second interface 122 are both used as the inlet of the cooled fluid, and the third interface 123 is used as the outlet of the cooled fluid. That is, in the y-flow mode, both the first interface 121 and the second interface 122 are connected with the control device 30 as the cooled fluid inlet, and the third interface 123 is connected with the control device 30 as the cooled fluid outlet.
In some embodiments, a power assembly is provided, including an engine and a transmission, and a variable flow heat exchanger, which is communicated with the engine and/or transmission.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202210486618.8 | May 2022 | CN | national |