EP2310788B1 - Heat exchanger comprising a heat exchanger bundle and a housing - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to the field of heat exchangers, especially for motor vehicles.

It relates more particularly to a heat exchanger according to the preamble of claim 1. Such an exchanger is known from EP 1348 942 A2 .

This type of exchanger is used in particular as a charge air cooler of a motor vehicle engine.

In this case, the gas to be cooled is the charge air (or a mixture of charge air and recirculated exhaust gas). After having passed through the heat exchanger, the air is admitted into the heat engine through an air distributor.

The document DE 199 02 504 proposes a heat exchanger in which the charge air is cooled by a coolant which, in this case, is coolant, ie water added with glycol from a so-called low temperature circuit of a motor vehicle.

This exchanger comprises a heat exchange bundle housed in a plastic housing closed by a cover.

Such an exchanger has, however, difficulties, especially in terms of pressure resistance.

The aim of the invention is to improve the situation by proposing an exchanger which, in particular, makes it possible to improve the resistance to pressure.

For this purpose, the invention proposes a heat exchanger according to claim 1.

The fact that at least one of the parts forming the casing are in contact with one end of each of the plates of the stack of the heat exchange bundle allows the heat exchanger to be more resistant to different mechanical stresses. that the heat exchanger undergoes when it is used in a motor vehicle.

Such a heat exchanger has, moreover, the advantage of having an easier assembly. Indeed, it is possible to envisage with such a configuration an assembly of the heat exchange bundle and the housing in a single step.

• La figure 1 représente une vue partiellement assemblée de l'échangeur de chaleur selon la présente invention.
• La figure 2 représente une vue éclatée, simplifiée, de l'échangeur de chaleur selon la présente invention.
• La figure 3 représente un mode de réalisation de l'invention, dans lequel le boîtier de sortie de l'air de suralimentation est un répartiteur d'air d'admission pour le moteur.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear better on reading the description by way of illustration and without limitation of examples from the figures in the accompanying drawings in which:

• The figure 1 represents a partially assembled view of the heat exchanger according to the present invention.
• The figure 2 is an exploded, simplified view of the heat exchanger according to the present invention.
• The figure 3 represents an embodiment of the invention, wherein the charge air outlet housing is an intake air distributor for the engine.

The invention relates to a heat exchanger 10 having a heat exchange beam 12 and a housing 14 inside which is housed the beam 12 of heat exchange.

The heat exchange bundle is produced, in a manner known to those skilled in the art, by stacking plates 16 and corrugated inserts (not shown). The beam 12 has an inlet and an outlet for the charge air.

The plates 16 may be, for example, stamped plates having two bosses provided with openings. The plates 16 are arranged in pairs and the respective bosses of a plate belonging to a pair are in communication with the respective bosses of a neighboring plate belonging to a pair of neighboring plates. This makes it possible to establish a fluid communication, in this case heat transfer liquid, between the respective pairs of plates.

The figure 1 represents a heat exchanger from which an upper part of the housing has been removed in order to reveal the structure of a plate 16 of the heat exchange bundle 12.

In this exemplary embodiment, the plate 16 comprises a series of first so-called contiguous stampings allowing the definition of channels and returns for circulation in passes of the coolant. Here, the plate 16 has four channels and three returns for the definition of four circulation passes for the coolant.

The plate 16 further comprises a second series of stampings, shallower than the first series of stampings described above. This second series of stampings is placed in the different circulation passages of the coolant. These stampings are capable of disturbing the circulation of the coolant liquid thus improving the heat exchange between the latter of the charge air.

The heat exchange bundle 10 further comprises corrugated inserts (not visible on the Figures 1 and 2 ) each disposed between pairs of neighboring plates and brazed to the plates 16. The supercharging air flows between each pair of plates through the corrugated inserts.

In other words, the beam 12 defines first channels for the gas to be cooled, in which the corrugated inserts are present, and second channels for the circulation of the coolant. In the proposed embodiment, the heat transfer fluid may be engine coolant, that is to say glycol-added water from, for example, a so-called low temperature circuit of the motor vehicle.

The charge air is thus cooled by the coolant which enters the bundle 12, for example, through an inlet manifold 18, circulates in the second channels of the bundle for exchanging heat with the cooling air. supercharging to cool and then leaves the beam, for example, through the outlet pipe 20.

The heat exchange bundle 12 is housed inside a housing 14 and is brazed to the latter. In the examples shown in Figures 1 to 3 , the housing 14 comprises a body having at least one open face. The housing 14 may be metallic and in particular aluminum or aluminum alloy.

In the embodiments illustrated in the present application, the housings 14 comprise two open faces located opposite each other. These open faces are opposite the inlet and the outlet for the supercharging air of the heat exchange bundle 12.

Such a configuration allows the body to define a frame around the open face (s).

The housing body 14 is formed by at least a first and a second portion assembled together by brazing. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 the housing body has four distinct parts 30; 32; 34 and 36 visible more distinctly at the level of the figure 2 . In this exploded view of the heat exchanger, a single plate 16 of the heat exchange bundle has been shown for the sake of simplification.

Here, the four parts 30; 32; 34 and 36 are made in the form of four substantially rectangular plates.

In other words, the casing 14 has a parallelepipedal shape comprising four solid faces including: a so-called bottom face 36, a so-called upper face 32, two so-called lateral faces 30 and 34 and two open faces facing one another the other. These open faces allow the circulation of the supercharging air in the heat exchange bundle 12.

The housing 14 has two pipes 18 and 20 for the inlet and the outlet, in the exchanger 10 of a heat transfer fluid. The pipes 18 and 20 are provided at one of said parts 30; 32; 34; 36 of the housing 14. Here, the pipes 18 and 20 are located on the upper face 32.

Here, the bottom face 36 and the upper face 32 and the two lateral faces 30 and 34 are respectively located vis-à-vis one another.

At least one of the parts forming the casing 14 is in contact with one end of each of the plates 16 of the stack of plates of the heat exchange bundle 12.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 it is a part called the second part which is in contact with one end of each of the plates 16, the second part being produced here in the form of at least one of the lateral faces 30 or 34.

In other words, the first part of the casing 14 is made in the form of the upper face 32 and / or of the bottom face 36. The second part of the casing 14, for its part, comprises at least one of the two faces side 30 or 34 or both.

Here, the two lateral faces 30 and 34 are located facing each other and on either side of the open face of the housing 14. They are both in contact with all the plates 16 forming the stack of plates of the heat exchange bundle 12, each of the lateral faces being in contact with one end of said plates 16.

It will be noted that, in this embodiment, each plate 16 has two sides in contact, via a contact surface, respectively with each of the lateral faces 30 and 34 of the housing 14. Here, each plate 16 is brazed over the entire contact area. In other words, in this example, brazing between a plate 16 and a side face of the housing is performed over the entire contact surface between these two elements.

This characteristic makes it possible in particular for the heat exchanger to be even more resistant to the various mechanical stresses that the heat exchanger undergoes when it is used in a motor vehicle and in particular the pressure resistance.

During the soldering of the various elements of the heat exchanger, the lateral faces 30 and 34 serve as a stop for the upper part 32. These lateral parts 30 and 34 also make it possible to guarantee the generally parallelepipedal geometry of the housing 14 of FIG. the heat exchanger 10.

Indeed, the beam 12 of heat exchange is composed, as explained above plates 16 and spacers. During brazing, these different elements lose height because they contain on their surface a solder plating that melts during the soldering operation. This phenomenon of loss of height between the assembled product and the brazed product is also known as the "expansion" product.

In the embodiment shown here, the side faces 30 and 34 are in contact with the small sides of said plates 16. The term "small sides", the sides of the plates 16 located opposite one of the another, one of which comprises, in this embodiment, the bosses.

A non-illustrated embodiment proposes that the second portion of the housing 14 has a U-shape and the first portion of the housing 14 forms a cover for the second portion. In other words, it is possible to provide a housing body in two parts, namely a U-shaped portion (said second portion) having a bottom face and two side faces forming the wings of the U and another part, for example plane, closing the volume of the second part.

It is further provided that the first part of the housing 14 has a degree of freedom with respect to the second portion of the housing 14 in the stacking direction of the plates 16 of the heat exchange bundle 12.

This degree of freedom is obtained by the cooperation of at least one tongue 42 located on the second part of the housing 14 with a recess or punch 46 located on the first part of the housing 14.

Indeed, the tabs 42 allow, during the brazing operation, the bottom face 36 and the upper face 32 to slide relative to the side parts 30 and 34 and thus accompany the loss of height of the beam 12 of heat exchange, this loss being, as a reminder, due to the phenomenon of expansion.

The tongue 42 and the recess 46 are thus mutual assembly means arranged to manage / control the expansion of the heat exchanger 10.

In addition, these assembly means also have the advantage of being self-centering means of the first part of the casing 14 on the second part of the casing 14.

Indeed, the tabs 42 of the side faces 30 and 34 are in abutment outside the recesses 46 of the upper face 32 and the bottom face 36. This has the advantage of not having to rest laterally on the lateral faces 30 and 34 during brazing. Thus, only a vertical force is exerted on the upper face 32 and the bottom face 36 during brazing, which allows the housing to self-center.

The tongues 42 extend here in substantially the same direction as that of the stack of the plates of the heat exchange bundle 12.

As better visible on the figure 2 each of the lateral faces 30 and 34 comprises two tongues 42 on each side of the lateral faces 30 and 34 in contact respectively with the upper face 32 and the bottom face 36.

In other words, in this example, each second part of the housing 14 or, here, lateral face 30 or 34 comprises, on two of these sides located opposite each other, two tabs 42 able to cooperate. with a recess 46 situated opposite these tabs 42 on the first part of the casing 14, or, here, upper face 32 and bottom face 36.

In the illustrated embodiment, each lateral face 30 and 34 further comprises at least one raised edge 44, said first raised edge 44 or assembly edge of the housing. The first raised edge 44 extends here substantially at right angles to the general extension plane of the side face on which it is formed.

This first raised edge or assembly edge of the housing 44 is formed by folding material of each side face 30 or 34.

Here, the first raised edge 44 is arranged on the portions of the lateral faces 30 and 34 in contact respectively with the upper face 32 and the bottom face 36.

In this embodiment, the tabs 42 are obtained by cutting and folding the first raised edge 44.

In other words, the second portion of the housing 14 has at least one raised edge 44 provided with a tongue 42 and the tongue 42 is adapted to cooperate with a recess 46 of the first part. The first raised edge 44 or assembly edge of the housing thus collaborates in assembling the various elements of the housing 14.

In other words, each part 30; 32; 34 and 36 forming the housing 14 comprises at least one assembly means 42; 46 and / or 44 adapted to cooperate with the adjacent portion so as to assemble the housing 14.

Thus, and thanks to the cooperation between the first raised edge 44, the tongue 42 and the recess 46, the brazing of the lateral faces on the upper face 32 and the bottom face 36 makes it possible to obtain a reinforced sealing of the casing 14 by decreasing thus the risk of overfeeding air leakage.

Thanks to the configuration of the heat exchanger 10, it is possible to achieve, in a single step, during the brazing operation, the assembly of all the components of the heat exchange beam 12 with those composing the case 14.

The heat exchanger 10 may also have the characteristic that at least two contiguous parts of the body of the casing 14 comprise means for creating a bearing surface for a collector 48. Here collector means both a cover and a cover. intake air distributor for the engine.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 each manifold 48 is an inlet or outlet cover for the charge air. These collectors 48 are respectively provided with a gas inlet pipe and at least one gas outlet pipe.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 each of the four parts 30; 32; 34 and 36 forming the housing 14 comprises means 40 for creating a bearing surface for a manifold and this for each open face of the housing. In other words, each of the open faces of the body of the casing 14 is bordered at least in part by the means 40 to create a bearing surface for a collector 48.

In other words, here, the housing body is formed by at least two parts joined together by brazing and at least two of said parts are provided contiguous and comprise means 40 for creating a bearing surface for a collector 48.

The means 40 for creating the bearing surface for the collector 48 thus serve as an interface between the body of the housing 14 and the collector or collectors 48.

Here, the means for creating a bearing surface are second raised edges 40 that may also be called collector assembly edge.

Thus, thanks to these means 40 to create a bearing surface for a manifold, it is no longer necessary to report additional pieces of connection on the heat exchange bundle to form the input / output boxes of the charging air.

The means 40 for creating a bearing surface are, here, constituted by raised edges 40 or collector assembly edge 40.

The second raised edges 40 of a portion 30; 32; 34 or 36 extend substantially perpendicular to the general extension plane of said portion.

In other words, in this embodiment, the parts 30; 32; 34; 36 of the housing body 14 each consist of a plate provided on at least a portion of its periphery means 40 to create a bearing surface, these means being here constituted by raised edges said collector assembly edge 40.

Here each part 30; 32; 34 or 36 has at least a second raised edge in contact with the second raised edge of the contiguous portion at one of its ends so as to define the bearing surface over the entire periphery of the open face of the body of the housing . The bearing surface formed by the second raised edges 40 is here planar.

This flat surface is intended to create a "continuous" bearing face that can be used to weld a collector or a flange having a circumference also flat so as to obtain a sealed weld.

In other words, in the embodiment of the figure 1 the second raised edge of portion 36 (or bottom face) is in contact with both the raised second edge of portion 30 (or side face 30) and the second raised edge of portion 34 (or lateral face 34).

Similarly, the second raised edge of portion 32 (or upper face) is in contact with both the raised edge of portion 30 (or side face 30) and the second raised edge of portion 34 ( or side face 34).

In other words, the frame surrounding an open face of the body of the casing 14 comprises a series of second edges raised all around its periphery, each second raised edge 40 or collector assembly edge 40 being in contact at each of its ends with another second raised edge 40.

In other words, the second raised edges form a border around the frame surrounding the open face of the casing body 14. This border serves as an interface between the casing 14 and the collector 48.

In these examples, the second raised edges 40 are connected by a solder joint.

The side faces 30 and 34 can therefore be seen as substantially rectangular plates having a perimeter or perimeter bordered by two series of raised edges, these raised edges being composed of two first 44 and two second 40 raised edges, each of the members different categories of raised edges being located vis-à-vis the member of the same category of raised edges. The first raised edges 44 having the function of intervening for the assembly of the housing 14 and the second raised edge 40 serving to assemble a manifold 48 on the body of the housing 14.

In other words, at least one of the parts 30; 32; 34 or 36 of the housing 14 has a periphery bordered by raised edges, these raised edges being composed, here, of two first 44 and two second 40 raised edges, the first raised edges 44 involved in the assembly of the housing 14 and the second raised edge 40 involved in the assembly of a manifold 48 on the housing 14.

In other words, the side faces 30 and 34 are surrounded, here over: their entire periphery, with a rib formed by the first raised edges 44 and the second raised edges 40. This rib contributes to the mechanical strength of the exchanger of heat 10.

The assembly or collectors 48 on the housing 14 is made, for example by welding the collector or collectors on the edge formed by the second raised edges 40 around the frame surrounding the open face of the body of the housing 14.

The collectors may for example be aluminum housings, preferably obtained by the die-casting process.

An embodiment of the invention further proposes that at least one of the portions 30; 32; 34 or 36 has local deformations capable of reducing brazing games with another part 30; 32; 34 or 36, this other portion being contiguous with the portion 30; 32; 34 or 36 with local deformations.

Here each part 30; 32; 34 and 36 includes local deformations capable of reducing brazing between the different parts of the housing and thus improve the continuity of the flat surface forming an interface with the collector.

According to another embodiment, the upper face 32 and the bottom face 36 have a width slightly greater than that of the plates of the heat exchange bundle. In this way, the welding zone of the collector is removed from the brazed zones.

By width is meant here the distance separating two sides, either of the upper face 32 or of bottom 36, or of a plate 16, in the direction of circulation of the supercharging air in the heat exchanger. In other words, in the direction of the small sides of the plates 16.

The figure 3 proposes an embodiment of the invention, in which the supercharging air outlet manifold is constructed as an intake air distributor 48-B for the engine.

An intake air distributor for the engine allows communication, through orifices, with at least a portion of the inlet ducts of the engine intake chambers.

In other words, this distributor serves as an interface between the heat exchanger and the cylinder head of the engine on which the heat exchanger 10 'is mounted.

This distributor is also known under its English name "intake manifold". It is attached to the cylinder head of the combustion chamber.

In this embodiment, the inlet of the charge air into the heat exchanger is via an input box 48-A, the housing here is made in the form of a cover . The output of the supercharging air of the heat exchanger 10 'is, for its part, via a distributor 48-B, which here serves as an outlet box for the charge air .

The side faces 34 'of the housing of the heat exchanger comprises, in this mode of realization, reinforcement ribs 50, here, three in number.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, described only as examples, but encompasses all the variants that may be considered by those skilled in the art within the scope of the claims below. The variants described above can be taken separately or in combination with each other.

Claims (9)

1. Heat exchanger (10) comprising a heat-exchange core (12) and a housing (14) inside which said heat-exchange core (12) is housed, said core (12) comprising a stack of plates (16) and said housing (14) comprising a body in at least one first (32; 36) and one second (30; 34) portions, at least one of said first portion (32; 36) or second portions (30; 34) being in contact with one end of each of the plates (16) of the stack of the heat-exchange core (12) and said heat-exchange core (12) being brazed to said housing (14), characterized in that said first portion (32; 36) and said second portion (30; 34) comprise means (42; 46) for mutual assembly arranged so as to manage/control the bulking of said heat exchanger (10) and in that said assembly means (42; 46) consist of a tongue (42) situated on one of said first or second portions (30; 32; 34; 36) and of a recess (46) situated on the other portion, said tongue (42) being capable of interacting with said recess (46).
2. Heat exchanger according to Claim 1, wherein the first portion (32; 36) has a degree of freedom relative to the second portion (30; 34) in the direction of the stack of the plates (16).
3. Heat exchanger according to Claim 1, wherein said assembly means (42; 46) are also means for self-centering said first portion (32; 36) on said second portion (30; 34).
4. Heat exchanger according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at lest one of the portions (30; 34) of the housing (14) comprises a periphery bordered by raised edges, these raised edges consisting of first (44) and second (40) raised edges, the first raised edges (44) being involved in the assembly of the housing (14) and the second raised edges (40) being involved in the assembly of a manifold (48) to the housing (14).
5. Heat exchanger according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said second portion (30; 34) comprises at least one raised edge (44) furnished with said tongue (42).
6. Heat exchanger according to one of the preceding claims, said housing (14) comprises a portion called an upper face (32) furnished with two connector nozzles (18; 20) for a coolant fluid to enter and leave said exchanger (10).
7. Heat exchanger according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said heat-exchange core (12) determines first channels for the circulation of a gas and second channels for the circulation of the coolant fluid.
8. Heat exchanger according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said housing (14) is formed by at least four portions (30; 32; 34; 36) and has at least one open face, wherein said four portions (30; 32; 34; 36) are four substantially rectangular plates.
9. Heat exchanger according to one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein said second portion comprises a U shape and wherein said first portion forms a cover for said second portion.

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