FR2812081A1 - HEAT EXCHANGE MODULE, ESPECIALLY FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE MODULE - Google Patents

Abstract

The module comprises at least two exchangers (1,2) composed of a tube network (5,10) interposed between two manifolds (6,12). The fluid circulation tubes pass through cooling fins (14) which are common to at least two exchangers. The tubes and fins are brazed together. The fins have cut-outs into which the exchanger tubes are introduced.

Description

Heat exchange module, in particular for a motor vehicle

  bile, and method of manufacturing this module

  The invention relates to a heat exchange module, in particular

  ment for motor vehicle, consisting of several

  exchangers having common fins.

  It relates more particularly to a heat exchange module comprising at least two heat exchangers, each exchanger consisting of a bundle interposed between two manifolds, the bundle being formed of

  fluid circulation tubes connected to the collection boxes

  flowing through cooling fins

  common to at least two exchangers in the module.

  Heat exchangers for motor vehicles are generally in the form of a bundle of fluid circulation tubes and heat exchange fins with the external environment. The beam is interposed between two manifolds which distribute the fluid in the circulation tubes. Alternatively, the exchanger includes a single manifold divided into a section

inlet and outlet section.

  It is known to assemble on a main exchanger, such as a radiator for cooling a motor vehicle engine, one or more secondary exchangers in order to constitute an assembly, also called module, ready to be installed in the vehicle, the fins of the module being common to the different exchangers. The secondary exchanger usually consists of an engine charge air cooler, an air conditioning condenser

or an oil cooler.

  There are two main technologies for producing heat exchangers for motor vehicles. According to a first technology, the exchangers are assembled in a single operation by brazing. For this type of exchanger, the fins consist of corrugated spacers arranged between the tubes and parallel to the latter. According to another technology, the constituent parts of the exchanger are assembled exclusively by mechanical means such as crimping. This type of exchanger has thin and flat fins, arranged perpendicular to the tubes and

crossed by them.

  Mechanically assembled exchangers have several advantages. They are compact, they offer ease of assembly of the collectors, the centers of the ends of the tubes being precise. Their fins being thinner than those of brazed exchangers, they are more numerous and allow a better heat exchange. However, they have the disadvantage of requiring operations

  time-consuming assembly and tooling. In particular

  link, the assembly of the secondary exchanger (s) on the main exchanger must be obtained by means

  special mechanics which affect the compactness of the module.

  The present invention relates to a heat exchange module which, while retaining the advantages of mechanically assembled exchangers, provides ease of assembly of the exchangers together and makes it possible to produce

  a compact heat exchange module.

  This result is obtained, in accordance with the invention, by the fact that the tubes and the fins are secured by brazing. The invention preferably applies to heat exchange modules comprising metal manifolds, particularly aluminum. In such a case, the tube plate and the cover being metallic, the cover, the tube plate and the bundle are assembled by soldering in a single operation. This variant requires

  therefore a minimum of assembly operations.

  However, the invention also applies to the case where the beam alone is brazed. In this case, the tube plates are conventionally fixed to the tubes by

  flaring of the ends of the latter.

  Finally, according to an intermediate embodiment, it is possible to braze a metal tube plate on the beam in

a single soldering operation.

  In such a variant, the cover of the manifold made for example of plastic, will be mechanically assembled alone, for example by crimping tabs of the manifold. This variant has the advantage of eliminating a certain number of mechanical assembly operations from the tube plate to the ends of the tubes.

of the beam.

  In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the heat exchange module comprises at least two exchangers and the fins have the shape of an elongated rectangle having two elongated sides and two short sides, the fins having, on one of the sides elongated, tube receiving cutouts in which the fluid circulation tubes of one of the exchangers are inserted and, on the other elongated side, tube receiving cutouts in which the fluid circulation tubes of a other

exchanger are introduced.

  In the case of this embodiment, the assembly of the module is particularly simplified in so far as the tubes can be slid laterally into the cutouts for receiving the tubes of the fins, before being secured to

these fins by brazing.

  Preferably, the fins and / or the tubes are covered

solder plating.

  More preferably, the short sides of the fins are

  folded down and joined to the bundle by brazing.

  The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a

  heat exchange module comprising at least two exchangers

  heat gorers, each exchanger consisting of a bundle interposed between two manifolds, the bundle being formed of fluid circulation tubes connected to the manifolds and which pass through cooling fins common to the exchangers of the module, the fins having the shape an elongated rectangle having two elongated sides and two short sides. According to the invention, the method comprises the steps consisting in: - making cutouts for receiving the tubes on the elongated sides of the fins;

  - insert the tubes of an exchanger in the cutouts

  seated on one side of the fins; - insert the tubes of another exchanger into the cutouts made on the other side of the fins; and

- braze the tubes and the fins.

  In the case where at least one of the exchangers consists of a tube plate and a metal cover, the cover, the tube plate and the bundle are assembled by brazing in a single operation. If all the tube plates and all the covers are metallic, for example aluminum, the module is assembled in a single operation by soldering and all the mechanical assembly operations are eliminated. When at least one of the exchangers consists of a

  metal tube plate, the cover of the collection box

  not being metallic, for example in plastic material

  that, the tube plate and the bundle can be assembled by soldering in a single operation. The manifold is

  then mechanically assembled in a later operation

  re. Other features and advantages of this

  invention will still appear on reading the description

  which follows of exemplary embodiments given by way of illustration with reference to the appended figures. In these figures: - Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a heat exchange module comprising a radiator for cooling a motor vehicle engine and an air conditioning condenser; - Figure 2 shows the detail II of Figure 1, on an enlarged scale; - Figure 3 is a plan view of a fin of the heat exchange module shown in Figure 1; and - Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a variant of a heat exchange module according to

  the invention comprising a brazed tube plate.

  The heat exchange module shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a radiator 1 for cooling a motor vehicle engine and a condenser 2 for air conditioning,

  these two exchangers being generally planar.

  The radiator 1 consists in a known manner of a bundle of vertical fluid circulation tubes 5 mounted between two manifolds 6 (only one box has been shown), the manifolds 6 being arranged along two parallel sides of the bundle of tubes and fitted with tubing

  8 inlet and outlet of the coolant.

  The condenser 2 also consists of a bundle of vertical fluid circulation tubes 10 mounted between two manifolds 12 (only one box has been shown), the manifolds being arranged along two parallel sides of the bundle and provided with pipes. input and

  coolant outlet (not shown).

  Fins 14 common to exchangers 1 and 2 are conventionally mounted on the tubes 5 of the exchanger 1 and the tubes 10 of the exchanger 2. One of these fins has been shown in FIG. 3. It has, plan view, the shape of an elongated rectangle (see FIG. 3) comprising first and second elongated sides 16, 18 and two short sides 20. On the elongated side 16, there are cutouts 22 for receiving the tubes 5 of the exchanger 1 and on the elongated side 18 of the cutouts 24 for receiving the tubes 10 of the exchanger 2. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the cutouts 22 and 24 have a shape corresponding to that of the tubes. Their width is designed in such a way that the tubes can be inserted therein by just sliding. Not

  cutouts 22 and 24 is equal to that of tubes 5 and 10.

  It is further noted that the fin 14 is separated into two heat exchange zones by two series of elongated perforations 26 intended to avoid as far as possible the establishment of a thermal bridge between the part of the fins 14 corresponding at interchange 1 and part

  fins 14 corresponding to the exchanger 2.

  The manifold 6 of the exchanger 1 (FIG. 1) comprises a first part 28 and a second part 30, each formed from a metal sheet, advantageously made of aluminum, which is shaped by conventional operations of

cutting and stamping.

  The first part 28 has a bottom 32 which is generally

  flat and elongated rectangular shape. This bottom 32 is intended to constitute the collecting plate, also called a "hole plate", of the collecting box 6. This bottom comprises for this purpose a plurality of spaced holes 34 of elongated shape intended to receive the tubes 5 of the exchanger 1 (Figure 2). The part 30 further comprises two lateral sides 36 folded opposite which are generally planar

  and parallel to each other. These flanks 36 connect sensi-

  completely perpendicular to the bottom 32 by two fold lines which are mutually parallel. Tubing 8 is

  fitted in one of the lateral flanks 36.

  The second part 30 is obtained from a metal strip of given width which has parallel generatrices. This strip can come to fit between the lateral flanks 36 of the first part 28 to form a

  assembly ready to be brazed at the same time as the tubing 8.

  The manifold 12 of the exchanger 2 has the general shape of an elongated cylinder provided with perforations (not visible in FIG. 1) intended to receive the tubes 10

of the exchanger.

  The exchanger is assembled as follows. The manifolds of each of the two exchangers are assembled separately

  the respective tubes of each of these exchangers.

  On the other hand, the fins are superimposed on each other.

  others in such a way that the receiving cutouts 22 and 24

  tion of tubes 5 and 10 are in line with one another. We just slide the tubes 5 of the exchanger 1 of the

  elongated side 16 of the fins 14 and the tubes 10 of the sample

  geur 2 on the elongated side 18 of the fins 14. All the parts

  of the heat exchanger having been thus assembled, the

  heat exchange can be soldered in a single operation in a soldering oven, in a conventional manner. To this end, the tubes and / or the fins advantageously include a solder plating. As you can see in Figure 2,

  the short sides 20 of the fins 14 are folded down and solida-

beamed by brazing.

  FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the exchanger 1 forming part of a heat exchange module identical to that which has been

  described with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

  In this variant, the exchanger comprises a collection box

  trice 40 which is not metallic. It cannot therefore be assembled by soldering in a single operation to the rest of the heat exchange module. However, the collecting plate 42 which is metallic can be assembled by brazing to the tubes 5 of the exchanger 1. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the tube plate 42 has a groove 44 into which a gasket is inserted. sealing 46. A sealing is carried out in a conventional manner by applying the foot 48 of the cover 40 to the seal 46 and by crimping the cover 40 to the tube plate 42 by means of tabs

  folded down 50 forming part of the tube plate. In return

  che, it is not necessary to provide a seal between the tube plate 42 and the tubes 5 since this seal is obtained directly by brazing the

  tube plate 42 at the same time as the rest of the exchanger.

  This embodiment therefore represents a simplification compared to a fully mechanical assembly of the plate to

  tubes which requires, in addition to the presence of a seal

  between the plate and each of the tubes, to flare the end

  mite tubes 5 of the exchanger to retain the plate to

tubes 42.

  Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above by way of examples and

extends to other variants.

Claims (9)

claims   1. Heat exchange module, comprising at least two heat exchangers (1, 2), each exchanger being made up of a bundle interposed between two manifolds (6, 12), the bundle being formed of tubes of circulation of fluid (5, 10) connected to the manifolds (6, 12) and which pass through cooling fins (14) common to at least two exchangers (1, 2) of the module, characterized in   that the tubes (5, 10) and the fins (14) are secured brazed.   2. heat exchange module according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the exchangers consists of a tube plate (32) and a metal cover (30), characterized in that the cover ( 30), the tube plate (32), the tubes (5, 10) and the fins (14) are assembled   by soldering in a single operation.   3. Module according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the exchangers consists of a metal tube plate (42), characterized in that the tube plate (42), the tubes (5) and the fins (14) are assembled by soldering in one operation.   4. Module according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized   in that it comprises at least two exchangers (1, 2) and in that the fins (14) have the shape of an elongated rectangle having two elongated sides (16, 18) and two short sides (20), the fins comprising, on one of the elongated sides, cutouts for receiving (22) tubes into which the tubes (5) for circulating fluid of one of the exchangers (1) are inserted and, on the other elongated side   (18), receiving cutouts (24) of the tubes in which   the fluid circulation tubes (10) of another exchanger (2) are introduced.   5. Module according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized   in that the fins (14) and / or the tubes (5, 10) are covered with solder plating.   6. Module according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized   in that the short sides (20) of the fins (14) are   folded down and joined to the bundle by brazing.   7. Method for manufacturing a heat exchange module comprising at least two heat exchangers (1, 2), each exchanger consisting of a bundle interposed between two manifolds (6, 12) the bundle being formed of fluid circulation tubes (5, 10) connected to the manifolds (6, 12) and which pass through cooling fins (14) common to the exchangers (1, 2), the fins having the shape of an elongated rectangle having two elongated sides (16, 18) and two short sides (20), characterized in that it comprises the steps consisting in: - making cutouts for receiving the tubes (22, 24) on the elongated sides (16, 18) of the fins (14), - insert the tubes (5) of an exchanger (1) in the cutouts (22) made on one of the sides (16) of the fins (14), insert the tubes (10) of a another exchanger (2) in the cutouts (24) made on the other side (18) of the fins (14), and   - braze the tubes (5, 10) and the fins (14).   8. Manufacturing method according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one of the exchangers consists of a tube plate and a metal cover, and in that the cover, the tube plate (32) , the tubes (5, 10) and the fins (14) are assembled by brazing in one operation.   9. The manufacturing method according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one of the exchangers (1, 2) consists of a metal tube plate (42), and in that the tube plate (42) , the tubes (5, 10) and the fins   (14) are assembled by brazing in a single operation.