Heat exchange device with shape memory alloy spring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11402012-B2
Application number	US-201816649093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2018
Priority date	Oct 23, 2017
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

A heat exchange device includes a heat exchanger body and a thermostatic assembly; the heat exchanger body includes a first passage, one end of the first passage is in communication with the fluid inlet of the heat exchanger body, at least part of the thermostatic assembly is arranged in the first passage, the thermostatic assembly comprises a valve body provided with a valve chamber, the valve body is provided with an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet which are all in communication with the valve chamber; a return spring, a shape memory alloy spring, and a valve sleeve are provided in the valve chamber, the valve sleeve is slidable back and forth in an axial direction, the shape memory alloy spring is made of a memory alloy material, and the return spring and the shape memory alloy spring are respectively located on two sides of the valve sleeve.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat exchange device, comprising a heat exchanger body and a thermostatic assembly, wherein the heat exchanger body comprises a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a bypass passage, and the heat exchanger body further comprises a heat dissipation assembly, and the heat dissipation assembly is provided with a heat exchange passage;
the heat exchanger body further comprises a first passage, one end of the first passage is in communication with the fluid inlet, at least part of the thermostatic assembly is arranged in the first passage, the thermostatic assembly comprises a valve body provided with a valve chamber, the valve body is provided with an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet which are all in communication with the valve chamber; a return spring, a shape memory alloy spring, and a valve sleeve are provided in the valve chamber, the valve sleeve is slidable back and forth in an axial direction, the shape memory alloy spring is made of a memory alloy material, and the return spring and the shape memory alloy spring are respectively located on two sides of the valve sleeve;
in a case where the temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, an elastic function of the shape memory alloy spring is disabled, and under an action of the return spring, the valve sleeve is at a first position, and the inlet is in communication with the bypass passage through the second outlet; and
in a case where the temperature is greater than or equal to the predetermined temperature, and a first elastic force of the shape memory alloy spring is greater than a second elastic force of the return spring, and under an action of the difference between the first elastic force of the shape memory alloy spring and the second elastic force of the return spring, the valve sleeve slides to a second position to close the second outlet, the first outlet is in communication with the heat exchange passage, and the inlet is in communication with the heat exchange passage through the first outlet.

2. The heat exchange device according to claim 1 , wherein, the valve body is a hollow cylinder having a closed end at one end and an open end at another end, a valve seat is provided at the open end of the hollow cylinder, the valve seat is provided with a valve port, the inlet is in communication with the valve chamber through the valve port, and two ends of the return spring are respectively supported on the valve seat and the valve sleeve.

3. The heat exchange device according to claim 2 , wherein, the heat dissipation assembly comprises a plurality of plate bodies arranged in parallel, the heat exchanger body further comprises an upper mounting plate and a lower mounting plate, and each of the plurality of plate bodies is arranged between the two mounting plates; the two mounting plates and the corresponding plate body are provided with coaxial mounting through holes, the valve body is inserted inside the mounting through holes, the closed end of the valve body is hermetically fixed to the upper mounting plate in a circumferential direction, and the valve body is circumferentially sealed to the lower mounting plate; and the bypass passage is formed inside the lower mounting plate.

4. The heat exchange device according to claim 3 , wherein, the lower mounting plate comprises an inner mounting plate and an outer mounting plate, the heat dissipation assembly is mounted on an upper surface of the inner mounting plate, and the inner mounting plate and the outer mounting plate are peripherally sealed to form the bypass passage; and the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of the heat exchanger body are both opened on the outer mounting plate.

5. The heat exchange device according to claim 3 , wherein, the mounting through hole of the upper mounting plate protrudes upward in the circumferential direction to form an annular mounting seat, the heat exchange device further comprises a snap ring provided in the annular mounting seat, and the snap ring abuts against an outer end of the closed end to fix the valve body to the upper mounting plate.

6. The heat exchange device according to claim 2 , wherein, when the valve sleeve just completely closes the second outlet, a predetermined distance is reserved between a lower end surface of the valve sleeve and the valve seat.

7. The heat exchange device according to claim 2 , wherein, an outer peripheral wall of the valve sleeve is slidable with respect to the valve chamber in a sealed way.

8. The heat exchange device according to claim 2 , wherein, the valve sleeve is a cylinder with two open ends, a support plate extending inward is provided on an inner circumferential surface of the cylinder, the valve chambers on two sides of the support plate are in communication with each other, the shape memory alloy spring are has been replaced with the shape memory alloy spring is supported between the closed end and one end of the support plate, and the return spring is supported between the other end of the support plate and the valve seat.

9. The heat exchange device according to claim 8 , wherein, the support plate comprises an annular body, an inner edge of the annular body extends in the axial direction to form two hollow shaft sections, and the two hollow shaft sections have different diameters so as to form a stepped surface, and the return spring and the shape memory alloy spring are respectively supported on inner and outer sides of the stepped surface.

10. The heat exchange device according to claim 9 , wherein, the heat dissipation assembly comprises a plurality of plate bodies arranged in parallel, the heat exchanger body further comprises an upper mounting plate and a lower mounting plate, and each of the plurality of plate bodies is arranged between the two mounting plates; the two mounting plates and the corresponding plate body are provided with coaxial mounting through holes, the valve body is inserted inside the mounting through holes, the closed end of the valve body is hermetically fixed to the upper mounting plate in a circumferential direction, and the valve body is circumferentially sealed to the lower mounting plate; and the bypass passage is formed inside the lower mounting plate.

11. The heat exchange device according to claim 9 , wherein, when the valve sleeve just completely closes the second outlet, a predetermined distance is reserved between a lower end surface of the valve sleeve and the valve seat.

12. The heat exchange device according to claim 8 , wherein, along the axial direction, a plurality of spaced-apart first outlets are uniformly arranged on shaft sections of the hollow cylinder corresponding to the heat dissipation assembly, part of the plurality of first outlets are located above the support plate, and the support plate is provided with at least one through hole for communicating the inlet with the corresponding first outlet located above the support plate.

13. The heat exchange device according to claim 12 , wherein, the heat dissipation assembly comprises a plurality of plate bodies arranged in parallel, the heat exchanger body further comprises an upper mounting plate and a lower mounting plate, and each of the plurality of plate bodies is arranged between the two mounting plates; the two mounting plates and the corresponding plate body are provided with coaxial mounting through holes, the valve body is inserted inside the mounting through holes, the closed end of the valve body is hermetically fixed to the upper mounting plate in a circumferential direction, and the valve body is circumferentially sealed to the lower mounting plate; and the bypass passage is formed inside the lower mounting plate.

Assignees

• Zhejiang Sanhua Automotive Components Co Ltd

Inventors

• Qiu Haoming
• Qian Xiaojun

Classifications

• F28D2021/0089

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• F28F2250/06

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• F16H57/0413 Primary

  Controlled cooling or heating of lubricant; Temperature control therefor · CPC title

• F01M5/002 Primary

  Cooling · CPC title

• F01M2005/004

  Oil-cooled engines · CPC title