Heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11428473-B2
Application number	US-202016777077-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2020
Priority date	Feb 1, 2019
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a housing with an inlet port, an outlet port, an interior facing surface defining a coolant channel, a first opening surrounded by an exterior facing surface, and a second opening defined by a first inner diameter. A tube assembly defines a plurality of exhaust gas flow channels and a plurality of coolant cross channels within the housing. A first diffuser directs a first fluid into the tube assembly and is joined to a first header plate, which separates the first fluid from a second fluid within the coolant channel. A second diffuser directs the first fluid out of the tube assembly. The second diffuser is located within the second opening and sealed to the second opening by seals around the second diffuser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An exhaust gas heat exchanger, comprising:
a housing including an inlet port, an outlet port, an interior facing surface at least partially defining a coolant channel, a first opening surrounded by an exterior facing surface, and a second opening defined by a first inner diameter;
a tube assembly at least partially defining a plurality of exhaust gas flow channels and defining a plurality of coolant cross channels, the tube assembly including a plurality of tubes;
a first header plate having a first header plate perimeter;
a first diffuser including a cap surface, a diffuser wall, a first diffuser perimeter, and a diffuser flange extending from the diffuser wall to the first diffuser perimeter, the diffuser flange having a plurality of sections, the cap surface enclosing the coolant channel at the first opening; and
a first internal opening formed within the interior facing surface of the housing and fluidly connected to the inlet port by a coolant inlet channel,
wherein the tube assembly is disposed within the housing,
wherein the first header plate is at least partially located inside of the housing, and the first header plate perimeter surrounds the tube assembly,
wherein the first diffuser is fixedly attached to the housing at a first joint located between the cap surface and the exterior facing surface, the cap surface abutting the exterior facing surface,
wherein the first header plate is welded or brazed to the cap surface at a second joint located along the first header plate perimeter,
wherein the first joint and the second joint are at least partially located within a first plane transverse to a longitudinal axis of the heat exchanger,
wherein the coolant channel is at least partially disposed between the first joint and the second joint and at least partially disposed along the cap surface,
wherein the plurality of sections includes a first section and a second section located on opposite sides of the first diffuser,
wherein the first section is partially defined by a first length from the diffuser wall to the first diffuser perimeter,
wherein the second section is partially defined by a second length from the diffuser wall to the first diffuser perimeter,
wherein the first length is greater than the second length,
wherein the first internal opening is at least partially defined by the first section,
wherein the cap surface is located on the first diffuser flange,
wherein each tube of the plurality of tubes is oriented to provide a first set of coolant cross channels parallel to a first axis and a second set of at least one coolant cross channel parallel to a second axis,
wherein the first set of coolant cross channels is larger than the second set of coolant cross channels,
wherein the first length is parallel to the first axis,
wherein the second length is parallel to the first axis, and
wherein the exhaust gas heat exchanger further comprises:
a plurality of baffles including a first set of baffles extending in a first direction parallel to the first axis at least partially into the first set of coolant cross channels and including a second set of baffles extending in a second direction opposite of the first direction at least partially into the first set of coolant cross channels;
a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side of the interior facing surface of the housing;
a second internal opening of the housing fluidly connected to the outlet port and located in one of the first side and the third side of the housing;
a first set of gaps between the first set of baffles and the first side to partially define the coolant channel along the first side; and
a second set of gaps between the second set of baffles and the second side to partially define the coolant channel along the second side,
wherein each of the baffles of the first set of baffles and the second set of baffles extends parallel to the second axis from the second side to the fourth side to obstruct the coolant channel along the second side and the fourth side,
wherein baffles of the first set of baffles alternate with baffles of the second set of baffles in a third direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, and
wherein the first internal opening is located in the first side of the housing.

2. The exhaust gas heat exchanger of claim 1 , comprising:
a first baffle of the plurality of baffles,
wherein the first baffle extends from the tube assembly to the first wall, and
wherein the first internal opening is disposed between the first baffle and the first section of the plurality of sections of the diffuser flange.

3. The exhaust gas heat exchanger of claim 2 , wherein the first baffle at least partially extends beyond the first header plate perimeter in a radial direction from the longitudinal axis.

4. The exhaust gas heat exchanger of claim 1 , comprising:
a first gasket contacting both the cap surface and the exterior facing surface and at least partially located within the first plane,
wherein the first gasket surrounds the first header plate.

5. The exhaust gas heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein, relative to the longitudinal axis, a first baffle of the first set of baffles is located between the inlet port and the cap surface and a last baffle of the first set of baffles is located between the outlet port and the cap surface, and wherein the first baffle and the last baffle are on opposite longitudinal ends of the tube assembly.

6. An exhaust gas heat exchanger of claim 5 , wherein the first baffle of the first set of baffles is located on the same transverse side of the housing as the inlet port and wherein the last baffle of the first set of baffles is located on the opposite transverse side of the housing as the outlet port such that a coolant flows in the coolant channel across the cap surface and across a second diffuser.

7. The exhaust gas heat exchanger of claim 1 , comprising:
a second diffuser disposed at least partially within the second opening,
wherein the second diffuser is fluidly sealed to the second opening by at least one o-ring arranged within the second opening and arranged around the second diffuser, and
wherein the second diffuser is capable of sliding parallel to the longitudinal axis within the second opening.

8. The exhaust gas heat exchanger of claim 1 , comprising:
a first recess of the interior facing surface of the housing, the first recess extending outwardly in a radial direction from the longitudinal axis,
wherein the second diffuser is defined by a first end of the second diffuser disposed within the second opening and a second end of the second diffuser opposite of the first end of the second diffuser relative to the longitudinal axis,
wherein arrangement between a second end of the second diffuser and the housing provides a larger gap between the second end of the second diffuser and the interior facing surface at the recess than between the second end of the second diffuser and the interior facing surface at a side of the housing of the outlet port.

9. The exhaust gas heat exchanger of claim 8 , comprising:
a second recess of the interior facing surface of the housing, the second recess extending outwardly in the radial direction from the longitudinal axis,
wherein the second recess is located on an opposite longitudinal end of the housing relative to the first recess, and
wherein a first baffle of the first set of baffles is oriented parallel to and within a recess plane that extends transverse to the longitudinal axis and intersects the second recess.

10. A method of making an exhaust gas heat exchanger, comprising:
assembling a plurality of tubes into a tube assembly having a first end and a second en

Assignees

• Modine Mfg Co

Inventors

• Grotophorst Thomas R

Classifications

• F28F2275/04

  by brazing · CPC title

• F28F9/22

  Arrangements for directing heat-exchange media into successive compartments, e.g. arrangements of guide plates · CPC title

• F28D7/1646 Primary

  with particular pattern of flow of the heat exchange medium flowing outside the conduit assemblies, e.g. change of flow direction · CPC title

• F28F9/165

  by using additional preformed parts, e.g. sleeves, gaskets (F28F9/185 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28D7/1684 Primary

  the conduits having a non-circular cross-section · CPC title