High pressure capable liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11609047-B2
Application number	US-201916582664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2019
Priority date	Mar 23, 2018
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

A liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger includes an enclosed coolant volume that is at least partially defined by a plastic housing and by a metal closure plate. The metal closure plate can be part of a brazed assembly containing a continuous refrigerant flow path. The refrigerant flow path is disposed within the coolant volume, where heat can be transferred between the refrigerant within the refrigerant flow path and the liquid within the coolant volume. The plastic housing can at least partially surround the refrigerant flow path to at least partially bound a liquid flow path along a portion of the coolant volume. An inlet diffuser and an outlet diffuser can be mounted to the housing to direct the liquid through the housing. The plastic housing is sealingly joined to the closure plate along an outer periphery of the closure plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger comprising:
a housing comprising a core opening, a first side opening, a second side opening, and a core cavity;
a core disposed within the housing, the core comprising, a plurality of tubes and a plurality of fins;
an inlet manifold connected to an inlet end of each of the plurality of tubes, the inlet manifold defining a first diameter;
an outlet manifold connected to an outlet end of each of the plurality of tubes, the outlet manifold defining a second diameter;
a closure plate joined to the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold;
a first diffuser extending at least partially through the first side opening; and
a second diffuser extending at least partially through the second side opening;
wherein the housing and the closure plate define a coolant volume of the heat exchanger,
wherein the closure plate seals the coolant volume at the core opening and along an outer periphery of the closure plate, wherein at least a portion of the inlet manifold is located within the coolant volume, wherein at least a portion of the outlet manifold is located within the coolant volume; and wherein at least a portion of the inlet manifold and at least a portion of the outlet manifold are located outside of the coolant volume,
wherein both the portion of the inlet manifold located inside the coolant volume and the portion of the inlet manifold located outside the coolant volume have the first diameter, and
wherein both the portion of outlet manifold located inside the coolant volume and the portion of the outlet manifold located outside the coolant volume have the second diameter.

2. The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the inlet manifold includes an inlet fitting block having a refrigerant inlet port, wherein the outlet manifold includes an outlet fitting block having a refrigerant outlet port, and wherein both the inlet fitting block and the outlet fitting block extend through the closure plate, and wherein the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold are both joined to the closure plate respectively by the inlet fitting block and the outlet fitting block and by at least one spacer that is located between each of the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold and the closure plate.

3. The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 2 , wherein the core, the closure plate, the inlet manifold, the outlet manifold, the inlet fitting block, the outlet fitting block, and the at least one spacer are joined together by braze joints to define a refrigerant flow path.

4. A liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger comprising:
a housing comprising a core opening, a first side opening, a second side opening, and a core cavity;
a core disposed within the housing, the core comprising, a plurality of tubes and a plurality of fins;
an inlet manifold connected to an inlet end of each of the plurality of tubes;
an outlet manifold connected to an outlet end of each of the plurality of tubes;
a closure plate joined to the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold;
a first diffuser extending at least partially through the first side opening; and
a second diffuser extending at least partially through the second side opening;
wherein the housing and the closure plate define a coolant volume of the heat exchanger,
wherein the closure plate seals the coolant volume at the core opening and along an outer periphery of the closure plate,
wherein the core cavity extends from the first side opening to the second side opening and extends from the core opening to a first housing wall opposite the core opening, wherein both of the first side opening and the second side opening are offset from the core opening and the first housing wall along a core insertion axis to define a first offset area and a second offset area outside of a central area between the first side opening and the second side opening, wherein at least one of the plurality of tubes extends along the core insertion axis through the first offset area and the central area and into the second offset area, wherein the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold are located at least partially within the first offset area, wherein at least one of the plurality of fins extends within the central area from a first location along the first side opening and at a first tube of the plurality of tubes to a second location along the second side opening and at a second tube of the plurality of tubes, and wherein the at least one of the plurality of tubes extends beyond the at least one of the plurality of fins at the first offset area and at the second offset area.

5. The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 4 , wherein the central area is further defined as having a central area height equal to a first side opening height along the core insertion axis, and wherein a first gap is located between the at least one of the plurality of fins and the first side opening and wherein a second gap is located between the at least one of the plurality of fins and the second side opening.

6. The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 4 , wherein a third gap is located between the at least one of the plurality of fins and the first diffuser, wherein a fourth gap is located between the at least one of the plurality of fins and the second diffuser, wherein the third gap is larger than the first gap, and wherein the fourth gap is larger than the second gap.

7. A liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger comprising:
a housing comprising a core opening, a first side opening, a second side opening, and a core cavity;
a core disposed within the housing, the core comprising, a plurality of tubes and a plurality of fins;
an inlet manifold connected to an inlet end of each of the plurality of tubes;
an outlet manifold connected to an outlet end of each of the plurality of tubes;
a closure plate joined to the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold;
a first diffuser extending at least partially through the first side opening; and
a second diffuser extending at least partially through the second side opening;
wherein the housing and the closure plate define a coolant volume of the heat exchanger,
wherein the closure plate seals the coolant volume at the core opening and along an outer periphery of the closure plate, and wherein the housing is sealingly joined to the closure plate by a peripheral crimp joint, and wherein at least a portion of the inlet manifold is located within the coolant volume, wherein at least a portion of the outlet manifold is located within the coolant volume; and wherein at least a portion of the inlet manifold and at least a portion of the outlet manifold are located outside of the coolant volume, and wherein both portions of the inlet manifold located inside and outside the coolant volume have a first diameter, and wherein both portions of the outlet manifold located inside and outside the coolant volume have a second diameter.

8. The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of tubes includes a plurality of sequentially arranged passes through the coolant volume, and wherein at least one of the plurality of fins is located between and joined to adjacent ones of the plurality of sequentially arranged passes.

9. A liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger comprising:
a housing comprising a core opening, a first side opening, a second side opening, and a core cavity;
a core disposed within the housing, the core comprising, a plurality of tubes and a plurality of fins;
an inlet manifold connected to an inlet end of each of the plurality of tubes;
an outlet manifold connected to an outlet end of each of the plurality of tubes;
a closure plate joined to the inlet manifold and the outlet manif

Assignees

• Modine Mfg Co

Inventors

• Kimmel Adam
• Hartke David
• Mross Gregory
• Welchner Daniela
• Steffen Michael

Classifications

• F28F1/126

  consisting of zig-zag shaped fins (F28F1/105 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28F2009/224

  Longitudinal partitions · CPC title

• F28F2275/045

  with particular processing steps, e.g. by allowing displacement of parts during brazing or by using a reservoir for storing brazing material · CPC title

• F28F9/0243

  Header boxes having a circular cross-section · CPC title

• F28F1/025

  with variable shape, e.g. with modified tube ends, with different geometrical features (F28F1/06, F28F1/08, F28F9/16, F28F9/18 take precedence) · CPC title