Heat exchanger for thermal management systems for the feeding of fuel in internal combustion engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016153408-A1
Application number	US-201414900351-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 1, 2014
Priority date	Jul 2, 2013
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The internal combustion engines (M) of the invention are provided with a cooling water circuit, associated with a water radiator and with a lubricant oil circuit. The heat exchanger (HE) comprises an inlet and an outlet of water connected, in series, to an outlet of the water radiator, by means of a cooled water conduit and of the cooling water circuit, and to an inlet of the water radiator, by means of a return conduit and a hot water conduit; a fuel inlet nozzle and a fuel outlet nozzle, selectively connected to the fuel supply to the engine (M); and an inlet and an outlet of lubricant oil, connected to the lubricant oil circuit by means of respective oil conduits.

First claim

1 . A heat exchanger for thermal management systems for the feeding of fuel in internal combustion engines (M) internally provided with a cooling water circuit, having an inlet, connected to an outlet of a water radiator, by means of a cooled water conduit, external to the engine (M), and an outlet connected to the water radiator by means of a hot water conduit external to the engine (M); and with a lubricant oil circuit having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the heat exchanger (HE) comprises
an inlet and an outlet of water, respectively connected, in series, to the outlet of the water radiator, by means of the cooled water conduit and of the cooling water circuit, and with the inlet of the water radiator, by means of a return conduit and through the hot water conduit; a fuel inlet nozzle and a fuel outlet nozzle, selectively connected, in parallel, to the fuel supply to the engine (M); and an inlet and an outlet of lubricant oil, respectively connected to the outlet and to the inlet of the lubricant oil circuit by means of respective oil conduits.

2 . The heat exchanger, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the fuel inlet and outlet nozzles are provided at one side of the heat exchanger (HE) other than the side of the latter in which are provided the inlet and outlet of water and the inlet and outlet of lubricant oil.

3 . The heat exchanger, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the inlet and outlet of water and the inlet and outlet of oil are seated against the engine (M), with the inlet and the outlet of water being respectively maintained in fluid communication with the cooled water conduit by means of the cooling water circuit internal to the engine (M), and with the hot water conduit by means of the return conduit, the inlet and outlet of oil being directly open to the outlet and to the inlet of the lubricant oil circuit.

4 . The heat exchanger, as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the heat exchanger is mounted to a support (S), for fixation to the engine (M) or to a structure for installing the engine (M), and defined by a flange, against one side of which is seated and fixed the heat exchanger (HE), said flange presenting through holes in which are respectively defined the inlet and outlet of water and the inlet and outlet of oil.

5 . The heat exchanger, as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the return conduit is defined internally to the engine (M) and presents an inlet end open to the water outlet and an outlet end open to the hot water conduit, the oil conduits being defined by the respective through holes of the flange which define the inlet and outlet of oil of the heat exchanger (HE).

6 . The heat exchanger, as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the flange has one side, opposite to that for fixation of the heat exchanger (HE), seated and secured against engine (M), in order to establish a direct fluid communication: of the water inlet with the outlet of the cooling water circuit; of the water outlet with the inlet of the return conduit; and of the inlet and outlet of oil respectively with the outlet and with the inlet of the lubricant oil circuit.

7 . The heat exchanger, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange is mounted to a support (S) comprising a flange, against one side of which is seated and secured the heat exchanger (HE) and a spacing rod, having one side secured to the flange and an opposite side affixed to the engine (M), said flange presenting through holes in which are respectively defined the inlet and the outlet of water and the inlet and the outlet of oil.

8 . The heat exchanger, as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the inlet and the outlet of water of the heat exchanger (HE) are respectively maintained in fluid communication, in series, with the cooled water conduit, by means of the cooling water circuit and an inlet conduit, and with the hot water conduit, by means of the return conduit, the inlet and the outlet of oil being maintained in fluid communication respectively with the outlet and with the inlet of the lubricant oil circuit, by means of respective oil conduits.

9 . The heat exchanger, as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the return conduit is defined externally to the engine (M), presenting an inlet end open to the water outlet and an outlet end open to the hot water conduit, the inlet conduit being external to the engine (M) and presenting an inlet end open to the outlet of the cooling water circuit, and an outlet end open to the water inlet in the heat exchanger (HE), the oil conduits being defined by the respective through holes of the flange, which define the inlet and outlet of oil of the heat exchanger (HE).

10 . The heat exchanger, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a pack (P) of chambers, formed by a first, a second and a third group (G 1 , G 2 , G 3 ) of overlapped chambers, every two adjacent chambers belonging to different groups, and the chambers of each group having regions spaced apart from each other and held each in fluid communication with a respective conduit having an inner end open to an end chamber of the respective group and an outer end; the outer ends of the conduits of the first group (G 1 ) of chambers being connected in series to the cooling water circuit, by means of the inlet and outlet of water; the outer ends of the conduits of the second group (G 2 ) of chambers being selectively connected, in parallel, to the fuel feeding tube by means of the fuel inlet and outlet nozzles; and the outer ends of the conduits of the third group (G 3 ) of chambers being connected to the lubricant oil circuit.

11 . The heat exchanger, as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the conduits of each group of chambers are located through the interior of the pack (P) of chambers, crossing the chambers located between the end chamber of the respective, to the interior of which is open the inner end of the conduit, and the outer end of said conduit, the latter being centrally and radially open to the chambers of the respective group crossed by said conduit.

12 . The heat exchanger, as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the fuel inlet and outlet nozzles project outwards from one side of the pack (P) of chambers opposite to that in which are provided the inlet and outlet of water, said opposite side being closed by an end cover.

13 . The heat exchanger, as set forth in claim 10 , wherein every two adjacent chambers belong to different groups and are spaced apart from each other by a common wall (W) for thermal exchange.

14 . The heat exchanger, as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the chambers of the pack (P) of chambers are distributed in order that the chambers of the third group (G 3 ) of chambers present common walls only with the chambers of the first group (G 1 ) of chambers.

15 . The heat exchanger, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein a portion of the height of the pack (P) of chambers adjacent to the outer end of the conduits of the second group (G 2 ) of chambers is formed only by the latter and by at least one of the chambers of the first group (G 1 ), the remaining of the height of the pack (P) of chambers being formed by the remaining of the chambers of the first group (G 1 ) containing cooling water and by the chambers of the third group (G 3 ) containing lubricant oil.

16 . The heat exchanger, as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the chambers of the pack (P) of chambers have the same flat and elongated shape and have a reduced height in relation to their area, each of the two conduits of each group of chambers being located in an end region of the pack (P) of chambers opposite to that in which is located the other conduit.

Assignees

• Mahle Metal Leve Sa

Inventors

• Amaral Tadeu Miguel Malagó
• Bueno Ricardo Roveri
• Azevedo Júnior Edson Valdomiro De
• Yoshino Fernando Jun

Classifications

• F01M5/005

  Controlling temperature of lubricant · CPC title

• F02M31/145

  with particular constructional means · CPC title

• F01P3/20

  Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine (F01P3/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02M31/16 Primary

  Other apparatus for heating fuel · CPC title

• F28D9/00

  Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary plate-like or laminated conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall {(F28F3/083, F28F3/086 take precedence)} · CPC title