Heat exchanger for a rankine cycle in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016201519-A1
Application number	US-201514596348-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 14, 2015
Priority date	Jan 14, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle includes a Rankine cycle containing a working fluid for waste heat recovery and has an evaporator. The evaporator has a heat exchanger tube positioned for generally horizontal flow of the working fluid therethrough. An inlet header is connected to a lower surface of an end region of the tube. An outlet header with a plurality of risers is positioned for generally vertical flow of the working fluid. The riser headers are connected to and spaced apart along an upper surface of the tube.

First claim

1 . A heat exchanger for a vehicle Rankine cycle having a working fluid, comprising:
a heat exchanger tube positioned for generally horizontal flow of a working fluid therethrough; an inlet header connected to a lower surface of an end region of the tube; and an outlet header with a plurality of risers positioned for generally vertical flow of the working fluid, the risers connected to and spaced apart along an upper surface of the tube.

2 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 further comprising an outer housing surrounding the heat exchanger tube and configured to receive a gas phase fluid;
wherein the tube is adapted to transfer heat from the gas phase fluid to the working fluid.

3 . The heat exchanger of claim 2 further comprising at least one baffle positioned to direct flow of the gas phase fluid around the heat exchanger tube.

4 . The heat exchanger of claim 2 wherein the tube is a shell having an inner wall and an outer wall circumferentially and concentrically arranged; and
wherein the inner wall and outer wall define a channel therebetween, the channel in fluid communication with the inlet header and the outlet header for flow of the working fluid; and
wherein the inner wall and outer wall are configured to contact the gas phase fluid.

5 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 further comprising:
an outlet manifold connected to the outlet header;
wherein the heat exchanger tube defines a longitudinal axis;
wherein the outlet header further comprises a collection tube positioned above the heat exchanger tube and extending generally parallel with the longitudinal axis; and
wherein the collection tube fluidly connects the plurality of risers with the outlet manifold.

6 . The heat exchanger of claim 5 further comprising an inlet manifold connected to the inlet header;
wherein the heat exchanger tube is positioned between the inlet header and outlet header; and
wherein the heat exchanger tube is positioned between the inlet manifold and outlet manifold.

7 . The heat exchanger of claim 6 wherein the inlet manifold is generally transverse to the longitudinal axis and is positioned for generally horizontal flow of the working fluid; and
wherein the outlet manifold is generally transverse to the longitudinal axis and is positioned for generally horizontal flow of the working fluid.

8 . The heat exchanger of claim 5 wherein the collection tube and the plurality of risers are positioned generally perpendicular to one another.

9 . The heat exchanger of claim 5 wherein the heat exchanger tube is one of a plurality of heat exchanger tubes arranged generally parallel to one another in the heat exchanger, each heat exchanger tube having a corresponding inlet header and outlet header;
wherein the inlet headers of the plurality of heat exchanger tubes are connected to an inlet manifold; and
wherein the collection tubes of the outlet headers of the plurality of heat exchanger tubes are connected to the outlet manifold.

10 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein the end region of the tube is a first end region;
wherein the tube has a second end region generally opposed to the first end region;
wherein a first riser of the plurality of risers is connected to an upper surface of the first end region of the heat exchanger tube and is adjacent to the inlet header; and
wherein a second riser of the plurality of risers is connected to an upper surface of the second end region.

11 . The heat exchanger of claim 10 wherein another of the plurality of risers is connected to an upper surface of an intermediate region of the heat exchanger tube, the intermediate region positioned between the first and second end regions.

12 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein the inlet header is positioned for generally vertical flow of the working fluid into the heat exchanger tube.

13 . A vehicle comprising:
an engine; and an expander, a condenser, and a pump in sequential fluid communication in a closed loop containing a evaporator configured to transfer heat between exhaust gas from the engine and a working fluid; wherein the evaporator comprises a generally horizontal heat exchanger tube with a lower surface connected to an inlet header and a plurality of risers connected to and spaced apart along an upper surface of the tube.

14 . The vehicle of claim 13 further comprising a controller configured to control the closed loop such that the working fluid is a liquid phase at an inlet to the pump and a vapor phase at an inlet to the expander.

15 . The vehicle of claim 13 further comprising a controller configured to control the closed loop such that the working fluid comprises a vapor phase in the plurality of risers and the working fluid comprises a liquid phase in the inlet header.

16 . The vehicle of claim 13 wherein the evaporator further comprises a housing generally surrounding the heat exchanger tube and configured to receive exhaust gas, the housing supporting at least one baffle positioned to direct flow of the exhaust gas around the heat exchanger tube.

17 . The vehicle of claim 13 wherein the heat exchanger tube has a first end region opposed to a second end region,
wherein the inlet header is connected to a lower surface of the first end region;
wherein a first riser of the plurality of risers is connected to an upper surface of the first end region;
wherein a second riser of the plurality of risers is connected to an upper surface of the second end region;
wherein a third riser of the plurality of risers is connected to an upper surface of the tube in an intermediate region between the first and second end regions; and
wherein the plurality of risers are connected to a collection tube in fluid communication with an outlet manifold of the evaporator.

18 . The vehicle of claim 17 wherein the heat exchanger tube has a longitudinal axis;
wherein the collection tube positioned above the heat exchanger tube and generally parallel to the longitudinal axis;
wherein the plurality of risers are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of the heat exchanger tube; and
wherein each riser extends along a corresponding axis intersecting and generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

19 . A once-through evaporator for a thermodynamic cycle containing a working fluid in a vehicle for energy recovery from waste heat, the evaporator comprising:
an inlet manifold with at least one inlet header having an inlet riser section providing a vertical flow component for the working fluid containing a liquid phase; at least one heat exchanger tube having a first end region and a second end region, the heat exchanger tube having an outer surface defining a flow channel for the working fluid, the outer surface adapted to contact a waste heat fluid, the inlet riser of an associated inlet header connected to a bottom side of the tube adjacent to the first end region and in fluid communication with the flow channel to provide the working fluid containing the liquid phase to the tube; and an outlet manifold with at least one outlet header having a collection tube and a series of outlet risers each providing a vertical flow component for a vapor phase of the working fluid, the outlet risers of the outlet header connected to a top side of an associated heat exchanger tube and spaced apart along a length of the heat exchanger tube between the first and second end regions, one outlet riser being adjacent to the first end region and another outlet riser being adjacent to the second end region, the outlet risers in fluid com

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Zhou Shiguang

Classifications

• F01K23/065

  the combustion taking place in an internal combustion piston engine, e.g. a diesel engine · CPC title

• F01K23/101 Primary

  Regulating means specially adapted therefor (F01K23/105, F01K23/108 take precedence) · CPC title

• F28D1/05333 Primary

  with multiple rows of conduits or with multi-channel conduits (F28D1/05341 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01K25/00

  Plants or engines characterised by use of special working fluids, not otherwise provided for; Plants operating in closed cycles and not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title