Plate-type heat exchanger, particularly for motor vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9618280-B2
Application number	US-99345609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2009
Priority date	May 22, 2008
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A heat exchanger ( 10 ) comprises an alternating stacking of first plates ( 12 ) and second plates ( 14 ) provided respectively with first corrugations ( 16 ) separated by a first pitch (P 1 ) and second corrugations ( 18 ) separated by a second pitch (P 2 ), which is different from the first pitch (P 1 ). Between the plates, first flow channels are defined having a first cross sectional area adapted to a first fluid (F 1 ) which alternate with second flow channels having a second cross sectional area adapted to a second fluid (F 2 ). The invention applies in particular to heat exchangers for motor vehicles.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger comprising an alternating stacking of first plates ( 12 ; 112 ) and second plates ( 14 ; 114 ), the first plates ( 12 ; 112 ) including first corrugations ( 16 ; 116 ), and the second plates ( 14 ; 114 ) being different from the first plates ( 12 ; 112 ) and including second corrugations ( 14 ; 114 ) so as to define, between the alternating stack of first plates ( 16 ; 116 ) and second plates ( 18 ; 118 ), first flow channels (C 1 ) for a first fluid (F 1 ) which alternate with second flow channels (C 2 ) for a second fluid (F 2 ), characterized in that the first corrugations ( 16 ; 116 ) are separated from one another by a first pitch (P 1 ) that is present only on the first plates ( 12 ; 112 ) while the second corrugations ( 18 ; 118 ) are separated from one another by a second pitch (P 2 ) that is present only on the second plates ( 14 ; 114 ), the second pitch (P 2 ) different from the first pitch (P 1 ), thus allowing the first channels (C 1 ) and the second channels (C 2 ) to define a first cross sectional area (S 1 ) and a second cross sectional area (S 2 ) that are different from one another and suitable for the first fluid (F 1 ) and for the second fluid (F 2 ), respectively;
wherein the first cross sectional area (S 1 ) is greater than the second cross sectional area (S 2 ).

2. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that each one of the first plates ( 12 ; 112 ) has a flat base ( 32 ; 132 ) defining a neutral line through which the first corrugations ( 16 ; 116 ) pass.

3. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that each one of the second plates ( 14 ; 114 ) has a flat base ( 48 ; 148 ) defining a neutral line through which the second corrugations ( 18 ; 118 ) pass.

4. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that each one of the first corrugations ( 16 ) propagates in a straight line across the entire width of the corresponding first plate ( 12 ) and parallel to a first direction (D 1 ), and in that each one of the second corrugations ( 18 ) propagates in a straight line across the entire width of the corresponding second plate ( 14 ) and parallel to a second direction (D 2 ), that extends angularly relative to the first direction D 1 in such a way that the first corrugations ( 16 ) and the corresponding second corrugations ( 18 ) intersect and are in contact with one another via their respective peaks.

5. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that each one of the first corrugations ( 116 ) propagates in a chevron pattern and in that each one of the second corrugations ( 118 ) propagates in a chevron pattern in a mutually opposite direction with respect to a corresponding one of the first corrugations ( 118 ), in such a way that the first corrugations ( 116 ) and the corresponding second corrugations ( 118 ) intersect and are in contact with one another via respective peaks.

6. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the ratio (P 1 /P 2 ) of the first pitch (P 1 ) to the second pitch (P 2 ) is between 1 and 6, with P 1 <P 2 .

7. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 6 , characterized in that the ratio (P 1 /P 2 ) of the first pitch (P 1 ) to the second pitch (P 2 ) is a fraction.

8. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that each one of the first plates ( 12 ; 112 ) and each one of the second plates ( 14 ; 114 ) is provided with a tapering raised peripheral edge ( 34 ; 134 ; 50 ; 150 ) to allow mutual assembly of the first plates ( 12 ; 112 ) and the second plates ( 14 ; 114 ) by nesting and brazing their respective peripheral edges.

9. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that each one of the first plates ( 12 ; 112 ) and each one of the second plates ( 14 ; 114 ) are of generally rectangular shape.

10. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that each one of the first plates ( 12 ; 112 ) and each one of the second plates ( 14 ; 114 ) are provided with corresponding openings ( 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 ; 56 , 58 , 60 , 62 ; 140 , 142 , 144 , 146 ; 156 , 158 , 160 , 162 ) for the passage of the first fluid (F 1 ) and the second fluid (F 2 ).

11. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises a first closed end plate ( 20 ; 120 ) and a second end plate ( 22 ; 12 ), the latter provided with two nozzles ( 24 , 26 ; 124 , 126 ) for the inlet and outlet of the first fluid (F 1 ) and two other nozzles ( 28 , 30 ; 128 , 130 ) for the inlet and outlet of the second fluid (F 2 ).

12. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the smallest out of the first cross sectional area (S 1 ) and the second cross sectional area (S 2 ) allows passage of whichever fluid (F 1 ; F 2 ) out of the first fluid (F 1 ) and the second fluid (F 2 ) that is operating at the highest pressure.

13. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that it is made in the form of a condenser suitable for carrying a refrigerant and a cooling fluid.

14. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 2 , characterized in that each one of the second plates ( 14 ; 114 ) has a flat base ( 48 ; 148 ) defining a neutral line through which the second corrugations ( 18 ; 118 ) pass.

15. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 6 , characterized in that the ratio (P 1 /P 2 ) of the first pitch (P 1 ) to the second pitch (P 2 ) is ½.

16. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 2 , characterized in that each one of the first plates ( 12 ; 112 ) has a generally rectangular shape and includes two flat elevations ( 36 , 38 ) adjacent to one long side of the corresponding rectangular first plate ( 12 ; 112 ), wherein the two flat elevations ( 36 , 38 ) are raised above a plane defined by the flat base ( 32 ; 132 ).

17. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 3 , characterized in that each one of the second plates ( 14 ; 114 ) has a generally rectangular shape and includes two flat elevations ( 52 , 54 ) adjacent to one long side of the corresponding rectangular second plate ( 14 ; 114 ), wherein the two flat elevations ( 52 , 54 ) are raised above a plane defined by the flat base ( 48 ; 148 ).

18. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that each one of the first plates ( 12 ; 112 ) and each corresponding one of the second plates ( 14 ; 114 ) have a first plurality of brazing surfaces (SB 1 ) therebetween for the corresponding first channels (C 1 ), and each one of the first plates ( 12 ; 112 ) and each corresponding one of the second plates ( 14 ; 114 ) have a second plurality of brazing surfaces (SB 2 ) for the corresponding second channels (C 2 ), wherein the second plurality of brazing surfaces (SB 2 ) is configured to have a larger resistance to a pressure for a fluid to pass therethrough as compared to the first plurality of brazing surfaces (SB 1 ).

19. A condenser able to be traversed by a refrigerant and a coolant, the condenser comprising:
an alternating stack of first plates ( 12 ; 112 ) and second plates ( 14 ; 114 ) respectively provided with first corrugations ( 16 ; 116 ) and with second corrugations ( 18 ; 118 ) so as to define, between the plates, first flow channels (C 1 ) for a first fluid (F 1 ) which alternate with second flow channels (C 2 ) for a second fluid (F 2 ), the first corrugations ( 16 ; 116 ) being mutually distant by a first pitch (P 1 ) while the second corrugations ( 18 ; 118 ) are mutually distant by a second pit

Assignees

• Magnier-Cathenod Anne-Sylvie
• Bernard Jean-Sylvain
• Martins Carlos
• Valeo Systemes Thermiques

Inventors

• Magnier-Cathenod Anne-Sylvie
• Bernard Jean-Sylvain
• Martins Carlos

Classifications

• F28F3/046 Primary

  the deformations being linear, e.g. corrugations · CPC title

• F28F2275/04

  by brazing · CPC title

• F28D9/005

  the plates having openings therein for both heat-exchange media · CPC title

• F28D2021/0084

  Condensers · CPC title