Heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9631876-B2
Application number	US-201313846959-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2013
Priority date	Mar 19, 2013
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a stack of heat exchanger plate pairs that each define an internal volume and include an inlet and an outlet such that a first medium flows from the inlet to the outlet along a flow axis. The inlets together form an inlet header through the heat exchanger plate pairs and the outlets together form an outlet header through the heat exchanger plate pairs. The heat exchanger also includes an array of fins disposed between and in thermal contact with adjacent heat exchanger plate pairs. The array of fins defines flow channels between the adjacent heat exchanger plate pairs such that a second medium flows through the flow channels along the flow axis. One end of the array of fins includes a cut-out area which causes a first portion of the array of fins to be positioned laterally from either the inlet header or the outlet header.

First claim

We claim:

1. A heat exchanger for transferring heat between a first medium and a second medium, the heat exchanger comprising:
a stack of heat exchanger plate pairs, each the heat exchanger plate pair consisting of a first heat exchanger plate and a second heat exchanger plate defining an internal volume between the first and second heat exchanger plates, and each the heat exchanger plate pair including an inlet for introducing the first medium into the internal volume and an outlet for discharging the first medium from the internal volume, wherein the first medium flows from the inlet to the outlet along a flow axis extending from the inlet to the outlet, wherein the inlets together form an inlet header through the heat exchanger plate pairs, and wherein the outlets together form an outlet header through the heat exchanger plate pairs, each of the first and second heat exchanger plates having a concave region between the inlet and the outlet with convex protrusions, each of the protrusions of each of the first and second heat exchanger plates contacting one of the protrusions of the other one of the first and second heat exchanger plates so that the concave regions of the first and second heat exchanger plates define the internal volume, the concave area bilaterally partially surrounding the inlet header and the outlet header with a portion of the protrusions arranged bilaterally from the inlet header and the outlet header;
an array of fins disposed between and in thermal contact with adjacent ones of the heat exchanger plate pairs, the array of fins defining parallel flow channels along the flow axis between adjacent the heat exchanger plate pairs, wherein the second medium flows through the flow channels along the flow axis,
wherein one end of the array of fins includes a first cut-out area with a centrally located portion of the array of fins being shortened relative to two outer portions of the array of fins, which causes the two outer portions of the array of fins to be positioned laterally from two opposing sides of the one of the inlet header and the outlet header such that the first cut-out area bilaterally partially surrounds the one of the inlet header and the outlet header with the two outer portions, and
wherein the other end of the array of fins includes a second cut-out area with the centrally located portion of the array of fins being shortened relative to the two outer portions of the array of fins which causes the two outer portions of the array of fins to be positioned laterally from two opposing sides of the other of the inlet header and the outlet header such that the second cut-out area bilaterally partially surrounds the other of the inlet header and the outlet header with the two outer portions,
wherein one end of the flow channels defines flow channel inlets for introducing the second medium into the flow channels and the other end of the flow channels defines flow channel outlets for expelling the second medium from the flow channels and wherein the flow channel inlets and outlets that are axially aligned with one of the inlet header and the outlet header are spaced axially away from the one of the inlet header and the outlet header,
wherein the two outer portions of the array of fins provide support to maintain separation of adjacent heat exchanger plate pairs and wherein the fins, the inlet header, and the outlet header provide the only support between adjacently stacked heat exchanger plate pairs.

2. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the one of the inlet header and the outlet header includes a first quadrant point facing axially toward the first cut-out area and wherein the quadrant point is spaced axially away from an edge of the first cut-out area.

3. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first cut-out area is spaced axially away from the first quadrant point according to the equation:

S
=

A
×

W
L

+
B

where S is the axial distance from the first quadrant point to the first cut-out area, A is a coefficient in the range of 4.6 to 10.7, W is the dimension of the one of the inlet header and the outlet header along the flow axis, L the dimension of the one of the inlet header and the outlet header perpendicular to the flow axis, and B is a coefficient in the range of 2 to 6.

4. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 3 , wherein A is 7.6 and B is 4.7.

5. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the one of the inlet header and the outlet header includes a first quadrant point facing axially toward the first cut-out area and the first quadrant point is spaced axially from an edge of the first cut-out area; and
the other of the inlet header and the outlet header includes a second quadrant point facing axially toward the second cut-out area and the second quadrant point is spaced axially from an edge of the second cut-out area.

6. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 5 wherein the edge of the first cut-out area is spaced axially away from the first quadrant point according to the equation:

S
1

=

A
1

×

L
1

⁢

W
1

+

B
1

where S 1 is the axial distance from the first quadrant point to the edge of the first cut-out area, A 1 is a coefficient in the range of 4.6 to 10.7, W 1 is the dimension of the one of the inlet header and the outlet header along the flow axis, L 1 the dimension of the one of the inlet header and the outlet header perpendicular to the flow axis, and B 1 is a coefficient in the range of 2 to 6.

7. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 6 wherein A 1 is 7.7 and B 1 is 4.7.

8. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 6 wherein the second cut-out area is spaced axially away from the second quadrant point the axial distance S 1 .

9. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 6 wherein the second cut-out area is spaced axially away from the second quadrant point according to the equation:

S
2

=

A
2

×

L
2

W
2

+

B
2

where S 2 is the axial distance from the second quadrant point to the second cut-out area, A 2 is a coefficient in the range of 4.6 to 10.7, W 2 is the dimension of the other of the inlet header and the outlet header along the flow ax

Assignees

• Mahle Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Zima Mark James
• Kadle Prasad Shripad
• Chopra Veeraj
• Majumdar Debangshu

Classifications

• F28D21/0003

  the heat being recuperated from exhaust gases (F28D21/0014 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02M26/32

  Liquid-cooled heat exchangers · CPC title

• F28D9/0043 Primary

  the plates having openings therein for circulation of at least one heat-exchange medium from one conduit to another · CPC title

• F28F3/08 Primary

  Elements constructed for building-up into stacks, e.g. capable of being taken apart for cleaning · CPC title