Heat recovery device with improved lightweight flow coupling chamber and insertable valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9989322-B2
Application number	US-201414191551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2014
Priority date	Mar 1, 2013
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A heat recovery device such as an EGHR device includes a bypass valve, a gas/liquid heat exchanger and a flow duct. The flow duct has an open top and an open bottom. A top surface of the duct seals to a surface surrounding an opening of a gas flow conduit, such as an exhaust pipe. A duct wall extends from the top surface to the bottom surface, to which the heat exchanger is secured. The flow duct provides a passage through gas flows between the gas flow conduit and the heat exchanger. The bypass valve is mounted in the flow duct and is movable between a bypass position and a heat exchange position. The bypass valve may be mounted adjacent to the top or bottom of the duct, and may be a butterfly-type valve, a one-sided flap valve, or a pair of one-sided flap valves.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat recovery device for an exhaust system of a motor vehicle, the heat recovery device comprising a gas diverter valve, a gas/liquid heat exchanger and a flow duct, the heat recovery device being adapted for attachment to a gas flow conduit comprising an exhaust pipe in the exhaust system of the motor vehicle,
the gas flow conduit being a separate component from said heat recovery device;
the gas diverter valve comprising a valve member movable between a bypass position and a heat exchange position;
the gas/liquid heat exchanger comprising a plurality of gas flow passages, a gas inlet manifold and a gas outlet manifold in flow communication with said gas flow passages;
the flow duct having a top and a bottom and comprising:
(a) a top sealing surface along which the flow duct is adapted to seal to a sealing surface of said gas flow conduit, the top sealing surface being located at the top of the flow duct, the top sealing surface surrounding and being separate from a top opening in the top of the flow duct, wherein the top sealing surface comprises a top sealing flange, wherein the top sealing flange is flat and planar, extends along the top of the flow duct, and is located outwardly of and separate from the top opening;
(b) a duct wall extending from the bottom to the top of the flow duct and enclosing an interior of the flow duct, wherein the interior of the flow duct is in flow communication with the gas flow passages of the heat exchanger;
wherein the gas diverter valve further comprises a flat, planar support frame which defines a valve opening in which the valve member is pivotably received, wherein the valve member is adapted to substantially completely block the valve opening in the bypass position; and
wherein the valve opening is separate from and smaller than the top opening in the flow duct.

2. The heat recovery device of claim 1 , wherein the flow duct further comprises:
(c) a bottom sealing surface along which the flow duct is secured to the heat exchanger, the bottom sealing surface surrounding a bottom opening in the flow duct through which the interior of the duct is in flow communication with the gas flow passages of the heat exchanger.

3. The heat recovery device according to claim 2 , wherein the gas/liquid heat exchanger further comprises a mounting plate having a gas inlet manifold opening and a gas outlet manifold opening, the openings of the mounting plate aligning with the respective gas inlet manifold and gas outlet manifold of the heat exchanger;
wherein the bottom sealing surface of the duct is secured to the mounting plate;
wherein an edge of the valve member engages an upstanding tab extending from the mounting plate into the interior of the duct, with the valve member in the heat exchange position;
wherein the upstanding tab engages and overlaps an edge of the valve member when the valve member is in the heat exchange position;
wherein the upstanding tab is angled relative to the mounting plate by an angle of less than 90 degrees, such that the valve member engages the tab when rotated from the closed to the open position by less than 90 degrees;
wherein the upstanding tab comprises a resilient spring-like member which is constructed of sheet metal which is thinner than the mounting plate, and is secured to a top surface of the mounting plate;
wherein resilience of the upstanding tab is adapted to provide a spring force which biases the valve member toward the closed position when the valve member is engaged with the tab.

4. The heat recovery device of claim 1 , the valve member comprising a flapper which is pivotably mounted on a rod so as to be movable between said bypass position and said heat exchange position; and
wherein the flow duct further comprises a planar nesting surface surrounding the top opening of the flow duct and located between a peripheral edge of the top opening and the top sealing flange, and wherein the support frame is received on top of the nesting surface;
wherein the planar support frame has a lower sealing surface which is aligned with and sealed to the planar nesting surface.

5. The heat recovery device of claim 4 , wherein the top sealing flange surrounds the nesting surface and is separated therefrom by a shoulder, such that the nesting surface is recessed relative to the top sealing flange.

6. The heat recovery device of claim 5 , wherein a leading edge or a trailing edge of the valve member overlaps with an edge of the nesting surface or the top sealing flange; and
wherein at least one of the valve member and the nesting surface or the top sealing flange is notched in an area of said overlap.

7. The heat recovery device of claim 4 , wherein the top sealing flange surrounds the nesting surface, wherein the top sealing surface further comprises an upstanding flange portion which is surrounded by the flat, planar top sealing flange;
wherein the top sealing flange is separated from the nesting surface by the upstanding flange portion;
wherein the upstanding flange portion is part of the top sealing surface and projects upwardly therefrom; and
wherein the upstanding flange is separate from the top sealing flange and the nesting surface, and is located between the top sealing flange and the nesting surface.

8. The heat recovery device of claim 1 , further comprising a flow vane located proximate to a leading edge of the valve member when the valve is closed, wherein the flow vane has a smoothly contoured surface, wherein the flow vane is attached to the support frame, and wherein the flow vane extends from the support frame so as to extend part way across the valve opening and overlap the leading edge or the trailing edge of the valve member when the valve is closed and with the valve member in the bypass position; and
such that the smoothly contoured surface of the flow vane provides a rounded inlet surface along which exhaust gases from the gas flow conduit flow into the heat exchanger when the valve member is in the heat exchange position.

9. The heat recovery device of claim 1 ,
wherein one face of the support frame is secured to the top sealing flange of the duct and the opposite face of the support frame is adapted to seal to said sealing surface of said gas flow conduit; and
wherein the top sealing flange extends inwardly from the duct wall.

10. The heat recovery device according to claim 1 , wherein the duct comprises first and second base portions, each having a bottom wall with an opening in alignment with one of the gas inlet manifold and the gas outlet manifold of the heat exchanger, wherein back-to-back walls of the base portions form a central dividing wall which extends upwardly from the bottom walls, and divides the duct into two portions throughout a portion of its height; and
wherein the duct further comprises an upper side wall portion extending between the base portions and the valve.

11. The heat recovery device according to claim 1 , wherein the gas diverter valve further comprises an arm having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the arm is rigidly attached to the valve member and the second end of the arm is pivotable about a pivot axis, such that the valve member is movable between the bypass position and the heat exchange position by pivoting the arm.

12. The heat recovery device of claim 11 , wherein the valve member includes an angled end portion proximate to at least one of a leading edge and a trailing edge of the valve member, wherein the angled end portion extends from the valve member in a direction toward a surface which said leading or trailing edge of the valve member will engage when in the heat exchange position.

Assignees

• Dana Canada Corp

Inventors

• Cheadle Brian E
• Burgers John G
• Gerges Ihab Edward
• Abels Kenneth M A

Classifications

• Y02T10/16

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F28D9/0037

  the conduits for the other heat-exchange medium also being formed by paired plates touching each other (F28D9/0043 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28D21/0003

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

• F01N2240/02

  a heat exchanger · CPC title

• F02M26/26

  characterised by details of the bypass valve · CPC title