STACKED PLATE HEAT EXCHANGER, IN PARTICULAR FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A stacked-plate heat exchanger may include a plurality of stacked plates that are stacked one on top of another in a stacking direction to form a first fluid channel and a second fluid channel through which a first fluid and a second fluid are flowable. The plurality of stacked plates may be arranged in the stacking direction between a first end plate and a second end plate opposite the first end plate. The plurality of stacked plates may also include a plurality of through-openings that form distribution channels and collection channels. The heat exchanger may also include a first stacked plate arranged between the first end plate and a second stacked plate, the second stacked plate connected to the first end plate and first stacked plate by an integral connection.

Claims

1. A stacked-plate heat exchanger, comprising: a plurality of stacked plates that are stacked one on top of another in a stacking direction to form a first fluid channel and a second fluid channel through which a first fluid and a second fluid are flowable; wherein the plurality of stacked plates are arranged in the stacking direction between a first end plate and a second end plate opposite the first end plate; wherein the plurality of stacked plates have a plurality of through-openings that form distribution channels and collection channels; wherein a first stacked plate of the plurality of stacked plates adjacent to the first end plate in the stacking direction is flat in at least a region of the plurality of through-openings of the first stacked plate; wherein the first stacked plate is arranged in the stacking direction between the first end plate and a second stacked plate of the plurality of stacked plates, and the second stacked plate is connected to the first end plate and to the first stacked plate by an integral connection; and wherein the integral connection is a soldered connection.

2. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the integral connection is arranged in a region of at least one of a plurality of through-openings of the first end plate.

3. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of through-openings of at least one of the plurality of stacked plates is in the form of a rim hole.

4. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of stacked plates have an upright lip running at least partially around the plurality of stacked plates.

5. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein the first end plate does not have an upright lip.

6. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein the first stacked plate is completely flat except for the upright lip.

7. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the first end plate has a plurality of through-openings that align with the plurality of through-openings of the first stacked plate with respect to the stacking direction.

8. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the first stacked plate bears flat against the first end plate in the region of the plurality of through-openings thereof.

9. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of stacked plates and the first stacked plate have a stacked plate thickness that is substantially the same.

10. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein none of the plurality of through-openings of the first stacked plate are in the form of rim holes.

11. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the second stacked plate is arranged adjacently to the first stacked plate in the stacking direction, and at least one of the plurality of through-openings formed in the second stacked plate is closed by the first stacked plate.

12. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the first end plate has at least one opening collar that surrounds at least one of the plurality of through-openings of the first end plate and protrudes away from the first stacked plate in the stacking direction.

13. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising at least one connection piece, wherein the at least one connection piece has an end section that is inserted into at least one of a plurality of through-openings of the first end plate.

14. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 13, wherein: the at least one connection piece has a circumferential wall with an end opening, the at least one connection piece being in fluid communication with at least one of the plurality of through-openings of the first end plate; the first end plate has at least one opening collar that surrounds at least one of the plurality of through-openings of the first end plate and protrudes away from the first stacked plate in the stacking direction; and an outwardly protruding bead formed in the circumferential wall at a distance from the end opening of the at least one connection piece, the bead bearing against the at least one opening collar.

15. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein turbulence-generating elements are formed in at least one of the plurality of stacked plates.

16. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 15, wherein the turbulence-generating elements are fin-like structures.

17. A motor vehicle comprising a stacked-plate heat exchanger having: a plurality of stacked plates that are stacked one on top of another in a stacking direction to form a first fluid channel and a second fluid channel through which a first fluid and a second fluid are flowable; wherein the plurality of stacked plates are arranged in the stacking direction between a first end plate and a second end plate opposite the first end plate; wherein the first end plate and the plurality of stacked plates have a plurality of through-openings that form distribution channels and collection channels; wherein a first stacked plate of the plurality of stacked plates adjacent to the first end plate in the stacking direction is flat in at least a region of the plurality of through-openings of the first stacked plate; wherein the first stacked plate is arranged in the stacking direction between the first end plate and a second stacked plate of the plurality of stacked plates, and the second stacked plate is connected to the first end plate and to the first stacked plate by an integral connection; and wherein the integral connection is a soldered connection.

18. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of stacked plates have an upright lip running at least part way around the plurality of stacked plates.

19. The stacked-plate heat exchanger according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of through-openings of at least one of the plurality of stacked plates is in the form of a rim hole.

20. A motor vehicle having a stacked-plate heat, comprising: a plurality of stacked plates that are stacked one on top of another in a stacking direction to form a first fluid channel and a second fluid channel through which a first fluid and a second fluid are flowable; wherein the plurality of stacked plates are arranged in the stacking direction between a first end plate and a second end plate opposite the first end plate; wherein the first end plate and the plurality of stacked plates have a plurality of through-openings, that form distribution channels and collection channels; wherein the plurality of through-openings of the first end plate align with the plurality of through-openings of the first stacked plate with respect to the stacking direction; wherein a first stacked plate of the plurality of stacked plates is adjacent to the first end plate in the stacking direction and bears flat against the first end plate in the region of the plurality of through-openings thereof; wherein the first stacked plate is flat, at least in the region of the plurality of through-openings of the first stacked plate; wherein the first stacked plate is arranged in the stacking direction between the first end plate and a second stacked plate of the plurality of stacked plates, and the second stacked plate is connected to the first end plate and to the first stacked plate by an integral connection; and wherein the integral connection is a soldered connection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In the figures,

[0033] FIG. 1 schematically shows a stacked-plate heat exchanger according to the invention,

[0034] FIG. 2 schematically shows the stacked heat exchanger of FIG. 1 in a longitudinal section in the region of a through-opening,

[0035] FIG. 3 schematically shows a variant of the stacked heat exchanger of FIG. 1,

[0036] FIG. 4 schematically shows a further variant of the stacked heat exchanger of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] FIG. 1 shows an example of a stacked-plate heat exchanger 1 according to the invention in an exploded diagram. The stacked-plate heat exchanger 1 comprises a plurality of tray-shaped stacked plates 2, which are stacked one on top of the other in a stacking direction S to form first and second fluid channels 9a, 9b through which first and second fluids F.sub.1, F.sub.2 flow. Turbulence-generating elements 19 are formed in the stacked plates 2—with the exception of the first stacked plate 3—for the first and second fluids F.sub.1, F.sub.2 flowing through the first and second fluid channels 9a, 9b. The turbulence-generating elements 19 are implemented as fin-like structures 20 in the example of the figures.

[0038] The first stacked plate 3 is arranged between the first end plate 4a and a second stacked plate 21 adjacent to the first stacked plate 3 in the stacking direction S. The second stacked plate 21 is connected to the first stacked plate 3 and the first end plate 4a by means of an integral connection, in particular a soldered connection. The stacked plates 2 are arranged in the stacking direction S between a first end plate 4a and a second end plate 4b opposite the first end plate 4a.

[0039] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the stacked plates 2 have through-openings 5, 6 for forming distribution channels 7 and collection channels 8 for the two fluids F.sub.1, F.sub.2. The first stacked plate 3 adjacent to the first end plate 4a in the stacking direction S is flat, at least in the region of the through-openings 5, 6 of the first stacked plate 3. All the stacked plates 2 including the first stacked plate 3 have substantially the same stacked plate thickness d. The stacked plates 2 have an upright lip 12 running at least part, preferably all, the way round said stacked plates.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows the stacked heat exchanger 1 of FIG. 1 in a longitudinal section in the stacking direction S. As can be seen from FIG. 1 in combination with FIG. 2, the first end plate 4a has through-openings 10, which align with through-openings 5, 6 of the first stacked plate 3 with respect to the stacking direction S. The first stacked plate 3 according to FIG. 2 bears flat against the first end plate 4a in the region of the through-openings 5, 6 thereof.

[0041] The stacked plates 2 are soldered to each other in the region of the upright lips 12 thereof. The first stacked plate 3 and the second stacked plate 21 are connected to the first end plate 4a by means of a soldered connection in FIG. 2; another suitable integral connection 22 is also conceivable in variants of the example. The integral connection 22 according to the invention is particularly preferably arranged in the region of the through-openings 10 of the first end plate 4a and surrounds same.

[0042] At least one through-opening 5, 6 of at least one stacked plate 2 is in the form of a rim hole 11; this expressly does not apply to the first stacked plate 3. The through-openings 5, 6 of the flat first stacked plate 3 are not in the form of rim holes. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the through-openings 5, 6 of the stacked plates 2 are each formed alternately with and without a rim hole 11 in the stacking direction S in the example of FIGS. 1 and 2. In this manner, the first fluid F.sub.1 can be distributed via the through-openings 5 to the first fluid channels 9a and collected again from same. Analogously, the second fluid F.sub.2 can be distributed via the through-openings 6 to the second fluid channels 9a and collected again from same, in a fluidically separate manner from the first fluid F.sub.1.

[0043] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the through-openings 5, 6 of the first stacked plate 3 have a greater opening cross section in the longitudinal section in the stacking direction S than the through-openings 10 of the first end plate 4a that are adjacent in the stacking direction S. In contrast, FIG. 3 shows an alternative variant to FIG. 2, in which the through-openings 5, 6 of the first stacked plate 3 have a smaller opening cross section in a longitudinal section in the stacking direction S than the through-openings 10 of the first end plate 4a that are adjacent in the stacking direction. In both variants, it is not necessary to solder the first end plate 4a to the lip 12 of the first stacked plate 3.

[0044] As can also be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first end plate 4a can have an opening collar 13, which surrounds one of the through-openings 10 of the first end plate 4a and protrudes away from the first stacked plate 3 in the stacking direction S. Furthermore, the stacked-plate heat exchanger 1 has a connection piece 14. An end section 15 of the connection piece 14 is inserted into said through-opening 10 present in the first end plate 4a. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connection piece 14 can terminate flush with the first end plate 4a in the stacking direction S.

[0045] The connection piece 14 can furthermore be tubular and have a circumferential wall 16 with an end opening 17, which communicates fluidically with the through-opening 10 of the first end plate 4a.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an outwardly projecting bead 18 can be formed in the circumferential wall 16 of the connection piece 14 at a distance from the end opening 17 thereof. Said bead 18 bears against the opening collar 13 of the through-opening 10 of the first end plate 4a and in this manner ensures stable fixing of the connection piece 14 to the first end plate.

[0047] FIG. 4 shows a variant of the stacked heat exchanger 1 of FIGS. 1 to 3. In the example of FIG. 4, the through-openings 5 of the second stacked plate 21 are closed by the first stacked plate 3.