COLLECTING TANK FOR A HEAT EXCHANGER

Abstract

A collecting tank for a heat exchanger may include at least one manifold for receiving a plurality of heat exchanger tubes of the heat exchanger. The at least one manifold may have a hollow space through which a fluid is flowable. The at least one manifold may include a bottom and a plurality of tank receptacles for receiving the plurality of heat exchanger tubes. The plurality of tank receptacles may be disposed in the bottom spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction and may extend in a transverse direction, which extends transverse to the longitudinal direction. In a height direction extending transverse to the longitudinal direction and transverse to the transverse direction, directed away from the hollow space, the bottom may have at least one curvature directed to an outside.

Claims

1. A collecting tank for a heat exchanger, comprising: at least one manifold for receiving a plurality of heat exchanger tubes of the heat exchanger; the at least one manifold having a hollow space through which a fluid is flowable; the at least one manifold including a bottom and a plurality of tank receptacles for receiving the plurality of heat exchanger tubes, the plurality of tank receptacles disposed in the bottom spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction and extending in a transverse direction, which extends transverse to the longitudinal direction; and wherein, in a height direction extending transverse to the longitudinal direction and transverse to the transverse direction, directed away from the hollow space, the bottom has at least one curvature directed to an outside.

2. The collecting tank according to claim 1, wherein the bottom has a basic shape, which is curved to the outside in the height direction and into which the at least one curvature is introduced additionally and locally.

3. The collecting tank according to claim 1, wherein: in the transverse direction, the plurality of tank receptacles each extend over a receiving width; the at least one curvature has a curvature height extending between a point of the at least one curvature, which protrudes maximally in the height direction, and a point, which is nearest to the point of the at least one curvature in the height direction, at which the at least one manifold has a maximum manifold width in the transverse direction; and a ratio between the curvature height and the receiving width is 0.05 to 1.5.

4. The collecting tank according to claim 3, wherein the ratio between the curvature height and the receiving width is 0.10 to 0.5.

5. The collecting tank according to claim 3, wherein the receiving width of a tank receptacle of the plurality of tank receptacles extends between two inner sides of the tank receptacle facing one another in the transverse direction.

6. The collecting tank according to claim 1, wherein the bottom fully has the at least one curvature.

7. The collecting tank according to claim 1, wherein the at least one curvature is disposed between at least two tank receptacles, which are disposed consecutively in the longitudinal direction, of the plurality of tank receptacles.

8. The collecting tank according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one manifold includes two manifolds disposed adjacent to one another in the transverse direction; and each of the two manifolds includes the at least one curvature.

9. The collecting tank according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of tank receptacles are structured as passages directed away from the hollow space.

10. A heat exchanger, comprising a collecting tank according to claim 1 and least two heat exchanger tubes received in the plurality of tank receptacles, wherein: a refrigerant path of a refrigerant extends through the collecting tank and through the at least two heat exchanger tubes; and a gas path of a gas extends between the at least two heat exchanger tubes and is fluidically separated from the refrigerant path such that heat is transferred between the refrigerant and the gas during operation.

11. The heat exchanger according to claim 10, wherein the at least two heat exchanger tubes are flat tubes.

12. An air-conditioning system, comprising: a cooling circuit through which a refrigerant circulates along a flow path during operation; and a heat exchanger according to claim 10 through which the refrigerant path extends.

13. The air-conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein the heat exchanger is arranged on a pressure side in the cooling circuit such that the refrigerant condenses in the heat exchanger during operation.

14. A motor vehicle, comprising a heat exchanger according to claim 10, wherein the gas path extends into an interior of the motor vehicle.

15. The collecting tank according to claim 3, wherein: the at least one manifold further includes a wall adjoining the bottom such that the wall and the bottom define the hollow space; the wall includes a circle-segment portion disposed opposite the bottom, a first transition portion, and a second transition portion disposed opposite the first transition portion; the first transition portion and the second transition portion extend between and connect the circle-segment portion and the bottom; the maximum manifold width is defined by and between a first external surface of the first transition portion and a second external surface of the second transition portion; and the receiving width is defined by and between a first internal surface of the first transition portion and a second internal surface of the second transition portion.

16. A collecting tank for a heat exchanger, comprising: at least one manifold extending in a longitudinal direction; the at least one manifold including a bottom, a plurality of tank receptacles for receiving a plurality of heat exchanger tubes, and a hollow space through which a fluid is flowable; the plurality of tank receptacles disposed in the bottom and arranged spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction; the plurality of tank receptacles extending in a transverse direction, which extends transverse to the longitudinal direction; and wherein the bottom includes at least one outwardly directed curvature protruding away from the hollow space in a height direction extending transverse to the longitudinal direction and transverse to the transverse direction.

17. The collecting tank according to claim 16, wherein the at least one curvature longitudinally extends in the transverse direction.

18. The collecting tank according to claim 16, wherein the at least one curvature encompasses an entirety of the bottom such that the entire bottom is outwardly curved.

19. The collecting tank according to claim 16, wherein: the at least one manifold further includes a wall adjoining the bottom such that the wall and the bottom define the hollow space; and the wall includes a circle-segment portion disposed opposite the bottom and two transition portions that extend between and connect the circle-segment portion and the bottom.

20. The collecting tank according to claim 19, wherein: the plurality of tank receptacles each have a receiving width extending in the transverse direction; the at least one curvature has a curvature height extending between a peak of the at least one curvature and a point that is aligned with the peak in the height direction and that is aligned with a transition between the bottom and the wall in the transverse direction; and a ratio between the curvature height and the receiving width is 0.05 to 1.5.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] In each case schematically,

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a strongly simplified, circuit diagram-like illustration of an air-conditioning system comprising a heat exchanger in a motor vehicle,

[0048] FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of the heat exchanger comprising a collecting tank,

[0049] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the heat exchanger in a transverse direction,

[0050] FIG. 4 shows an isometric view of the heat exchanger in the region of the collecting tank,

[0051] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the heat exchanger in the region of the collecting tank and in a longitudinal direction,

[0052] FIG. 6 shows a section through the heat exchanger in the region of the collecting tank.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] A collecting tank 1, as it is shown in an exemplary manner in FIGS. 2 to 6, is used in a heat exchanger 50, as it is shown in an exemplary manner in FIGS. 1 to 6. The heat exchanger 50 is used in particular in an air-conditioning system 100, which is illustrated in an exemplary manner in FIG. 1. The heat exchanger 50 as well as the air-conditioning system 100 can be used in a motor vehicle 200, which is shown in a highly simplified manner in FIG. 1. The heat exchanger 50 can be designed as a heat pump heater 51, which heats a gas, in particular air, during operation. The heated gas can be fed to an interior 201 of the motor vehicle 200.

[0054] As can be gathered from FIG. 1, the air-conditioning system 100 has a cooling circuit 101, through which a refrigerant circulates along a flow path 55 during operation and which will also be referred to hereinafter as refrigerant path 55. The heat exchanger 50 is integrated in the cooling circuit 101, so that the refrigerant path 55 leads through the heat exchanger 50. The air-conditioning system 100 further has a conveying device 102 for driving the refrigerant, so that the refrigerant circulates in the cooling circuit during operation. The refrigerant thereby consecutively flows through at least one condenser 103, an expander 104, as well as a heat exchanger 50, which is operated for evaporating purposes in heating mode, hereinafter simply referred to as evaporator 105. The condenser 103 and the evaporator 105 thereby in each case act as a heat exchanger 50. The heat exchanger 50, which acts as heat pump heater 51, is arranged on the pressure side in the cooling circuit 101, and the condenser 103 in the cooling circuit 101. This means that the refrigerant condenses and/or cools down in the heat pump heater 51 during heating operation. In the cooling mode, the refrigerant is guided through the heat pump heater 51 as overheated steam without flowing through the heat pump heater 51 on the gas side, and is condensed in a condenser (not shown), which is arranged downstream along the refrigerant path 55. In a further possible embodiment, the heat pump heater 51 is not flown through on the refrigerant side in the cooling mode. A flow-through on the gas side can be present in this case.

[0055] As can be gathered from FIGS. 2 to 6, the heat exchanger 50 in the shown exemplary embodiment has two such collecting tanks 1. In the shown exemplary embodiments, the collecting tanks 1 are formed essentially identically. In the shown exemplary embodiment, the essential difference between the collecting tanks 1 is that the supply of the heat exchanger 50 with the refrigerant takes place via one of the collecting tanks 1. For this purpose, this collecting tank 1 has two fluidic connections 13, by means of which the tube bodies 106 are fluidically connected to the air-conditioning system 100. The collecting tank 1 having the fluidic connections 13 will be discussed below, whereby it is clear that in the shown exemplary embodiment, the outer geometry of the other collecting tank 1 corresponds to this collecting tank 1, with the exception of the fluidic connections 13. The inner setup of the collecting tanks 1 can differ, for example, by separating walls, other constrictions on the refrigerant side, and passage openings (not shown in each case) between the heat exchanger tubes 52.

[0056] According to FIGS. 2 to 6, the collecting tank 1 has at least one manifold 2 for receiving heat exchanger tubes 52 of the heat exchanger 50. In the shown exemplary embodiment, the respective collecting tank 1 has two such manifolds 2. The respective at least one manifold 2 has a hollow space 3, which can be flown through (see FIG. 6), through which the refrigerant flows during operation. This means that the refrigerant path 55 leads through the hollow spaces 3 of the manifolds 2. The respective manifold 2 has a bottom 5, in which receptacles 6 are formed, which are spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction 40 and which extend in a transverse direction 41, which extends transverse to the longitudinal direction 40, for receiving the heat exchanger tubes 52. These receptacles 6 will also be referred to hereinafter as tank receptacles 6.

[0057] The heat exchanger tubes 52, which are received in the tank receptacles 6, are thus fluidically connected to the hollow spaces 3, so that the refrigerant leads through the heat exchanger tubes 52 during operation. This means that the refrigerant path 55 leads through the heat exchanger tubes 52. A wall 4 of the corresponding manifold 2, which limits the hollow space 3 of the manifold 2, which can be flown through, by means of the bottom 5, adjoins on the respective bottom 5. The manifolds 2 of the collecting tank 1 are further adjacent in the transverse direction 41. In the shown exemplary embodiment, the tank receptacles 6 are formed by means of passages 12, which are directed away from the corresponding hollow space 3.

[0058] As can be gathered in particular from FIGS. 4 to 6, the bottom 5 has at least one curvature 7, which is directed to the outside and thus away from the hollow space 3 in a height direction 42, which runs transverse to the longitudinal direction 40 and transverse to the transverse direction 41. As can be gathered from FIGS. 4 to 6, the respective bottom 5 in the shown exemplary embodiment has at least two such curvatures 7, which are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction 40. As can likewise be gathered from these figures, one such curvature 7 is in each case arranged between consecutive tank receptacles 6 in the shown exemplary embodiment. The curvatures 7 thereby extend longitudinally in the transverse direction 41 and thus run parallel to the tank receptacles 6. As can further be gathered in particular from FIG. 4, at least one such curvature 7 is likewise further formed between the connections 13 and the nearest adjacent tank receptacle 6 in the longitudinal direction 40 in the case of the collecting tank 1 having the fluidic connections 13. In the shown exemplary embodiment, three curvatures 7 are arranged in a purely exemplary manner between the connections 13 and the tank receptacle 6 nearest adjacent in the longitudinal direction 40. It would also be conceivable that the bottom 5 as a whole has one such curvature 7, is thus curved completely to the outside (not shown). As can be gathered from FIGS. 2 and 3, the collecting tanks 1 are thereby arranged opposite one another in the height direction 42, so that the bottoms 5 face one another in the height direction 42. In the shown exemplary embodiments, the bottom 5 has a basic shape, which is curved to the outside, in the height direction 42 and into which the curvature 7 is introduced additionally and locally.

[0059] As can be gathered from FIG. 6, the respective tank receptacle 6 extends in the transverse direction 41 over a width 8, which will also be referred to hereinafter as receiving width 8. As can further be gathered from FIG. 6, the respective curvature 7 has a height 9, which runs in the height direction 42 and which will also be referred to hereinafter as curvature height 9. The curvature height 9 thereby extends from the point of the curvature 7, which protrudes maximally in the height direction 42, and the point, which is nearest adjacent in the height direction 42 of the curvature 7 and in the case of which the corresponding manifold 2 has a maximum width 10 in the transverse direction 41. The width 10 of the manifold 2 will also be referred to hereinafter as manifold width 10. In the shown exemplary embodiments, the maximum manifold width 10 is present on the outer side of the wall 4 facing away from the hollow space 3 in the transition region of the wall 4 to the bottom 5. The curvature height 9 thus runs between outer sides of the corresponding manifold 2, which face away from the hollow space 3. The receiving width 8 further extends between inner sides 11, which face one another in the transverse direction 41.

[0060] In the shown exemplary embodiments of the respective curvature height 9 and of the respective receiving width 8, the ratio between at least one of the at least one curvature heights 9 and at least one of the receiving widths 8 of at least one of the at least one manifolds 2 is thereby between 0.05 and 1.5. In the shown exemplary embodiment, the ratio between at least one of the at least one curvature heights 9 and at least one of the receiving widths 8 of at least one of the at least one manifolds 2, in the shown exemplary embodiment of the respective curvature height 9 and of the respective receiving width 8, is between 0.10 and 0.5.

[0061] As can be gathered in particular from FIG. 1, a flow path of the gas 56, hereinafter also referred to as gas path 56, leads through the heat exchanger 50, which is formed as heat pump heater 52 and which is fluidically separated from the refrigerant path 55, so that heat is transferred between the refrigerant and the gas during operation. The gas, in particular the air, is heated thereby and can then, as described above, be fed to the interior 201. This further leads to a condensation of the refrigerant, which flows through the heat exchanger 50.

[0062] As can be gathered in particular from FIG. 3, the heat exchanger tubes 52 are formed as flat tubes 53 in the shown exemplary embodiment. The gas path 56 thereby leads between the heat exchanger tubes 52. As can further be gathered in particular from FIGS. 2 and 4, corrugated fins 54, which can be flown through, are provided between adjacent heat exchanger tubes 52 in the shown exemplary embodiment. They lead to an increase of the heat-transferring surface and thus to an improved heat transfer between the gas and the refrigerant. For the sake of clarity, the corrugated fins 54 are shown only on the outer heat exchanger tubes 52 in the longitudinal direction 40 in FIGS. 2 to 4.

[0063] The collecting tank 1 according to the invention has an increased mechanical stability, in particular an increased pressure resistance. The same applies for the heat exchanger 50, together with heat exchanger tubes 52, in particular flat tubes 53.