SLOTTED PROFILE FOR FLUID CIRCULATION TUBE INSERTION AND ASSOCIATED HEAT EXCHANGER

Abstract

The invention relates to a profiled part (12) for a heat exchanger, configured to have at least one fluid flow tube (14) passing through it, comprising, for each flow tube (14), a hollow cylinder (18) comprising an inner surface configured to receive said flow tube (14), the cylinder (18) having an inner diameter which is substantially equal to the outer diameter of said flow tube (14). The profiled part (12) is characterized in that the profiled part comprises a slit (16) extending over the whole length of the cylinder (18) and configured to permit, by application of at least one mechanical force to the profiled part, a modification in the inner diameter of the cylinder (18) in order respectively to permit the insertion of the tube into the cylinder (18) or the clamping of the tube (14) by the inner surface of the cylinder (18). The invention also relates to a heat exchanger (10) comprising such a profiled part (12) and a flow tube (14).

Claims

1. A profiled part for a heat exchanger, configured to have at least one fluid flow tube passing therethrough, comprising, for each flow tube, a hollow cylinder comprising an inner surface configured to receive said flow tube, the cylinder having, in the absence of any mechanical force, a circular cross-section with an inner diameter which is substantially constant over its whole length and substantially equal to the outer diameter of said flow tube, wherein the profiled part comprises a slit extending over the whole length of the cylinder and configured to permit, by application of at least one mechanical force to the profiled part, an increase or decrease in the inner diameter of the cylinder in order respectively to permit the insertion of the tube into the cylinder or the clamping of the tube by the inner surface of the cylinder.

2. The profiled part as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least two bearing surfaces on either side of the hollow cylinder, which are configured to receive at least one tool permitting application of said at least one mechanical force to the profiled part.

3. The profiled part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the part is manufactured from aluminum.

4. The profiled part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the part is manufactured by extrusion.

5. A heat exchanger comprising: a profiled part configured to have at least one fluid flow tube passing therethrough, comprising, for each flow tube, a hollow cylinder comprising an inner surface configured to receive said flow tube, the cylinder having, in the absence of any mechanical force, a circular cross-section with an inner diameter which is substantially constant over its whole length and substantially equal to the outer diameter of said flow tube, wherein the profiled part comprises a slit extending over the whole length of the cylinder and configured to permit, by application of at least one mechanical force to the profiled part, an increase or decrease in the inner diameter of the cylinder in order respectively to permit the insertion of the tube into the cylinder or the clamping of the tube by the inner surface of the cylinder; and at least one fluid flow tube (14), and configured to permit an exchange of heat between the fluid flowing in the tube (14) and the profiled part (12).

6. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tube (14) is made from stainless steel.

7. A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger, by insertion of at least one fluid flow tube into a profiled part configured to have at least one fluid flow tube passing therethrough, comprising, for each flow tube, a hollow cylinder comprising an inner surface configured to receive said flow tube, the cylinder having, in the absence of any mechanical force, a circular cross-section with an inner diameter which is substantially constant over its whole length and substantially equal to the outer diameter of said flow tube, wherein the profiled part comprises a slit extending over the whole length of the cylinder and configured to permit, by application of at least one mechanical force to the profiled part, an increase or decrease in the inner diameter of the cylinder in order respectively to permit the insertion of the tube into the cylinder or the clamping of the tube by the inner surface of the cylinder, the method comprising the following steps for each tube: a step of applying a mechanical force to the profiled part in order to enlarge the inner diameter of the hollow cylinder of the profiled part, a step of inserting the tube into the profiled part, a step of relaxing the mechanical force on the profiled part in order to reduce the inner diameter of the hollow cylinder of the profiled part and to clamp the inner surface of the hollow cylinder with an outer surface of the tube.

8. The method of manufacture as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a final step of welding the tube and the profiled part over the length of the slit in the profiled part.

9. The method of manufacture as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a preliminary step of application of a metallized layer to the tube, and a final step of soldering the heat exchanger so that the metallized layer forms a solder joint between the tube and the hollow cylinder of the profiled part.

Description

LIST OF FIGS

[0038] Other aims, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description given solely in a non-limiting way and which makes reference to the attached figures in which:

[0039] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a heat exchanger in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

[0040] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a static mixer of a mixing device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

[0041] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a profiled part in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

[0042] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a profiled part in accordance with one embodiment of the invention installed in a tool;

[0043] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a heat exchanger in accordance with one embodiment of the invention comprising a profiled part installed in a tool, when a tube is being threaded into the profiled part;

[0044] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a heat exchanger in accordance with one embodiment of the invention comprising a profiled part installed in a tool, at the end of the threading of the tube into the profiled part;

[0045] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a heat exchanger in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0046] In the figures, for the sake of illustration and clarity, scales and proportions have not been strictly respected.

[0047] Furthermore, identical, similar or analogous elements are designated by the same reference signs in all the figures.

[0048] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a schematic perspective view of a heat exchanger 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The heat exchanger 10 comprises a profiled part 12, preferably made of aluminum, through which passes a tube 14, preferably made of stainless steel, making possible the flow of a fluid, for an exchange of heat between the fluid and the profiled part and more generally between the fluid and the environment outside the profiled part.

[0049] The profiled part 12 comprises a slit 16 which makes it possible to facilitate the threading-in of the tube 14 during manufacture of the heat exchanger 10.

[0050] FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a profiled part 12 according to one embodiment of the invention, such as used e.g. in the heat exchanger described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0051] The profiled part 12 comprises a hollow cylinder 18 making it possible to receive the tube in order to form the heat exchanger.

[0052] FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show schematic cross-sectional views of different steps of assembling a heat exchanger 10 by means of a tool. In FIG. 4, a single profiled part 12 is installed in the tool in order to be able to thread in the tube in order to form the heat exchanger. The tool comprises several schematically illustrated parts, in particular a movable bearing portion 20, a fixed bearing portion 22 and a support portion 24. The fixed bearing portion 22 holds the profiled part 12 by means of a first bearing surface 12a of the profiled part, while the movable bearing portion 20 can be moved in order to exert a mechanical force on the profiled part 12 via a second bearing surface 12b of the profiled part. The support portion 24 comprises an inclined surface 26 permitting the movement of a portion of the profiled part 12 under the effect of this mechanical force. In FIG. 4, no mechanical force is applied to the profiled part 12 which is in a resting position, held in place.

[0053] The tool and its various portions extend over a large part, or even all, of the length of the profiled part in order to permit the mechanical force applied to the profiled part to be rendered uniform.

[0054] FIG. 5 shows a step of application of a mechanical force to the profiled part and a step of insertion of the tube 14 into the hollow cylinder 18 of the profiled part 12. The mechanical force is supplied by a clamping action by the movable bearing portion 20 applying a force to the profiled part 12 in the direction of the surface 22 of the support portion 24. Under the effect of this force and by reason of the presence of the slit 16, the inner diameter of the hollow cylinder 18 increases, which makes it possible to facilitate the insertion (or threading) of the tube into the profiled part 12 in order to form the exchanger.

[0055] When the tube is threaded in the profiled part at its intended location, the bearing portion 20 relaxes its mechanical force and the profiled part resumes its resting position, as shown in FIG. 6. The inner diameter of the hollow cylinder 18 decreases and clamps the tube 14 via contact between the inner surface of the hollow cylinder 18 and the outer surface of the tube 14.

[0056] FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of the heat exchanger 10 thus assembled. A weld joint 28 can be produced at the slit 16. The weld joint makes it possible to improve the heat exchange between the tube 14 and the profiled part 12.

[0057] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described. In particular, the profiled part can be of different shapes. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the hollow cylinder of the profiled part at rest can be greater than, equal to or less than the outer diameter of the tube, depending on the length of the tube and the difficulty of insertion thereof.

[0058] Furthermore, the method of manufacturing the exchanger can provide a preliminary step of application of a metallized layer to the tube before the insertion of the tube into the profiled part and, following the insertion of the tube into the profiled part, a final step of soldering the heat exchanger so that the metallized layer forms a solder joint between the tube and the hollow cylinder of the profiled part. This solder joint makes it possible to improve the heat exchange between the tube and the profiled part without cohesion failure of the exchanger since clamping is made possible directly by the profiled part.