TUBE BODY FOR A HEAT EXCHANGER AND HEAT EXCHANGER

Abstract

A tube body for a heat exchanger includes an outer cover and intermediate walls arranged in the outer cover, which within the outer cover limit passages that are separated from one another in a width direction and can be flowed through in a longitudinal direction. An increased stability of the tube body with reduced weight at the same time is obtained in that a wall thickness running in the width direction of at least one inner intermediate wall, which is arranged between in the width direction outer intermediate walls, that is greater than the wall thickness of the respective outer intermediate wall. In addition, a heat exchanger having such a tube body, a motor vehicle and a building having such a heat exchanger are provided.

Claims

1. A tube body for a heat exchanger, in particular in a motor vehicle or in a building, the tube body comprising: an outer cover, which extends in a longitudinal direction and limits an inner volume in a circumferential direction, and which can be flowed through in the longitudinal direction; two outer intermediate walls, which are arranged located opposite in the outer cover in a width direction running transversely to the longitudinal direction, wherein the respective outer intermediate wall of the outer cover is next-adjacent in the width direction; at least one inner intermediate wall, which is arranged in the outer cover in the width direction between the outer intermediate walls, wherein the intermediate walls are spaced apart relative to one another in the width direction and limit passages that are separated from one another within the outer cover, which can each be flowed through in the longitudinal direction, and wherein a wall thickness of at least one of the at least one inner intermediate walls running in the width direction is greater than the wall thickness of the respective outer intermediate wall running in the width direction.

2. The tube body according to claim 1, wherein the wall thickness of the inner intermediate wall arranged in the width direction centrally between the outer intermediate walls is greater than the wall thickness of the respective outer intermediate wall.

3. The tube body according to claim 1, wherein the wall thickness of at least one of the at least one inner intermediate walls is maximally a third greater than the wall thickness of the respective outer intermediate wall.

4. The tube body according to claim 1, wherein the tube body is formed as a flat tube which has a width running in the width direction that is greater than a height of the flat tube running in the height direction.

5. The tube body according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the outer intermediate walls forms with the outer cover a, in the width direction, outer one of the passages, wherein the passage has a cross section which is curved on the outside in the width direction.

6. The tube body according to claim 1, wherein: at least one of the inner intermediate walls with the greater wall thickness limits two passages separated from one another in the width direction, which each have a basic shape that is square in the cross section, at least one of these passages has corners that are curved on the inside, and the corners facing the intermediate wall with the greater wall thickness of at least one of these passages have greater curvature radii than the corners that are distant from the intermediate wall.

7. The tube body according to claim 1, wherein the tube body has two outer portions that are spaced relative to one another in the width direction, wherein the respective outer portion comprises one of the outer intermediate walls and extends in the width direction from the associated outer intermediate wall as far as to an outside of the outer cover that is next-adjacent in the width direction, the tube body comprises an inner portion arranged in the width direction between the outer portions and extending in the width direction, in which the wall thickness of the inner intermediate walls is greater than the wall thickness of the respective outer intermediate wall, and the inner portion extends between a tenth and a third of the width of the outer cover.

8. The tube body according to claim 7, wherein the inner portion is arranged in the width direction centrally between the outer portions.

9. The tube body according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the outsides of the outer cover next-adjacent to one of the outer intermediate walls in the width direction has a cover wall thickness running in the width direction that is greater than the wall thickness of the respective outer intermediate wall.

10. The tube body according to claim 1, wherein the tube body is extruded or formed from a flat material.

11. The tube body according to claim 1, wherein the at least one inner intermediate wall with the greater wall thickness has the greater wall thickness merely in a longitudinal end portion of the tube body on the end side in the longitudinal direction.

12. A heat exchanger, in particular in a motor vehicle or in a building, the heat exchanger comprising: at least one tube body according to claim 1; and a chamber, in which the at least one tube body is received on the longitudinal end side.

13. The heat exchanger according to claim 12, wherein the tube body is connected to the chamber by a soldered connection.

14. A motor vehicle comprising: a circuit, in which during the operation a temperature control medium circulates; and a heat exchanger according to claim 12, which is incorporated in the circuit.

15. A building comprising: a circuit, in which during the operation a temperature control medium circulates; and a heat exchanger according to claim 12, which is incorporated in the circuit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] The disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

[0056] FIG. 1 shows a greatly simplified representation of a circuit in the manner of a circuit diagram with a heat exchanger,

[0057] FIG. 2 shows a greatly simplified lateral view of the heat exchanger with tube bodies, and

[0058] FIG. 3 shows a cross section through one of the tube bodies.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0059] Exemplary embodiments of the disclosure shown in the drawings are explained in more detail in the following description, wherein same reference numbers relate to same or similar or functionally same components.

[0060] A heat exchanger 1, as it is shown for example in FIGS. 1 to 3, is usually part of a circuit 2 which is shown greatly simplified and in the manner of a circuit diagram in FIG. 1. In the circuit 2, a temperature control medium, for example a coolant or a refrigerant circulates during the operation, which flows via an inlet 3 into the heat exchanger 1 and flows via an outlet 4 out of the heat exchanger 1. The heat exchanger 1, furthermore, is fluidically separated from the temperature control medium, flowed through by a fluid as indicated by a dashed arrow 5 in FIG. 1. Thus, a heat exchange between the temperature control medium and the fluid takes place during the operation. The heat exchanger 1 can be an evaporator 6 for evaporating the temperature control medium or a condenser 7 for condensing the temperature control medium. Likewise, both an evaporator 6 and also a condenser 7 can be incorporated in the circuit 2. Furthermore, the circuit 2 can comprise a conveying device which is not shown, for example a pump, for conveying the temperature control medium through the circuit 2 and an expander which is not shown for expanding the temperature control medium. The circuit 2 is in particular part of an air conditioning system 8, which is employed in a motor vehicle 9 or in a building 10.

[0061] FIG. 2 shows a greatly simplified representation of the heat exchanger 1. The heat exchanger 1 comprises at least one tube body 11, which during the operation is flowed through by the temperature control medium, wherein the heat exchanger 1 shown in FIG. 2 purely exemplarily comprises four such tube bodies 11. The tube bodies 11 extend in a longitudinal direction 12 and can be flowed through in the longitudinal direction 12 by the temperature control medium. Located opposite in the longitudinal direction 12, two chambers 13 are provided, between which the tube bodies 11 are arranged and each received with a longitudinal end portion. The tube bodies 11 are connected with their longitudinal end portions to the respective chamber 13 in a firmly bonded manner, in particular soldered. An introduction of the temperature control medium into the tube bodies 11 and a discharging of the temperature control medium out of the tube bodies 11 is effected with the chambers 13. In the shown example, one of the chambers 13 is connected with an inlet 3 to the circuit 2 and formed as a distributor 14 for distributing the temperature control medium into the tube bodies 11. The other chamber 13 is connected with the outlet 4 to the circuit 2 and formed as a collector 15 for collecting the temperature control medium from the tube bodies 11.

[0062] FIG. 3 shows a cross section through one of the tube bodies 11, i.e., a section through a plane which is defined by a width direction 16 running transversely to the longitudinal direction 12 and a height direction 17 running transversely to the longitudinal direction 12 and transversely to the width direction 16. The tube body 11 in the shown example is formed as a flat tube 18 which has a width 19 running in width direction 16, which is at least twice as great as a height 20 of the tube body 11 running in the height direction 17. The tube body 11 has an outer cover 21. The outer cover 21 extends closed in the longitudinal direction 12 and in a circumferential direction 22 and thus limits an interior volume 23 which can be flowed through in the longitudinal direction 12. Furthermore, the tube body 11 has two outer intermediate walls 24 located opposite in the width direction 16 and inner intermediate walls 25 arranged in the width direction 16 between the outer intermediate walls 24. In the width direction 16, the intermediate walls 24 are substantially spaced apart equidistantly relative to one another. Furthermore, the outer intermediate walls 24 are spaced apart in the width direction 16 relative to the outer cover 21. Thus, the intermediate walls 24, 25 limit passages 26 of the tube body 11 within the outer cover 21 which are separated from one another in the width direction 16 and which can be flowed through in the longitudinal direction 12. A wall thickness 27 of at least one of the at least one intermediate walls 25 running in the width direction 16 is greater than the wall thickness 27 of the respective outer intermediate wall 24.

[0063] In the shown example, both outer intermediate walls 24 have the same wall thickness 27. In the shown example, the tube body 11, furthermore, has an uneven number of inner intermediate walls 25, wherein the shown tube body 11 purely exemplarily has seventeen such inner intermediate walls 25. Thus, an intermediate wall 25 that is central and arranged in the middle exists in the width direction 16, which in the following is also referred to as central intermediate wall 28. The central intermediate wall 28 is such an inner intermediate wall 25 that has a greater wall thickness 27 than the wall thickness 27 of the respective outer intermediate wall 24. Here, the wall thickness 27 of the respective inner intermediate wall 25 is maximally a third greater than the wall thickness 27 of the respective outer intermediate wall 24. In particular, the wall thickness 27 of the central intermediate wall 28 is between 1.2 times and 1.3 times, in particular 1.26 times the wall thickness of the respective outer intermediate wall 24. To better explain the size relationship, it is assumed in the following that the tube body 11 has a width 19 of 25.4 cm and a height of 1.3 cm. The wall thickness 27 of the respective outer intermediate wall 24 amounts to 0.27 cm for example. The central intermediate wall 28 for example has a wall thickness 27 of 0.34 mm.

[0064] As is evident from FIG. 3, the tube body 11 of the shown example has an oval cross section. The outer cover 21 has even flat sides 29 located opposite in the height direction 17 and curved outsides 30 located opposite in the width direction 16. The outsides 30 follow a curved course towards the inside so that they limit with the respective next-adjacent inner intermediate wall 24 a passage 26 with a cross section that is curved on the outside in the width direction 16.

[0065] The remaining passages 26 in the shown example have a basic shape that is square in the cross section with curved corners 31. From FIG. 3, it is evident that the two passages 26 limited by the central intermediate wall 28 have corners 31 on their sides facing the central intermediate wall 28 each with a curvature radius 32 that is greater than a curvature radius 33 of the corners 31 of these passages 26 that are distant from the central intermediate wall 28.

[0066] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, it is not only the central intermediate wall 28 that has a wall thickness 27 that is greater than the wall thickness 27 of the outer intermediate walls 24, but also the intermediate walls 25 adjoining the central intermediate wall 28 in the width direction 16. The tube body 11 can be subdivided in the width direction 16 into a centrally arranged inner portion 33 and two outer portions 34, wherein the respective outer portion 34 comprises an outer intermediate wall 24 and extends from the associated outer intermediate wall 24 as far as to the next-adjacent outside 30 of the outer cover 21. The inner portion 33 is arranged in the middle between the outer portions 34 and in the example extends over a third of the width 19 of the outer cover 21. Within the inner portion 33, all inner intermediate walls 25 have a wall thickness 27 that is greater than the wall thickness 27 of the respective outer intermediate wall 24. In the shown example, the wall thickness 27 of the inner intermediate walls 27 in the inner portion 33 decreases emanating from the central intermediate wall 28 in the width direction 16 towards the outside, so that the central intermediate wall 28 is that intermediate wall 25 with the maximum wall thickness 27. The intermediate walls 24, 25 are formed symmetrically with regard to a symmetry plane 35 extending in the longitudinal direction 12 and in the height direction 17 indicated in FIG. 3, which thus runs through the central intermediate wall 28. In the region between the inner portion 33 and the outer portions 34, the inner intermediate walls 25 have the same wall thickness 27 as the respective outer intermediate wall 24. In the shown example, the inner portion 33 exemplarily has seven inner intermediate walls 25, i.e., the central intermediate wall 28 and further six inner intermediate walls 25.

[0067] As is evident from FIG. 3, furthermore, the outer cover 21 likewise has a reinforced wall thickness 36 in its outsides 30, which in the following are referred to as cover wall thickness 36 for the better distinction from the wall thickness 27 of the intermediate walls 24, 25. It is noticeable that the cover wall thickness 36 running in the width direction 16 is greater in the region of the outsides 30 than a height wall thickness 36 running in the height direction 17 in the region of the flat sides 29. Here, the cover wall thickness 36 running in the width direction 16 is greater in the region of the outsides 30 than the respective wall thickness 27 of the intermediate walls 24, 25.

[0068] The tube body 11 is extruded for example, wherein it is also conceivable to produce the tube body 11 from a flat strip material.

[0069] It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined in the appended claims.