HEAT EXCHANGER

Abstract

A heat exchanger may include a plurality of tubes and a plurality of corrugated fins arranged between the plurality of tubes. The plurality of corrugated fins may have straight flanks and may define a plurality of corrugation troughs and a plurality of corrugation peaks each having a curve. According to one example, the curve of a corrugation peak may have a curved first segment and a linear second segment. According to another example, the curve of a corrugation peak may have a curved first segment and a curved second segment that is curved in the same direction as the curved first segment. A laminated adhesive layer may be disposed on an outer side of the plurality of tubes.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger, comprising: a plurality of tubes and a plurality of corrugated fins arranged therebetween, the plurality of corrugated fins having straight flanks and defining a plurality of corrugation troughs and a plurality of corrugation peaks each having a curve, wherein: the curve of at least one corrugation peak has a curved first segment and a linear second segment, wherein the second segment is at least twice as long as the first segment, and the first segment and the second segment have an opposite slope of 0.1 to 0.5; or the curve of at least one corrugation peak has a curved first segment and an equally long second segment curved in a direction the same as the first segment, wherein a tolerance distance is provided between two adjacent corrugation peaks when the plurality of corrugated fins are unloaded, and upon being loaded the tolerance distance reduces to zero in in an installed state such that the plurality of corrugation peaks lie in contact with one another; and a laminated adhesive layer disposed on an outer side of the plurality of tubes.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of corrugation troughs correspond to a reversed configuration of the at least one corrugation peak.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of corrugated fins are bonded to the plurality of tubes in a region of the plurality of corrugation peaks and the plurality of corrugation troughs.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the curve of the at least one corrugation peak has the curved first segment and the linear second segment, and wherein the opposite slope of the first segment and the second segment is 0.3-0.4.

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is configured as an evaporator, as an engine cooler, as a condenser, as a charge air cooler, as a chiller, as an oil cooler, as a heating body or as a PTC auxiliary heater.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of corrugated fins are composed of an aluminium material.

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of corrugated fins lie flat against the plurality of tubes in a region of the plurality of corrugation peaks and the plurality of corrugation troughs.

8. An internal combustion engine, comprising: a heat exchanger including: a plurality of tubes; a plurality of corrugated fins arranged between the plurality of tubes, the plurality of corrugated fins having straight flanks and defining a plurality of corrugation troughs and a plurality of corrugation peaks; a laminated adhesive layer disposed on an outer side of the plurality of tubes; and wherein the plurality of corrugated peaks and the plurality of corrugated troughs each have a curve, and wherein: the curve of at least one corrugation peak has a curved first segment and a linear second segment, wherein the linear second segment is at least twice as long as the curved first segment, and the curved first segment and the linear second segment have an opposite slope of 0.1 to 0.5; or the curve of at least one corrugation peak has a curved first segment and an equally long second segment curved in a direction the same as the curved first segment, wherein a tolerance distance is provided between two adjacent corrugation peaks when the plurality of corrugated fins are unloaded, and upon being loaded the tolerance distance reduces to zero when the heat exchanger is in an installed state such that the plurality of corrugation peaks lie in contact with one another.

9. The internal combustion engine according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of corrugated fins are bonded to the plurality of tubes in a region of the plurality of corrugation peaks and the plurality of corrugation troughs.

10. The internal combustion engine according to claim 8, wherein the curve has the curved first segment and the linear second segment, and wherein the opposite slope of the first segment and the second segment is 0.3-0.4.

11. The internal combustion engine according to claim 8, wherein the heat exchanger is configured as an evaporator, as an engine cooler, as a condenser, as a charge air cooler, as a chiller, as an oil cooler, as a heating body or as a PTC auxiliary heater.

12. The internal combustion engine according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of corrugated fins are composed of an aluminium material.

13. The internal combustion engine according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of corrugated fins lie flat against the plurality of tubes in a region of the plurality of corrugation peaks and the plurality of corrugation troughs.

14. The internal combustion engine according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of corrugation troughs correspond to a reversed configuration of the at least one corrugation peak.

15. The internal combustion engine according to claim 8, wherein the curve of each one of the plurality of corrugation peaks has the curved first segment and the curved second segment, and wherein the plurality of corrugated fins are composed of an aluminium material.

16. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the curve of each one of the plurality of corrugation peaks has the curved first segment and the linear second segment, and wherein the plurality of corrugated fins are coupled to the plurality of tubes in a region of at least one of the plurality of corrugation peaks and the plurality of corrugation troughs.

17. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the curve of each one of the plurality of corrugation peaks has the curved first segment and the curved second segment, and wherein the plurality of corrugated fins are coupled to the plurality of tubes in a region of at least one of the plurality of corrugation peaks and the plurality of corrugation troughs.

18. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of corrugated fins are bonded to the plurality of tubes in a region of the plurality of corrugation peaks and the plurality of corrugation troughs.

19. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the curve of the at least one corrugated peak has the curved first segment and the linear second segment, and wherein the opposite slope of the first segment and the second segment is 0.3-0.4.

20. A heat exchanger, comprising: a plurality of tubes; a plurality of corrugated fins arranged between the plurality of tubes, the plurality of corrugated fins having straight flanks and defining a plurality of corrugation troughs and a plurality of corrugation peaks; a laminated adhesive layer disposed on an outer side of the plurality of tubes; wherein the plurality of corrugated peaks and the plurality of corrugated troughs each have a curve, and wherein: the curve of each corrugation peak of the plurality of corrugation peaks has a curved first segment and a linear second segment, wherein the linear second segment is at least twice as long as the curved first segment, and the curved first segment and the linear second segment have an opposite slope of 0.1 to 0.5; or the curve of each corrugation peak of the plurality of corrugation peaks has a curved first segment and an equally long second segment curved in a direction the same as the curved first segment, wherein a tolerance distance is provided between two adjacent corrugation peaks when the plurality of corrugated fins are unloaded, and upon being loaded the tolerance distance reduces to zero in an installed state such that the plurality of corrugation peaks lie in contact with one another; and wherein the plurality of corrugated fins are secured via a bonded connection to the plurality of tubes in a region of the plurality of corrugation peaks and the plurality of corrugation troughs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] There are shown here, respectively diagrammatically

[0026] FIG. 1 a sectional illustration through a heat exchanger according to the invention with corrugated fins according to a first alternative embodiment,

[0027] FIG. 2 a detail illustration of the corrugated fin according to the first alternative embodiment,

[0028] FIG. 3 an illustration as in FIG. 1, but with corrugated fins according to a second alternative embodiment,

[0029] FIG. 4 a detail illustration of the corrugated fins according to the second alternative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] According to FIGS. 1 and 3, a heat exchanger 1 according to the invention, which can be configured for example as an evaporator, as an engine cooler, as a condenser, as a charge air cooler, as a chiller, as an oil cooler, as a heating body or as a PTC auxiliary heater, has tubes 2 and corrugated fins 3 arranged therebetween, with straight flanks 4 and corrugation troughs 6 and corrugation peaks 7 respectively having a curve 5 (cf. also FIGS. 2 and 4). The corrugated fins 3 are bonded to the tubes 2 here via an adhesive layer 8. In order to now be able to achieve as optimum a thermal transfer as possible between the corrugated fins 3 and the tubes 2 and, at the same time, to achieve a possible compensation of manufacturing tolerances, the curve 5 of a corrugation peak 6 is configured in accordance with the invention according to two alternative embodiments:

[0031] In the first alternative embodiment of the curve 5 according to the invention, the latter has a curved first segment 9 and a linear second segment 10, wherein the linear second segment 10 is twice as long as the first segment 9. The length specified for this refers here to an extent along a centre axis 12. The curved first segment 9 has here a slope of 0.1-0.5%, preferably between +0.3 and +0.4%, whilst the linear second segment 10 has an opposite slope hereto of 0.1 to 0.5%, preferably of 0.3 to 0.4%. The height of the curve 5 up to the transition into the respective flanks 4 is designated here according to FIGS. 2 and 4 by m. The slope of the curved first segment 9 is determined here between its start and end point, wherein S=m/L applies for the slope.

[0032] Observing the second alternative embodiment of the corrugated fin 3 according to the invention, its curve 5 of a corrugation peak 6 (cf. FIG. 4) has a curved first segment 9 and a second segment 10 curved in the same direction, which have the same length L (along the centre axis 12) and accordingly are configured to be of equal length. In the case of an unloaded corrugated fin 3, a tolerance distance a remains between two adjacent corrugation peaks 4, which tolerance distance is dimensioned in such a way that it goes to zero in the state of installation in the heat exchanger 1 and thereby the corrugation peaks 6 lie in contact with each other.

[0033] The difference between the corrugation peaks 6 and the corrugation troughs 7 can be seen merely in a mirroring with respect to the centre axis 12, so that the corrugation peaks 6 correspond to the corrugation troughs 7.

[0034] The adhesive layer 8 is applied here on the outer side of the tubes 2, for example by laminating, whereby such an adhesive layer 8, for example in the manner of an adhesive film or an adhesive foil, can be applied not only at a favourable cost, but also with a small layer thickness and in a reliable manner. In the region of their corrugation peaks 6 and their corrugation troughs 7, the individual corrugated fins 3 are bonded here to the respectively adjacent tubes, wherein the corrugated fins 3 preferably lie flat against the tubes 2 in the region of their corrugation peaks 6 and of their corrugation troughs 7, and thereby enable a good thermal transfer.

[0035] The corrugated fins 3 according to the invention are formed here preferably from aluminium and thereby from a material having good thermal conductivity. Purely theoretically, by a bonding of the corrugated fins 3 to the tubes 2 a combination of different materials is also conceivable, so that the corrugated fins 3 can be formed from a different material to the tubes 2, without the risk of a contact corrosion existing.

[0036] With the corrugated fins 3 shaped according to the invention, manufacturing tolerances which occur in the assembly of the system 3 and tube 2, can be compensated particularly easily, whereby air inclusions and higher adhesive layer thicknesses, which have an insulating effect and thereby cause a reduced performance of the bonded heat exchanger 1, can be prevented. Through the bionic embodiment of the curves 5, an increase to the contact surface on the tube 2 can also be achieved, whereby a likewise improved thermal transfer is able to be achieved.

[0037] The embodiment of the corrugated fins 3 illustrated according to FIG. 2 can of course also be configured symmetrically here and not asymmetrically as in the illustrated example.

[0038] The spring effect which is able to be achieved with the corrugated fin 3 according to the invention therefore allows manufacturing tolerances to be compensated comparatively simply, even in the case of small layer thicknesses. Through the moving of the individual corrugation peaks 6 or respectively corrugation troughs 7 against one another, in the corrugated fin 3 according to FIGS. 3 and 4 in addition a particularly stable system can be created, in which an undesired buckling of the flanks 4 can be reliably prevented. Through the bonding of the heat exchanger 1 according to the invention, moreover, considerable cost advantages can be achieved, in particular as regards the resources which are used and as regards the energy which is used, in particular with regard to a soldering process, whereby a CO.sub.2 balance can be distinctly improved.

[0039] Such a heat exchanger 1 can be used for example in an internal combustion engine 11.