Exhaust gas heat exchanger and sealing device for the same

Abstract

An exhaust gas heat exchanger including connection points for the exhaust gas flow, for connecting the exhaust gas heat exchanger to an exhaust gas supply line for supplying a hot exhaust gas and an exhaust gas withdrawal line for withdrawing the exhaust gas flow cooled in the exhaust gas heat exchanger. The exhaust gas flow flows through the exhaust gas heat exchanger in a bundle of exhaust gas guiding pipes in a flow direction. The exhaust gas heat exchanger is provided with at least one coolant supply connection and at least one coolant withdrawal connection. Coolant is guided in a coolant channel in the exhaust gas heat exchanger, inside which it flows around the bundle of exhaust gas guiding pipes. The coolant channel includes at least two regions which differ in terms of the flow direction of the exhaust gas flow by divergent flow directions of the coolant.

Claims

1. A sealing device for exhaust gas heat exchangers, the sealing device being formed between an exhaust-gas-conducting hot component and a cold component which outwardly bounds a cooling device, wherein part of the hot component is guided outward from the cooling device, and with the hot component being held in the cold component in a manner such that the hot component can be displaced longitudinally with axial guidance, the sealing device comprising: two sealing elements which are independent of each other, each of the two sealing elements producing a fluidtight connection between the hot component and the cold component, the two sealing elements including a first sealing element and a second sealing element; an intermediate ring, the intermediate ring having a recess to accommodate the first sealing element therein; and two annular bodies, the second sealing element being positioned, in a fluid-tight manner, between the two annular bodies, wherein a first one of the two annular bodies is welded, in a fluid-tight manner, to the intermediate ring, such that the first one of the two annular bodies directly contacts the intermediate ring.

2. A sealing device for exhaust gas heat exchangers, the sealing device being formed between an exhaust-gas-conducting hot component and a cold component which outwardly bounds a cooling device, wherein part of the hot component is guided outward from the cooling device, and with the hot component being held in the cold component in a manner such that the hot component can be displaced longitudinally with axial guidance, the sealing device comprising two sealing elements which are independent of each other, wherein each of the two sealing elements produces a fluidtight connection between the hot component and the cold component, wherein an intermediate chamber, which is bounded by the hot component and the cold component and is closed in a fluidtight manner by the two sealing elements, is formed between the two sealing elements, and wherein the cold component, in the intermediate chamber between the two sealing elements, has at least one bore passing through the cold component and leading outward, which bore has a thread preferably at least over a partial length.

3. The sealing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sealing device has two or three bores which are suitable for the connection of a burst-testing for carrying out a tightness check.

4. The sealing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first sealing element is a radial seal.

5. The sealing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second sealing element is an axial seal.

6. The sealing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first sealing element is an axial seal and the second sealing element is a radial seal, with the axial seal and the radial seal being spaced apart from each other.

7. The sealing device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the axial seal is a bellows seal.

8. The sealing device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an outer ring, the outer ring being spaced apart from the intermediate ring in an axial direction, and the outer ring directly contacting a second one of the two annular bodies.

9. A sealing device for exhaust gas heat exchangers, the sealing device being formed between an exhaust-gas-conducting hot component and a cold component which outwardly bounds a cooling device, wherein part of the hot component is guided outward from the cooling device, and with the hot component being held in the cold component in a manner such that the hot component can be displaced longitudinally with axial guidance, the sealing device comprising two sealing elements which are independent of each other, wherein each of the two sealing elements produces a fluidtight connection between the hot component and the cold component, and wherein an intermediate chamber, provided between the two sealing elements, has at least one bore passing through the cold component and leading outward.

Description

(1) The invention is furthermore explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiment which is illustrated in the drawing, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows the sectional illustration through an exhaust gas heat exchanger according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows the section with reference to the section line B-B through FIG. 1 in the region of the central connection;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the section according to the section line A-A through FIG. 1; and

(5) FIG. 4 shows the enlarged illustration of a detail of a sealing device according to the invention.

(6) FIG. 1 shows, in a sectional illustration, an exhaust gas heat exchanger 10 designed according to the invention. In the illustration of FIG. 1, the exhaust gas heat exchanger 10 has been divided into two parts 10a and 10b, with the division having taken place along the dividing line 10c (illustrated by chain-dotted lines), so that the illustration of the heat exchanger, which is of linear design per se, can be undertaken on an enlarged scale without having to reproduce the proportions of the two tube bodies 23 in a changed manner. FIGS. 2 and 3 show sectional illustrations along the section lines A-A and B-B illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 shows an enlarged illustration of a detail in the region of a sealing device, as also illustrated in FIG. 1.

(7) An exhaust gas heat exchanger 10 according to the invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, is described below with reference to a method for producing an exhaust gas heat exchanger of this type.

(8) First of all, a number of exhaust gas guiding tubes 21, which may in particular be rectangular semi-finished products which can be cut to length, are aligned in a suitable number parallel to one another in accordance with the requirements of the invention. For this purpose, first of all the semi-finished products are cut to a length which corresponds approximately to the overall length of the section formed by the exhaust gas guiding tubes 21 in the exhaust gas heat exchanger. The two tube plates 24, which are connected to each other at a later time, are then pushed, slightly spaced apart from each other, onto the exhaust gas guiding tubes 21. In the process, these tube plates 24 are positioned on the exhaust gas guiding tubes 21 in such a manner that the two outwardly emerging, free lengths of the semi-finished product are in accordance with the desired ratio between the lengths of the exhaust gas guiding tubes of the two tube bodies 23. The end-side tube plates 24 are also pushed onto the exhaust gas guiding tubes 21. A respective exhaust gas guiding tube rests here in each opening in the tube plate that is intended for receiving an exhaust gas guiding tube. Like the two tube plates 24 pushed on first of all, the end-side tube plates can be connected to the exhaust gas guiding tubes 21 by being shrunk on. If desired or required, the end-side tube plates 24 may alternatively or additionally be welded to the exhaust gas guiding tubes 21 in order to produce a fluidtight connection to the same. A severing of the semi-finished products protruding through the central tube plates then takes place, with it being possible for this severing to be carried out, for example, by laser cutting. The severing takes place in each case flush with the surface of the mutually facing sides of the two tube plates 24. Subsequently, if this is still required, the exhaust gas guiding tubes 21 are connected in a fluidtight manner to the two otherwise mutually facing tube plates 24, for example by a corresponding welding process, with it also being possible for laser welding processes to be used here. In this manner, two tube bodies 23 which form a pair are formed in a simple manner from the semi-finished products.

(9) The mutually facing, inner tube plates 24 are connected to one another in a fluidtight manner in the next working step, which takes place, for example, by them being welded together along their side edge, with care being taken to ensure the formation of a fluidtight, continuous welding seam. The welding can take place by laser welding or by roll spot welding or another welding process. In order to form a defined outer contour of the two tube plates, the latter can also be engaged around by an encircling ring clip 53 which is in particular also tightly welded onto it.

(10) Respective bell-shaped exhaust gas collectors 25 are then welded in a fluidtight manner on the outer tube plates 24, on the side facing away from the exhaust gas guiding tubes 21. In this case too, an annular clip 54 can form the outer contour in the region of the attachment point between tube plate 24 and bell-shaped exhaust gas collector. Also, in particular welding processes with a weld seam running continuously are suitable as a fastening possibility for the fastening of the bell-shaped exhaust gas connectors.

(11) The first of two tube bodies 23, which are closed on both sides by bell-shaped exhaust gas collectors 25, is then inserted into a lower half shell 44. The lower half shell forms part of the coolant guiding housing 13 and in the region of its profile delimits the chamber in the interior of the coolant guiding housing outward. In the process, the constructional unit is held in the region of the two tube plates 24 which are welded to each other, i.e. not on the edge side in the region of extent of the constructional unit. The lower half shell 44 has a radial widening 52 which extends axially on both sides of the two tube plates 24. In the region of the radial widening 52, a bearing ring 47 is formed, said bearing ring radially surrounding the ring clip 53 and this forming a fixed mount for the constructional unit. By means of the bearing of the ring clip 53 against the bearing ring 47, the path of fluid is prevented in the axial direction by the chamber 14. An annular chamber 48 is formed on both sides of the bearing ring 47, only in the region of the radial widening 52, said annular chamber opening at one point into a connection point 19, here a coolant withdrawal connection 19, which is fluidically connected to both sides which are separated from each other by the tube plates 24. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the coolant withdrawal connection 19, however, is arranged in the upper half shell 43 which is placed on later.

(12) After the constructional unit is inserted into the lower half shell 44, the sealing unit 30 is fitted. The sealing unit 30 contains a basic body which is of essentially rotationally symmetrical design. The basic body ends in an insert flange 60 which can be placed against a corresponding bearing flange 49 of the upper half shell 43 and the lower half shell 44. The flanges 49 and 60 are connected to each other in a fluidtight manner by welding, for example. Offset radially inward, the basic body 34 has a bearing sleeve 61 which, as seen axially, projects into the region of the bell-shaped exhaust gas collector 25. In this region, the bearing sleeve 61 is of cylindrical design, i.e. is of rotationally symmetrical design with a constant diameter, as seen in the axial direction. Before the basic body 34 is placed on, an intermediate ring 62 is welded onto the bell-shaped exhaust gas collector 25 and surrounds the outer connectors of the bell-shaped exhaust gas collector radially in a fluidtight manner. The bellows seal 33 is pushed onto this intermediate ring 62 axially, said bellows seal having as fastening points a respective annular body 63 at its axial ends, between which the bellows of the bellows seal 33 extends and onto which said bellows is fastened in each case in a fluidtight manner. One of the two annular bodies 63 is welded in a fluidtight manner to the intermediate ring 62. The other annular body 63 has an outer ring 64 which can accommodate drill holes which are preferably designed as a blind hole. In this case, the outside diameter of the outer ring 64 corresponds approximately to the outside diameter of the intermediate ring 62, but is spaced apart axially from the latter, this axial spacing forming the intermediate chamber 35. A pair of O-rings is arranged radially on the outside of the intermediate ring 62, as a radial seal 32 on the circumferential surface. After intermediate ring 62 and axial seal 33 are fastened to the bell-shaped exhaust gas collector 25, the basic body 34 is pushed in the axial direction over the bell-shaped exhaust gas collectors 25 in such a manner that the radial seal 32 of the intermediate ring 62 passes into sealing contact with the inner cylindrical surface of the bearing sleeve 61.

(13) Situated further on the outside in the axial direction, the outer ring 64 of the axial seal 33 is radially surrounded by the bearing sleeve 61, with it being possible for the outer contours to have a conical design matched to one another, said conical designs tapering axially outward. The bearing sleeve 61 merges into a sleeve surface 65 which has bores positioned corresponding to the bores in the outer ring 64 and via which a screw fastening with fastening screws 66 can take place, with a fluidtight end being achieved via the in particular form-fitting bearing of the outer ring 64 against the sleeve surface 65 in the cylindrical to conical inner surface of the bearing sleeve 61. In this case, the sleeve surface 65 opens up an opening into which a connecting flange 67 is inserted, said connecting flange being designed as a sleeve and the free inside diameter of which, through which the flow can flow, corresponds to the diameter of the bell-shaped exhaust gas collector in its inflow region. That inner region of the bell-shaped exhaust gas collector through which the exhaust gas flows is separated from the chamber 14 in the interior of the coolant guiding housing 13 via the axial seal 33 and the radial seal 32. Owing to the fact that the axial seal 33 has axial movability in the axial direction via the convolution of its bellows and the intermediate ring 62 can slide in the axial direction in the bearing housing 61, an axial compensation of the thermal expansion of the two tube bodies 23 is possible. The leadthrough of the exhaust gas supply line 16 or of the exhaust gas withdrawal line 17 through the exhaust gas heat exchanger is therefore a loose bearing, as seen in the axial direction. Only in the region of the bearing ring 47 is a positionally fixed mounting of the tube bodies 23 and therefore of all of the hot components out of the cold components provided.

(14) In this case, the hot component 40 is the bell-shaped exhaust gas collector 25 and the connecting flange 67 forming a connection point 15. The cold component 41 is formed by the upper and lower half shells 43, 44 and by the basic body 34 of the sealing device 30.

(15) Bores 36 are guided through the basic body 34 into the intermediate chamber 35 which is bounded in the axial direction by the intermediate ring 62 and the annular body 63 or the ring 64 and radially by the axial seal and the bearing sleeve 61. If the radial seal 32, which is formed here from two O-rings independent of each other, has a leakage, then liquid flows out of the chamber 14 into the intermediate chamber 35 due to this leakage. In the interior of the intermediate chamber 35, this liquid then flows to the lowest point by a bore 36 being provided in each case. The escape of liquid from this bore enables the presence of a leakage to be established, but an overflow of the escaping cooling liquid, for example cooling water, into the part conducting exhaust gas is not possible owing to the presence of the axial seal 33.

(16) The connection points for the coolant supply connection 18 are also formed in the lower half shell 44. These connection points are formed in a region of the lower half shell 44 by the latter also surrounding part of the bell-shaped exhaust gas collector 25, so that the chamber 14 formed in the interior of the coolant guiding housing 13 which forms is situated and is therefore in contact with the influence of the coolant.

(17) In the next working step, the upper half shell 43 is placed onto the lower half shell 44 and the half shells are welded and screwed to each other in a fluidtight manner. In this case, the upper half shell also has a bearing flange 49. The basic body 34 is connected to the sealing device 30 in a fluidtight manner, i.e. in particular is welded thereto. It is also possible to provide screw bores in the direction of extent of the tube bodies 23, by means of which the two half shells can be connected to each other, with it also being possible to provide a seal in order to obtain a fluidtight casing. It is possible to hold the bearing flange 60 in a fluidtight manner on the bearing flange 49 by a screw connection, with it also being possible for sealing means, such as O-rings, to be used here as sealing means.

(18) The exhaust gas heat exchanger 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 has an exhaust gas flow flowing through it, illustrated diagrammatically by the arrows 11. The exhaust gas supply line 16 supplies the exhaust gas flow which then flows into a bell-shaped exhaust gas collector 25 which acts as a diffuser and distributes the exhaust gas flow to the individual exhaust gas guiding tubes 21 of the tube bodies 23. After flowing through the tube bodies, the exhaust gas flow 11 is collected in the second bell-shaped exhaust gas collector 25 and leaves the exhaust gas heat exchanger 10 in the exhaust withdrawal line 17.

(19) The exhaust gas heat exchanger has a cooling liquid, such as water, flowing through it as coolant. The coolant flow is illustrated by the arrows 12. Two coolant flows form in the exhaust gas heat exchanger. The coolant is supplied through the two coolant supply connections 18 formed in the region of the bell-shaped exhaust gas collectors 25. It flows in each case from the coolant supply connection 18 to the coolant withdrawal connection 19 formed in the region in which the two bundles of tubes 25 meet. From the coolant supply connection 18, which is formed on the supply side of the exhaust gas flow, i.e. in the region of the exhaust gas supply line 16, the coolant flows parallel to the exhaust gas flow flowing through the exhaust gas guiding tubes 21, to the coolant withdrawal connection 19. This is the shorter region in the embodiment illustrated, the length of which is approximately half the size of the longer of the two regions. In this case, the coolant flow is guided in the chamber 14, which is bounded by the coolant guiding housing 13, and flows around the exhaust gas guiding tubes 21 on all sides, so that a good flow of heat from the exhaust gas flow to the coolant flow is ensured. The coolant flow, which flows through the exhaust gas heat exchanger in the opposite direction to the direction of flow through the tube bodies 23, flows from the coolant supply connection 18which is formed in the region of the bell-shaped exhaust gas collector 25 opening into the exhaust gas withdrawal lineto the annular chamber 48 and likewise passes into the coolant withdrawal connection 19 where it leaves the exhaust gas heat exchanger 10.

(20) During the flow through the exhaust gas heat exchanger, the exhaust gas flowing through is cooled while the coolant is heated. The exchange of thermal energy is facilitated by a surface area which is as large as possible and in which a contact between a separating surface, which has as thin a wall as possible, the exhaust gas flow is thermally conductively in contact with the coolant flow.

(21) In this case, a process according to the invention, for cooling an exhaust gas flow, is complied with if the direction in which the coolant flows past the exhaust gas flow is divided into two regions, with the exhaust gas flow being oriented initially parallel to the exhaust gas flow in one region, for example the hotter of the two regions, while, in a second region, the coolant flow is directly counter to the throughflow direction of the exhaust gas flow. The two regions can be selected in an advantageous manner such that the thermal linear expansion of the exhaust gas guiding tubes corresponds to one another in these two regions. This makes it necessary for the first region to be of shorter design because a more rapid cooling is formed in this region than in the other region, with the effect ultimately being achieved by the different overall length that the difference in temperature of the two regions essentially corresponds to each other.