CONDENSATE SEPARATOR

Abstract

A condensate separator for separating condensate from a gas stream, the condensate separator may include a housing having a condensate drain at a bottom end, a swirl generator provided at an inlet end of the housing, the swirl generator placing the gas stream in a rotational movement, and an impact element situated downstream from the swirl generator.

Claims

1. A condensate separator for separating condensate from a gas stream, comprising: a housing having a condensate drain at a bottom end; a swirl generator provided at an inlet end of the housing, the swirl generator placing the gas stream in a rotational movement; and an impact element situated downstream from the swirl generator.

2. The condensate separator according to claim 1, wherein the housing has at the inlet end a funnel element directed into the housing, and wherein at least one of: the swirl generator is situated downstream from the funnel element; and the funnel element has a cut-out serving as a bypass opening.

3. The condensate separator according to claim 1, wherein the housing has at the inlet end a connection flange for attachment to a heat exchanger, wherein the swirl generator is situated or held in the connection flange and is configured as an insert element.

4. The condensate separator according to claim 3, wherein bypass openings are provided between the swirl generator and the connection flange.

5. The condensate separator according to claim 3, wherein the impact element is configured as a swirl sleeve.

6. The condensate separator according to claim 1, wherein the housing has at the inlet end a connection flange for attachment to a heat exchanger, the swirl generator is configured as a holder that holds a cone-shaped diverting element at a cone tip thereof, and the holder is arranged in the connection flange.

7. The condensate separator according to claim 6, wherein the cone tip of the cone-shaped diverting element is directed against a flow direction of the gas stream.

8. The condensate separator according to claim 1, wherein an outlet pipe is provided at an outlet end of the housing, the outlet pipe protruding into the housing, the housing forming the impact element.

9. A heat exchanger comprising a condensate separator for separating condensate from a gas stream, the condensate separator having: a housing having a condensate drain at a bottom end; a swirl generator provided at an inlet end of the housing, the swirl generator placing the gas stream in a rotational movement; and an impact element situated downstream from the swirl generator.

10. The condensate separator according to claim 1, wherein a flow control contour is arranged upstream from the condensate drain in a flow direction of the gas stream, the flow control contour diverting the gas stream across the condensate drain.

11. The condensate separator according to claim 10, wherein the flow control contour is designed as a spoiler or a wing.

12. The heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein the housing has at the inlet end a funnel element directed into the housing, and wherein at least one of: the swirl generator is situated downstream from the funnel element; and the funnel element has a cut-out serving as a bypass opening.

13. The heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein the housing has at the inlet end a connection flange for attachment to a heat exchanger, wherein the swirl generator is situated or held in the connection flange and is configured as an insert element.

14. The heat exchanger according to claim 13, wherein bypass openings are provided between the swirl generator and the connection flange.

15. The heat exchanger according to claim 13, wherein the impact element is configured as a swirl sleeve.

16. The heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein the housing has at the inlet end a connection flange for attachment to a heat exchanger, the swirl generator is configured as a holder that holds a cone-shaped diverting element at a cone tip thereof, and the holder is arranged in the connection flange.

17. The heat exchanger according to claim 16, wherein the cone tip of the cone-shaped diverting element is directed against a flow direction of the gas stream.

18. The heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein an outlet pipe is provided at an outlet end of the housing, the outlet pipe protruding into the housing, the housing forming the impact element.

19. A condensate separator for separating condensate from a gas stream, comprising: a housing having a condensate drain at a bottom end; a swirl generator provided at an inlet end of the housing, the swirl generator placing the gas stream in a rotational movement; an impact element situated downstream from the swirl generator; and an outlet pipe provided at an outlet end of the housing, the outlet pipe protruding into the housing; wherein the housing has at the inlet end a connection flange for attachment to a heat exchanger, and a funnel at the inlet end directed into the housing.

20. The condensate separator according to claim 19, wherein the swirl generator is configured as a holder that holds a cone-shaped diverting element at a cone tip thereof, and the holder is arranged in the connection flange.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] There are shown, each time schematically

[0025] FIG. 1 is a view of a condensate separator according to the invention with a funnel element,

[0026] FIG. 2 is a view of another embodiment of a condensate separator according to the invention,

[0027] FIG. 3 is a view of a condensate separator according to the invention with a swirl sleeve, where an outlet pipe protrudes into the housing,

[0028] FIG. 4 is a view of a condensate separator according to the invention, in which a cone-shaped diverting element is fastened to a holder,

[0029] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a condensate separator according to the invention,

[0030] FIG. 6 is a representation of the condensate separator shown in FIG. 5 in the installed state,

[0031] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional representation of the condensate separator per FIGS. 5 and 6,

[0032] FIG. 8 a partly sectional view of the condensate separator with a flow control contour.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] FIG. 1 as well as 5 to 8 show one possible layout of a condensate separator 1 according to the invention, in which a funnel element 3 pointing into the housing 2 of the condensate separator 1 is arranged between a connection flange 4 for attachment to a heat exchanger 17 and a swirl generator 5. Such a condensate separator 1 may be used for example in concert with a heat exchanger 17 of an internal combustion engine 11. Looking at FIG. 1 as well as FIGS. 5 to 8, the exhaust gas stream flows through the condensate separator 1 always in the direction of the arrow. The swirl generator 5 is situated at the outlet of the funnel element 3, wherein the funnel element 3 is connected at its inflow end to the connection flange 4. The exhaust gas stream flowing into the condensate separator 1 at the connection flange 4 is accelerated by the funnel element 3, which acts as a kind of nozzle, and is placed in a swirling motion by the swirl generator 5. This intensifies the diverting of the condensate from the exhaust gas stream in the direction of the housing 2, against which the condensate from the exhaust gas stream strikes and is separated. The condensate strikes the wall of the housing 2 and is separated from the exhaust gas stream, where the housing 2 of the condensate separator 1 serves as the impact element 6 (see FIGS. 1 to 8). The separated condensate is drained by the force of gravity acting on the condensate through at least one of the condensate drains 7 from the condensate separator 1 (also see FIGS. 2 to 4). Of course, in all the embodiments of the condensate separator 1 according to the invention more or fewer condensate drains 7 than those shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 may be provided. The exhaust gas stream enters the condensate separator 1 at the connection flange 4 and flows through the housing 2 of the condensate separator 1, emerging after the condensate separation on the walls of the housing 2 through an outlet pipe 8 from the condensate separator 1, the outlet pipe 8 being situated at the opposite end of the condensate separator 1 (see FIGS. 1 to 7).

[0034] FIG. 2 shows the condensate separator 1 according to the invention in an alternative embodiment, in which no funnel element 3 is used to accelerate the exhaust gas stream. Considering the condensate separator 1 in FIG. 2, one may notice that the impact element 6 is directly integrated in the swirl generator 5, so that the distance from the connection flange 4 of the heat exchanger 17 to the outlet pipe 8 is reduced. This enables an optimal utilization of the available design space. The impact element 6 and the swirl generator 5 in this embodiment have a larger diameter than in the embodiment described in FIG. 1. Of course, the impact element 6 may also be formed by the housing 2. In this case, only the swirl generator 5 is arranged on the connection flange 4. Bypass openings 9 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) are formed on the swirl generator 5, being preferably designed as slots. Moreover, it is possible to arrange the impact element 6 downstream from the swirl generator 5. The bypass openings 9 improve the flow of condensate, so that the efficiency of the condensate separator 1 can also be boosted, since already separated condensate in this embodiment arrives by these bypass openings 9 in the condensate separator 1 and then can be drained from the condensate separator 1 without striking against an impact element 6. In this embodiment, the housing 2 of the condensate separator 1 serves as a second or alternative impact element 6 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). At the opposite end of the condensate separator 1, looking from the connection flange 4 of the heat exchanger 17, there is situated the outlet pipe 8 (see FIGS. 1 to 7) for the exhaust gas stream freed of condensate. The condensate separated by the impact element 6 or the bypass openings 9 from the exhaust gas stream is drained by force of gravity through at least one of the four condensate drains 7 shown in FIG. 2 (cf. FIG. 3, 4) from the condensate separator 1.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows another possible layout of the condensate separator 1 according to the invention, in which the impact element 6 is integrated directly in the swirl generator 5, the impact element 6 and the swirl generator 5 being arranged on the connection flange 4 of the heat exchanger. The swirl generator 5 has bypass openings 9 (see FIGS. 2 to 3), which are preferably designed as slots. On the connection flange 4 of the heat exchanger 17 there is arranged a swirl sleeve 10. The swirl sleeve 10 boosts the efficiency of the condensate separator 1, since it prevents condensate already separated by the bypass openings 9 from being again entrained by the exhaust gas stream, instead of being drained by at least one condensate drain 7 (see FIGS. 1 to 7) from the condensate separator 1. The swirl sleeve 10 also serves here as an impact element 6.

[0036] At the opposite end of the condensate separator 1, looking from the connection flange 4, there is situated the outlet pipe 8 (see FIGS. 1 to 7) for the exhaust gas stream freed of condensate, which in this embodiment protrudes into the housing 2 (see FIGS. 3 to 4), the housing 2 of the condensate separator 1 acting as an impact element 6 (see FIGS. 1 to 4). The length of the outlet pipe 8 by which the outlet pipe 8 protrudes into the housing 2 of the condensate separator 1 serves as a setpoint for the condensate separation rate of the condensate separator 1 and/or for the size of the pressure loss in the exhaust gas stream. The more the outlet pipe 8 protrudes in the direction of the connection flange 4 into the housing 2, the lower the pressure loss in the exhaust gas stream, but also the lower the efficiency of the condensate separator 1. In other words: the smaller the distance between the end of the outlet pipe 8 protruding into the housing 2 and the connection flange 4, the lower the separation rate of the condensate separator 1 and the lower the pressure loss in the exhaust gas stream (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0037] According to FIGS. 4 to 7, a condensate separator 1 according to the invention has a cone-shaped diverting element 12, which is held by the swirl generator 5, being designed in this embodiment as a web-shaped holder 13. The web-shaped holder 13, serving as the swirl generator 5, holds the cone-shaped diverting element 12 in the middle of the exhaust gas stream, which ensures an optimal diverting of the condensate from the exhaust gas stream in the direction of the walls of the housing 2, serving as the impact element 6, for the condensate separation rate of the condensate separator 1. Further considering FIGS. 4 to 7, one may notice that the cone-shaped diverting element 12 is held by the web-shaped holder 13 in such a way that the tip of the cone of the cone-shaped diverting element 12 is pointing in the direction of the swirl generator 5. The tip of the cone-shaped diverting element 12 is thus pointing against the flow direction of the exhaust gas stream. Condensate is separated at the walls of the housing 2 of the condensate separator 1 from the exhaust gas stream, the separated condensate collecting by force of gravity on the bottom of the housing 2 and being drained by at least one condensate drain 7 from the condensate separator 1. The swirl generator 5 configured as a holder 13 here is more economical than the one shown in FIG. 3, for example.

[0038] Since the cone-shaped diverting element 12 has a simple geometry, the production costs for the cone-shaped diverting element 12 can be kept low. At the opposite end of the condensate separator 1, looking from the connection flange 4 of the heat exchanger 17, there is located the outlet pipe 8 for the exhaust gas stream, which also in this embodiment protrudes into the housing 2 in the direction of the connection flange 4, the length of the outlet pipe 8 by which the outlet pipe 8 protrudes into the housing 2 serving as a setpoint for the condensate separation rate of the condensate separator 1 and for the pressure loss in the exhaust gas stream (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The outlet pipe 8 may be held here by another funnel element 3 and additionally by the impact element 6.

[0039] In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the funnel element 3 has a cut-out 18 serving as a bypass opening 9, by which the draining of the condensate into the condensate drains 7 is assisted by the bypass flow passing through this. In the flow direction 15 of the gas stream upstream from the condensate drain 7 per FIG. 8 there is situated a flow control contour 14, which guides the gas stream across the condensate drain 7. The flow control contour 14 is configured as a spoiler, a ramp, or a wing. A height h of the flow control contour 14 is preferably between 3.0 mm and 20.0 mm, especially between 4.5 mm and 6.0 mm. A distance between the flow control contour 14 and the condensate drain 7 is between 0 mm and 55 mm. Thanks to such a flow control contour 14, the separated quantity of condensate can be increased fourfold. The flow control element 14 herein may of course also take on other forms, such as an annular bulge which partly encloses the condensate drain 7, in particular, even one which rests tangentially against it.