HEAT EXCHANGER FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING FLEXIBLE FLUID LINES AND HOLDING STRUCTURE

Abstract

A heat exchanger for a motor vehicle includes first fluid lines of a flexible material, through which a first fluid (F.sub.1) flows, and a holding structure with holding elements. The first fluid lines and the holding elements form a woven structure. The holding elements are in a thread-like manner and extend along a second direction of extension (R.sub.2), at right angles to a first direction of extension (R.sub.1). The heat exchanger, through which a second fluid (F.sub.2) flows, is separated from the first fluid (F.sub.1). The woven structure includes a first and second partial woven structures and are formed separately. The first partial woven structure and the second partial structure are arranged so that the second fluid (F.sub.2) flows through the woven structure space, formed between the two partial woven structures. The first and the second partial woven structures are at an angle relative to one another.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger for a motor vehicle, comprising: a plurality of first fluid lines of a flexible material, through which a first fluid (F.sub.1) can flow, and a holding structure having a plurality of holding elements for holding the first fluid lines, wherein the first fluid lines and the holding elements form at least one woven structure, wherein the first fluid lines form warp threads of the at least one woven structure, and the holding elements form the weft threads of the at least one woven structure, or vice versa, wherein the holding elements of the holding structure are in a thread-like manner and extend along a second direction of extension (R.sub.2), which extends at right angles to a first direction of extension (R.sub.1), along which the first fluid lines extend, wherein the heat exchanger, through which a second fluid (F.sub.2) can flow, is fluidically separated from the first fluid (F.sub.1) and along the second direction of extension (R.sub.2), wherein the at least one woven structure includes a first partial woven structure and at least a second partial woven structure, which is formed separately from the first partial woven structure, wherein the first partial woven structure and the at least one second partial structure are arranged at a distance from one another, so that the second fluid (F.sub.2) can flow through the at least one woven structure space, which is formed between the two partial woven structures, and wherein the first and the second partial woven structures are arranged at an angle relative to one another with respect to the second direction of extension (R2).

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the first fluid lines are flexible tubular bodies, which define a line interior in a fluid-tight manner, through which the first fluid (F.sub.1) can flow, and; the holding elements include a flexible material.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising second fluid lines, through which the second fluid (F2) can flow by spaces, which are formed between the first fluid lines, so that the first fluid (F.sub.1) is fluidically separated from the second fluid (F.sub.2) by the flexible material and are thermally coupled thereto.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein at least one holding element is is a flexible support wire.

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein at least two first fluid lines are arranged at a distance from one another along the second direction of extension (R.sub.2).

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein provision is made for at least two woven structures of first fluid lines and holding elements, which are arranged in a woven structure plane, and defined by the first and second direction of extension (R.sub.1, R.sub.2).

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 6, wherein the at least two woven structures or at least two woven structure planes are arranged at a distance from one another along a third direction of extension (R.sub.3), which differs from the first and second direction of extension (R.sub.1, R.sub.2).

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein the at least two woven structure planes are arranged parallel to one another.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein the at least two woven structure planes are flat or curved, at least in sections.

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein the third direction of extension (R.sub.3) forms a right angle with the woven structure planes, or the third direction of extension (R.sub.3) forms an obtuse or acute angle (.sub.1, .sub.2) with the woven structure planes.

11. The heat exchanger according to one of the preceding claims, at least one woven structure has one of a W-shaped, a S-shaped, and a U-shaped geometry in a cross-section perpendicular to the first direction of extension (R.sub.1) of the first fluid lines.

12. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein at least a first fluid line and at least one holding element includes a textile material or a textile structure.

13. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein at least a first fluid line has a geometry of an oval in a cross-section perpendicular to a first direction of extension (R.sub.1).

14. The heat exchanger according to one of claim 1, wherein the first fluid lines are arranged in a grid-like manner with at least two grid rows and at least two grid columns in a cross-section perpendicular to their first direction of extension (R.sub.1).

15. The heat exchanger according to claim 14, wherein the first fluid lines of the at least two adjacent grid rows of the same grid column and of the at least two adjacent grid columns of the same grid row are aligned with one another.

16. The heat exchanger according to claim 15, wherein the first fluid lines of the at least two adjacent grid rows and of the at least two grid columns are arranged offset to one another.

17. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the first fluid lines lead with a first longitudinal end into a common fluid distributor for distributing the first fluid (F.sub.1) into the first fluid lines, and lead with a second longitudinal end into a common fluid collector for collecting the first fluid (F.sub.1) after flowing through the first fluid lines.

18. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the warp threads and/or the weft threads are wire elements of a metal wherein the metal is aluminum.

19. The heat exchanger according claim 1, wherein the angle between the first and the second partial woven structure with respect to the second direction of extension (R.sub.2) is an acute angle.

20. A heat exchanger for a motor vehicle, comprising: a plurality of first fluid lines of a flexible material, through which a first fluid (F.sub.1) can flow, and a holding structure having a plurality of curvilinear holding elements for holding the first fluid lines, wherein the first fluid lines and the curvilinear holding elements form at least one woven structure, wherein the first fluid lines form warp threads of the at least one woven structure, and the curvilinear holding elements form the weft threads of the at least one woven structure, or vice versa, wherein the curvilinear holding elements of the holding structure are in a thread-like manner and extend along a second direction of extension (R.sub.2), which extends at right angles to a first direction of extension (R.sub.1), along which the first fluid lines extend, wherein the heat exchanger, through which a second fluid (F.sub.2) can flow, is fluidically separated from the first fluid (F.sub.1) and along the second direction of extension (R.sub.2), wherein the at least one woven structure includes a first partial woven structure and at least a second partial woven structure, which is formed separately from the first partial woven structure, wherein the first partial woven structure and the at least one second partial structure are arranged at a distance from one another, so that the second fluid (F.sub.2) can flow through the at least one woven structure space, which is formed between the two partial woven structures, and wherein the first and the second partial woven structures are arranged at angle relative to one another with respect to the second direction of extension (R2).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In each case schematically:

[0032] FIG. 1 shows an example of a heat exchanger according to the invention in a side view.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows the heat exchanger of FIG. 1 in a top view.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows two adjacent first fluid lines of the heat exchanger as well as the holding elements holding these fluid lines of a holding structure of the heat exchanger, which are embodied as flexible support wires, in a partial view.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows the arrangement forming a woven structure of a plurality of first fluid lines and holding elements in a cross-section.

[0036] FIGS. 5-10 show different variations of the arrangement shown in FIG. 4.

[0037] FIG. 11 shows a further development of the examples of FIGS. 5 to 10, in which the woven structure is comprised of three separate partial woven structures, which are arranged at a distance from one another.

[0038] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example of a heat exchanger 1 according to the invention in a side view, FIG. 2 in a top view. The heat exchanger 1 comprises a plurality of first fluid lines 2 of a flexible material 13, through which a first fluid F.sub.1 can flow. The first fluid lines 2 are embodied as flexible tubular bodies 8, which define a line interior 9, through which the first fluid F.sub.1 can flow, in a fluid-tight manner. The heat exchanger 1 furthermore comprises a holding structure 3, which has a plurality of holding elements 4 for holding the first fluid lines 2 (for the sake of clarity, the holding structure 3 comprising the holding elements 4 is not included in FIG. 1). The first fluid lines 2 and the holding elements 4 form a plurality of woven structures 5. The first fluid lines 2 thereby form warp threads 6 and the holding elements 4 form weft threads 7 of a respective woven structure 5, or vice versa. The holding elements 4, as well as the first fluid lines 2, can also comprise a flexible material or can consist of such a flexible material. The warp threads 6 and/or the weft threads 7 can be embodied as wire elements of a metal, preferably of aluminum.

[0039] The first fluid lines 2 extend along a first direction of extension R.sub.1, which determines a main flow direction of the first fluid F.sub.1, which flows through the first fluid lines 2. The first fluid lines 2 are embodied as flexible tubular body 8, which in each case define a line interior 9, through which the first fluid F.sub.1 can flow, in a fluid-tight manner. Second fluid lines 11, through which the second fluid can flow, are embodied by the spaces 10, which are formed between the first fluid lines 2, so that the first fluid F.sub.1 is fluidically separated from the second fluid F.sub.2 and is thermally coupled thereto. The first fluid lines 2 preferably have a line diameter of less than 2 mm in a cross-section perpendicular to the first direction of extension R.sub.1.

[0040] The holding elements 4 of the holding structure 3 are embodied in a thread-like or wire-like manner and extend along a second direction of extension R.sub.2, which runs at right angles to the first direction of extension R.sub.1 of the first fluid lines 2. In the scenario of the example of the figures, the holding elements 4 are embodied as flexible support wires 12. The first fluid lines 2, which are embodied as warp threads 6, can be supported, thus mechanically stabilized and can thus be reinforced to the required extent, by means of the support wires 12, which act as weft threads 7.

[0041] For clarification purposes, FIG. 3 shows adjacent first fluid lines 2 and the holding elements 4 of the holding structure 3, which hold these fluid lines 2 and which are embodied as flexible support wires 12, in a partial view. As shown in FIG. 3, the first fluid lines 2 preferably have the geometry of an oval in a cross-section perpendicular to their first direction of extension R.sub.1. The first fluid lines 2 and/or the holding elements 4 preferably comprise a textile material or a textile structure. Particularly preferably, the first fluid lines 2 and/or the holding elements 4 consist of a textile material or of a textile structure.

[0042] The heat exchanger 1 is embodied so that a second fluid F.sub.2 can flow throughfluidically separated from the first fluid F.sub.1along the second direction of extension R.sub.2. Second fluid lines 11, through which the second fluid F.sub.2 can flow, are embodied by means of spaces 10, which are formed between the first fluid lines 2, so that the first fluid F.sub.1 is fluidically separated from the second fluid F.sub.2 by means of the flexible material of the first fluid lines 2, but is still thermally coupled thereto for the heat exchange.

[0043] In the top view of FIG. 2, three first fluid lines 2 are illustrated in an exemplary manner, which extend along the first direction of extension R.sub.1 and which are arranged at a distance from one another in the second direction of extension R.sub.2. The woven structure 5 shown in FIG. 2 is arranged in a first woven structure plane 18a, the orientation of which is determined by the first and second direction of extension R.sub.1, R.sub.2. It can be gathered from FIG. 1 that the heat exchanger 1 has a plurality of such woven structure planes, in the example of FIG. 1 eight woven structure planes 18a-18h, comprising respective woven structures 5 of first fluid lines 2 and holding structures 3. The woven structure planes 18a-18h are thereby arranged along a third direction of extension R.sub.3, which extends orthogonally to the first as well as to the second direction of extension R.sub.1, R.sub.2 in the example of FIG. 1. The third direction of extension R.sub.3 thus forms a right angle with the woven structure planes 18a-18h.

[0044] As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first fluid lines 2 lead with a first longitudinal end 15a into a common fluid distributor 16 for distributing the first fluid F.sub.1 into the first fluid lines 2. With a second longitudinal end 15b, the first fluid lines 2 lead into a common fluid collector 17 for collecting the first fluid F.sub.1 after flowing through the first fluid lines 2.

[0045] The eight woven structure planes 18a-18h are preferably arranged parallel to one another. Such a scenario is illustrated in FIG. 4 for the clarification of four woven structure planes 18a-18d.

[0046] FIG. 5 shows a variation of FIG. 4, in which the third direction of extension forms an obtuse angle .sub.1 with the woven structure planes 18a-18d.

[0047] FIG. 6 shows a variation of FIG. 4, in which the third direction of extension forms an acute angle .sub.2 with the woven structure planes 18a-18d.

[0048] With regard to the arrangement of the woven structures 5, further possible variations are illustrated in the examples of FIGS. 7 to 10. FIGS. 7 to 10 thereby in each case show the heat exchanger 1 with a cross-section perpendicular to the direction of extension R.sub.1.

[0049] In the example of FIG. 7, the first fluid lines 2 of two woven structure planes 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, which are adjacent along the third direction of extension R3, are in each case arranged offset to one another along the second direction of extension R2. The individual woven structure planes 18a-18d are embodied to be flat and are arranged at an equidistant distance from one another in the direction of extension R3.

[0050] In the example of FIG. 8, two first fluid lines 2, which are adjacent along the second direction of extension R.sub.2, are in each case arranged offset to one another in the third direction of extension R.sub.3. In another view, the individual woven structure planes 18a-18d, which are defined by the first and second direction of extension R.sub.1, R.sub.2, are embodied so as to be curved in an undulated manner.

[0051] FIGS. 9 and 10 show variations, in which the woven structure 5 extends alternately along the second direction of extension R.sub.2 and the third direction of extension R.sub.3 in sections in the cross-section perpendicular to the first direction of extension R.sub.1. In the cross-section of FIG. 9, an S-shaped or reversed S-shaped contour of the woven structure 5 results.

[0052] Attention shall be drawn below to the illustration of FIG. 10. FIG. 10 illustrates a single woven structure 5 in the cross-section perpendicular to the first direction of extension, which has a W-shaped contour shape. In a further variation, which is not illustrated in the figures, a U-shaped contour is also conceivable instead of a W-shaped contour.

[0053] It can be gathered from the illustrations of FIGS. 4 to 8 that the first fluid lines 2 are arranged in a grid-like manner with at least two grid rows 20 and at least two grid columns 19 in the cross-section perpendicular to their first direction of extension R.sub.1.

[0054] In the examples of FIGS. 4 to 6, the first fluid lines 2 of all adjacent grid rows 20 of the same grid column 19 are aligned with one another. All adjacent grid columns of the same grid row 20 are also aligned with one another.

[0055] In the example of FIG. 7, the first fluid lines 2 of two grid rows 20, which are adjacent in the third direction of extension R.sub.3, are arranged offset to one another along the second direction of extension R.sub.2.

[0056] In the example of FIG. 8, the first fluid lines 2 of two grid columns 19, which are adjacent in the second direction of extension R.sub.2, are arranged offset to one another along the third direction of extension R.sub.3.

[0057] FIG. 11 illustrates a further development of the examples of FIGS. 5 to 10, in which the woven structure 5 is comprised of three separate partial woven structures 5a, 5b, 5c, which are arranged at a distance from one another. The three partial woven structures 5a, 5b, 5c are arranged at a distance from one another, so that the second fluid F.sub.2 can flow through the woven structure spaces 21 formed between the partial woven structures 5a, 5b, 5c.