METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN EXCHANGER ELEMENT PACKAGE FOR A VEHICLE

Abstract

An exchanger element for use on board a vehicle for a passenger compartment and/or the engine bay of a vehicle. The exchanger element includes an exhaust air flow path and a feed air flow path, wherein the exhaust air flow path and the feed air flow path are separated from one another by partition sections that have heat-transmitting wall regions. The exhaust air flow path forms a fluid connection from the interior of the vehicle to the outer surroundings of the vehicle. The feed air flow path forms a fluid connection from the outer surroundings of the vehicle to a location on board the vehicle. The exchanger element is embedded in a package, the outer surface area shape of which matches the inner dimensions of an installation space on board the vehicle for the installation of the exchanger element.

Claims

1. A method for producing an exchanger element package (4) in an installation space on board a vehicle between the inner walls of the installation space and an exchanger element (1) to be installed in the installation space, wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) providing an exchanger element; b) arranging the exchanger element in the installation space, whereby a mold cavity is defined between the inner dimensions or inner wall regions of the installation space and outer dimensions or outer wall regions of the exchanger element; and c) one of: (i) foaming the mold cavity with a foamable polymer material; and waiting for the foamed polymeric material to solidify; (ii) (1) applying a building material layer comprising the powdery or coarse-grained building material to a target surface in an installation region by means of an application means; (2) targeted application of energy to selected points of the building material layer, which correspond to a cross-section of the exchanger element package to be formed or the mold cavity within the building material layer, to fuse the powdery or coarse-grained building material at the selected points, wherein steps (1) and (2) are carried out repeatedly to build up the exchanger element package to be formed in layers; and (iii) (1) providing liquid or pasty, curable building material; (2) targeted application of the liquid or pasty, curable building material at selected points as a building material layer on a target surface in a building region by means of an application means, wherein the building material layer corresponds to a cross-section of the exchanger element package or the mold cavity to be formed; (3) allowing the building material layer to cure to solidify the liquid or pasty building material within the building material layer and to connect it to a previously applied and cured building material layer; wherein steps (2) and (3) are carried out repeatedly to build up the exchanger element package to be formed in layers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the foamable polymer material or the building material comprises at least one of propylene, styrene, ethylene, and lactic acid.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the foamable polymer material or the building material comprises at least one of polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene, and polylactide.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the foamable polymer material or the building material comprises a mixture of expanded copolymers being made from at least one of propylene, styrene, ethylene, and lactic acid.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the foamed polymer material or the fused, cured or solidified building material comprises particle diameters of 2 mm to 6 mm.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the foamed polymer material or the fused, cured or solidified building material comprises particle diameters of 3 mm to 5 mm.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the exchanger element package (4) comprises regions with a first hardness and regions with a second hardness.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the regions with the first hardness bear against the exchanger element and the regions with the second hardness bear against the installation space.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the first hardness is greater than the second hardness.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the second hardness is greater than the first hardness.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying a laser to the foamable polymer material or the building material.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising laser sintering the foamable polymer material or the building material.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the mold comprises the passenger compartment of a vehicle.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the exchanger element is provided in the passenger compartment of a vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0102] Further features, advantages and possible applications of the invention emerge from the following description of non-restrictive exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawing.

[0103] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the exchanger element with the package;

[0104] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the exchanger element with the package;

[0105] FIG. 3 shows a first side view of the exchanger element with the package;

[0106] FIG. 4 shows a second side view of the exchanger element with the package;

[0107] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a first exchanger element/package arrangement;

[0108] FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of a second exchanger element/package arrangement;

[0109] FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of a third exchanger element/package arrangement; and

[0110] FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of a fourth exchanger element/package arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0111] FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 show an exchanger element 1 for a passenger compartment of a vehicle. The exchanger element 1 has an exhaust air flow path 2 and a feed air flow path 3. The exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 are separated from one another by partition sections (not shown). These partition sections contain heat-transmitting wall regions. The exhaust air flow path 2 forms a fluid connection from the interior of the passenger compartment to the outer surroundings of the passenger compartment, while the feed air flow path 3 forms a fluid connection from the outer surroundings of the passenger compartment to the interior of the passenger compartment. Inside the exchanger element 1 there is a first cross-flow region 1a, a counter-flow region 1b and a second cross-flow region 1c. In the two cross-flow regions 1a and 1c, the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 cross one another. In the counter-flow region 1b, the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 run parallel to one another.

[0112] The exchanger element 1 is embedded in a package 4, the outer surface area shape of which matches the inner dimensions of an installation space in the passenger compartment for the installation of the exchanger element 1. The package 4 is made of an expanded polymer material and consists of a first package part 41 and a second package part 42, which, depending on the situation, can be symmetrical to one another or even identical or can have a very special unshapely design that is adapted to the circumstances of the space available in the passenger compartment.

[0113] A first ventilator 5 is assigned to the exchanger element 1 and is arranged downstream of the exchanger element 1 in the feed air flow path 3 and is embedded in the package 4. In addition, the exchanger element 1 is assigned a second ventilator 6, which is arranged downstream of the exchanger element 1 in the exhaust air flow path 2 and is embedded in the package 4.

[0114] The exchanger element 1 is assigned a first air filter 7, which is arranged upstream of the exchanger element in the feed air flow path 3 and is embedded in the package 4. In addition, the exchanger element 1 is assigned a second air filter 8, which is arranged upstream of the exchanger element in the exhaust air flow path 2 and is embedded in the package 4.

[0115] Each of FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 show an arrangement of the exchanger element 1 and the package 4. A first ventilator 5 is assigned to the exchanger element 1 and is arranged downstream of the exchanger element 1 in the feed air flow path 3 and is embedded in the package 4. The exchanger element 1 is assigned to a second ventilator 6, which is arranged upstream or downstream of the exchanger element 1 in the exhaust air flow path 2 and is embedded in the package 4. The exchanger element 1 is assigned to a first air filter 7 which is arranged upstream of the exchanger element 1 in the feed air flow path 3 and is embedded in the package 4. The exchanger element 1 is assigned to a second air filter 8, which is arranged upstream of the exchanger element 1 in the exhaust air flow path 2 and is embedded in the package 4. In these arrangements, the two ventilators 5 and 6 each work in suction mode.

[0116] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a first arrangement of the exchanger element 1 and the package 4. The exchanger element 1 is a symmetrical counter-flow heat exchanger with a first cross-flow region on the left and a second cross-flow region on the right, in which the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 intersect. A counter-flow region is arranged therebetween, in which the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 are parallel and in opposite directions.

[0117] FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of a second arrangement of the exchanger element 1 and the package 4. The exchanger element 1 is an asymmetrical counter-flow heat exchanger with a first cross-flow region on the left and a second cross-flow region on the right, in which the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 intersect. A counter-flow region is arranged therebetween, in which the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 are parallel and in opposite directions. A first large ventilator 5 is assigned to a first large outflow region 1a of the exchanger element 1. A second large ventilator 6 is assigned to a second large outflow region 1b of the exchanger element 1. A first small air filter 7 is assigned to a first small inflow region 1c of the exchanger element 1. A second small air filter 8 is assigned to a second small inflow region 1d of the exchanger element 1.

[0118] FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of a third arrangement of the exchanger element 1 and the package 4. The exchanger element 1 is also an asymmetrical counter-flow heat exchanger with a first cross-flow region on the left and a second cross-flow region on the right, in which the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 intersect. A counter-flow region is arranged therebetween, in which the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 are parallel and in opposite directions. A first small ventilator 5 is assigned to a first small outflow region 1a of the exchanger element 1. A second small ventilator 6 is assigned to a second small outflow region 1b of the exchanger element 1. A first large air filter 7 is assigned to a first large inflow region 1c of the exchanger element 1. A second large air filter 8 is assigned to a second large inflow region 1d of the exchanger element 1.

[0119] FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of a fourth arrangement of the exchanger element 1 and the package 4. Here, the exchanger element 1 is a cross-flow heat exchanger with only one cross-flow region in which the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 intersect.