Heat exchanger and system for warming and cooling a fluid circulating in a housing

• US 10,125,644 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2014
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dana Canada Corporation
• Original Assignee: Dana Canada Corporation
• Inventors: Palanchon, Herve
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Len
• Assistant Examiner(s): Class-Quinones, Jose O
• Application Number:
  US14/227,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20140290922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 74606 A, 74606 R, 184 612, 1841041, 180339, 476 14
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 5/001 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 5/002 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 5/005 Controlling temperature of lubricant
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0417 Heat exchangers adapted or integrated in the gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0483 Axle or inter-axle differentials

Abstract

A system for warming/cooling oil circulating within a power and torque transfer system of an automotive vehicle is disclosed. The system incorporates at least a first heat exchanger positioned between the inner wall of the outer housing and the outer surface of a gear forming part of the gear system enclosed within the housing, for instance a ring gear and/or pinion gear. The heat exchanger is generally formed as a single tubular member for conducting a first heat exchange fluid therethrough, the tubular member being curved to generally follow the curvature of the geometry of the inner wall of the housing and to fit within corresponding annular gaps. A second fluid channel is formed between the outer surface of the gear and the inner surface of the heat exchanger for bringing the oil into heat transfer relationship with the first heat exchanger fluid through rotation of the gear(s).

Claims

1. A system for warming or cooling a fluid circulating in a housing enclosing a gear system for a power and torque transfer unit, the system comprising:

a heat exchanger positioned interior the housing intermediate an outer surface of a gear within the gear system and an inner wall of the housing, the heat exchanger being curved about an axis of rotation of the gear and the heat exchanger being spaced apart from the inner wall of the housing, the heat exchanger comprising;

a tubular member having spaced apart walls defining a fluid passageway therebetween for the flow of a first heat exchange fluid through the heat exchanger;

a primary heat transfer surface defined by one of said spaced apart walls of the tubular member;

an inlet port and an outlet port in fluid communication with said fluid passageway for inletting and discharging said first heat exchange fluid into said heat exchanger from exterior the housing;

a second fluid passageway formed between the outer surface of the gear and the primary heat transfer surface for the flow of the fluid circulating within the housing therethrough; and

a third passageway formed between the spaced apart wall of said tubular member opposite to said primary hear transfer surface and the inner surface of said housing;

wherein the fluid circulating within the housing is brought into heat transfer relationship with the first heat exchange fluid flowing through said heat exchanger by rotation of the gear system, and wherein the cross-sectional area of said third passageway is minimized to prevent active flow through the third passageway of the fluid circulating within the housing, the third passageway providing a thermal insulation effect to said housing.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, the gear system comprising a ring gear and a pinion gear in meshing relationship for rotation within the housing wherein said heat exchanger is a first heat exchanger positioned intermediate the ring gear and the inner wall of the housing, the system further comprising:

a second heat exchanger positioned interior the housing intermediate the pinion gear and the inner wall of the housing, the second heat exchanger comprising;

a tubular member having spaced apart walls defining a fluid passageway therebetween for the flow of a first heat exchange fluid through the second heat exchanger;

a primary heat transfer surface defined by one of said spaced apart walls of the tubular member;

an inlet port and an outlet port in fluid communication with said fluid passageway for inletting and discharging said first heat exchange fluid into said second heat exchanger from exterior the housing; and

a second fluid passageway formed between the outer surface of the pinion gear and the primary heat transfer surface for the flow of the fluid circulating within the housing therethrough;

wherein the fluid circulating within the housing is brought into heat transfer relationship with the first heat exchange fluid flowing through said second heat exchanger by rotation of said ring gear and said pinion gear.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first heat exchange fluid in said first heat exchanger is the same as said first heat exchange fluid in said second heat exchanger.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tubular member comprises a pair of mating non-planar generally arcuate plates.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger further comprises a heat transfer augmenting device incorporated into said tubular member, wherein said heat transfer augmenting device is in the form of one of the following alternatives:

a turbulizer, a fin, or protrusions formed on the spaced apart walls of said tubular member.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power and torque transfer unit is a differential and the fluid circulating within the housing is axle oil.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the power and torque transfer unit is a manual transmission and the fluid circulating within the housing is transmission oil.

6. A system for warming or cooling a fluid circulating in a housing enclosing a gear system for a power and torque transfer unit including a ring gear and a pinion gear in meshing relationship and mounted for rotation within the housing, the system comprising:

a reservoir formed in a lower portion of said housing in which said fluid circulating within the housing collects;

a heat exchanger positioned interior the housing generally opposite to said reservoir and arranged intermediate an outer surface of one of the ring gear and the pinion gear within the gear system and an inner wall of the housing, the heat exchanger being curved about an axis of rotation of the one of the ring gear and the pinion gear and the heat exchanger being spaced apart from the inner wall of the housing, the heat exchanger comprising;

a pair of mating plates, each plate having a raised central portion surrounded by a peripheral flange and disposed in mating face-to-face relationship such that the peripheral flange of one plate is disposed in sealing relationship with the peripheral flange of the other plate in the pair of mating plates defining a fluid passageway between the spaced apart central portions of the mating plates;

wherein the plates are generally rectangular and curved about an axis parallel, or substantially parallel, to the axis of rotation of the one of the ring gear and pinion gear such that the heat exchanger is arcuate and has a length and curvature generally corresponding to but spaced apart from a portion of the outer circumference of the one of the ring gear and the pinion gear, the fluid passageway disposed between the spaced apart raised central portions of the mating plates defining a flow path that extends along the length of the heat exchanger;

a primary heat transfer surface defined by one of the raised central portions of one of the plates of the pair of mating plates;

an inlet port and an outlet port disposed in the raised central portion of one of the plates of the pair of mating plates in fluid communication with said fluid passageway for inletting and discharging a first heat exchange fluid into said heat exchanger from exterior the housing;

a second fluid passageway formed between the outer surface of the one of the ring gear and the pinion gear and the primary heat transfer surface for the flow of the fluid circulating within the housing therethrough; and

a third passageway formed between the raised central portion of the other one of the plates of the pair of mating plates disposed opposite to said primary heat transfer surface and the inner surface of said housing;

wherein the fluid that circulates within the housing and that collects in said reservoir is brought into contact with said primary heat transfer surface and into heat transfer relationship with the first heat exchanges fluid flowing through said heat exchanger by rotation of the one of the ring gear and the pinion gear within said gear system.