Arrangement of vehicle heat exchangers

• US 20060231234A1
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Modine Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Modine Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Kalbacher, Klaus
• Application Number:
  US11/403,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20060231234A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/44
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/182 with multiple heat-exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/02 Intercooler
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/14 Condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 3/18 Arrangements or mounting of liquid-to-air heat-exchangers such arrangements on cylinders or cylinder heads F01P3/04; relative to vehicles B60K11/04
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0456 Air cooled heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0475 the intake air cooler being combined with another device, e.g. heater, valve, compressor, filter or EGR cooler, or being assembled on a special engine location
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0452 Combination of units extending one behind the other with units extending one beside or one above the other
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2001/0266 Particular core assemblies, e.g. having different orientations or having different geometric features
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2001/028 with empty spaces or with additional elements integrated into the cores
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0082 Charged air coolers cooling of air intake supply F02B29/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A vehicular heat exchange module, including first, second and third heat exchanger, with two of the heat exchangers being a radiator a charge air cooler. The heat exchangers include a core having a plurality of flat tubes with cooling ribs therebetween. At least one of the heat exchangers has a gradation whereby the one heat exchanger has a portion with a reduced thickness in the flow direction defining a free space, and at least one part of at least one of the other heat exchangers occupies the free space.

Claims

1. A vehicular heat exchange module for exchanging heat with cooling air moving in a flow direction, comprising:

a first heat exchanger;

a second heat exchanger comprising a radiator; and

a third heat exchanger comprising a charge air cooler;

wherein

said heat exchangers include a core having a plurality of flat tubes with cooling ribs therebetween,

at least one of the heat exchangers has a gradation whereby said one heat exchanger has a portion with a reduced thickness in the flow direction defining a free space, and

at least one part of at least one of the other heat exchangers occupies said free space.

2. The module of claim 1, wherein the gradation of said at least one heat exchanger is provided in the longitudinal direction of flat tubes.

3. The module of claim 1, wherein said at least one heat exchanger is positioned in the lower area of the module.

4. The module of claim 1, wherein said gradation of said at least one heat exchanger is on the front of the module facing the flow direction.

5. The module of claim 1, wherein said at least one heat exchanger is arranged roughly in a common vertical plane with said radiator.

6. The module of claim 1, further comprising a condenser for a vehicle air conditioner, wherein:

said at least one heat exchanger is arranged beneath said radiator; and

said condenser and said charge air cooler are arranged in the direction of cooling air flow in front of the radiator.

7. The module of claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger that occupies the free space created by gradation is part of a condenser.

8. The module of claim 1, wherein said at least one heat exchanger is said charge air cooler.

9. The module of claim 1, wherein said at least one heat exchanger has at least two rows of flat tubes with the number of flat tubes in one row being smaller than the number of flat tubes in the other row with said free space being aligned with said one row.

10. The module of claim 9, wherein the cross-sectional size of the flat tubes of one row is the same as the cross-sectional size of the flat tubes of the other row.

11. The module of claim 9, wherein the cross-sectional size of the flat tubes of one row is different from the cross-sectional size of the flat tubes of the other row.

12. The module of claim 1, wherein said at least one heat exchanger has a single row of flat tube including one group of consecutive flat tubes having a smaller cross-sectional size than others of the flat tubes.

13. A heat exchanger for use with an arrangement of heat exchangers in a vehicle, comprising a core having at least one row of longitudinally extending flat tubes with cooling ribs arranged between said tubes, said tubes and ribs disposed to be traversed by cooling air, said core having a gradation created by one or more of:

flat tubes arranged in a single row with different cross-sectional sizes, and

several rows of flat tubes with a different number of flat tubes;

wherein the flat tubes in the rows have the same or different cross-sectional sizes

whereby the gradation runs in the longitudinal direction of flat tubes.

14. The heat exchanger of claim 13, wherein said heat exchanger is a charge air cooler.