Corrosion resistant charge air cooler and method of making same

• US 20070051503A1
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Company KG (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Company KG (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Inventors: Grajzl, Harold
• Application Number:
  US11/222,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20070051503A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/152
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0456 Air cooled heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 19/06 of metal
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/025 the means being corrugated, plate-like elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A corrosion-resistant heat exchanger for use in cooling a mixture of exhaust gas and charged air is provided comprising an air inlet chamber, an air outlet chamber, and a plurality of flat tubes through which the mixture passes and is cooled by ambient air. The flat tubes include turbulators to promote cooling of the exhaust gas/air mixture, and the turbulators are formed from a first aluminum alloy that is cladded by a second aluminum alloy, which combination of alloys create a sacrificial “brown band” layer upon brazing. In a highly preferred embodiment, both the tubes and the turbulators are formed of the same material.

Claims

1. An air-to-air heat exchanger for use in a motor vehicle comprising a charge air inlet chamber, a charge air outlet chamber and a plurality of flat tubes, wherein the flat tubes include a plurality of turbulators comprised of a first cladding, a core and a second cladding, and wherein the first cladding and core combine during brazing to create a sacrificial layer against corrosion.

2. The air-to-air heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the first cladding comprises no more than fifteen percent (15%) of the thickness of the core.

3. The air-to-air heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the first cladding comprises no more than five percent (5%) of the thickness of the core.

4. The air-to-air heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the first cladding comprises no more than fifteen percent (15%) of the thickness of the core and the second cladding comprises no more than fifteen percent (15%) of the thickness of the core.

5. The air-to-air heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the first cladding and the second cladding is comprised of a 4000 series aluminum alloy.

6. The air-to-air heat exchanger of claim 5, wherein the first cladding is comprised of an alloy selected from the group consisting of 4004, 4045, 4047, 4104 or 4545 aluminum alloys.

7. The air-to-air heat exchanger of claim 5, wherein the cladding is comprised of a 4045 aluminum alloy and the core is comprised of a 3003 aluminum alloy.

8. The air-to-air heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the turbulators are generally U-shaped.

9. A heat exchanger for use in a motor vehicle comprising a inlet chamber, an outlet chamber and a plurality of tubes defining a fluid path, wherein the flat tubes include a plurality of turbulators comprised of a cladding and a core, and wherein the cladding and core combine during brazing to create a sacrificial layer against corrosion.

10. The air-to-air heat exchanger of claim 9, wherein the first cladding comprises no more than fifteen percent (5%) of the thickness of the core.

11. The air-to-air heat exchanger of claim 9, wherein the first cladding is attached to the core in a direction transverse to the fluid path.

12. A method for manufacturing a component for use in a motor vehicle comprising the steps of:

rolling a cladding of a first aluminum alloy composition onto a core of a second aluminum alloy composition to define a metal composition for use as a turbulator within a heat exchanger;

assembling a plurality of turbulator components formed from the metal composition within a plurality of flat tubes;

brazing the assembled turbulators to the flat tubes to form a sacrificial layer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cladding comprises no more than fifteen percent (15%) of the thickness of the core.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the cladding comprises no more than five percent (5%) of the thickness of the core.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first aluminum alloy is a 4000 series aluminum alloy.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second aluminum alloy is comprised of an alloy selected from the group consisting of 4004, 4045, 4047, 4104 or 4545 aluminum alloys.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the cladding is comprised of a 4045 aluminum alloy and the core is comprised of a 3003 aluminum alloy.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of rolling a second cladding of a first aluminum alloy composition onto the core of the metal composition prior to the step of brazing.