HEAT EXCHANGER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20150176871A1
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanon Systems (Hahn & Co. Auto Holdings Co. Ltd.), Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Halla Visteon Climate Control Corp (Hahn & Co. Auto Holdings Co. Ltd.), Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: OH, Man Ju, Park, Jae Woo, Park, June Kyu, Kim, Jae Woong, Seo, Eun Young, Ahn, Yong Nam
• Granted Patent: US 9,829,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/26 heat exchangers or the like making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/04 reversible
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/023 Mounting details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/05383 with multiple rows of conduits or with multi-channel conduits F28D1/05391 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/022 with multiple channels
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2255/16 extruded
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2275/04 by brazing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49378 Finned tube

Abstract

Disclosed are a heat exchanger and a method of manufacturing a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger may include a plurality of three-step tubes, each having a three-layered section and each having a liquid passage at a middle portion and module insertion spaces at opposite sides of the liquid passage, a plurality of thermoelectric modules inserted into the module insertion spaces, a plurality of cooling fins coupled to an outer surface of each of the three-step tubes, and an upper tank and a lower tank coupled to an upper side and a lower side of the three-step tubes to be fluidically communicated with the liquid passages of the three-step tubes. The three-step tubes and the cooling fins may be stacked laterally with respect to each other. The three-step tubes, the cooling fins, the upper tank, and the lower tank may be brazed by a same filler material comprising a metal.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising:

a plurality of three-step tubes, each having a three-layered section and each having a liquid passage at a middle portion and module insertion spaces at opposite sides of the liquid passage;

a plurality of thermoelectric modules inserted into the module insertion spaces;

a plurality of cooling fins coupled to an outer surface of each of the three-step tubes; and

an upper tank and a lower tank coupled to an upper side and a lower side of the three-step tubes to be fluidically communicated with the liquid passages of the three-step tubes in which the three-step tubes and the cooling fins are stacked laterally with respect to each other,

wherein the three-step tubes, the cooling fins, the upper tank, and the lower tank are brazed by a same filler material comprising a metal.

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein:

each of the module insertion spaces of a three-step tube in the plurality of the three-step tubes is configured such that a front opening and a rear opening are formed by cutting a front end thereof corresponding to a side through which air is introduced toward the cooling fins and a rear end thereof corresponding to an opposite side;

a thermoelectric module in the plurality of thermoelectric modules is inserted into one module insertion space through the front opening or the rear opening; and

a sealing member formed of an insulating material is mounted to the front opening after the thermoelectric module is inserted.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein the sealing member surrounds the liquid passage by connecting two front openings on opposite sides of the liquid passage of the three-step tube.

4. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein the rear opening is caulked to fix the thermoelectric module after the thermoelectric module is inserted into the module insertion space.

5. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein a stopper boss for preventing the thermoelectric module from deviating toward the rear opening and specifying a location of the thermoelectric module is integrally formed in the module insertion space of the three-step tube adjacent the rear opening.

6. A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger, the method comprising:

a tube manufacturing step of producing a plurality of three-step tubes, each having a three-layered section and each having a liquid passage at a middle portion and module insertion spaces at opposite sides of the liquid passage for receiving one or more thermoelectric modules;

a coupling step including;

coupling cooling fins to an outer surface of the three-step tubes such that the three-step tubes and the cooling fins are stacked laterally with respect to each other;

disposing an upper tank and a lower tank at an upper side and a lower side of the three-step tubes, respectively; and

brazing the three-step tubes, the cooling fins, the upper tank, and the lower tank using a same filler material comprising a metal;

an opening forming step of cutting a front side and a rear side of one or each of the three-step tubes after the coupling step to form a front opening and a rear opening;

a module inserting step of inserting a thermoelectric module into a module insertion space of the one or each of the three-step tubes through the front opening or the rear opening; and

a front side sealing step of blocking the front opening.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein in the tube manufacturing step, the three-step tubes are extruded to have a predetermined sectional shape in which the liquid passage and the module insertion spaces form three layers.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein in the module inserting step, the thermoelectric module is coated with a thermally conductive material for enhancing heat transfer between the thermoelectric module and the module insertion space.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein in the front side sealing step, a sealing member surrounds the liquid passage by connecting two front openings on opposite sides of the liquid passage of the one or each of the three-step tubes.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the rear opening is caulked after the thermoelectric module is inserted into the module insertion space to prevent the thermoelectric module from deviating toward the rear opening.