Stacked plate heat exchanger for an LPG-fueled vehicle

• US 9,656,533 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Cho, Wan Je, Kim, Jae Yeon, Park, Soo Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): CIRIC, LJILJANA V
• Application Number:
  US13/722,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20140116649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 62 484, 62 503, 62 532, 62481
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00271 HVAC devices specially adapted for particular vehicle parts or components and being connected to the vehicle HVAC unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00342 of the liquid-liquid type
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/022 to adjust the fuel pressure, temperature or composition
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0212 comprising at least 3 C-Atoms, e.g. liquefied petroleum gas [LPG], propane or butane
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0287 characterised by the transition from liquid to gaseous phase F02M21/06 takes precedence; Injection in liquid phase; Cooling and low temperature storage
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 31/20 for cooling F02M31/005 takes precedence; use of cold F02M17/52; cooling of charging-air or of scavenging-air F02B29/04
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0087 Fuel coolers apparatus for cooling fuel on vehicles F02M31/20
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/005 the plates having openings therein for both heat-exchange media
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/0093 Multi-circuit heat-exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat-exchangers for more than two fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2280/04 Means for preventing wrong assembling of parts
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2280/06 Adapter frames, e.g. for mounting heat exchanger cores on other structure and for allowing fluidic connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

A heat exchanger apparatus for a vehicle includes a heat exchanging unit including one or more plate units in which two or more plates are stacked to form different connection channels and exchanging heat with each other while different operating fluids pass through the respective connection channels in the heat exchanging unit, an upper cover mounted on one side of the heat exchanging unit, and including a plurality of inlets that introduce each operating fluid into the heat exchanging unit and are interconnected with the respective connection channels, and a lower cover mounted on the other side of the heat exchanging unit, and including a plurality of outlets that are interconnected with the respective connection channels so as to discharge the each operating fluid passing through the heat exchanging unit.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a heat exchanging unit including three or more plate units,

an upper cover mounted on a first side of the heat exchanging unit; and

a lower cover mounted on a second side of the heat exchanging unit,

wherein each plate unit of the heat exchanger unit includes three or more plates stacked to form different connection channels, the three or more plates exchanging heat with each other while each one of different operating fluids passes through corresponding connection channels in the heat exchanging unit,

wherein each plate includes a connection hole and at least two of any three adjacent plates in each plate unit have a depression immediately adjacent to the connection hole to form an inner periphery of the connection hole,

wherein the upper cover includes a plurality of inlets, each of the plurality of inlets introducing a different one of the different operating fluids into the heat exchanging unit respectively, and being interconnected with the corresponding connection channels,

wherein the lower cover includes a plurality of outlets that are interconnected with the corresponding connection channels so as to discharge the different operating fluids passing through the heat exchanging unit,

wherein the three or more plate units include;

a first plate stacked on and coupled to the upper cover below the upper cover, and including a first connection channel formed between the first plate and the upper cover and a plurality of connection holes formed to correspond to the respective inlets and the respective outlets;

a second plate stacked on and coupled to the first plate below the first plate, and including a second connection channel formed between the second plate and the first plate and a plurality of connection holes formed to correspond to the respective inlets and the respective outlets; and

a third plate stacked on and coupled to the second plate below the second plate, and including a third connection channel formed between the third plate and the second plate and a plurality of connection holes formed to correspond to the respective inlets and the respective outlets,

wherein the plurality of inlets includes first, second, and third inlets respectively spaced from each other in a length direction of the upper cover and connected with the first, second, and third connection channels through the corresponding connection holes, and

wherein the plurality of outlets includes first, second, and third outlets respectively spaced from each other on the lower cover to correspond to the first, second, and third inlets, and connected with the first, second, and third inlets through the first, second, and third connection channels and the corresponding connection holes.

2. The heat exchanger apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1,

wherein in the first plate, first, second, and third connection holes are formed to correspond to the first, second, and third inlets, and the first, second, and third outlets, respectively,

wherein in the second plate, first, second, and third connection holes are formed to correspond to the first, second, and third inlets, and the first, second, and third outlets, respectively, and

wherein in the third plate, first, second, and third connection holes are formed to correspond to the first, second, and third inlets, and the first, second, and third outlets, respectively,

wherein inner peripheries of the second and third connection holes of the first plate protrude upward and an inner periphery of the first connection hole of the first plate protrudes downward,

wherein an inner periphery of the third connection hole of the second plate protrudes upward and an inner periphery of the second connection hole of the second plate protrudes downward,

wherein an inner periphery of the first connection hole of the third plate protrudes upward, and

wherein airtightness of inner peripheries of the corresponding connection holes is maintained so as to prevent the each operating fluid that flows in the corresponding connection channels from being mixed.

3. The heat exchanger apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first inlet is formed at one side in a width direction of and at the center of the upper cover, and the first outlet is formed at a diagonal corresponding position from the first inlet of the lower cover.

4. The heat exchanger apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second inlet is formed at a side of the upper cover, and the second outlet is formed at a diagonal corresponding position of the lower cover.

5. The heat exchanger apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the third inlet is formed at a side of the upper cover, and the third outlet is formed at a diagonal corresponding position from the third inlet of the lower cover.

6. The heat exchanger apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein in the first, second, and third plates, first, second, and third verification grooves are formed at sides of corresponding plates of the first, second, and third plates to ensure that the corresponding plates are sequentially assembled when the corresponding plates are stacked and coupled with each other.

7. The heat exchanger apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanging unit is formed by stacking a plurality of three or more plate units.

8. The heat exchanger apparatus for the vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plate unit includes

a fourth plate coupled with being stacked on the third plate below the third plate, and including the second connection channel between the fourth plate and the third plate and a plurality of connection holes formed on the fourth plate to correspond to the respective inlets and the respective outlets, respectively.

9. The heat exchanger apparatus for the vehicle of claim 8,

wherein in the first plate, first, second, and third connection holes are formed to correspond to the first, second, and third inlets and the first, second, and third outlets, respectively,

wherein in the second plate, first, second, and third connection holes are formed to correspond to the first, second, and third inlets and the first, second, and third outlets, respectively,

wherein in the third plate, first, second, and third connection holes are formed to correspond to the first, second, and third inlets and the first, second, and third outlets, respectively,

wherein in the fourth plate, first, second, and third connection holes are formed to correspond to the first, second, and third inlets and the first, second, and third outlets, respectively,

wherein inner peripheries of the second and third connection holes of the first plate protrude upward and an inner periphery of the first connection hole thereof protrudes downward,

wherein an inner periphery of the third connection hole of the second plate protrudes upward and an inner periphery of the second connection hole thereof protrudes downward,

wherein an inner periphery of the first connection hole of the third plate protrudes upward and an inner periphery of the third connection hole thereof protrudes downward,

wherein an inner periphery of the first connection hole of the fourth plate protrudes upward, and

wherein airtightness of inner peripheries of the respective connection holes is maintained so as to prevent each operating fluid that flows in the respective connection channels from being mixed.

10. The heat exchanger apparatus for the vehicle of claim 8, wherein in the first, second, third, and fourth plates, first, second, third, and fourth verification grooves are formed at sides of the respective plates to verify that the respective plates are sequentially assembled when the respective plates are stacked and coupled with each other.

11. The heat exchanger apparatus for the vehicle of claim 10, wherein the respective verification grooves are different in number.