Contra-tapered tank design for cross-counterflow radiator
OwnerSteven James Papapanuinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a cross-counterflow heat exchanger, such as a cross-counterflow radiator for a motor vehicle, having an improved inlet/outlet tank wherein the inlet and outlet chambers are laterally off-set allowing the inlet and outlet ports to be oriented in the same general direction toward the fluid source; more particularly, the inlet and outlet chambers are tapered thereby providing improved flow distribution and pressure drop for fluid flow; still more particularly, the return tank inlet and outlet chambers are contra-tapered allowing the inlet and outlet ports to be substantially aligned resulting in a laterally compact heat exchanger.
Claims13
In a cross-counterflow fluid heat exchanger with a pair of opposed faces having:
- a heat exchanger core with a plurality of liquid flow tubes, wherein said tubes have a lengthwise partition defining a first fluid passageway along one face and a second fluid passageway along the opposed face;
- and in which said heat exchanger is supplied with fluid from a source located spaced from one of said opposed faces, the improvement comprising,
- an inlet/outlet tank on one end of said core having:
- a first chamber hydraulically communicating with said first fluid passageway;
- a second chamber hydraulically communicating with said second fluid passageway;
- a first chamber lateral exterior surface facing said fluid source;
- a second chamber lateral exterior surface facing said fluid source, wherein one of said chamber lateral exterior surfaces extends beyond the other;
- a first inlet/outlet port through said first chamber lateral exterior surface and extending generally toward said fluid source;
- and
- a second inlet/outlet port through said second chamber lateral exterior surface and also extending generally toward said fluid source.
In a cross-counterflow fluid heat exchanger with a pair of opposed faces for an internal combustion engine having:
- a heat exchanger core with a plurality of liquid flow tubes, wherein said tubes have a lengthwise partition defining a first fluid passageway along one face and a second fluid passageway along the opposed face;
- and in which said heat exchanger is supplied with fluid from a source located spaced from one of said opposed faces, the improvement comprising:
- an inlet/outlet tank on one end of said core having:
- a first chamber hydraulically communicating with said first fluid passageway;
- a second chamber hydraulically communicating with said second fluid passageway;
- a first chamber lateral exterior surface facing said engine;
- a second chamber lateral exterior surface facing said engine, wherein one of said chamber lateral exterior surfaces extends beyond the other;
- a first inlet/outlet port through said first chamber lateral exterior surface and extending generally toward said engine;
- and
- a second inlet/outlet port through said second chamber lateral exterior surface and also extending generally toward said engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.