Heat exchanger with an integrated tank and head sheet
AssigneeLattimore & Tessmer, Inc.
InventorKenneth Terry Higgins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat exchanger having a core of a plurality of cooling tubes with a tank at each end of the core tubes. The tanks are formed with a plurality of cooling tube receiving apertures along a side portion of the tanks. These apertures receive the ends of the cooling tubes directly into the tanks and are attached to the tubes by brazing. Since the cooling tubes are received in apertures formed in the tanks themselves, the need for a separate head sheet at the end of the core is eliminated thereby eliminating the need for sealing of a head sheet to a separate tank. The tanks are preferably formed in a hydroforming operation to shape the tanks from a tubular blank.
Claims21
A heat exchanger for transferring thermal energy from at least two fluids to a third fluid, said heat exchanger comprising:
- first and second elongated hollow metal bodies each made of a single piece, said hollow bodies forming first and second tanks by pressure which is above 50 MPA and having a fluid outlet, the one of at least two fluids flowing through said first and second tanks;
- a side portion of each tank having a plurality of tube receiving apparatus;
- a plurality of cooling tubes between the first and second tanks, each of said cooling tubes having a first end inserted into one of said plurality of tube receiving apertures of the first tank and a second end inserted into one of said plurality of tube receiving apertures of the second tank, said plurality of cooling tubes being sealingly joined to each tank in a leak proof manner to permit the one of at least two fluids to flow from the first tank to the second tank;
- and
- at least one hollow tubular member adjacent to the fin of one of said plurality of cooling tubes, said hollow tubular member adjacent to the first and second tanks, said hollow tubular member having a passage for flowing the other of the at least two fluids therethrough;
- whereby the thermal energy of the at least two fluids is transferred to the third fluid.
A heat exchanger for transferring thermal energy from at least two fluids to a third fluid, said heat exchanger comprising:
- first and second elongated hollow metal bodies made of a single piece, said hollow bodies forming first and second tanks by pressure which is above 50 MPA and having a fluid outlet, the one of at least two fluids flowing through said first and second tanks;
- a side portion of each tank having a plurality of tube receiving apparatus;
- a plurality of cooling tubes between the first and second tanks, each of said cooling tubes having a first end inserted Into one of said plurality of tube receiving apertures of the first tank and a second end inserted into one of said plurality of tube receiving apertures of the second tank, said plurality of cooling tubes being sealingly joined to each tank in a leak proof manner to permit the one of at least two fluids to flow from the first tank to the second tank;
- at least one hollow tubular member adjacent to the fin of one of said plurality of cooling tubes, said hollow tubular member adjacent to the first and second tanks, said hollow tubular member having a passage for flowing the other of the at least two fluids therethrough;
- whereby the thermal energy of the at least two fluids is transferred to the third fluid;
- and
- at least one hollow tubular member connecting the first and second tanks and adjacent to one of said plurality of cooling tubes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.