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US 7,788,933 B2Granted
Heat exchanger tube having integrated thermoelectric devices
AssigneeBsst LLC
InventorLakhi Nandlal Goenka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat exchanger for a vehicle is shown, wherein the heat exchanger includes a plurality of tubes having integrated thermoelectric devices disposed thereon to facilitate heat transfer between the tubes and an atmosphere surrounding the tubes.
Claims16
A heat exchanger comprising:
- at least one heat exchanger tank;
- a plurality of hollow tubes, each of the plurality of tubes having a wall, a first end, and a spaced apart second end, wherein each of the plurality of tubes is in fluid communication with the at least one heat exchanger tank;
- at least a first header connected to the first end of each of the plurality of the hollow tubes;
- at least a second header connected to the second end of each of the plurality of the hollow tubes;
- at least the second header spaced apart from at least the first header;
- a plurality of thermoelectric devices configured such that each of the walls of the plurality of tubes is in thermal communication with at least one of the plurality of thermoelectric devices;
- a plurality of heat exchanger fins configured such that at least one of the plurality of fins is configured such that a first end of the at least one of the plurality of fins is in thermal communication with at least a first one of the plurality of thermoelectric devices and a second end opposite the first end is in thermal communication with at least a second one of the plurality of thermoelectric devices;
- and a control system in electrical communication with the plurality of thermoelectric devices, the control system configured to control the magnitude of an electric current delivered to the plurality of thermoelectric devices in order to select a heating and cooling capacity of the plurality of thermoelectric devices.
5 more elements
A heat exchanger comprising:
- at least one heat exchanger tank having at least one hollow conduit configured to convey a second fluid;
- a plurality of hollow tubes, each tube having a wall, a first end, and a spaced apart second end, the tubes in fluid communication with the at least one heat exchanger tank and adapted to convey a first fluid, wherein the plurality of hollow tubes is within the at least one hollow conduit of the at least one heat exchanger tank;
- at least a first header connected to the first end of each of the plurality of the hollow tubes;
- at least a second header connected to the second end of each of the plurality of the hollow tubes;
- at least the second header spaced apart from at least the first header;
- a plurality of heat exchanger fins disposed adjacent the tubes and in thermal communication with the second fluid;
- a plurality of thermoelectric devices, at least one thermoelectric device disposed between the tubes and the fins to facilitate heat transfer between the first fluid and the second fluid;
- and a control system in electrical communication with the at least one thermoelectric device, the control system configured to control the direction of an electric current delivered to the at least one thermoelectric device in order to select between a first mode, in which thermal energy is transferred from the first fluid to the second fluid, and a second mode, in which thermal energy is transferred from the second fluid to the first fluid.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.