EP1488185B1 - Heat exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

The heat exchanger (100) includes parallel tubes (101). Two tube parts (130, 131) are radially outside these tubes, one part of the first part being outside one part of the second part on one partial area of the axial extension of the heat exchanger. A sealing element (150) is also fitted where both tube parts extend over it axially.

Description

The invention relates to a heat exchanger having at least one tube which can be flowed through by a first medium and which is connected at a first end region to a first closure element and at its second end region to a second closure element. Such a heat exchanger is particularly suitable for use as an exhaust gas heat exchanger, but also for cooling other media.

Exhaust heat exchangers are for example by the DE 196 54 368 known. In exhaust gas heat exchangers according to the DE 196 54 368 Exhaust gas flows through a plurality of pipes. These tubes are surrounded by a tube jacket through which a coolant flows to cool the exhaust gas.

According to the DE 296 22 411 an exhaust gas heat exchanger has become known, in which a plurality of inner tubes are connected to tubesheets and with these an outer jacket is connected, wherein between the outer jacket and first tubes, a coolant is flowable.

Such heat exchangers have the disadvantage that at the temperature differences of the flowing through the inner tubes exhaust gas and the coolant temperature, the inner tubes show a much greater thermal expansion than the outer tube, so that by the thermal cycles by warming and cooling of the heat exchanger to crack in the Tube sheets comes.

From the US 2,607,567 For example, a water heater is known in which water is fed in at the bottom, which flows upwards due to an applied pressure through the pipes while overcoming gravity.

The object of the invention is to improve exhaust gas heat exchanger according to the prior art such that the heat exchangers are simple and inexpensive to manufacture and yet it does not come to cracks due to different thermal expansion of the inner tubes and the outer jacket over a longer period of operation.

According to the invention this is achieved in a heat exchanger above, characterized in that with the first and the second closure element in each case a first or a second tube part or a tubular part is connected, wherein the two tube parts extend radially into each other at least over a partial region of its axial extent and with at least one sealing element in the space between the pipe parts.

According to the invention, at least one chamber is formed between the first tube part and the second tube part. Between means in the space between the two pipe parts. This may relate to the radial orientation as well as to the axial alignment. This chamber serves to receive a sealing element. The at least one chamber is formed by the first pipe part and the second pipe part.

It is furthermore advantageous if the at least one chamber has at least one substantially ring-like, radially projecting or extended one Given the boundary of the chamber through the inner or outer wall of the pipe parts and at least one ring-like element.

It is particularly advantageous if the at least one chamber has at least two elements which project essentially radially in the manner of a ring and which are arranged at a distance in the axial direction. Thereby, a chamber may be defined, which is preferably annular. However, the chamber can also be divided by the inclusion or formation of axial webs in ring segments viewed in the circumferential direction.

Furthermore, it is expedient if at least one ring-like radially projecting element is an integral part of one of the pipe parts. It may also be advantageous if a plurality of ring-like parts is provided, which are then optionally also connected to a respective tube part.

It is also advantageous if the ring-like protruding elements are integrally formed with the one and / or other pipe part.

According to another embodiment, it is expedient if at least one ring-like protruding element is an additional component which is arranged between the one and the other pipe part and is optionally connected to the one or the other pipe part.

It may be advantageous in one embodiment, when the chamber is at least substantially sealed by the ring-like elements. In another embodiment, it is advantageous if the chamber is not substantially sealed by the ring-like elements.

Furthermore, it is expedient if the ring-like protruding elements serves as considered in the radial direction support of the pipe parts. This can advantageously be achieved that the pipe parts do not tilt against each other. It is also expedient if the ring-like protruding elements serve as thrust bearings. As a result, the two tube parts can at least slightly shift or move against each other, which can be caused by the thermal expansion in temperature differences.

It is particularly useful if the chamber is at least partially filled with an elastic means. Furthermore, it is expedient if the chamber is filled so that a ring-like element of the elastic medium is formed in the chamber, which extends between the radially inner and the radially outer tube part. This ring-like element can only be created by filling the medium into a chamber.

It is also advantageous in another embodiment, when the elastic element is inserted as a ring member in a chamber.

It may also be advantageous if the elastic element can be introduced into the chamber as pasty or gelatinous medium.

It is particularly expedient if a plurality of tubes or channels through which a first medium flows are arranged substantially parallel to each other radially inside tube parts.

It may also be expedient if the plurality of tubes are each connected at their first end region with a first closure element and are connected at its second end region with the second closure element.

Furthermore, it is expedient if the at least one tube through which a first medium flows is connected to at least one end region with a connection element for supplying and / or discharging from a first medium.

It may also be expedient if at least one terminating element is connected to at least one connecting element for supplying and / or discharging from a first medium.

Furthermore, it is expedient if the tube parts connected to the respective closure elements form a substantially dense space region with elastic means provided in the chamber, wherein at least two connection elements are provided and the space region can be flowed through by a second medium through the connection elements.

It is particularly advantageous if the second medium flows around the tubes through which the first medium flows.

Fig. 1

einen Teil eines Wärmetauschers,

Fig. 2a

eine Teilansicht eines Wärmetauschers,

Fig. 2b

eine Teilansicht eines Wärmetauschers,

Fig. 3a

einen Teilschnitt durch einen Wärmetauscher,

Fig. 3b

einen Teilschnitt durch einen Wärmetauscher,

Fig. 4a

einen Teilschnitt durch einen Wärmetauscher,

Fig. 4b

(nicht Teil der Erfindung) einen Teilschnitt durch einen Wärmetauscher und

Fig. 5

(nicht Teil der Erfindung)einen Teilschnitt durch einen Wärmetauscher.

In the following the invention with reference to an embodiment with reference to the drawings will be explained in detail. In the drawing show:

Fig. 1

a part of a heat exchanger,

Fig. 2a

a partial view of a heat exchanger,

Fig. 2b

a partial view of a heat exchanger,

Fig. 3a

a partial section through a heat exchanger,

Fig. 3b

a partial section through a heat exchanger,

Fig. 4a

a partial section through a heat exchanger,

Fig. 4b

(not part of the invention) a partial section through a heat exchanger and

Fig. 5

(not part of the invention) a partial section through a heat exchanger.

The Fig. 1 shows a heat exchanger at least partially, wherein a plurality of flow-through of a first medium tubes 2 are provided. These tubes are arranged according to embodiment in rows, wherein a plurality of rows of tubes are in turn arranged side by side. However, according to a further embodiment, it is also possible that at least only one tube is provided or that a plurality of these tubes are arranged in a different configuration.

The tubes 2 are preferably made of metal, such as aluminum or stainless steel. However, the tubes can also be made of a different material that is suitable to ensure heat transfer from the medium flowing through the tube to another medium. Depending on the application, these pipes can also be made of plastic, for example.

The tubes 2 have a first end portion 2a and a second end portion 2b, which are respectively arranged at its two axial end portions. With these end regions, the tubes are each connected to a first closure element 3 and a second closure element 4.

The closure elements advantageously have flat regions, are introduced into the window. The closure elements are connected to the tubes 2 in such a way that the medium flowing through the tubes 2 can escape through the windows in the closure elements and the tubes are sealed at their end regions to the window frames of the closure elements. This is expediently carried out by welding or soldering or by another fastening or connecting process.

To the tubes 2, a jacket 5 is arranged according to the invention, which in the FIG. 1 However, only partially visible. With this jacket, which is sealingly connected to the closure elements at its respective two end regions, connecting elements 6, 7 are provided, through which a second medium can be flowed, in such a way that the medium according to arrow 8 in the space around or between the Tubes 2 can flow and according to the arrows 9 in this area can continue to flow before it can flow out through the terminal 7 according to arrow 10.

Conveniently, 3 or 4 further connecting elements are provided to the end elements, which serve to forward the first flowing through the tubes 2 medium to the heat exchanger and to derive from this. However, these connection elements are in the FIG. 1 also not shown.

The FIGS. 2a and 2b each show parts of a heat exchanger 100, wherein the central tube-fin block 101 is not fully shown. In this regard, however, is on the FIG. 1 referenced by way of example. In the FIG. 2a is a connection element 110 can be seen, which has two connecting pieces 111 and 112. Through these connecting pieces 111 and 112 flows a first medium, such as an exhaust gas in the case of an exhaust gas heat exchanger, in the heat exchanger on or off, depending on the arrangement of the heat exchanger in the flow of the first medium.

The connection element 110 is connected to the closure element 120, the closure element being connected to the tubes 101 as already shown in FIG.

Radially outside the at least one tube 101 and radially outside the tubes 101, two tube parts 130 and 131 are arranged. In this case, the first tube part 130 is suitably sealed to the closure element 120. Furthermore, the first tube part 130 has an opening through which the second medium can flow into the heat exchanger or out of the heat exchanger. For the supply and discharge of this medium, a connecting element, such as pipe socket 140, is expediently connected to the first pipe part 130. In the event that the components are made of stainless steel, it is useful if connections are made by welding processes. For example, the connection element 110 may be connected to the closure element 120 or the pipe socket 140 to the first pipe part 130 through the welds 121 and 132, respectively. The first tube part 130 can be designed in an advantageous manner as a round tube or as a square tube. The choice of the geometry of the first tube part viewed in cross-section advantageously depends on the arrangement of the tubes 101 in the interior of the first tube part. The second pipe part 131 may assume a corresponding geometry.

The second pipe part 131 is formed so that it is connected at its one end portion with a closure element 122, wherein further a connection element such as pipe stub 141 is connected to the pipe part 131. In the region of the connection element 141, the tube part 131 expediently has an opening for the inflow and outflow of the second medium.

With the closure element 122, a connecting element 115 is further connected, which has a pipe socket 116 for inflow and outflow of the first medium.

According to the invention it is expedient if the first tube part in its axial extent and the second tube part in its axial extent are dimensioned such that over a portion of the axial extent of the heat exchanger, a part of the first tube part is disposed radially outside of a part of the second tube part. Thus, in this partial region of its axial extent, the two tube parts are arranged radially extending one inside the other.

Furthermore, in the FIG. 2a to recognize that in the region in which the two pipe parts 130 and 131 extend radially into each other over a portion of their axial extent, a sealing element 150 is provided.

This sealing element 150 is formed such that the two tube parts 130 and 131 are at least slightly movable relative to each other in the axial direction and yet the space area are radially sealed within the tube parts by the seal.

Furthermore, the first pipe part 130 or the second pipe part 131 in the radial direction protruding elements, which are designed such that a relative tilting of the two pipe parts to each other is prevented as much as possible. For this purpose, the protruding elements in the radial direction, such as rings 160 and 161 are advantageously dimensioned such that they touch the other part of the tube or almost touch and are optionally sealing or not sealing.

The FIG. 3a shows this again in detail. The tube part 130 is suitably connected by a weld 201 to the closure element 120 along the circumference of the closure element and tube part sealingly connected. With the pipe part 130 of the connecting piece 140 is still connected.

The first pipe part 130 is in the embodiment of FIG. 3a radially outside of the second tube part 131. However, this can also be reversed in another embodiment.

Two members protruding in the radial direction are connected to the second pipe part 131 as integrally formed, such as 160 and 161. In the space between the first pipe part 130 and the second pipe part 131 and between the radially protruding parts 160 and 161, there is a chamber 170 formed between the first and the second pipe part.

Within the chamber 170, a sealing element is advantageously introduced.

In another embodiment of the invention, however, it may also be appropriate that at least only one radially projecting element is provided or that a plurality of such elements such as three or more are provided, thereby forming, for example, a plurality of chambers or space regions be arranged between the first and the second pipe part.

The elements 160 and 161 are advantageously designed as ring-like elements which project in the radial direction.

Appropriately, it may be, if these ring-like elements are an integral part of one or the other pipe part, with these are connected or arranged as extra components between these pipe parts.

The radially projecting elements serve to define a chamber and can be used as a radially acting support of the pipe parts. This is particularly useful in the event that at least two such elements 160 and 161 are provided, and they are spaced apart, so that with a suitable dimensioning of these elements compared to the other pipe part tilting of the respective pipe parts is limited or reduced to each other.

In the chamber 170, a sealing member may be introduced. This element may be formed as an elastic element, such as an elastomer, silicone or other material. The elastic element can be introduced as prefabricated ring-like element in this space area or according to a further embodiment of the invention after the assembly of the two pipe parts are introduced by introduced into the radially outer pipe part openings at a later date. Such a filling process can be done for example by injection. It may well be useful if at least one, but advantageously also a plurality of openings are provided on the outer circumference of the radially outer tube part, through which the elastic means is introduced into the space area.

It may also be particularly expedient that the chamber 170 is not completely filled by the elastic means, but is only partially filled thereof. This may have the advantage that the elastic medium due to the axial displaceability of the two tube parts 130 and 131 is not destroyed by shear forces.

The introduction of the elastic means may conveniently take place in such a way that the elastic means can be introduced into the chamber as pasty or gel-like medium.

Also, the means may be arranged such that the means is arranged as a prefabricated element. It may preferably be prefabricated and arranged as an annular element,

The FIG. 4a shows a modification of the arrangement of the elastic element according to the preceding figures, wherein the end portions of the chamber are formed by radially inwardly or radially outwardly projecting ends of the tube parts 201, 202 and thereby the elastic element 203 between these projections, which advantageously rotate radially , Can be brought under axial prestress.

FIG. 4b is not part of the invention.
According to FIG. 4b For example, in a modification of the preceding figures, the elastic element can also be joined or arranged between two tube parts 211, 212 which have no projections in the radial direction in order to define a chamber. The elastic member 213 is preferably arranged so as to adhere to the two pipe inner and outer walls so as to be sealingly arranged.

FIG. 5 is not part of the invention.
The FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of two tube parts 250, 260 which extend in a partial region of its axial extent radially outward. The tube part 250 is arranged radially inside the tube part 260. The tube part 260 has a radially outwardly projecting region 261, which thereby forms a free space for forming a receiving space for a sealing element. The tube part 250 has the radially inwardly projecting portion 253rd on, which forms together with the region 261, the chamber for receiving the sealing element. Further, on the element 250 radially outwardly projecting portions are arranged, which come to support on the radially outer tube part for support or can come, so that the tube parts can not tilt relative to each other. However, these support elements 4 can also be arranged on the radially inner and / or outer tube part.

Claims (19)

1. Heat exchanger having at least one tube (2, 101) through which a first medium can flow and which, at a first end area (2a), is connected to a first terminal element (3) and, at its second end area (2b), is connected to a second terminal element (4), a first and a second tube component being connected respectively to the first and second terminal elements (3, 4), characterised in that the two tube components (130, 131, 201, 202) extend radially into one another at least over part of their axial length between the two terminal elements, and at least one sealing element (130) is arranged in a chamber (170) in the spatial area between the tube components, the first tube component (130, 201) or the second tube component (131, 202) having two elements that project in the radial direction, which form the said chamber (170) between the two tube components (130, 131, 201, 202) and serve as radially acting supports.
2. Heat exchanger according to Claim 1, characterised in that the at least one chamber (170) has at least one substantially annular, radially projecting element.
3. Heat exchanger according to Claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the at least one chamber (170) has at least two substantially annular elements which project in the radial direction and are spaced apart in the axial direction.
4. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one annular, radially projecting element is an integral part of a tube component (130, 131, 201, 202) .
5. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the annular projecting elements are formed integrally with one and/or the other tube component (130, 131, 201, 202).
6. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one annular projecting element is an added component, which is arranged between the one and the other tube component (130, 131, 201, 202) and where necessary is connected to one or the other tube component (130, 131, 201, 202).
7. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the chamber (170) is at least substantially sealed off by the annular elements.
8. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the chamber (170) is not sealed off by the annular elements.
9. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the annular projecting elements serve as axial bearings.
10. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the chamber (170) is at least partially filled with an elastic medium.
11. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the chamber (170) is filled in such manner that an annular element is formed by the elastic medium in the chamber (170), which extends between the radially inner and the radially outer tube component.
12. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the elastic element can be set into the chamber (170) as a ring element.
13. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the elastic element can be introduced into the chamber as a pasty or gel-like medium.
14. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that a plurality of tubes (2, 101) through which a first medium flows are arranged substantially parallel to one another, radially inside the tube components (130, 131, 201, 202).
15. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the plurality of tubes (2, 101) are each connected, at their first end to a first terminal element and at their second end to the second terminal element.
16. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the at least one tube (2, 101) through which a first medium flows is connected, at least at one end, to a connection element (3, 4) for supplying and/or discharging a first medium.
17. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one terminal element is connected to at least one connection element (3, 4) for supplying and/or discharging a first medium.
18. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the tube components (130, 131, 201, 202) connected to the respective terminal elements, together with the elastic medium provided in the chamber (170), form a substantially sealed space, at least two connection elements (3, 4) being provided, and a second medium can flow through the said space through the connection elements (3, 4).
19. Heat exchanger according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the second medium flows around the tubes (2, 101) through which the first medium is flowing.

Images