JP2017009280A - Heat exchanger with deionization cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger in a thermal management circuit, wherein the ion content of the internal heat transfer fluid must be limited or at least controlled. A heat exchanger (1) includes an exchange tube (3) through which a heat transfer fluid flows between a first heat transfer fluid inlet end and a second heat transfer fluid outlet end. The heat exchanger 1 further includes at least one water box 5a, 5b connected to one end of the water box 5a; and includes at least one deionization cartridge 15 removably installed in the water box 5a; 5b. A heat exchanger 1 is provided. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to the field of heat exchangers, and more particularly to heat exchangers in thermal management circuits, where the ion content of the internal heat transfer fluid must be limited or at least controlled. It is related with the heat exchanger which must.

  In a thermal management circuit, in order to limit or control the ion content in a fluid, in particular to limit or control the ion content of a heat transfer fluid used to cool a fuel cell in the thermal management circuit, For example, it is known to install a deionizing cartridge in parallel with a pump. In this case, the restriction or control of the ion content in the heat transfer fluid is important. This is because such restrictions or controls accelerate the internal corrosion of the fuel cell, and also cause a short circuit between different cells of the fuel cell, which can destroy the fuel cell. This is because it is possible to reduce the conductivity.

  However, such a thermal management circuit requires a dedicated installation location for the deionization cartridge, which is a problem particularly when the space is limited, such as an automobile having a fuel cell.

  Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to at least partially remedy the disadvantages of the prior art, and the ion content within the internal heat transfer fluid must be limited or at least uncontrolled. A novel arrangement for deionizing cartridges in the thermal management circuit that should not be proposed is proposed.

  The present invention is a heat exchanger comprising an exchange tube through which a heat transfer fluid flows between a first heat transfer fluid inlet end and a second heat transfer fluid outlet end, wherein at least one of the exchange tubes A heat exchanger further comprising at least one water box coupled to one end, the heat exchanger comprising at least one deionization cartridge removably installed in the water box.

  By incorporating the deionization cartridge into the water box, it is possible to use a free space that is not being used, and to mainly save space in the thermal management circuit. Further, in the thermal management circuit, ions are mainly generated at the height (level) of the heat exchanger. This is because the tube is usually made of metal and serves as a source of metal ions, and ions exist in the residue of the brazing flux. Thus, the deionization cartridge is placed as close as possible to a potential ion source in the heat transfer fluid for better efficiency.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, the water box in which the deionization cartridge is installed includes an access opening and a plug for the opening.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the water box in which the deionization cartridge is installed includes a cartridge support that is permeable to the heat transfer fluid.

  According to another aspect of the invention, the cartridge support is a single piece integral with the water box.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the cartridge support is fixed to the plug.

  According to another aspect of the invention, the deionization cartridge includes a deionization material having an outer surface through which the heat transfer fluid communicates with the water box and through the flow path.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the deionization cartridge includes a hollow central column, and a portion of the heat transfer fluid can enter the hollow central column by passing through the deionization material. It has become.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the hollow central column portion is connected to the discharge opening for the heat transfer fluid accommodated in the central column portion.

According to another aspect of the invention, the water box having a deionization cartridge comprises:
A first part through which the heat transfer medium flows;
A second part through which the heat transfer medium flows,
In the first portion, the heat transfer fluid flows between the supply opening and the exchange tube, and a part of the heat transfer fluid can pass through the ionized material and enter the central column. Or the heat transfer fluid may flow between the exchange tube and the discharge opening and exit the central column after a portion of the heat transfer fluid has passed the ionized material. ,
In the second part, the heat transfer fluid flows between the central column and at least one dedicated exchange tube, or the heat transfer fluid flows at least one dedicated exchange tube and the central column. Communicate with the department.

  According to another aspect of the invention, the separation between the first part and the second part is created by a sealing flange between the inner wall of the water box and the deionization cartridge.

  According to another aspect of the invention, the seal flange is supported on the deionization cartridge.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the heat exchanger includes both a first water box and a second water box having a deionization cartridge.

  According to another aspect of the invention, one of the two cartridges contains an anionic resin and the other contains a cationic resin.

  The present invention also relates to a thermal management circuit for a fuel cell comprising at least one heat exchanger.

  According to one aspect of the thermal management circuit according to the present invention, the heat exchanger with at least one deionization cartridge is a heat exchanger located at the front of the automobile.

  Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon review of the following description and accompanying drawings, which are given by way of non-limiting examples.

The schematic diagram of the heat exchanger by a 1st embodiment. Schematic of the heat exchanger by 2nd Embodiment. Schematic of the heat exchanger by 3rd Embodiment. Schematic of the heat exchanger by 4th Embodiment. Schematic of thermal management circuit.

  In different drawings, identical elements are provided with identical reference signs.

  The following embodiments are exemplary. Reference to one or more embodiments does not necessarily imply that each relates to one embodiment, nor does it mean that a feature applies only to a single embodiment. It is also possible to combine the individual features of the various embodiments to provide other embodiments.

  1-4 show a heat exchanger 1 for a thermal management circuit 100 (shown in FIG. 5). The ion content of the heat exchanger 1 must be controlled or at least limited. In particular, the heat exchanger 1 includes a plurality of exchange tubes 3 through which heat transfer fluid flows between a first heat transfer fluid inlet end and a second heat transfer fluid outlet end.

  The heat exchanger 1 further includes a first water box 5a and a second water box 5b. The first water box 5a is connected to the first end of the exchange tube 3 where the heat transfer fluid arrives via the supply opening 50a. The second water box 5b is connected to the second end of the tube 3 through which the heat transfer fluid is discharged through the discharge opening 50b.

  According to the present invention, the heat exchanger 1 includes at least one deionization cartridge 15 that is detachably installed in at least one of the water boxes 5a and 5b. By incorporating the deionization cartridge 15 into the water boxes 5a and 5b, it becomes possible to use a free space that is not being used, and thus, firstly, the heat management circuit 100 can be saved in space. Further, in the thermal management circuit 100, ions are mainly generated at the height (level) of the heat exchanger. This is because the tube is generally made of metal (thus providing a source of metal ions), and ions are present in the residue of the brazing flux.

  Accordingly, the deionization cartridge 15 is placed as close as possible to a potential ion source in the heat transfer fluid for better efficiency.

  The deionization cartridge 15 is made of a known deionization material such as a mixture of a cation resin and an anion resin capable of capturing cations and anions. Accordingly, the deionization cartridge 15 is a consumable item to be replaced after a certain period of use. By arranging the deionization cartridge 15 in the heat exchanger 1, access to the deionization cartridge 15 is simplified because of the arrangement of the heat exchanger 1. For example, in a motor vehicle, it is advantageous to arrange the heat exchanger 1 forward for easy access to the deionization cartridge 15.

  The heat exchanger 1 can include a single deionization cartridge in either the first water box 5a or the other second water box 5b.

  However, the heat exchanger 1 can include the deionization cartridge 15 in both the first water box 5a and the second water box 5b. In the latter case, a larger amount of deionized material can be included in the thermal management circuit, so that the deionization performance can be increased to maintain the lowest possible ion content in the heat transfer fluid. Further, the replacement frequency of the deionization cartridge 15 can be reduced.

  In order to allow the installation and replacement of the deionization cartridge 15, the water box 5 a and / or 5 b has an access opening 9 and a plug 11 for this opening in order to gain access to the deionization cartridge 15. And.

  According to the first embodiment in which two variants are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the deionization cartridge 15 is arranged on a cartridge support 13 housed in a water box 5a and / or 5b. The cartridge support 13 can transmit the heat transfer fluid.

  According to the first modification shown in FIG. 1, the cartridge support 13 is fixed to the plug 11. Therefore, when the plug 11 is removed from the opening 9, the cartridge support 13 and the deionized cartridge 15 are removed at the same time.

  According to the second modification shown in FIG. 2, the cartridge support 13 is a single component integrated with the water boxes 5a and 5b.

  According to the first embodiment, the deionization material of the deionization cartridge 15 has an outer surface, on which the heat transfer fluid passes through the water boxes 5a and 5b and flows in the flow path, and the ions are It is captured in contact with this outer surface. The heat transfer fluid remains on the surface of the deionization cartridge 15, thereby limiting the pressure drop associated with the presence of the deionization cartridge 15 in the water boxes 5a, 5b.

  According to another embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the deionization cartridge 15 comprises a hollow central post 17. A portion of the heat transfer fluid can enter the central column 17 by passing through the deionized material.

  In these embodiments, only a portion of the heat transfer fluid passes through the deionized material and the remainder of the heat transfer fluid enters the exchange tube 3 to limit the pressure drop.

  According to the modification shown in FIG. 3, the hollow central column portion 17 is connected to the discharge opening 19 for the heat conduction fluid accommodated in the central column portion 17. The discharge opening 19 is connected to the thermal management circuit 100 and returns the deionized heat transfer fluid to the thermal management circuit 100.

  According to a variant not described, the heat transfer fluid is passed through the deionization cartridge, but it is also possible not to pass through the tube of the heat exchanger afterwards. In this case, the deionization cartridge includes a so-called bypass opening disposed in the water box.

According to another modification shown in FIG. 4, the water boxes 5a, 5b provided with the deionization cartridge 15 are:
A first portion 51a, 51b through which the heat transfer medium flows;
-It has 2nd part 52a, 52b through which a heat conductive medium flows.
When the deionization cartridge 15 is disposed in the first water box 5a, the heat conduction fluid flows between the supply opening 50a and the exchange tube 3 in the first portions 51a and 51b, and the heat conduction fluid. Can pass through the deionization material into the central column 17 or if the deionization cartridge is located in the second water box 5b, the heat transfer fluid is discharged from the exchange tube 3 While flowing between the openings 50b, a portion of the heat transfer fluid can exit the central post 17 after passing through the deionized material.
When the deionization cartridge 15 is disposed in the first water box 5a, the heat transfer fluid flows between the central column 17 and the at least one dedicated exchange tube 3 in the second portions 52a and 52b. Alternatively, when the deionization cartridge 15 is disposed in the first water box 5 a, the heat transfer fluid flows between at least one dedicated exchange tube 3 and the central column 17.

  In order to ensure a sealing hermeticity between the first part 51a, 51b and the second part 52a, 52b, these separations are achieved by the seal flange 21 between the inner walls of the water boxes 5a, 5b and the deionization cartridge 15. Has been produced.

  The seal flange 21 is preferably supported by a deionization cartridge 15 as shown in FIG. However, it can be completely assumed that the seal flange 21 is supported by the water boxes 5a and 5b themselves.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the second portions 52 a and 52 b can be created on the side of the plug 11. The deionized material can then be connected to the plug 11 by a support element 23 that is permeable to the heat transfer fluid. However, the opposite configuration in which the first portions 51a and 51 are fixed to the plug 11 and the second portions 52a and 52b are located on the opposite side of the plug 11 can be completely envisaged.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of a thermal management circuit 100, particularly for the management of automobile fuel cells.

The heat management circuit 100 that is normally disposed in the engine compartment A is presented by a pump 101 that distributes the heat transfer fluid in the heat exchanger disposed at the height (level) of the fuel cell 102 and a first dotted arrow 201. And a cooler 103 for the flow of compressed air. The heat exchanger arranged at the height (level) of the fuel cell 102 and the cooler 103 for compressed air are preferably arranged in parallel in the heat management circuit 100. The thermal management circuit 100 includes a device 104 that changes the direction of a heat transfer fluid, such as a four-way valve. The device 104 selectively changes the direction of the heat transfer fluid,
The heat exchanger 1 with at least one deionization cartridge 15, which is arranged in the front panel module B, which may comprise at least one fan 109 for generating an external air flow represented by a second dotted arrow 202. Towards the heat exchanger and / or
Towards the air reheater 107 for the interior of the vehicle, arranged in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) module C,
Can change.
The HVAC may also include at least one fan 109 to generate an airflow for the interior of the vehicle represented by the third dotted arrow 203. The heat management circuit 100 includes a heat transfer fluid heating device 105 upstream of the air reheater 107 for the inside of the vehicle.

  If necessary, the direction changing device 104 can change the direction of the heat transfer fluid directly to the pump 100 by, for example, the shunt duct 111.

  By arranging the heat exchanger 1 with at least one deionization cartridge 15 in the front panel module B, one or more deionization cartridges 15 can be easily accessed for the purpose of their replacement. .

  Therefore, since at least one deionization cartridge 15 is directly incorporated in the heat exchanger 1, space saving for incorporating the thermal management circuit 100 in which the ion content of the heat transfer fluid is to be controlled can be realized. In addition, it is clearly understood that this control can be improved by being as close as possible to one of the ion emission sources, and accessible for replacement of one or more calcification cartridges. The

Claims (13)

  A heat exchanger (1) comprising an exchange tube (3) through which a heat transfer fluid flows between a first heat transfer fluid inlet end and a second heat transfer fluid outlet end, wherein the exchange tube ( 3) at least one deionization cartridge (15) comprising at least one water box (5a, 5b) connected to at least one end of 3) and removably installed in said water box (5a; 5b) ) Further comprising a heat exchanger (1).   The water box (5a, 5b) in which the deionization cartridge (15) is installed has an access opening (9) and a plug (11) for the opening (9). A heat exchanger (1) according to the preceding claim.   Any of the preceding claims, wherein the water box (5a, 5b) in which the deionizing cartridge (15) is installed comprises a cartridge support (13) that is permeable to the heat transfer fluid. A heat exchanger (1) according to claim 1.   The heat exchanger (1) according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge support (13) is a single component integrated with the water box (5a, 5b).   The heat exchanger (1) according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the cartridge support (13) is fixed to the plug (11).   The deionization cartridge (15) includes a deionization material having an outer surface that communicates with the water box (5a, 5b) and through which the heat transfer fluid flows. The heat exchanger (1) as described in any one of thru | or 5.   The deionization cartridge (15) includes a hollow central column (17), and a portion of the heat transfer fluid can enter the hollow central column (17) by passing through the deionization material. The heat exchanger (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that:   The said hollow center pillar part (17) is connected with the discharge | emission opening part (19) for the said heat transfer fluids accommodated in the said center pillar part (17), The said Claim characterized by the above-mentioned. Heat exchanger (1). The water box (5a, 5b) having the deionizing cartridge (15)
A first portion (51a, 51b) through which the heat transfer medium flows;
A second portion (52a, 52b) through which the heat transfer medium flows,
In the first part (51a, 51b), the heat transfer fluid flows between the supply opening (50a) and the exchange tube (3), and part of the heat transfer fluid passes through the ionized material. Can enter the central column (17), or the heat transfer fluid flows between the exchange tube (3) and the discharge opening (50b), and the heat transfer fluid It is possible to exit from the central post (17) after a portion has passed through the ionized material;
In the second part (52a, 52b), the heat transfer fluid flows between the central column (17) and at least one dedicated exchange tube (3) or the heat transfer fluid is Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that it flows between at least one dedicated exchange tube (3) and the central post (17).   The separation between the first part (51a, 51b) and the second part (52a, 52b) is a seal flange between the inner wall of the water box (5a, 5b) and the deionization cartridge (15). Heat exchanger (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it is produced by (21).   Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing flange (21) is supported on the deionization cartridge (15).   Heat exchanger (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises both a first water box (5a) and a second water box (5b) having a deionization cartridge (15). 1).   The heat exchanger (1) according to claim 12, wherein one of the two cartridges comprises an anionic resin and the other comprises a cationic resin.

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