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US20110303395A1 - Vehicle heat exchanger assembly - Google Patents

Vehicle heat exchanger assembly Download PDF

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Publication number
US20110303395A1
US20110303395A1 US13/096,364 US201113096364A US2011303395A1 US 20110303395 A1 US20110303395 A1 US 20110303395A1 US 201113096364 A US201113096364 A US 201113096364A US 2011303395 A1 US2011303395 A1 US 2011303395A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
heat exchanger
exchange unit
vehicle
fan
heat exchange
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US13/096,364
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English (en)
Inventor
Eiichi Mori
Takayuki KOIE
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Marelli Corp
Original Assignee
Calsonic Kansei Corp
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Calsonic Kansei Corp filed Critical Calsonic Kansei Corp
Assigned to CALSONIC KANSEI CORPORATION reassignment CALSONIC KANSEI CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: KOIE, TAKAYUKI, MORI, EIICHI
Publication of US20110303395A1 publication Critical patent/US20110303395A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
    • F01P—COOLING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; COOLING OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES
    • F01P3/00—Liquid cooling
    • F01P3/18—Arrangements or mounting of liquid-to-air heat-exchangers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
    • B60K11/00—Arrangement in connection with cooling of propulsion units
    • B60K11/02—Arrangement in connection with cooling of propulsion units with liquid cooling
    • B60K11/04—Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
    • F01P—COOLING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; COOLING OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES
    • F01P3/00—Liquid cooling
    • F01P3/18—Arrangements or mounting of liquid-to-air heat-exchangers
    • F01P2003/187—Arrangements or mounting of liquid-to-air heat-exchangers arranged in series

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a vehicle heat exchanger assembly provided with a plurality of heat exchangers that cool a cooling medium that flows through the heat exchangers using air blown by a cooling fan.
  • the vehicle heat exchanger assembly is composed of a single heat exchanger (e.g., only a radiator for cooling an engine) or a plurality of heat exchangers (e.g., a radiator and air conditioner) mounted in a vehicle.
  • a single heat exchanger e.g., only a radiator for cooling an engine
  • a plurality of heat exchangers e.g., a radiator and air conditioner mounted in a vehicle.
  • the manner in which required cooling ability is assured is important in order to efficiently cool the heat exchangers in a wide range of engine operation such as engine idling and high-speed travel. For this reason, the following conventional placements, mountings, and other arrangements of the heat exchangers and cooling fans have been made.
  • a radiator and a cooler condenser are arranged in the vehicle front and rear, respectively, and the external peripheral portions of the heat exchangers are connected together by a cylindrical cooling-air guide plate.
  • a shroud is provided to the cooling-air guide plate in the lateral directions or in the left or right direction of the vehicle body, and an opening is provided in the shroud in which a cooling fan is disposed so as to draw air into the shroud via the heat exchangers.
  • the airflow is discharged from the aperture toward width direction of the vehicle body to directly cause air inside the engine compartment to flow while neither of the heat exchangers use air that has flowed through the other heat exchanger (e.g., see Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application Publication No. 63-190517).
  • Another conventional vehicle heat exchanger assembly is a multi-pass heat exchanger that uses a two-path cross-flow system in which a shared engine coolant or the like flows in a parallel flow or a U-turn flow between a first heat exchanger (rearward placement) and a second heat exchanger (forward placement) in which the air flow surfaces are arranged substantially in parallel fashion; and an air fan unit is disposed in an air gap between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger (e.g., see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2005-76560).
  • the air fan unit is composed of a rectangular parallelepiped shroud case, circular apertures that match the circular shape of the cooling fans are provided in the front and rear surfaces where cooling fans are arranged facing each other, and air is made to flow in a uniform fashion to the heat exchangers.
  • the cooling package main body is composed of a quadrangular frame that covers the external peripheral side of the heat exchangers, large quadrangular apertures are provided in the front and rear surfaces, and long members are made to extend from the frame corners toward the motor support member in the aperture center position.
  • a cooling fan drive motor is mounted on the motor support member on the external surface of the cooling package main body, a rotating shaft of the motor protrudes in the opposite direction aperture plane, and a cooling fan is mounted on the distal end of the rotating shaft, whereby the cooling fan is set at a distance from the cooling package main body to improve the suction ability of the cooling fan.
  • a shroud is provided surrounding the cooling fan from the aperture plane, and a fan guard is disposed on the outside thereof (e.g., see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2008-190513).
  • Yet another conventional vehicle heat exchanger assembly is one in which a radiator is used, and a fan shroud is mounted directly on the two end parts of upper and lower tanks of the radiator using four mounting stays integrally formed with the fan shroud (e.g., see Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application Publication No. 03-37234).
  • a cylindrical shell is integrally formed with a fan shroud together with a cooling fan, the upper portion of the fan shroud covers the heat exchanger part of the radiator, and the lower portion of the fan shroud is formed with an opening. Holes for travel-induced airflow are formed in the mounting stays of the lower portion so that air is allowed to flow.
  • the cooler condenser on the engine side draws in the high-temperature air in the engine compartment as well as high-temperature air on the engine side because ram pressure is not generated during engine idling while the vehicle is stopped or traveling at very low speed. There is a problem in this case in that high cooling capacity cannot be obtained in the cooler condenser when the air conditioner is operating.
  • Air passes through the second heat exchange unit on the upstream side in the vehicle heat exchanger assembly described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2005-76560, and the flow of air in the first heat exchange unit on the downstream side is made uniform. Therefore, the front and rear surfaces of the shroud case have a circular opening that conforms to the cooling fan, and other portions have a shape that covers the heat exchanger. For this reason, there is a problem in that travel-induced airflow cannot be sufficiently utilized when the vehicle is traveling, and the front and rear surfaces of the shroud case interferes with and creates resistance to the flow of air to the heat exchange unit in areas other than the opening.
  • first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are the same type of heat exchanger (a radiator or the like) having the same purpose, either the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger is present between the condenser and the cooling fan in the case that a heat exchanger having a different purposed such as a condenser for an air conditioner must be added. Therefore, the cooling capacity of the condenser is considerably reduced during engine idling while the vehicle is stopped or when traveling at very low speed.
  • the cooling fan In the vehicle heat exchanger assembly described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2008-190513, the cooling fan must be set at a certain distance in the forward direction away from the heat exchange unit in order to increase the air-suction force of the cooling fan, and there is a problem in that the size of the system overall is increased in the front-rear direction. Also, the oil cooler is affected by heat released from the radiator because the radiator, oil cooler, and other heat exchangers are arranged adjacent to each other. As a result, the cooling capacity of the oil cooler is considerably reduced due to heat from the radiator in the case that a shovel or the like is used during engine idling while the vehicle is stopped or traveling at very low speed.
  • a fan shroud is directly mounted on the radiator tanks and cooling fans are made to face each other near the heat exchanger, the length in the front-rear direction of the vehicle can be reduced, and travel-induced airflow is more readily used due to the setting of the aperture in the lower part and the travel-induced airflow through-holes of the mounting stays.
  • the present invention was devised in view of the above, it being an object thereof to provide a vehicle heat exchanger assembly provided with a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, wherein the airflow resistance produced between the heat exchangers can be reduced, and the effect of heat from one heat exchanger on the other heat exchanger can be suppressed.
  • a vehicle heat exchanger assembly includes a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a blower and a fan shroud.
  • the first heat exchanger has a first heat exchange unit that allows air to pass therethrough.
  • the second heat exchanger is arranged on a downstream side of the first heat exchanger with respect to an air flow direction.
  • the second heat exchanger has a second heat exchange unit arranged parallel to the first heat exchange unit to allow air to pass therethrough.
  • the blower is configured and arranged to cause air to flow from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger, the blower arranged in an air passage formed in a space between the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit.
  • the fan shroud has an enclosing wall part, a support part and a plurality of support stays.
  • the enclosing wall part is disposed on an external periphery of the blower to substantially enclose the air passage formed between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.
  • the support part supports the blower.
  • the support stays extend from the support par toward the enclosing wall part to connect the support part and the enclosing wall part.
  • the vehicle heat exchanger assembly of the present invention it is possible to suppress a reduction in cooling capacity of the two heat exchangers by reducing airflow resistance produced by a shroud or the like between the heat exchangers when ram pressure is generated by, e.g., travel, and by making use of travel-induced airflow. Even during engine idling when the vehicle is stopped or traveling at very low speed, it is possible to reduce the effect that the heat produced by an air conditioner or another heat exchanger has on the radiator or another heat exchanger.
  • FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing a vehicle heat exchanger assembly of a first embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a side view of a partial cross section of the first embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view as seen from the rear of a vehicle and shows the vehicle heat exchanger assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 4 is a front view of the fan shroud part of the vehicle heat exchanger assembly of a second embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 5 is front view showing the fan shroud part of the vehicle heat exchanger assembly of a third embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along the line 6 - 6 of FIG. 5 ;
  • FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view as seen from the rear of a vehicle and shows a structure of the non-return valve of the third embodiment of the present invention.
  • the heat exchanger of the first embodiment is mainly composed of a condenser 1 as a first heat exchanger, a radiator 2 as a second heat exchanger, a motor fan 3 as a blower, and a fan shroud 4 for supporting the motor fan, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 .
  • the above are integrally mounted in the front-rear direction of the vehicle in the sequence of the condenser 1 , the fan shroud 4 that supports the motor fan 3 , and the radiator 2 from the front side of the vehicle, and the assembly is supported by the vehicle body by a radiator-core support (not shown).
  • the condenser 1 as the first heat exchanger is used as an air conditioner, and is provided with a first heat exchange unit (condenser core) 11 through which air can flow in the front-rear direction of a vehicle, a left-side tank 12 and right-side tank 13 mounted on the left- and right-side ends, respectively, and a liquid tank (not shown) mounted on the side surface in the forward area of the left-side tank 12 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
  • a first heat exchange unit condenser core 11 through which air can flow in the front-rear direction of a vehicle
  • a left-side tank 12 and right-side tank 13 mounted on the left- and right-side ends, respectively
  • a liquid tank (not shown) mounted on the side surface in the forward area of the left-side tank 12 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
  • the first heat exchange unit 11 has a plurality of tubes 11 a through which a cooling medium flows between the tanks 12 , 13 and of which the two end parts are connected to the left-side tank 12 and the right-side tank 13 , respectively; and corrugated fins 11 b mounted between the adjacent tubes 11 a , 11 a .
  • the upper and lower ends of the left and right tanks 12 , 13 are connected to each other by a reinforcement 14 .
  • a cooling medium intake port P 1 is provided to the upper-side part in the upper area of the right-side tank 13 , and an outlet port Q 2 is provided to a lower area.
  • the radiator 2 as the second heat exchanger is used for cooling the engine, and is disposed parallel to the first heat exchange unit 11 of the condenser 1 in the rear of the vehicle, which is the downstream side of the condenser 1 .
  • the radiator 2 is provided with a second heat exchanger (radiator core) 21 through which air can flow in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and a left-side tank 22 and right-side tank 23 mounted on the left- and right-side ends, respectively.
  • the second heat exchanger 21 has a plurality of tubes 21 a through which a cooling medium flows between the tanks 22 , 23 , the two end parts of the tubes 21 a being connected to the left-side tank 22 and the right-side tank 23 , respectively; and corrugated fins 21 b mounted between the adjacent tubes 21 a , 21 a .
  • the upper and lower ends of the left and right tanks 22 , 23 are connected to each other by a reinforcement 15 .
  • a cooling medium intake port Q 1 that protrudes rearward is provided to the upper portion of the right-side tank 23
  • an outlet port PQ that protrudes rearward is provided to a lower portion of the left-side tank 22 .
  • the first heat exchange unit 11 of the condenser 1 is configured and arranged to receive a cooling medium having a temperature lower than a temperature of a cooling medium that flows in the second heat exchange unit 21 of the radiator 2 .
  • the motor fan 3 as a blower causes a cooling fan to rotate using an electric motor 31 so as to cause air to flow from the condenser 1 toward the radiator 2 , and is configured such that a fan 32 having four vanes is mounted on a fan axis FA (the rotating shaft) of the electric motor 31 .
  • the fan 32 has the distal ends of each vane connected to a ring 33 , which forms the external peripheral portion of the fan 32 .
  • the motor fan 3 configured in the manner described above is disposed in an air passage 5 (described further below) formed in the interior space of the fan shroud 4 , which is arranged between the condenser 1 and the radiator 2 .
  • the fan shroud 4 links the areas between the condenser 1 and the radiator 2 , and the motor fan 3 is accommodated in and covered by the fan shroud 4 .
  • the fan shroud 4 is made of resin and has a enclosing wall part 41 for covering the external periphery of the motor fan 3 , a support part 42 for supporting the electric motor 31 of the motor fan 3 , and four support stays 43 that extend outward in the radial direction from the support part 42 to the enclosing wall part 41 and connect the support part 42 and the enclosing wall part 41 .
  • the support stays 43 have to the extent possible a reduced width on the side with which the airflow makes contact and that the length in the depth direction (corresponding to the axial direction of the electric motor 31 ) be increased by a commensurate amount in order to assure sufficient strength while reducing airflow resistance.
  • the enclosing wall part 41 of the fan shroud 4 is arranged so as to connect the areas between the external periphery of the first heat exchange unit 11 of the condenser 1 and the external periphery of the second heat exchanger 21 of the radiator 2 .
  • the space inside the enclosing wall part 41 forms an air passage 5 for directing air that has passed through the condenser 1 to the radiator 2 .
  • the air passage 5 has a ventilation cross-sectional area that is substantially equal in size to the cross-sectional area in the ventilation direction of the space (the space enclosed by the dash-dot line S in FIG. 3 ) formed by the connection between the external periphery of the first heat exchange unit 11 and the external periphery of the second heat exchanger 21 , and does not narrow inward (the ventilation cross-sectional area is not greatly reduced) at an intermediate point.
  • the enclosing wall part 41 of the fan shroud 4 has left and right sidewalls 41 a , 41 b that extend in the horizontal direction, and an upper wall 41 c and lower wall 41 d that extend in the vertical direction and connect the upper and low ends of the left and right sidewalls 41 a , 41 b together to form a tubular member defining an opening 46 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
  • the tubular member formed by the left and right sidewalls 41 a , 41 b and the upper and lower walls 41 c , 41 d has a center axis that substantially coincides the fan axis FA of the fan 32 .
  • the air passage 5 enclosed by the tubular member does not narrow inward.
  • the tubular member has a rectangular cross-sectional shape taken along a plane perpendicular to the fan axis FA of the fan 32 which is substantially constant along the fan axis FA as shown in FIGS. 1-3 .
  • the rectangular cross-sectional shape defined by the left and right sidewalls 41 a , 41 b and the upper and lower walls 41 c , 41 d has an area (ventilation cross-sectional area) substantially equal to a cross-sectional area of the first heat exchange unit 11 of the condenser 1 taken along a plane perpendicular to the fan axis FA, and a cross-sectional area of the second heat exchange unit 21 of the radiator 2 taken along a plane perpendicular to the fan axis FA.
  • the enclosing wall part 41 has extension parts 44 a , 44 b that extend from the front edge part of the left and right sidewalls 41 a , 41 b in the outward width direction of the vehicle and then in forward direction of the vehicle, and that align with the vehicle-rear-facing external surface of the left-side tank 12 and the right-side tank 13 of the condenser 1 .
  • the enclosing wall part 41 also has extension parts 45 a , 45 b that extend from the rear edge part of the left and right sidewalls 41 a , 41 b in the outward width direction of the vehicle and then in rearward direction of the vehicle, and that align with the vehicle-front-facing external surface of the left-side tank 22 and the right-side tank 23 of the radiator 2 .
  • the enclosing wall part 41 has pawl parts 44 c , 44 d that extend from the front edge part of the upper wall 41 c and the lower wall 41 d to the forward direction of the vehicle, and that retain the upper and lower surfaces of the reinforcement 14 disposed in the upper and lower edges of the first heat exchange unit 11 of the condenser 1 .
  • the upper wall 41 c (one example of the first wall portion) covers an upper side (one example of the first side) of the first heat exchange unit 11 and an upper side of the second heat exchange unit 21
  • the lower wall 41 d (one example of the second wall portion) covers a lower side (one example of the second side) of the first heat exchange unit 11 and a lower side of the second heat exchange unit 21 .
  • the enclosing wall part 41 has pawl parts 45 c , 45 d that extend from the rear edge part of the upper wall 41 c and the lower wall 41 d to the rearward direction of the vehicle, and that retain the upper and lower surfaces of the reinforcement 15 disposed in the upper and lower edges of the second heat exchanger 21 of the radiator 2 .
  • the vehicle heat exchanger assembly configured in the manner described above is integrally assembled in a state in which the condenser 1 , the fan shroud 4 for supporting the motor fan 3 , and the radiator 2 are superimposed in sequence from the front side FR of the vehicle in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.
  • the left and right tanks 12 , 13 of the condenser 1 and the extension parts 44 a , 44 b that align with a part of the external surfaces thereof are in close contact, or even if a gap formed therebetween, the gap is formed to be as narrow as possible so that air that flows from an external space of the enclosing wall part 41 into the internal space (air passage 5 ) of the enclosing wall part 41 is reduced.
  • the pawl parts 44 c , 44 d and the reinforcement 14 above and below the condenser 1 are in close contact, or even if a gap is formed therebetween, the gap is formed to be as narrow as possible so that air that flows from an external space of the enclosing wall part 41 into the internal space (air passage 5 ) of the enclosing wall part 41 is reduced.
  • the left and right tanks 22 , 23 of the radiator 2 and the extension parts 45 a , 45 b of the enclosing wall part 41 that cover a part of the external surfaces thereof are in close contact, or even if a gap is formed therebetween, the gap is formed to be as narrow as possible so that air that flows from an external space of the enclosing wall part 41 into the internal space (air passage 5 ) of the enclosing wall part 41 is reduced.
  • the pawl parts 45 c , 45 d and the reinforcement 15 above and below the radiator 2 are in close contact, or even if a gap is formed therebetween, the gap is formed to be as narrow as possible so that air that flows from an external space of the enclosing wall part 41 into the internal space (air passage 5 ) of the enclosing wall part 41 is reduced.
  • the condenser 1 and the radiator 2 are not expected to be cooled by travel-induced airflow from the forward direction of the vehicle. Therefore, in such a state, the electric motor 31 is energized and the fan 32 is caused to rotate to forcibly take in external air from the forward area of the condenser 1 .
  • the external air is passed through the heat exchanger 11 of the condenser 1 , whereby the cooling medium that flows through the tubes 11 a is cooled by heat exchange via the fins 11 b or in part by direct air contact with tubes 11 a.
  • Air that passes through the condenser 1 passes by the fan 32 and flows to the second heat exchanger 21 of the radiator 2 .
  • the air that passes through the condenser 1 is directed with slightly reduced speed to the air passage 5 formed inside the enclosing wall part 41 of the fan shroud 4 and moves toward the radiator 2 with good efficiency.
  • the cooling medium that flows through tubes 21 a is cooled by heat exchange via the fins 21 b or in part by direct air contact with tubes 1 a.
  • the engine speed is kept low during idling while the vehicle is parked, during very low speed travel, or at other times. Therefore, the amount of heat is not as great in comparison with ordinary travel, but the air conditioner is often used during such times, so the required cooling capacity of the condenser 1 is increased.
  • the condenser 1 is cooled to a greater extent than when using air that has once passed through the radiator 2 because the condenser 1 is in front of the radiator 2 , and as a result, air is initially sent to the condenser 1 by the motor fan 3 . Therefore, the condenser 1 can be sufficiently cooled even when the air conditioner is operated during idling or very low speed travel.
  • the cooling medium that flows through the engine during idling in which heat output is low does not have a temperature as high as during ordinary travel, and the radiator 2 is therefore sufficiently cooled.
  • a portion of the air that passes through the second heat exchanger 21 makes contact with the engine and is discharged from below the vehicle.
  • a portion of the air that has made contact with and rebounded from the engine is blown back to the radiator 2 side, and the left and right tanks 22 , 23 of the radiator 2 , the reinforcement 15 , and the extension parts 45 a , 45 b and pawl parts 45 c , 45 d formed in the enclosing wall part 41 of the fan shroud 4 are arranged in close contact or with a slight gap. Therefore, the air blown back through the area is returned from the exterior of the enclosing wall part 41 to the front surface of the radiator 2 and the cooling capacity of the radiator 2 is not reduced.
  • the left and right tanks 12 , 13 of the condenser 1 , the reinforcement 14 , and the extension parts 44 a , 44 b and pawl parts 44 c , 44 d are arranged in close contact or with a slight gap. Therefore, the air blown back through the area is returned from the exterior of the enclosing wall part 41 to the front surface of the radiator 2 or motor fan 3 , and the cooling capacity of the radiator 2 is not reduced.
  • the amount of airflow that passes through the condenser 1 and the radiator 2 is considerably increased because ram pressure is generated in the front portion of the vehicle during ordinary vehicle travel.
  • the engine generates high heat because the engine is operating at higher speed than during idling.
  • the amount of air that flows through the second heat exchanger 21 of the radiator 2 increases dramatically and cooling capacity is therefore considerably increased. Therefore, the condenser 1 , as well as the radiator 2 , is sufficiently cooled during ordinary high-speed vehicle travel.
  • the inside of the enclosing wall part 41 of the fan shroud 4 forms an air passage 5 in the space (the space surrounded by the dash-dot line S) that connects the external peripheral surfaces of the condenser 1 and the radiator 2 together, and since only the four support stays 43 of the motor fan 3 and fan shroud 4 are present in the air passage 5 , the air that moves from the condenser 1 to the radiator 2 undergoes little resistance from the fan shroud 4 and cooling of the radiator 2 during travel is further enhanced.
  • the motor fan 3 may be caused to rotate as required during travel, i.e., only in the case that cooling by ram pressure is insufficient.
  • the condenser 1 and radiator 2 are arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side, respectively, a fan shroud 4 having an air passage 5 is provided therebetween, and a motor fan 3 arranged under support by the support stays 43 at an intermediate point in the air passage 5 .
  • the ventilation cross-sectional area of the air passage 5 formed inside the enclosing wall part 41 of the fan shroud 4 which is arranged so as to connect the areas between the external peripheries of the first heat exchange unit 11 and the second heat exchanger 21 , is designed so as to remain substantially unchanged from the surface areas of the first heat exchange unit 11 and the second heat exchanger 21 .
  • the airflow resistance in the condenser 1 can thereby be reduced and the condenser 1 as well as the downstream radiator 2 can be sufficiently cooled even when the engine produces high heat during travel when, e.g., ram pressure is produced during travel in a vehicle heat exchanger assembly provided with a condenser 1 and a radiator 2 .
  • the cooling medium of the condenser 1 can be sufficiently cooled by causing the motor fan 3 to rotate even when the air conditioner is being operated because the condenser 1 is upstream from the radiator 2 .
  • the condenser airflow amount is increased by an amount commensurate with the reduction in radiator airflow resistance because the condenser 1 is arranged in front of the radiator 2 . Therefore, the condenser 1 can be readily cooled.
  • the enclosing wall part 41 of the fan shroud 4 has extension parts 44 a , 44 b that extend so as to align with the vehicle-rear-facing external surface of the left-side tank 12 and the right-side tank 13 of the condenser 1 from the front edge part of the left and right sidewalls 41 a , 41 b of the enclosing wall part 41 , and has extension parts 44 a , 44 b that extend so as to align with the vehicle-front-facing external surface of the left-side tank 22 and the right-side tank 23 of the radiator 2 from the rear edge part of the left and right sidewalls 41 a , 41 b of the enclosing wall part 41 .
  • the extension parts 44 a , 44 b , 45 a , 45 b can thereby prevent air blown backward from the engine side from returning to the front surface of the radiator 2 via gaps between the enclosing wall part 41 of the fan shroud 4 and the tanks 12 , 13 , 22 , 23 and prevent a reduction in cooling efficiency of the radiator 2 , and also improve air utilization efficiency.
  • Pawls 44 c , 44 d extend from the front edge part of the upper and lower walls 41 c , 41 d of the enclosing wall part 41 of the fan shroud 4 so as to retain the upper and lower surfaces of the reinforcement 15 provided to the upper and lower edges of the first heat exchange unit 11 of the condenser 1 ; and pawls 45 c , 45 d extend from the rear edge part of the upper and lower walls 41 c , 41 d of the enclosing wall part 41 so as to retain the upper and lower surfaces of the reinforcement 16 provided to the upper and lower edges of the second heat exchanger 21 of the radiator 2 .
  • the pawl parts 44 c , 44 d , 45 c , 45 d can thereby prevent air blown backward from the engine side from returning to the front surface of the radiator 2 via gaps between the enclosing wall part 41 of the fan shroud 4 and the reinforcements 15 , 16 and prevent a reduction in cooling efficiency of the radiator 2 , and also improve air utilization efficiency.
  • the motor fan 3 is covered by the fan shroud around the external periphery between the condenser 1 and the radiator 2 and it is therefore possible to prevent human hands and tools from making contact with the motor fan 3 during maintenance and inspection, and safety can be assured.
  • the crimped portions are arranged so as to avoid contact with each other in the case that the radiator is arranged on the downstream side of the condenser and the motor fan is disposed on the downstream side of the radiator and the condenser. Therefore, the gap between the condenser and the radiator are unavoidably enlarged.
  • the entire heat exchanger can be made more compact in terms of the length (depth) in the front-rear direction of the heat exchanger because the motor fan 3 is disposed between the condenser and the radiator and the condenser 1 and the radiator 2 are arranged so as to be connected by the fan shroud 4 .
  • FIG. 4 a vehicle heat exchanger assembly in accordance with a second embodiment will now be explained.
  • the parts of the second embodiment that are identical to the parts of the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals as the parts of the first embodiment.
  • the descriptions of the parts of the second embodiment that are identical to the parts of the first embodiment may be omitted for the sake of brevity.
  • the second embodiment shows another example of the fan shroud portion in the first embodiment
  • FIG. 4 is a front view showing the fan shroud part of the vehicle heat exchanger assembly of the second example.
  • the vehicle heat exchanger assembly of the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment described above in that the portion around a circular ventilating aperture 47 for directing air blown by the motor fan is blocked by a panel member 48 inside the frame of the enclosing wall part 41 in the fan shroud 4 .
  • the interior of the enclosing wall part 41 of the fan shroud 4 has the same size and shape as the first embodiment on the upstream and downstream sides of the ventilating aperture 47 .
  • the airflow resistance in the fan shroud 4 is slightly increased in the effect (1) of the first embodiment, but the following effect can be obtained in addition to the same effect as the first embodiment.
  • FIGS. 5 to 7 a vehicle heat exchanger assembly in accordance with a third embodiment will now be explained.
  • the parts of the third embodiment that are identical to the parts of the second embodiment will be given the same reference numerals as the parts of the second embodiment.
  • the descriptions of the parts of the third embodiment that are identical to the parts of the second embodiment may be omitted for the sake of brevity.
  • the third embodiment shows a modified example of the fan shroud portion in the second embodiment.
  • FIG. 5 is a front view showing the fan shroud part of the vehicle heat exchanger assembly of the third embodiment.
  • FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along the line 6 - 6 of FIG. 5 .
  • FIG. 7 is a perspective view as seen from the rear of a vehicle and shows the main part of the third embodiment.
  • Flow from the condenser 1 side to the radiator 2 side is allowed in the four corners in portions other the ventilating aperture 47 in the panel member 48 of the fan shroud 4 , but the vehicle heat exchanger assembly of the third embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that a communication aperture 50 has a non-return valve 49 that prevents backflow from the radiator 2 side to the condenser 1 side.
  • the ventilating aperture 47 for directing air blown from the motor fan 3 is disposed substantially in the center of the panel member 48 that blocks the area within the frame of the enclosing wall part 41 in the fan shroud 4 , and the communication aperture 50 is disposed in each of the four corners away from the ventilating aperture 47 in the panel member 48 .
  • the non-return valve 49 blocking the communication aperture 50 from the radiator 2 side is provided to the upper-side aperture edge part of each communication aperture 50 and is capable of rotating about the center of a hinge part 51 formed in the upper-side aperture edge part.
  • the non-return valve 49 has a bottom plate part 49 b that folds toward the communication apertures 50 in the lower edge part of the bottom plate part 49 b which has a width sufficient to close off the communication aperture 50 .
  • Left and right sidewall parts 49 c , 49 c for blocking a triangular portion formed by a line connecting the upper end of a plate-shaped flap 49 a and the distal ends of the bottom plate part 49 b are formed in the left and right edge parts of the bottom plate part 49 b and the plate-shaped flap 49 a.
  • the configuration described above produces a state in which the communication aperture 50 is blocked by the weight of the non-return valve 49 , as shown by the solid line representation in FIG. 6 , when the vehicle is stopped or idling, and the heated air of the radiator 2 side is prevented from flowing to the condenser 1 side. Reduction in the cooling efficiency of the condenser 1 can thereby be prevented.
  • the non-return valve 49 is opened to the radiator 2 side by the pressure of travel-induced airflow, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 6 , when the vehicle is traveling. Therefore, the travel-induced airflow passed through to the radiator 2 side with good efficiency. Cooling efficiency of the radiator 2 can thereby be improved.
  • the examples describe a case in which the first heat exchanger is a condenser and the second heat exchanger is a radiator, but the first heat exchanger may be a radiator and the second heat exchanger may be a condenser.
  • the heat exchangers may both be radiators or another heat exchanger. In such instances it is sometimes the case that, when a second heat exchanger is disposed at least on the downstream side, in a hybrid automobile that is operated using an engine and an electric motor as power sources, the temperature of the cooling medium in the heat exchanger on the engine side is lower than in the heat exchanger for cooling the inverter on the electric motor side during engine idling while the vehicle is stopped or during travel at very low speed.
  • an inverter In an electric automobile, there is no engine power source and therefore no radiator, but an inverter is used because the vehicle is operated by an electric motor as the power source. In such cases, for example, a heat exchanger for cooling the inverter, and a condenser for the air conditioner must be arranged.
  • the second heat exchanger is preferably arranged on the downstream side as the heat exchanger having less cooling capacity than the first heat exchanger.
  • extension parts and pawl parts formed in the enclosing wall part of the fan shroud may be provided so as to conform to a portion of the inlet pipe and outlet pipe of the heat exchangers as required.
  • the term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps.
  • the foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and their derivatives.
  • the terms “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member” or “element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Air-Conditioning For Vehicles (AREA)
  • Cooling, Air Intake And Gas Exhaust, And Fuel Tank Arrangements In Propulsion Units (AREA)
US13/096,364 2010-06-15 2011-04-28 Vehicle heat exchanger assembly Abandoned US20110303395A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2010136468A JP2012001060A (ja) 2010-06-15 2010-06-15 車両用熱交換器
JP2010-136468 2010-06-15

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Cited By (7)

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US20120163055A1 (en) * 2010-12-23 2012-06-28 Lewei Qian Method for regulating temperature of transistor-based component
US20140273800A1 (en) * 2013-03-14 2014-09-18 Mitek Holdings, Inc. Fan array backflow preventer
FR3077623A1 (fr) * 2018-02-07 2019-08-09 Valeo Systemes Thermiques Dispositif de regulation d’un flux d’air
US20210332737A1 (en) * 2020-04-23 2021-10-28 Clark Equipment Company Identification and reduction of backflow suction in cooling systems
US20210339617A1 (en) * 2018-08-28 2021-11-04 Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Battery pack arrangement structure
CN116529549A (zh) * 2020-12-03 2023-08-01 摩丁制造公司 热交换器模块
US11781563B1 (en) 2022-05-20 2023-10-10 Hudson Products Corporation Air-cooled heat exchanger with X-brace drive

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FR3085891B1 (fr) * 2018-09-17 2022-09-02 Valeo Systemes Thermiques Module d’echange thermique pour vehicule automobile
JP7522674B2 (ja) * 2021-02-03 2024-07-25 株式会社ミツバ ファンシュラウド及び送風装置
CN114396335B (zh) * 2022-01-04 2022-12-23 东风汽车集团股份有限公司 用于车辆的护风罩和风扇总成

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US6702552B1 (en) * 1999-11-25 2004-03-09 Jayden David Harman Impeller having blade(s) conforming to the golden section of a logarithmic curve
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Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20120163055A1 (en) * 2010-12-23 2012-06-28 Lewei Qian Method for regulating temperature of transistor-based component
US8982586B2 (en) * 2010-12-23 2015-03-17 Caterpillar Inc. Method for regulating temperature of transistor-based component
US20140273800A1 (en) * 2013-03-14 2014-09-18 Mitek Holdings, Inc. Fan array backflow preventer
US9605868B2 (en) * 2013-03-14 2017-03-28 Mitek Holdings, Inc. Fan array backflow preventer
FR3077623A1 (fr) * 2018-02-07 2019-08-09 Valeo Systemes Thermiques Dispositif de regulation d’un flux d’air
US20210339617A1 (en) * 2018-08-28 2021-11-04 Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Battery pack arrangement structure
US11685249B2 (en) * 2018-08-28 2023-06-27 Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Battery pack arrangement structure
US20210332737A1 (en) * 2020-04-23 2021-10-28 Clark Equipment Company Identification and reduction of backflow suction in cooling systems
US11674432B2 (en) * 2020-04-23 2023-06-13 Clark Equipment Company Identification and reduction of backflow suction in cooling systems
CN116529549A (zh) * 2020-12-03 2023-08-01 摩丁制造公司 热交换器模块
US11781563B1 (en) 2022-05-20 2023-10-10 Hudson Products Corporation Air-cooled heat exchanger with X-brace drive

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JP2012001060A (ja) 2012-01-05

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