Egr cooler and vehicle waste heat recovery device

Abstract

An EGR cooler (1) which exchanges heat between exhaust gas and cooling water via a tube by flowing the exhaust gas in the tube, the EGR cooler (1) having a gas inlet portion (20), a gas outlet portion, a water inlet portion, and a water outlet portion (50). The water outlet portion (50) has a main body portion (53) which forms a water outlet passage (52) through which the cooling water passes, and a blocking portion (54) which extends from the main body portion (53) on a side closer to the water inlet portion than the water outlet passage (52) in a direction away from the water inlet portion.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an EGR cooler and a vehicle waste heat recovery device. BACKGROUND

[0002] According to Patent Literature 1 and the like, an EGR cooler that cools exhaust gas of an automobile or the like is known.

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0004] PATENT LITERATURE

[0005] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-128611 SUMMARY

[0006] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] The EGR cooler described in Patent Literature 1 improves the cooling efficiency by making the cooling water flow evenly on the outer surface side of the flat tube through which the exhaust gas passes at the inlet of the cooling water.

[0008] However, with the structure of Patent Literature 1, even though it is possible to improve the cooling efficiency in the vicinity of the inlet of the cooling water, there is room for improvement in terms of improving the overall cooling efficiency of the EGR cooler.

[0009] Therefore, the present application provides an EGR cooler and a vehicle waste heat recovery device that improve the overall cooling efficiency.

[0010] MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0011] An EGR cooler according to an aspect of the present application,

[0012] has a plurality of tubes inside which exhaust gas flows, and a housing that houses the tubes,

[0013] by making cooling water flow inside the housing, thereby performing heat exchange between the exhaust gas and the cooling water via the tubes,

[0014] The EGR cooler has:

[0015] a gas inlet portion that introduces the exhaust gas to the tubes;

[0016] a gas outlet portion that discharges the exhaust gas from the tubes;

[0017] a water inlet portion that introduces the cooling water to the housing; and

[0018] a water outlet portion that discharges the cooling water from the housing,

[0019] The water outlet portion has:

[0020] a main portion that forms a water outlet passage through which the cooling water passes; and

[0021] a blocking portion that extends from the main portion on a side closer to the water inlet portion than the water outlet passage in a direction away from the water inlet portion.

[0022] An aspect of the vehicle waste heat recovery device of the present application,

[0023] has a plurality of tubes inside which exhaust gas flows, and a housing that accommodates the tubes,

[0024] by causing cooling water to flow inside the housing, thereby performing heat exchange between the exhaust gas and the cooling water via the tubes,

[0025] The vehicle waste heat recovery device has:

[0026] a gas inlet portion that introduces the exhaust gas to the tubes;

[0027] a gas outlet portion that discharges the exhaust gas from the tubes;

[0028] a water inlet portion that introduces the cooling water to the housing; and

[0029] a water outlet portion that discharges the cooling water from the housing,

[0030] The water outlet portion has:

[0031] a main portion that forms a water outlet passage through which the cooling water passes; and

[0032] a blocking portion that extends from the main portion on a side closer to the water inlet portion than the water outlet passage in a direction away from the water inlet portion.

[0033] Inventive Effects

[0034] According to the present application, an EGR cooler and a vehicle waste heat recovery device that improve overall cooling efficiency are provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an EGR cooler according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the EGR cooler.

[0037] Figure 3is a sectional view of the EGR cooler as viewed from above.

[0038] Figure 4 is Figure 3 a sectional view of the IV-IV section in

[0039] Figure 5 is Figure 3 a sectional view of the V-V section in

[0040] Figure 6 is Figure 5 an enlarged view of the VI section in

[0041] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the additional member.

[0042] Figure 8 is a plan view showing the additional member of the EGR cooler to which the first modification of the present application is applied.

[0043] Figure 9 is a plan view showing the additional member of the EGR cooler to which the second modification of the present application is applied.

[0044] Explanation of symbols

[0045] 1 EGR cooler

[0046] 10 heat exchange portion

[0047] 11 pipe

[0048] 12 housing

[0049] 13 dimple

[0050] 14 front end plate

[0051] 15 rear end plate

[0052] 16 assembly hole

[0053] 20 gas inlet portion

[0054] 30 gas outlet portion

[0055] 40 water inlet portion

[0056] 50 water outlet portion

[0057] 51 additional member

[0058] 52 water outlet passage

[0059] 53 main body portion

[0060] 54 stop portion

[0061] 55 vertical wall portion

[0062] 56 elongated wall portion

[0063] A front upper region DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, for parts having the same reference numerals as those already explained in the explanation of the embodiment, the explanation thereof will be omitted for the sake of convenience of explanation. In addition, the dimensions of the respective parts shown in the accompanying drawings are sometimes different from the actual dimensions of the respective parts for the sake of convenience of explanation.

[0065] In addition, in the explanation of the present embodiment, "left-right direction", "front-rear direction", and "up-down direction" are appropriately mentioned for the sake of convenience of explanation. Here, the "up-down direction" is a direction including "up direction" and "down direction". The "front-rear direction" is a direction including "front direction" and "rear direction". The "left-right direction" is a direction including "left direction" and "right direction". The symbol U shown in the drawings explained below indicates the up direction. The symbol D indicates the down direction. The symbol F indicates the front direction. The symbol B indicates the rear direction. The symbol L indicates the left direction. The symbol R indicates the right direction. In addition, when the EGR cooler is mounted to a vehicle, these directions are not limited to coincide with the respective directions set for the vehicle.

[0066] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the EGR cooler 1 to which the present embodiment is applied. As shown in Figure 1 , the EGR cooler 1 has a heat exchange portion 10, a gas inlet portion 20 through which exhaust gas is introduced to the heat exchange portion 10, a gas outlet portion 30 through which the exhaust gas is discharged from the heat exchange portion 10, a water inlet portion 40 through which cooling water is introduced to the heat exchange portion 10, and a water outlet portion 50 through which the cooling water is discharged from the heat exchange portion 10 (see Figure 2 ).

[0067] In the example shown in Figure 1 , hot exhaust gas flows into the heat exchange portion 10 from the front through the gas inlet portion 20, exchanges heat with the cooling water inside the heat exchange portion 10, and the cooled exhaust gas is discharged from the heat exchange portion 10 to the rear through the gas outlet portion 30. In addition, cold cooling water flows into the heat exchange portion 10 from the lower side through the water inlet portion 40 of the rear portion of the heat exchange portion 10, exchanges heat with the exhaust gas inside the heat exchange portion 10, and the heated cooling water is discharged from the heat exchange portion 10 to the lower side through the water outlet portion 50 of the front portion of the heat exchange portion 10. The illustrated EGR cooler 1 is a so-called opposed flow type EGR cooler, that is, in the heat exchange portion 10, the flow direction of the exhaust gas and the flow direction of the cooling water are opposite to each other.

[0068] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the EGR cooler 1. As shown in Figure 2As shown, the heat exchange portion 10 has a plurality of tubes 11 and a housing 12 that houses the tubes 11. The tubes 11 are flat and hollow plate-like members that are long in the front-rear direction. Exhaust gas flows inside the tubes 11. Cooling water flows inside the housing 12 in the spaces between the tubes 11. Fins 17 are provided inside the tubes 11 to assist heat exchange between the exhaust gas and the cooling water. Indentations 13 are provided on the outer surfaces of the tubes 11 to cause turbulence in the cooling water and promote heat exchange.

[0069] The housing 12 is a square tubular member that is long in the front-rear direction. A front end plate 14 is attached to the end of the housing 12 in the front direction. A rear end plate 15 is attached to the end of the housing 12 in the rear direction. A gas inlet portion 20 is attached to the housing 12 via the front end plate 14. A gas outlet portion 30 is attached to the housing 12 via the rear end plate 15. The tubes 11 are attached to these front end plate 14 and rear end plate 15.

[0070] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the EGR cooler 1 as viewed from above. Figure 4 is Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the IV-IV section of Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the plurality of tubes 11 are arranged in the left-right direction inside the housing 12. Openings 14a are provided in the front end plate 14 at positions corresponding to the openings of the tubes 11, and exhaust gas can be introduced into the tubes 11. Openings are provided in the rear end plate 15 at positions corresponding to the openings of the tubes 11, and exhaust gas can be discharged from the tubes 11 to the outside. The spaces between the openings 14a of the front end plate 14 and the spaces between the openings of the rear end plate 15 are closed, and a sealed space is formed between the housing 12, the tubes 11, the front end plate 14, and the rear end plate 15. Cooling water flows in this sealed space.

[0071] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the V-V section in Figure 3 In the present embodiment, a water inlet portion 40 and a water outlet portion 50 are provided in the lower surface of the housing 12. Figure 6 is Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the VI portion of Figure 6 As shown, in the present embodiment, the water outlet portion 50 is formed as an additional member 51 that is attached to the housing 12. This additional member 51 has a main body portion 53 that forms a water outlet passage 52 through which cooling water passes, and a blocking portion 54 that extends from the main body portion 53 on the side closer to the water inlet portion 40 in a direction away from the water inlet portion 40.

[0072] However, in general, fluid flows from the inlet to the outlet in the shortest distance. Therefore, in a case where the present embodiment is different and a cooling water does not flow linearly from the water inlet portion toward the water outlet portion but a blocking portion is not provided, the cooling water easily stagnates in the vicinity of the front upper region inside the housing. If the cooling water stagnates, heat exchange between the cooling water and the exhaust gas is difficult in this region, and it is difficult to improve the cooling efficiency as a whole of the EGR cooler.

[0073] However, according to the EGR cooler 1 related to the present embodiment, the blocking portion 54 is provided at the water outlet portion 50, and the blocking portion 54 extends from the main body portion 53 on the side closer to the water inlet portion 40 than the water outlet passage 52 toward the direction away from the water inlet portion 40. Therefore, the blocking portion 54 blocks the flow of the cooling water that tries to flow directly from the water inlet portion 40 to the water outlet portion 50.

[0074] As Figure 6 indicated, the cooling water Y1 blocked by the blocking portion 54 is turned back along the blocking portion 54 to a position further forward than the water outlet passage 52, collides with the front end plate 14 to change the direction downward, and further collides with the lower surface of the housing 12 to change the direction to the front direction and then is discharged to the outside through the water outlet passage 52. The cooling water Y1 flowing in this way of turning around the blocking portion 54 entrains the cooling water Y2 in the vicinity of the front upper region A inside the housing 12 and flows. Therefore, by providing the blocking portion 54, the cooling water can flow widely inside the housing 12. Thus, the flow of the cooling water is also generated in the "portion where the cooling water easily stagnates" which is the front upper region A inside the housing 12 away from the water inlet portion 40 and the water outlet portion 50, and it is possible to cool the exhaust gas using the portion that has conventionally contributed to the heat exchange to a low degree, and the cooling efficiency as a whole of the EGR cooler 1 is improved.

[0075] In the EGR cooler 1 of the present embodiment, the water outlet portion 50 is provided at a position closer to the gas inlet portion 20 than the water inlet portion 40, and the blocking portion 54 extends toward the gas inlet portion 20. That is, the EGR cooler 1 of the present embodiment is of the opposed flow type.

[0076] In the case of the EGR cooler 1 of the opposed flow type, the hot exhaust gas that is not cooled is blown to the vicinity of the gas inlet portion 20. Therefore, the pipe 11 in the vicinity of the gas inlet portion 20 easily becomes high temperature. In the EGR cooler 1 of the present embodiment, the portion of the pipe 11 that easily becomes high temperature can be cooled by the cooling water that flows in the way of turning around the vicinity of the gas inlet portion 20 due to the blocking portion 54 extending toward the gas inlet portion 20. Therefore, the present embodiment is suitable for the EGR cooler 1 of the opposed flow type.

[0077] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the attachment 51. As Figure 7As shown, an upwardly extending vertical wall portion 55 and an extended wall portion 56 are provided on the upper surface 53a of the main body portion 53 of the attachment 51. The vertical wall portion 55 extends in the left-right direction. The extended wall portion 56 extends forward from the right and left ends of the vertical wall portion 55. The vertical wall portion 55 prevents cooling water flowing from the water inlet portion 40 along the lower surface of the housing 12 and changes its flow upward. The extended wall portion 56 prevents cooling water flowing from the rear to the front from flowing from the left and right sides of the vertical wall portion 55 to the water outlet channel 52.

[0078] A blocking portion 54 is provided on the upper surface of the vertical wall portion 55 and the extended wall portion 56. The blocking portion 54 is plate-shaped and extends in both the front-back and left-right directions. The blocking portion 54 is a generally rectangular portion that is longer in the left-right direction. In the front end (end) of the blocking portion 54, the central portion 54a in the left-right direction extends the longest to the side opposite to the water inlet portion 40, and the two end portions 54b in the left-right direction are shorter than the central portion 54a. The front end of the blocking portion 54 extends to a position that covers at least a portion of the water outlet channel 52.

[0079] like Figure 7 As shown, in the EGR cooler 1 of this embodiment, the water outlet 50 has: a vertical wall portion 55 that protrudes from the main body portion 53, which is closer to the water inlet portion 40 than the water outlet channel 52, toward the interior of the housing 12; and a blocking portion 54 that extends from the end of the vertical wall portion 55 toward the direction away from the water inlet portion 40.

[0080] With this structure, the cooling water can be redirected to a location away from the water outlet 50 via the vertical wall portion 55 and the blocking portion 54, allowing the cooling water to flow more extensively throughout the casing 12. This enables the EGR cooler 1 to achieve higher cooling efficiency.

[0081] In addition, such as Figure 7 As shown, in the EGR cooler 1 of this embodiment, the water outlet 50 has a vertical wall portion 55 and an extended wall portion 56. The vertical wall portion 55 protrudes from the main body portion 53, which is closer to the water inlet portion 40 than the water outlet channel 52, toward the interior of the housing 12, and extends in such a way as to block the water inlet portion 40 from the water outlet channel 52. The extended wall portion 56 extends from both ends of the vertical wall portion 55 in a direction away from the water inlet portion 40.

[0082] With this structure, the cooling water can flow away from the lower side of the housing 12 by the blocking part 54, and the cooling water can flow away from the water outlet part 50 by the extended wall part 56. This allows the cooling water to circulate more widely and flow more extensively throughout the housing 12. Therefore, an EGR cooler 1 with higher cooling efficiency can be achieved.

[0083] In addition, such asFigure 6 and Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 1, in the EGR cooler 1 of the present embodiment, the blocking portion 54 is provided on the inner side of the housing 12. As compared with a case where the blocking portion 54 is provided on the outer side of the housing 12, it is possible to configure the EGR cooler 1 to be small-sized.

[0084] Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the EGR cooler 1 of the present embodiment, the blocking portion 54 extends in the space between the inner surface of the housing 12 and the tube 11. Figure 6 Figure 7 Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the EGR cooler 1 of the present embodiment, the blocking portion 54 extends in the space between the inner surface of the housing 12 and the tube 11.

[0085] According to such a configuration, it is possible to make the cooling water flowing from the water inlet portion 40 along the lower surface of the housing 12 flow toward the tube 11 in which heat exchange is performed, and it is possible to further improve the cooling efficiency.

[0086] Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the EGR cooler 1 of the present embodiment, the blocking portion 54 extends in the space between the inner surface of the housing 12 and the tube 11. Figure 7 Figure 6 Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the EGR cooler 1 of the present embodiment, the blocking portion 54 extends in the space between the inner surface of the housing 12 and the tube 11.

[0087] Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the EGR cooler 1 of the present embodiment, the blocking portion 54 extends in the space between the inner surface of the housing 12 and the tube 11.

[0088] Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the EGR cooler 1 of the present embodiment, the blocking portion 54 extends in the space between the inner surface of the housing 12 and the tube 11. Figure 7 Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the EGR cooler 1 of the present embodiment, the blocking portion 54 extends in the space between the inner surface of the housing 12 and the tube 11.

[0089] Figure 3 Generally, in the cross section shown in FIG. 1, the flow rate of the cooling water flowing in the central region in the left-right direction within the housing 12 is greater than the flow rate of the cooling water flowing in the left region and the right region in the left-right direction within the housing 12. By making the central portion 54a of the end of the blocking portion 54 extend the longest toward the side opposite to the water inlet portion 40, it is possible to make the cooling water of the central region difficult to flow, and to make the cooling water of the left region and the right region easy to flow, thereby making the flow of the cooling water within the housing 12 more uniform.

[0090] Further, the shape of the additional member 51 is not limited to the shape described in the above-described embodiments. Figure 8 ​​​This is a top view showing the attachment 151 of the EGR cooler according to the first variation of the present invention. Figure 9 This is a top view showing the attachment 251 of the EGR cooler according to the second variation of the present invention.

[0091] like Figure 8 As shown, the blocking portion 154 of the attachment 151 can also be a shape combining a rectangle and a semicircle when viewed from above. A vertical wall portion 155 is provided at the upper part of the figure, and a blocking portion 154 extending from the vertical wall portion 155 toward the gas inlet portion 20 (lower part of the figure) is provided. In this case, the central portion 154a at the left-right direction of the end portion of the blocking portion 154 also extends longer toward the gas inlet portion 20 compared to the two end portions 154b.

[0092] like Figure 9 As shown, the blocking portion 254 of the attachment 251 can also be formed as a trapezoid when viewed from above. A vertical wall portion 255 is provided in the upper part of the figure, and a blocking portion 254 is provided extending from the vertical wall portion 255 toward the gas inlet portion 20 (lower part of the figure). In this case, the central portion 254a of the end portion of the blocking portion 254 in the left-right direction also extends longer toward the gas inlet portion 20 than the end portion 254b.

[0093] Furthermore, while the above embodiments described an example of applying the present invention to an EGR cooler, the present invention can also be applied to waste heat recovery devices for vehicles. A waste heat recovery device for a vehicle refers to a component mounted on a vehicle, also known as a heat collector. It is used to exchange heat between exhaust gas and cooling water, and to utilize the heated cooling water to heat the engine to improve fuel efficiency, etc. Such a waste heat recovery device for a vehicle also includes pipes, a housing, etc., and can be constructed in the same manner as described above.

[0094] This application appropriately incorporates the disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-183825, filed on November 2, 2020.

Claims

1. An EGR cooler, characterized in that, It comprises: a plurality of pipes in which exhaust gas flows; and a housing that accommodates the pipes. By circulating cooling water within the housing, heat exchange occurs between the exhaust gas and the cooling water via the pipes. The EGR cooler has: A gas inlet section, wherein the gas inlet section introduces the waste gas into the pipe; A gas outlet section, wherein the waste gas is discharged from the pipe; A water inlet portion is provided, which introduces the cooling water into the housing; as well as A water outlet section discharges the cooling water from the housing. The water outlet section has: The main body portion, which forms a water outlet channel for the cooling water to pass through; and A blocking part extends from the main body portion, on a side closer to the water inlet portion than the water outlet channel, in a direction away from the water inlet portion. The blocking part extends in a manner facing the water outlet channel. The central portion of the end of the blocking part, corresponding to the water outlet channel, extends further to the side opposite to the water inlet portion than the end of the blocking part.

2. The EGR cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water outlet is located closer to the gas inlet than the water inlet. The blocking part extends toward the gas inlet.

3. The EGR cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water outlet section has: A vertical wall portion protrudes from the main body portion toward the interior of the housing on a side closer to the water inlet portion than the water outlet channel; as well as The blocking portion extends from the end of the vertical wall portion in a direction away from the water inlet portion.

4. The EGR cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water outlet section has: A vertical wall portion protrudes from the main body portion toward the interior of the housing on a side closer to the water inlet portion than the water outlet channel, extending in such a way as to block the water inlet portion and the water outlet channel; as well as An extended wall portion extends from both ends of the vertical wall portion toward a direction away from the water inlet portion.

5. The EGR cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blocking part is disposed on the inner side of the housing.

6. The EGR cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blocking part extends into the space between the inner surface of the housing and the tube.

7. The EGR cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, Assembly holes are formed in the housing. The main body is assembled into the assembly hole.

8. A waste heat recovery device for vehicles, characterized in that, It comprises: a plurality of pipes in which exhaust gas flows; and a housing that accommodates the pipes. By circulating cooling water within the housing, heat exchange occurs between the exhaust gas and the cooling water via the pipes. The waste heat recovery unit for vehicles has the following features: A gas inlet section, wherein the gas inlet section introduces the waste gas into the pipe; A gas outlet section, wherein the waste gas is discharged from the pipe; A water inlet portion is provided, which introduces the cooling water into the housing; as well as A water outlet section discharges the cooling water from the housing. The water outlet section has: The main body portion, which forms a water outlet channel for the cooling water to pass through; and A blocking part extends from the main body portion, on a side closer to the water inlet portion than the water outlet channel, in a direction away from the water inlet portion. The blocking part extends in a manner facing the water outlet channel. The central portion of the end of the blocking part, corresponding to the water outlet channel, extends further to the side opposite to the water inlet portion than the end of the blocking part.

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