Heat exchanger for heating a cryogenic fluid and method for producing design data and production of the heat exchanger

The heat exchanger with a helically wound cryogenic fluid tube and varying coil density addresses freezing issues and external dimension constraints, ensuring efficient heating and cost-effective adaptation to different applications in hydrogen-powered vehicles.

EP4700315A1Pending Publication Date: 2026-02-25CRYOMOTIVE GMBH
View PDF 8 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
EP2024195500
Authority / Receiving Office
EP · EP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-08-20
Publication Date
2026-02-25

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional heat exchangers used for heating cryogenic fluids in hydrogen-powered vehicles face issues such as rapid heat transfer leading to freezing of the heat transfer fluid, which can cause the exchanger to ice up, and require modifications to external dimensions for performance adjustments.

Method used

A heat exchanger design featuring a helically wound cryogenic fluid tube with varying coil density and a core wall within the flow channel, allowing for tailored heat transfer without changing the external dimensions, and enabling efficient heating of cryogenic hydrogen while preventing the heat transfer fluid from freezing.

Benefits of technology

The design ensures efficient heat transfer with minimal manufacturing effort, maintains compatibility with existing systems, and allows for performance adjustments without altering the external geometry, thus reducing production costs and enabling flexible adaptation to various applications.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure IMGAF001_ABST
    Figure IMGAF001_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

A heat exchanger is provided for heating a cryogenic fluid. The heat exchanger comprises a flow channel for conveying a heat transfer fluid and a cryogenic fluid tube for conveying the cryogenic fluid. The cryogenic fluid tube is helically wound and extends within the flow channel for the heat transfer fluid. A special feature of the heat exchanger is that the winding density of the cryogenic fluid tube varies along the flow channel.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heat exchanger for heating a cryogenic fluid, a hydrogen supply system for supplying hydrogen to a hydrogen combustion engine and / or a fuel cell of a motor vehicle, a motor vehicle, a computer-implemented method for generating design data for manufacturing a heat exchanger, and a method for manufacturing a heat exchanger. The disclosure thus lies in the field of supplying hydrogen consumers of a motor vehicle with hydrogen.

[0002] For supplying hydrogen consumers in a hydrogen-powered vehicle, the hydrogen carried on board can be stored in the form of cryogenically compressed hydrogen. This can be stored in a vehicle-integrated cryogenic pressure tank. Before the hydrogen is supplied to the intended consumer, such as a fuel cell and / or a hydrogen combustion engine, it often needs to be heated. For this purpose, it is common to use heat exchangers, such as an external heat exchanger (oHex) of a cryogenic pressure tank. As described in DE 10 2008 028 728, a problem arises when heating extremely cold media: the heat transfer fluid, which in the case of a truck is usually a water-glycol mixture, can freeze if the heat transfer is too rapid, and the heat exchanger can consequently ice up.

[0003] DE 10 2008 028 728 proposes a solution using a solid-material heat exchanger with a variable (conical) bore and a core inserted into this bore. The heat exchanger can be designed for the desired performance profile by adjusting the external dimensions of the heat exchanger and the variable bore and the core inserted within it.

[0004] Furthermore, US patent 2024 / 0175548 A1 discloses an evaporator through which a liquid heat transfer medium and a stream of liquid hydrogen can flow to vaporize the liquid hydrogen. The evaporator has a spiral tube through which the hydrogen can flow, and the heat transfer medium can flow around the spiral tube.

[0005] The underlying objective is to enrich the state of the art and avoid the disadvantages of conventional heat exchangers.

[0006] The problem is solved by a heat exchanger for heating a cryogenic fluid, a hydrogen supply system for supplying hydrogen to a hydrogen combustion engine and / or a fuel cell of a motor vehicle, a motor vehicle, a computer-implemented method for generating design data for manufacturing a heat exchanger, and a method for manufacturing a heat exchanger with the features of the respective independent claims. Optional embodiments are specified in the dependent claims and in the description.

[0007] A heat exchanger is provided for heating a cryogenically cooled fluid. The heat exchanger includes a flow channel for guiding a heat transfer fluid. Furthermore, the heat exchanger includes a cryogenic fluid tube for guiding the cryogenic fluid, the cryogenic fluid tube being helically wound and extending within the flow channel. The coil density of the cryogenic fluid tube varies along the flow channel.

[0008] A heat exchanger is a device for transferring heat from one fluid flow through the heat exchanger to another fluid flow through the heat exchanger, or from an external medium to a fluid flow through the heat exchanger, or from a fluid flow through the heat exchanger to an external medium. One of the fluid flows through the heat exchanger is a flow of cryofluid, which may contain or consist of hydrogen. The heat exchanger can serve to transfer heat from a heat transfer fluid also flowing through the heat exchanger to the cryofluid, thereby heating the cryofluid. The heat exchanger can be designed as an immersion heat exchanger. This means that during operation of the heat exchanger, the cryofluid tube is surrounded by the heat transfer fluid in the flow channel.

[0009] A cryofluid is a very cold fluid. It can be in liquid and / or gaseous form. Optionally, the cryofluid can be cryogenic hydrogen.

[0010] Cryogenic hydrogen is hydrogen at extremely low temperatures. The temperature of cryogenic hydrogen can be 100 K or less. Specifically, the output of cryogenic hydrogen can include liquid hydrogen and / or gaseous hydrogen under high pressure and / or cryogenically compressed hydrogen (CcH2), gaseous hydrogen under pressure between 1 bar and approximately 500 bar at cryogenic temperatures between 30 K and approximately 200 K.

[0011] A cryofluid tube can be a conduit designed to convey the cryofluid through the heat exchanger. The cross-sectional area of ​​the cryofluid tube, available for the flow of the cryofluid, is called the flow cross-section. The fact that the cryofluid tube is helically wound means that it extends along a helix. This helical shape is synonymous with the tube's spiral form. The turn density is a measure of the period of a helical turn. The higher the turn density, the shorter the period of the helical turn along the longitudinal axis of the helical structure or the flow channel in which the cryofluid tube is located.

[0012] A flow channel can be a conduit designed to guide the heat transfer fluid through the heat exchanger. The cryogenic fluid tube can be located within the flow channel. The flow channel can have a significantly larger diameter and / or flow cross-section than the cryogenic fluid tube. Optionally, the diameter and / or flow cross-section of the flow channel can be at least ten times, and optionally at least 20 times, larger than the diameter and / or flow cross-section of the cryogenic fluid tube. The flow cross-section of the flow channel is defined as the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow channel available for the flow of the heat transfer fluid.

[0013] A cryogenic pressure tank is a tank designed to store cryogenic or cryogenically compressed hydrogen at a supercritical pressure, allowing the hydrogen to be extracted from the tank in a controlled manner to supply one or more consumers. Further characteristics that a cryogenic pressure tank may possess are described, for example, in WO 2013 / 143773 A1. In particular, a cryogenic pressure tank can be a tank suitable and / or designed for storing cryogenically compressed gaseous hydrogen under high pressure. A cryogenic pressure tank can also be referred to as a CcH₂ CRYOGAS tank.

[0014] A hydrogen supply system can be a system for supplying hydrogen from a cryogenic pressure tank to a consumer. The cryogenic pressure tank does not necessarily have to be part of the hydrogen supply system. The hydrogen supply system can include lines and / or pumps and / or valves to convey the hydrogen through one or more heat exchangers of the hydrogen supply system and / or to the supply line and / or to the consumer.

[0015] A motor vehicle can be configured as a hydrogen-powered vehicle. The vehicle can have one or more hydrogen consumers, such as one or more hydrogen combustion engines and / or one or more fuel cells. The vehicle can be configured as a commercial vehicle. The vehicle can be single-track, two-track, or multi-track. The vehicle can be configured as a motorcycle, passenger car, light truck, van, lorry, coach, agricultural machine, construction machine, locomotive, watercraft (optionally a boat or ship), and / or aircraft (optionally an airplane, helicopter, or multicopter).The motor vehicle can optionally be designed in such a way that a coolant of the motor vehicle, which is provided for cooling the hydrogen combustion engine and / or at least one of the fuel cells, is used as the heat transfer fluid.

[0016] This design offers the advantage that varying the coil density allows heat transfer along the flow channel to be tailored to a specific application, reliably preventing the heat transfer fluid from freezing. In particular, this avoids excessive heat transfer when the cryofluid enters the cryofluid tube, despite the very low temperature of the cryofluid, while still achieving efficient heat transfer along the flow channel.

[0017] Furthermore, the disclosure offers the advantage that the performance profile of the heat exchanger—that is, its configuration for a specific application with predefined boundary conditions—can be individually designed without necessarily having to change the external dimensions and / or design of the heat exchanger. This, in turn, offers the advantage that the external dimensions and design of the heat exchanger, which may be determined by external conditions, can be retained, while internal adjustments, in particular a variation in the winding density of the helical cryofluid tube, allow the heat transfer to be specifically tailored to the boundary conditions, which can also be referred to as the constraints, of the intended application.This can be particularly advantageous because, when the heat exchanger is used in a larger system, such as a motor vehicle, the dimensions and design can be maintained to ensure connection options and utilize the available installation space, while internal variations allow the heat exchanger to be adapted to the intended application. In other words, modifications can be made to the heat exchanger without compromising compatibility with the system into which it is to be installed.Optionally, this also offers the advantage that heat exchangers with different performance profiles can be provided, which do not differ in their external dimensions and designs and especially in their connection options, whereby the different performance profiles can be achieved through internal adjustments, such as different variations of the helically wound cryofluid tube.

[0018] Furthermore, the disclosure offers the advantage that adapting the heat exchanger to a specific application and its associated constraints can be implemented with minimal manufacturing effort. Accordingly, the production costs for the heat exchanger can be kept low. In particular, as disclosed, variable bores are not mandatory for the adaptation, unlike what is conventionally required for solid-material heat exchangers.

[0019] Furthermore, the disclosure offers the advantage that the performance profile and / or dynamics of an existing heat exchanger can be subsequently adapted, for example by modifying the helically wound cryofluid tube, without necessarily having to change the geometry of the installation space or the connection options of the heat exchanger. This allows heat exchangers to be optionally renewed and / or replaced without requiring further modifications to the overall system, such as the vehicle.

[0020] The heat exchanger can be designed as a coflow heat exchanger. This means that the heat transfer fluid and the cryogenic fluid flow in the same direction within the heat exchanger. This can offer the advantage of efficient heat transfer from the heat transfer fluid to the cryogenic fluid, as the temperature difference between the two is at its maximum upon entering the heat exchanger, thus maximizing heat transfer. Furthermore, this maximum temperature difference can effectively prevent the heat transfer fluid from freezing.

[0021] The coil density of the cryogenic fluid tube along the flow channel can vary such that it increases along the direction of flow of the heat transfer fluid. This can offer the advantage that, in the front section of the heat exchanger where the cryogenic fluid enters, the thermal contact area between the heat transfer fluid and the cryogenic fluid is kept small due to the low coil density, while in the rear section of the heat exchanger further downstream, the thermal contact is increased due to the higher coil density.By varying the thermal contact between the heat transfer fluid and the cryofluid, a smaller temperature difference between the heat transfer fluid and the cryofluid in the rear area of ​​the heat exchanger can be at least partially compensated for, thereby achieving a balanced and / or constant heat transfer over the entire length of the flow channel.

[0022] The increase in coil density can be linear with axial position in the flow channel. Alternatively, the increase in coil density can be non-linear. The increase in coil density can be selected depending on the parameters of the intended application or the desired performance profile of the heat exchanger.

[0023] The heat exchanger's flow channel can have a cylindrical shape. Optionally, the heat exchanger can be designed such that the flow channel directs the heat transfer fluid along a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical flow channel. This can enable efficient use of the heat exchanger's installation space.

[0024] The heat exchanger can also include a core wall formed inside the flow channel, which reduces the flow cross-section of the channel. This can offer the advantage of allowing the flow velocity of the heat transfer fluid to be influenced. This can therefore provide an additional degree of freedom for adjusting the heat transfer during the design of the heat exchanger.

[0025] The core wall of the heat exchanger can extend along a longitudinal axis of the flow channel. The core wall can be designed such that it uniformly reduces the flow cross-section of the flow channel over at least a portion of its length, and optionally over its entire length. This can ensure or promote a constant flow velocity of the heat transfer fluid.

[0026] The core wall of the heat exchanger can be designed such that it reduces the flow cross-section of the flow channel in a variable manner over at least a portion of its length and optionally over its entire length. This allows for variation of the flow velocity along the longitudinal axis of the flow channel, thereby providing an additional degree of freedom for adjusting the heat transfer. The reduction of the flow cross-section by the core wall can be progressively increasing or decreasing over at least a portion of the channel's length. It is conceivable that this reduction could optionally be linear.

[0027] The core wall can optionally be solid, meaning it has no internal cavity. Optionally, the core wall can be made of metal, specifically aluminum or steel. Optionally, the core wall can be designed to maximize its heat capacity. This allows the core wall to absorb and release heat, thereby balancing the heat transfer. Alternatively, the core wall can be designed with an internal cavity. Optionally, the core wall can be cylindrical or conical. Optionally, the core wall can have a metal outer shell, optionally aluminum or steel, and be filled with air or evacuated. Optionally, the core wall can be a solid block of material with a cylindrical or conical bore.

[0028] The core wall also offers another way to subsequently adjust the performance profile and / or dynamics of an existing heat exchanger without necessarily having to change the geometry of the installation space or the connection options of the heat exchanger. This allows heat exchangers to be optionally renewed and / or replaced without requiring further modifications to the overall system, such as the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the support plates can be modified to adjust and / or change the performance profile of the heat exchanger.

[0029] The cryofluid can optionally have a temperature of approximately 30 K to approximately 200 K at the inlet.

[0030] The heat transfer fluid can optionally comprise or consist of a mixture of water and glycol. The heat transfer fluid can optionally have a freezing point between approximately 0°C and -40°C or below, and further optionally between -20°C and -30°C. Due to the volume differences between the heat transfer fluid and the cryofluid, with the heat transfer fluid in the flow channel having a significantly larger volume than the cryofluid in the cryofluid tube, freezing of the heat transfer fluid can be avoided even at temperatures of the cryofluid far below the freezing point of the heat transfer fluid.

[0031] The heat exchanger can further comprise one or more support plates that rigidly connect the one or more cryogenic fluid tubes and the core wall to the flow channel. The support plates can have recesses to allow the heat transfer fluid to pass through. Potential vibrations of the cryogenic fluid tubes, which can occur above a certain flow velocity of the cryogenic fluid, can be dampened by a suitable arrangement of the support plates. The design of the recesses in the support plate can be chosen to represent a suitable compromise between vibration damping, mechanical stability of the support plate, and heat exchanger performance for the intended application.

[0032] Furthermore, a hydrogen supply system is provided to supply a hydrogen combustion engine and / or a fuel cell of a motor vehicle with hydrogen. The hydrogen supply system comprises a hydrogen piping system for extracting hydrogen in the form of a cryogenic fluid from a cryogenic tank. The hydrogen supply system also includes a heat exchanger to heat the hydrogen extracted in the form of the cryogenic fluid before supplying the hydrogen combustion engine and / or the fuel cell with hydrogen heated by the heat exchanger.

[0033] All disclosures provided for the heat exchanger are also to be considered disclosed for the hydrogen supply system and vice versa.

[0034] Furthermore, a motor vehicle is provided. The motor vehicle is characterized by the fact that it includes a hydrogen supply system and / or a heat exchanger as disclosed.

[0035] All disclosures provided for the heat exchanger and for the hydrogen supply system are also to be considered disclosed for the motor vehicle and vice versa.

[0036] Furthermore, a computer-implemented method for generating design data for manufacturing a heat exchanger for heating a cryofluid for a predetermined application is provided. The method includes receiving predefined boundary conditions of the predetermined application. These boundary conditions include at least a predefined initial temperature range of the provided cryofluid, a predefined target temperature range of the heated cryofluid, and a predefined temperature range of a heat transfer fluid to be used for heating. The method further includes determining a suitable variation in the winding density of a helically wound cryofluid tube of the heat exchanger such that, under the predefined boundary conditions, the cryofluid is heated to the target temperature range during flow through the cryofluid tube, which runs in a flow channel through which the heat transfer fluid flows.

[0037] Furthermore, a method for manufacturing a heat exchanger based on design data for the heat exchanger, created using the method described above, is provided.

[0038] All disclosures provided for the heat exchanger, the hydrogen supply system and the motor vehicle shall also be considered disclosed for the processes and vice versa.

[0039] The features and embodiments mentioned above and explained below are not only to be regarded as disclosed in the combinations explicitly mentioned, but are also covered by the disclosure content in other technically meaningful combinations and embodiments.

[0040] Further details and advantages will now be explained in more detail using the following examples and optional embodiments with reference to the figures.

[0041] They show: Fig. 1 a heat exchanger according to an optional embodiment, Fig. 2 a heat exchanger according to a further optional embodiment, Fig. 3 a heat exchanger according to a further optional embodiment, Fig. 4 a cross-sectional view of a support plate according to an optional embodiment, Fig. 5 a hydrogen supply system according to an optional embodiment, Fig. 6 a motor vehicle according to an optional embodiment, Fig. 7 a computer-implemented method for generating design data for manufacturing a heat exchanger according to an optional embodiment, and Fig. 8 a method for manufacturing a heat exchanger according to an optional embodiment.

[0042] For the sake of simplicity, identical or similar elements in the various embodiments are designated with the same reference numerals in the following figures.

[0043] Figure 1Figure 1 shows a heat exchanger 1 for heating a cryogenically cooled cryogenic fluid 7 according to an optional embodiment. The heat exchanger 1 comprises a flow channel 2 for guiding a heat transfer fluid 3 and a cryogenic fluid tube 6 for guiding the cryogenic fluid 7. The cryogenic fluid tube 6 is helically wound and extends within the flow channel 2 for the heat transfer fluid 3. The winding density of the cryogenic fluid tube 6 varies along the flow channel 2. The heat transfer fluid 3 can be supplied to the flow channel 2 via an inlet 4 and can exit via an outlet 5. The cryogenic fluid 7 can be supplied to the cryogenic fluid tube 6 via an inlet 8 and can exit via an outlet 9.

[0044] The heat exchanger 1 is designed as an immersion heat exchanger and can also be designed as a direct current heat exchanger.

[0045] The coil density of the cryofluid tube 6 along the flow channel 2 varies such that the coil density increases along a flow direction 10 of the heat transfer fluid 3 in the flow channel 2. The increase in coil density can be linear with an axial position in the flow channel 2.

[0046] The flow channel 2 has a cylindrical shape and the heat exchanger 1 is optionally designed such that the flow channel 2 directs the heat transfer fluid 3 along a longitudinal axis 11 of the cylindrical flow channel 2.

[0047] The heat exchanger 1 also includes a core wall 12, which is formed inside the flow channel 2 and reduces the flow cross-section of the flow channel 2. The core wall 12 extends along the longitudinal axis 11 of the flow channel 2. The core wall 12 is designed such that it reduces the flow cross-section of the flow channel 2 uniformly over at least a portion of its length.

[0048] The heat exchanger 1 can have several support plates 23 to support the flow channel 2.

[0049] Figure 2 shows a heat exchanger 1 according to a further optional embodiment, which in many aspects resembles the heat exchanger 1 according to the one described in Figure 1 The embodiment shown corresponds to the heat exchanger 1 according to the optional embodiment in Figure 2 However, it deviates from the one in Figure 1In the embodiment shown, the core wall 12 is designed such that the core wall 12 reduces the flow cross-section of the flow channel 2 in a variable manner over at least a part of the length of the flow channel 2.

[0050] The heat exchanger 1 is designed such that the reduction of the flow cross-section of the flow channel 2 through the core wall 12 decreases over the entire length of the flow channel 2, and the decrease in the reduction of the flow cross-section is optionally linear.

[0051] The heat transfer fluid 3, which is still very warm in the front section of the flow channel 2, i.e., near the inlet 4, can thus be guided more quickly past the cryogenic fluid line 6, which is still very cold in the front section. This reduces the risk of the heat transfer fluid 3 freezing in the front section, i.e., near the inlet 4.

[0052] According to other embodiments (not shown), the heat exchanger 1 can be designed such that the reduction of the flow cross-section of the flow channel 2 by the core wall 12 is increased over the entire length of the flow channel 2, so that a flow velocity increases along the flow direction 10.

[0053] Figure 3 Figure 1 shows a heat exchanger 1 according to a further optional embodiment. This differs from the one shown in Figure 1. Figure 1In the optional embodiment shown, the heat exchanger 11 features a second cryofluid line or a second cryofluid tube 6a, which is also helically wound and forms a double-helical arrangement with the cryofluid line or cryofluid tube 6. This offers the advantage that the heat exchanger 11 can optionally be operated simultaneously in coflow and counterflow modes. For this purpose, the heat exchanger 11 has a further inlet 8a and a further outlet 9a, so that the cryofluid 7, after flowing through the cryofluid tube 6, can be returned via the second cryofluid tube 6a and can again absorb heat from the heat transfer fluid 3 flowing in the flow channel 2. This enables a greater heat transfer in the heat exchanger 11 without requiring any change in the installation space of the heat exchanger 1.

[0054] For the in Figure 3The depicted heat exchanger 1 offers at least three different operating modes or possibilities. In a first operating mode, the fluids 3, 7 can flow through the heat exchanger 1 in the same direction, e.g., direction 10, in all three fluid lines 2, 6, 6a. In a second operating mode, the cryogenic fluid 7 can flow in the same direction, e.g., direction 10, in both cryogenic fluid tubes 6, 6a, and the heat transfer fluid 3 can flow in the opposite direction, e.g., opposite direction 10, in tube 2. In a third operating mode, the cryogenic fluid 7 can flow in the opposite direction, e.g., opposite direction 10, in both cryogenic fluid tubes 6, 6a. B. in pipe 6 in the direction 10 and in pipe 6a against the direction 10, and the heat transfer fluid 3 can flow in pipe 2 in one of the two aforementioned directions, i.e. e.g. in pipe 2 in the direction 10 or against the direction 10.The two cryofluid lines 6, 6a can therefore be operated in cocurrent or countercurrent flow. The cryofluid 7, heated by the heat exchanger 1, can, for example, be supplied directly to a consumer, e.g., a hydrogen combustion engine 16 and / or a fuel cell 17, or fed into a tank 18 to build up pressure and then (once cooled) be heated again by the heat exchanger 1. It is conceivable to feed the cryofluid 7 directly to the fuel cell 17 after an initial pass through the heat exchanger 1 or, for example, via a suitable three-way valve, to return it through the heat exchanger 1 (then in countercurrent flow) to further heat the cryofluid 7.

[0055] Figure 4 shows a support plate 23 for a heat exchanger 1 according to the in Figures 1 to 3The optional embodiments shown are depicted in a schematic cross-sectional view. The support plate 23 has openings 24 for the cryofluid tubes 6 and 6a, an opening 25 for the core wall 12, and passage openings 26 for the heat transfer fluid 3. The design of the support plate can be influenced by considerations regarding vibration damping, mechanical stability, and the performance of the heat exchanger.

[0056] Figure 5 shows a hydrogen supply system 13 according to an optional embodiment for supplying a hydrogen combustion engine 16 and / or a fuel cell 17 of a motor vehicle 15 (see Figure 6) with hydrogen. The hydrogen supply system 13 comprises a hydrogen piping system 14 for extracting hydrogen in the form of a cryofluid 7 from a cryotank 18 and a heat exchanger 1 for heating the hydrogen extracted in the form of the cryofluid 7 to supply the hydrogen combustion engine 16 and / or the fuel cell 17 with the hydrogen heated by means of the heat exchanger 1.

[0057] Figure 6 shows a motor vehicle 15 according to an optional embodiment, which has a hydrogen supply system 13 according to Figure 6 and / or includes a heat exchanger 1 as disclosed.

[0058] Figure 7Figure 19 schematically shows a computer-implemented method 19 for generating design data for manufacturing a heat exchanger 1 for heating a cryofluid 7 for a predetermined application. The method includes receiving 20 predefined boundary conditions of the predetermined application. The boundary conditions include at least a predefined initial temperature range of the provided cryofluid 7, a predefined target temperature range of the heated cryofluid, and a predefined temperature range of a heat transfer fluid 3 to be used for heating. The method is characterized in that it further includes determining 21 a suitable variation of a winding density of a helically wound cryofluid tube 6 of the heat exchanger 1.This is done by heating the cryofluid 7 to the target temperature range under the given boundary conditions during a flow through the cryofluid tube 6 running in a flow channel 2 through which the heat transfer fluid 3 flows.

[0059] In Figure 8 One sees a process 22 for manufacturing a heat exchanger based on design data for the heat exchanger 1, which is carried out using a process 19 according to Figure 7 were created. Reference symbol list

[0060] 1 Heat exchanger 2 Flow channel 3 Heat transfer fluid 4 Inlet for heat transfer fluid 5 Outlet for heat transfer fluid 6 Cryogenic fluid tube 6a Second cryogenic fluid tube 7 Cryogenic fluid 8 Inlet for cryogenic fluid 8a Inlet of the second cryogenic fluid tube 9 Outlet for cryogenic fluid 9a Outlet of the second cryogenic fluid tube 10 Flow direction 11 Longitudinal axis 12 Core wall 13 Hydrogen supply system 14 Hydrogen piping system 15 Motor vehicle 16 Hydrogen combustion engine 17 Fuel cell 18 Cryogenic tank 19 Method for generating design data for manufacturing a heat exchanger 20 Receiving specified boundary conditions 21 Determining a suitable variation of a winding density 22 Method for manufacturing a heat exchanger 23 Support plate 24 Opening for cryogenic fluid tube 25 Opening for Core wall 26 Passage opening for heat transfer fluid

Claims

1. Heat exchanger (1) for heating a cryogenically cooled cryofluid (7), the heat exchanger (1) comprising: - a flow channel (2) for guiding a heat transfer fluid (3); and - a cryofluid tube (6) for guiding the cryofluid (7), wherein the cryofluid tube (6) is helically wound and extends within the flow channel (2): characterized by the fact that The winding density of the cryofluid tube (6) varies along the flow channel (2).

2. Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger (1) is designed as an immersion heat exchanger.

3. Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat exchanger (1) is designed as a direct flow heat exchanger.

4. Heat exchanger (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the winding density of the cryofluid tube (6) is varied along the flow channel (2) such that the winding density increases along a flow direction (10) of the heat transfer fluid (3) in the flow channel (2).

5. Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 4, wherein the increase in winding density is linear with an axial position in the flow channel (2).

6. Heat exchanger (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the flow channel (2) has a cylindrical shape and wherein the heat exchanger (1) is optionally designed such that the flow channel (2) directs the heat transfer fluid (3) along a longitudinal axis (11) of the cylindrical flow channel (2).

7. Heat exchanger (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a core wall (12) which is formed inside the flow channel (2) and reduces a flow cross-section of the flow channel (2).

8. Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 7, wherein the core wall (12) extends along a longitudinal axis (11) of the flow channel (2).

9. Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 8, wherein the core wall (12) is designed such that the core wall (12) reduces the flow cross-section of the flow channel (2) uniformly over at least a part of the length of the flow channel (2).

10. Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the core wall (12) is configured such that the core wall (12) reduces the flow cross-section of the flow channel (2) in a variable manner over at least a part of the length of the flow channel (2).

11. Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 10, wherein the reduction of the flow cross-section of the flow channel (2) by the core wall (12) is increasing or decreasing over at least a part of the length of the flow channel, and wherein the increase or decrease of the reduction of the flow cross-section is optionally linear.

12. Hydrogen supply system (13) for supplying a hydrogen combustion engine (16) and / or a fuel cell (17) of a motor vehicle (15) with hydrogen, the hydrogen supply system (13) comprising: - a hydrogen line system (14) for extracting hydrogen in the form of a cryofluid (7) from a cryotank (18); - a heat exchanger (1) according to any of the preceding claims for heating the hydrogen extracted in the form of the cryofluid (7) for supplying the hydrogen combustion engine (16) and / or the fuel cell (17) with the hydrogen heated by means of the heat exchanger (1).

13. Motor vehicle (15) comprising a hydrogen supply system (13) according to claim 12 and / or a heat exchanger (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

14. Computer-implemented method for generating design data for the manufacture of a heat exchanger (1) for heating a cryofluid (7) for a predetermined application, the method comprising: - receiving (20) predetermined boundary conditions of the predetermined application, wherein the boundary conditions include at least a predetermined output temperature range of the supplied cryofluid (7), a predetermined target temperature range of the heated cryofluid (7) and a predetermined temperature range of a heat transfer fluid (3) to be used for heating; characterized by the fact thatthe method further comprises: - Determining (21) a suitable variation of a winding density of a helically wound cryofluid tube (6) of the heat exchanger (1) such that, with the given boundary conditions, the cryofluid (7) is heated to the target temperature range during a flow through the cryofluid tube (6) running in a flow channel (2) through which the heat transfer fluid (3) flows.

15. Method for manufacturing a heat exchanger (1) based on design data for the heat exchanger (1) created using a method according to claim 14.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Heat exchanger for heating cryogenic fluid by particularly flowing heat transfer medium, has design of flow cross section in colder channel-area

    DE102008028728A1

  • vaporizer

    US20240175548A1

  • Operating method for a cryopressure tank

    WO2013143773A1

  • Wound heat exchanger, method for producing a wound heat exchanger and method for exchanging heat between a first fluid and a second fluid

    WO2020074117A1

  • Heat exchangers and methods for refueling a vehicle

    DE102021125688A1